‘Predator’ star Jesse Ventura praises ‘Prey’ Prequel as “thoughtful” and “creative”

By

-

August 8, 2022

preditor star — 'Predator' star Jesse Ventura praises 'Prey' Prequel as "thoughtful" and "creative" 2

Jesse Ventura, who starred in Predator, has nothing but good things to say about Prey, the long-running franchise’s prequel, on Hulu.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ventura, who portrayed Blain Cooper in the first Predator movie, praised star Amber Midthunder and director Dan Trachtenberg on social media on Hulu’s prequel.

“Great, great film,” Ventura wrote in a Twitter post-Saturday evening, highlighting the performance by Midthunder. “Welcome to the Predator family. [Director Dan Trachtenberg] thank you for making such a thoughtful, creative and wonderful film.”

Midthunder told Ventura that she was speechless when it came to expressing her gratitude, and Trachtenberg admitted that he was “on the floor.” Regards, sir. We appreciate you watching and thinking highly of what we did.”

Prey tells the Predator’s origin story in the Comanche Nation’s 300-year-old world. A talented female warrior named Naru (Midthunder) defends her tribe from one of the first highly evolved Predators to touch down on Earth.

Dakota Beavers, Dane Diliegro, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, Julian Black Antelope, Stefany Mathia, Bennett Taylor, Mike Paterson, and Nelson Leis are featured in the movie as well

In his review of the movie, Frank Scheck stated, “Featuring a cast composed almost entirely of Native and First Nations actors, Prey has clearly taken pains to be as authentic as possible,”

Recently, Midthunder expressed to THR how crucial it was to her that Prey accurately and respectfully depicts Indigenous life, as reproted by The Hollywood Reporter.

“You very rarely get good representation good being accurate, respectful or something to be proud about,” she said. “This is the first time you get to see an Indigenous female action hero at the center of a film. That in and of itself is a really incredible statement.

Indian stock indices have started this week on a steady note

By

ANI

-

August 8, 2022

The Indian stock indices started the fresh week largely steady as the benchmark indices – Sensex and Nifty – traded in a range of (+/-) 0.1 from Friday’s closing.

Among the Nifty 50 stocks, 30 were in the green and the rest in red, National Stock Exchange data showed.

“Growth impulses in India are strong. Leading indicators like bank credit growth, capacity utilization in manufacturing, automobile demand etc suggest an economy in the strong rebound.

Financials, capital goods and construction are on a strong wicket. Pharma and FMCG are stable.

Robust jobs data in the US as well as for the IT sector,” said V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services.

Meanwhile, the rally in Indian stock indices has been continuing for the past three weeks on account of the return of foreign portfolio investors after nine long months as well as inflation seemingly plateauing.

Foreign portfolio investors becoming net buyers in Indian stock markets again after nine long months renewed the investors’ sentiment. In July, FPIs bought equities worth Rs 4,989 crore and became net buyers after nine months, National Securities Depository (NSDL) data earlier showed.

In the past one month, the indices – Sensex and Nifty – gained around 7-8 per cent each, respectively.

Notably, the Indian stocks recorded their best weekly performance during the week to July 22 marking its best week since February 2021.

On a macroeconomic front, this week will be jam-packed for investors as the focus of Indian stock market investors will now shift from monetary policy to inflation data, both in India and the US, expected later this week.

For the record, the monetary policy committee of the Reserve Bank of India has unanimously decided to raise the repo rate by 50 basis points to 5.40 per cent in order to contain the persistently high inflation.

The hike takes the repo rate above pre-pandemic levels of 5.15 per cent.

The three-day monetary policy committee meeting commenced on Wednesday.

Raising interest typically suppresses demand in the economy, thereby helping inflation to decline.

In line with the global trend of monetary policy tightening to cool off inflation, the RBI has so far hiked the key repo rates — the rate at which the central bank of a country lends money to commercial banks — by 140 basis points.

PM Modi assures speedy clearances to the state projects in Maha says CM Eknath Shinde

By

PTI

-

August 7, 2022

Eknath Shinde, PM Modi — Image: Agencies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured speedy clearances from the Centre to development proposals and timely disbursement of funds to Maharashtra, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said here on Sunday.

He said the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in the state has now set a target of “Mission 48” for the Lok Sabha polls in 2024 and will work towards achieving that goal.

Addressing a press conference here, the Maharashtra chief minister also announced that projects such as building of farm pond (Jalyukt Shivar) and a grievance redressal portal ‘Aaple Sarkar’, which ran into delays during the previous government, have been put on fast track.

Shinde said the ‘Aaple Sarkar’ (our government) portal, a single window service delivery platform of all notified major and micro municipal services, will go live on August 15. “At present, 404 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the state will be onboarded on this portal in a staggered manner and new ULBs, which will be formed in future, will also be onboarded on this portal,” Shinde said.

He said Maharashtra has sent Rs 18,000-crore proposals related to projects, ranging from improving sanitation to revival of lakes, to the Centre. “We will get everything now, be it GST dues or funds from the Centre,” Shinde said, adding that the prime minister has assured him of speedier approvals to proposals from the state. Asked about BJP’s ‘Mission 48’, focusing on winning all the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, Shinde said the said mission was now that of the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance.

“Yes, we have ‘Mission 48’. Now that we have a Shiv Sena-BJP government in the state, it will work with renewed vigour for the welfare of the people. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis too has spoken about it,” Shinde said.

Interestingly, during his two-day visit to the national capital, Shinde preferred to stay at his son (who is Lok Sabha member) Shrikant Shinde’s residence instead of Maharashtra Sadan, the official state guest house on Kasturba Gandhi Road here.

Shinde, who was advised rest by doctors last week, is also learnt to have taken a short tour of the national capital during his two-day stay here.

Maharashtra will experience intense heavy rainfall for next 3-4 hours : IMD

By

PTI

-

August 7, 2022

Rainfall, Maharashtra — Image: Agencies/ Representative

Intense to very intense spells of rain are very likely to occur at places in the districts of Maharashtra during the next 3-4 hours, said the Indian Meteorological Department on Sunday.

According to IMD, Intense to very intense spells are predicted in the districts of Raigad and Ratnagiri. According to the data from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the coastal state has received 677.5 mm of rainfall till July 31, which is 27 per cent more than its normal figures.

Earlier in July, Maharashtra reported 84 people dead and 66 others injured due to floods. As many as 249 villages have been severely affected due to floods in the Gadchiroli district, according to disaster management officials.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the flood-affected areas and promised to extend all possible help to people.

Maharashtra reports new Covid-19 cases of 1,812 and one death

By

PTI

-

August 7, 2022

Covid-19, Maharashtra,Mumbai — Image: Representative

Maharashtra on Sunday reported 1,812 fresh COVID-19 cases and one death, taking the tally to 80,59,732 and the toll to 1,48,139, the state health department said.

A day earlier, the state had reported 1,931 COVID-19 cases and nine fatalities The department also said 16 patients of BA.2.75 and three patients of BA. 4 and 5 sub-variants have been found in the state. All these cases are from Pune.

“Detailed epidemiological investigation of these cases is underway,” the health department report said. The tally of BA.4 and BA.5 patients has risen to 275 and of BA.2.75 patients to 250. Maharashtra is now left with 12,011 active cases.

Of the 1,812 cases, the highest 740 are from the Mumbai circle, followed by 336 in the Pune circle, 303 in the Nagpur circle, 156 in the Nashik circle, 95 in the Latur circle, 76 in the Akola circle, 64 in the Kolhapur circle, and 42 in the Aurangabad circle, it stated. The lone COVID-19 fatality in the state was reported in Mumbai city, the department said.

A total of 1,675 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative number of recoveries in Maharashtra to 78,99,582, the department said. Of the 12,011 COVID-19 patients in the state, the highest 2,924 active cases are in the Pune district, 2,734 in the Mumbai district, and 1,175 in the Nagpur district. Maharashtra’s current recovery rate is 98.01 per cent and the fatality rate is 1.83 per cent.

With 34,966 new coronavirus tests conducted in the last 24 hours, the number of samples tested so far in Maharashtra rose to 8,34,36,135, as per the report. Coronavirus figures for Maharashtra are as follows: Positive cases 80,59,732; fresh cases 1,812; death toll 1,48,139; recoveries 78,99,582; active cases 12,011; total tests 8,34,36,135.

CM Eknath Shinde seeks Centre’s aid in Agri, Education sectors; says state committed to effective rollout of NEP

By

PTI

-

August 7, 2022

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday urged the central government to increase the procurement limit for the minimum support price (MSP) be increased to 50 per cent of the production, and also sought its support in the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP).

Speaking at the Governing Council meeting of the NITI Aayog in New Delhi, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shinde highlighted the steps taken by the state for implementation of the NEP, and said his government was fully committed to effective rollout of this education policy.

He also said that the cost norms need to be revised to boost the horticulture sector. “In the mission for integrated development of horticulture, cost norms fixed in 2015 have not been changed.

Project cost is significantly increasing due to the rise in prices of cement, iron and other raw material and it is no more affordable to farmers,” he said. He added the procurement limit for the MSP be increased to 50 per cent of the production. On the steps taken by the state government for implementation of the NEP, he said the state has made substantial progress in achieving universal access to elementary education.

“The state is fully committed to effective implementation of the NEP and has taken definitive steps in this direction. The gross enrolment ratio of Maharashtra has improved steadily in the last decade. The state is also promoting online and distant learning programmes,” he said.

To make higher education affordable to everyone, the state government is providing scholarships to the needy students from backward castes and economically weaker sections, he said, adding that Maharashtra will achieve the target of 50 per cent gross enrolment ratio well before 2035.

The chief minister said transformation envisaged by the NEP can be effected through a massive capacity-building programme of faculty and supporting staff.

The state government has set up Maharashtra State Faculty Development Academy for providing need-based training to teachers and academic leaders.

The state is also encouraging higher education institutions, Shinde said. Seeking Centre’s support in implementation of the NEP, he said the central government should prepare an incentive scheme for the institutions which are taking a lead in implementation of the NEP.

Final guidelines of the University Grants Commisison (UGC) should be issued as soon as possible, so that they can be implemented in a time-bound manner, Shinde said, while urging the Centre to provide financial assistance to technology institutions, computer labs, digital and virtual labs, equipment for animation, gaming.

Police registered a case against a gynecologist as panel doctors stated negligence in a case of death of a 26- year old woman

By

PTI

-

August 7, 2022

Police registered a case against a gynecologist after a panel of government doctors indicted her for negligence leading to the death of a 26-year-old woman post delivery at a private hospital in Jalna city of Maharashtra.

The erring doctor had gone for a morning walk leaving the woman patient with inexperienced nursing staff, a police official said on Sunday citing a report of the committee of senior doctors of Government Hospital and Medical College (GHMC) Aurangabad, which probed the matter.

The patient, Neha Lidhoriya, died of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) or heavy blood loss after giving birth on April 13, the police said. The woman was admitted in the hospital in Jalna on April 13, 2022, for delivery. “She delivered a healthy baby. On the morning of April 13, she suffered PPH while the woman doctor went for a morning walk leaving the patient with the inexperienced nursing staff. The erring doctor and nursing staff did not inform the patient about the need for blood,” a police official said.

“The doctor did not give proper information about the patient’s condition and the need for blood. As a result of which, Neha died of excessive blood loss,” he said.

The woman patient’s husband had filed a complaint at the Government District Hospital demanding an inquiry into the death of his wife.

The complaint was then referred to the GMCH panel. A case has been registered against the gynaecologist under section 304 (Causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code. Further investigation is underway, the official added.

CWG 2022: Nikhat Zareen captured another Boxing gold by defeating Carly MC Naul

By

ANI

-

August 7, 2022

Indian star boxer and world champion Nikhat Zareen captured the country’s third consecutive boxing gold medal of the day by defeating Carly MC Naul of Northern Ireland in the final of women’s 50kg (Light Flyweight) at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Sunday.

Zareen lived up to her ‘world champion’ status as she dominated Carly across all three rounds. She won by 5-0 on basis of points scored.

The Indian world boxing champion was off to a great start. Carly competed really well in the first round. But Nikhat took advantage of her strengths and maintained a slight advantage over her opponent, which made all five judges vote in her favour at the end of the first round.

Nikhat continued her dominance in the second round. Her agility and ability to land the right punches at the right time helped her earn unanimous decisions in her favour from all judges. Carly on the other hand was losing momentum fastly and getting tired.

The pattern of Nikhat’s dominance continued in the final round. Her opponent was clearly frustrated with her lack of performance and Nikhat continued to tire her out.

The gold medal went to the Indian after yet another unanimous decision by judges in the final round.

Earlier, Amit Panghal captured another boxing gold for the country after defeating England’s Kiaran Macdonald in the final of 48-51 kg (Flyweight) at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham on Sunday.

Panghal was extremely dominant in the match and won it by 5-0. He won it on basis of points. In the first round, Panghal made a great start.

Though his English opponent was always in contention, the Indian was the better boxer as the judges decided in favour of Panghal and he got 10 points from all while Macdonald got nine from all. In the second round, Panghal continued with the same momentum and kept his upper hand intact.

Macdonald tried to fight back but simply could not match the Indian’s prowess and hence lost on the second round as well. The pattern of Panghal’s dominance continued in the final round as well as he kept scoring points effortlessly.

Once again, all judges decided in his favour. This helped him seal the match and add another medal to his country’s tally.

Nitu Ghangas also clinched a gold medal after defeating England’s Demie-Jade Resztan in the final of the women’s 48 kg category at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham on Sunday.

She won on basis of points by 5-0 over her English opponent. Ghangas was a notch above Resztan throughout the match.

The English boxer was fighting well, but fell short in all three rounds as all five judges voted in favour of Ghangas.

The Commonwealth Games 2022 started in Birmingham from July 28 and will go on till August 8.

CWG 2022: Another Boxing gold by Amit Panghal in the flyweight category

By

ANI

-

August 7, 2022

Indian boxer Amit Panghal captured another boxing gold for the country after defeating England’s Kiaran Macdonald in the final of 48-51 kg (Flyweight) at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham on Sunday.

Panghal was extremely dominant in the match and won it by 5-0. He won it on basis of points. In the first round, Panghal made a great start.

Though his English opponent was always in contention, the Indian was the better boxer as the judges decided in favour of Panghal and he got 10 points from all while Macdonald got nine from all. In the second round, Panghal continued with the same momentum and kept his upper hand intact.

Macdonald tried to fight back but simply could not match the Indian’s prowess and hence lost on the second round as well. The pattern of Panghal’s dominance continued in the final round as well as he kept scoring points effortlessly.

Once again, all judges decided in his favour. This helped him seal the match and add another medal to his country’s tally.

Panghal entered the finals by defeating Patrick Chinyemba of Zambia in the semis by 5-0. He had advanced to the semi-finals of the men’s flyweight 51kg at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham on Thursday, thereby confirming a medal for India.

The Indian defeated Scottish boxer Lennon Mulligan 5-0 in his quarterfinal match at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Solihull.

Earlier today, Indian boxer Nitu Ghangas also clinched a gold medal after defeating England’s Demie-Jade Resztan in the final of the women’s 48 kg category at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham on Sunday.

She won on basis of points by 5-0 over her English opponent. Ghangas was a notch above Resztan throughout the match.

The English boxer was fighting well, but fell short in all three rounds as all five judges voted in favour of Ghangas. At 07:00 PM tonight: Nikhat Zareen vs Carly McNaul (Nothern Ireland) in Women’s 48-50 KG Gold Medal Match.

The Commonwealth Games 2022 started in Birmingham from July 28 and will go on till August 8.

Indian Athlete Sandeep Kumar has added a Bronze medal to India’s medal tally

By

ANI

-

August 7, 2022

Indian athlete Sandeep Kumar added one more bronze to India’s medal tally after finishing in third position in the final of the men’s 10,000 m race walk at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham on Sunday. Kumar clocked the timings of 38:49.21 in the final, which is his personal best.

The gold medal was won by Canada’s Evan Dunfee, who clocked the timings of 38:36.37, which is a new Commonwealth Games record and his personal best as well.

Australia’s Declan Tingay won the silver medal. He clocked the timings of 38:42.33, which is his personal best. Amit, another Indian taking part in the event finished at the ninth position, clocking timings of 43:04.97, his season best.

Earlier, Eldhose Paul won gold and Abdulla Aboobacker Narangolintevid bagged a silver in the final of the men’s triple jump on Sunday. Paul finished at the first position with the best jump of 17.03 m, which came in his third attempt.

He performed the first 17 m jump of the final. He took home the gold medal. Abdulla Aboobacker Narangolintevid also finished at the second position, with the best jump of 17.02 m which came in his fifth attempt.

Notably yesterday, Indian athlete Avinash Sable clinched a silver medal for the country after finishing second in the final of the men’s 3000 m steeplechase event at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham on Saturday.

He was not initially in the medal contention as he was at the fourth position when he crossed 1,000 and 2,000 m respectively.

But in the final 1,000 m, he upped his speed to get to the second position and won a silver for the country.

He clocked the timings of 8:11.20, his personal best. Also, Priyanka Goswami clinched a silver medal for the country after finishing at second position in the final of the women’s 10,000 m race walk at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham on Saturday.

She clocked the timings of 43:38.00, her personal best. She was always in contention for a medal as she was in the first position initially.

As she progressed, she lost her lead but by the finish, she was still good enough to come second. CWG 2022 started in Birmingham from July 28 and will go on till August 8.