Actor Gufi Paintal of 'Mahabharat' fame dies at 79

 

Actor Gufi Paintal, best known for playing 'Shakuni mama' in the epic TV serial "Mahabharat", died on Monday at a hospital here due to age-related issues, his nephew Hiten Paintal said.

He was 79.

The veteran actor was admitted at a hospital in suburban Andheri.

"Unfortunately, he is no more. He passed away at the hospital at around 9 am. His heart gave up. He passed away peacefully in his sleep," Hiten told PTI.

Hiten had earlier told PTI that his uncle was not keeping well due to age-related health issues.

"He had blood pressure and heart issues. He was keeping unwell and all this was going on for a while. Things got severe now so we got him to the hospital for observation. He has been in the hospital for seven to eight days. He was critical initially, but right now he is stable," Hiten had told PTI.

Paintal's acting credits also include 1980s Hindi films such as “Suhaag”, “Dillagi”, as well as television shows “CID” and “Hello Inspector”, but his manipulative uncle act as Shakuni mama from BR Chopra's "Mahabharat" made him a household name.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/actor-gufi-paintal-of--mahabharat--fame-dies-at-79.html

Indian-American eighth-grader Dev Shah crowned 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion

 

Dev Shah, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Florida, who correctly spelled the word "psammophile" has won the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee, a prestigious contest where children of Indian origin have ruled the roost.

Shah correctly spelled the word to win the 95th national bee and the USD 50,000 prize on Thursday.

"It's surreal," Shah said onstage after the confetti fell on his head and he lifted the trophy high above.

"I don't know if it's settled in. My legs are still shaking," he said at the competition in National Harbor, Maryland.

“I made a lot of sacrifices these last three months and I'm glad I made them," Shah said. "I'm glad to now get back what I sacrificed.”

After much anticipation about a possible spell-off, a smiling Shah won by correctly spelling “psammophile,” a plant or animal that thrives in sandy areas, the Washington Post newspaper reported.

“Psammo meaning sand, Greek?” he asked. “Phile, meaning love, Greek?”

Shah instantly identified the roots of his word, but asked for all the information just to be safe, while smiling slightly in a way that suggested he was pretty sure he had it, the New York Times newspaper reported.

Shah cut back on his extracurricular activities to dedicate more time to the dictionary. Some days he would not even go to school, since exams were over. He'd be better off studying, Shah figured. That end-of-year field trip his classmates at Morgan Fitzgerald Middle School went on? No thanks.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/indian-american-eighth-grader-dev-shah-crowned-2023-scripps-national-spelling-bee-champion.html

Perfect mix of looks, safety & nature care

 

KIA EV6 encompasses solid safety, a sleek design and care for the environment. Its unique design, based on ‘Opposite United’ philosophy, and an ARAI-certified jaw-dropping 708 km/charge range is bolstered by ultra-fast charging capability and a host of advanced safety features

Advait couldn't have been more off the mark. At this Saturday's brunch, he was boasting to his Paso Doble class buddies they would miserably fail to find themselves an exquisite India-made car that was consummate, leave alone in convincing him that the virtues of solid safety, sleek design and care for the environment could be married together into one four-wheeler.

Soon after, the friends moodily took off and started checking various car showrooms. They didn't have to roam around much before a radiant KIA EV6 entranced Advait and his gang. The good thing was that the premium sporty electric vehicle handily met his pretty rigorous and specific demands, too: An avid trekker on most weekends and during his biannual vacations, the top honcho liked to zoom off along with his partner to faraway sylvan surroundings. He was quite zealous about his individualism as well as possessions making a style statement without disturbing nature.

The EV6 was unlike any other electric vehicle Advait had seen before. It had a unique design (for example, viewing it from the front and back projected it as a different entity) with a sporty stance. But of course, based on KIA's new design philosophy, 'Opposite United', the EV6 left a distinct impression on every onlooker's mind.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/perfect-mix-of-looks--safety---nature-care.html

PM Modi flags off Guwahati-NJP Vande Bharat Express

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flagged off North East's first Vande Bharat Express from Guwahati to New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal on Monday.

The prime minister symbolically waved a green flag on screen, to launch the train from Guwahati station where Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma were present.

The Vande Bharat Express will boost tourism, education, trade and employment opportunities in the North East, the prime minister said on the occasion.

The semi-high-speed train between Guwahati and New Jalpaiguri will further strengthen connectivity between Assam and West Bengal.

During the last nine years, the North East has witnessed infrastructure development with all states connected with the railway network, Modi said.

"Infrastructure is for all without any discrimination, reflecting true social justice and secularism", the prime minister said.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/pm-modi-flags-off-guwahati-njp-vande-bharat-express.html

Newcastle qualifies for Champions League for first time in 20 years

 

Newcastle qualified for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years after drawing with Leicester 0-0 in the English Premier League, a milestone moment for a Saudi-controlled club with the resources and ambition to become a major force in European soccer.

The point ensured Newcastle cannot be denied a top-four finish heading into its final game of the season, at Chelsea on Sunday.

Leicester's campaign-closing game has far more riding on it, with the team still in the relegation zone and needing a win at home to West Ham to avoid falling into the second-tier Championship — seven years after winning the Premier League at preseason odds of 5,000-1 in a sporting fairytale.

Newcastle swarmed all over Leicester at St. James' Park, hitting the post on three occasions — through Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron and Bruno Guimaraes — and forcing a series of saves from goalkeeper Daniel Iversen.

Still, it was job done for Newcastle, which was last in Europe's top club competition in 2003 when it reached the second group stage before finishing below Barcelona and Inter Milan. These are the types of European heavyweights Newcastle's players will be mixing with next season.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/newcastle-qualifies-for-champions-league-for-first-time-in-20-years.html

Desperate Mumbai Indians eye big win over lowly Sunrisers Hyderabad to bolster playoffs chances

 

Five-time champions Mumbai Indians will be desperate for a victory by a big margin over wooden spooners Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Sunday, in what could also be their last outing in this year's Indian Premier League.

While SRH are already ruled out of the race to the playoffs, Mumbai Indians, who have one last chance left, will be keen to make the most of their excellent show here at the Wankhede Stadium this season so far, and bolster their chances of qualification.

With four wins and two defeats, MI have certainly taken full advantage of their home ground, something that Rohit Sharma's men would want to continue as they also have the final opportunity to improve their Net Run Rate (NRR).

Unlike Rajasthan Royals who have finished the league round with 14 points and a superior NRR of 0.148, Mumbai Indians can do one better and end with 16 points, but they must also win big.

Currently at fourth, Royal Challengers Bangalore can be described as being in pole position since they have a better NRR of 0.180 than MI (-0.128) and RR.

RCB can also grab two vital points if they get the better of Gujarat Titans, but more importantly, Faf du Plessis' side would know what exactly is required of them since they play the last game of the league round later on Sunday evening.

Mumbai Indians' chances will get stronger if they win and RCB lose, whereas if they both win their respective games on Sunday, the NRR will come into play. Needless to say, a loss would shut the doors on MI's chances.

The race to the IPL playoffs has perhaps been the most intense this year, with the last two days of the league round determining as many as three out of the four playoffs spots.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/desperate-mumbai-indians-eye-big-win-over-lowly-sunrisers-hyderabad-to-bolster-playoffs-chances.html

Newcastle beats Brighton 4-1, one win away from the Champions League

 

Newcastle is one win away from a return to the Champions League.

The Saudi-controlled club beat Brighton 4-1 on Thursday to strengthen its hold on third place in the Premier League.

Three more points will guarantee Newcastle a top-four finish and an automatic spot in the Champions League, a competition the club last played in 20 years ago. The team's remaining games are at home to next-to-last Leicester and away to Chelsea.

“It is still so far away,” said Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, who hasn't wanted to talk about his team's Champions League chances.

“When it's done," he added, "I'll talk about it for fun if you want.”

Brighton striker Deniz Undav had an eventful game at St. James' Park, glancing Kieran Trippier's inswinging corner into his own net to give Newcastle the lead in the 23rd minute.

Trippier had a key role in the second goal, too, as he curled in a free kick that was nodded in by tall left back Dan Burn in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.

Undav made amends for his own-goal — Brighton's league-high sixth of the season — by running onto Billy Gilmour's defense-splitting pass and converting a finish to reduce the deficit in the 51st.

Callum Wilson ensured there was no way back with a goal on the breakaway in the 89th and he set up Bruno Guimaraes for a fourth two minutes later.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/newcastle-beats-brighton-4-1--one-win-away-from-the-champions-league.html