Anna Arch flyover opened for traffic Tuesday March 01,2016

 

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday March 01,2016 inaugurated the Rs. 35-crore flyover that takes off on Poonamallee High Road and lands on Nelson Manickam Road.

 

With this, motorists travelling from the Anna Nagar Arch and Koyambedu side to Nelson Manickam Road and beyond need no longer wait for the signal. 

Soon after the inauguration through video conferencing, traffic was allowed on the two-lane, uni-direction 361-metre-long flyover.

This flyover is one of the two L-shaped flyovers that are being constructed at a cost of Rs. 117 crore at the intersection of Poonamallee High Road and Anna Nagar 3{+r}{+d}Avenue. The design of the flyover, work on which began in June 2011, was changed in November 2012 after the State government decided to retain the twin Anna Arches.

“Originally, the proposal was to demolish them and construct similar arches further, inside 3{+r}{+d}Avenue. But, the government instead chose to retain the arches and change the design of the flyover,” said a source in the Highways Department.

The arches were constructed to commemorate the platinum jubilee celebrations of former Chief Minister C. N. Annadurai and inaugurated by the then Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran on January 1, 1986. 

Tamil Nadu Govt launches broadband service, ‘Arasu Fibre’ Monday February 29,2016

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday launched a broadband service, ‘Arasu Fibre’, through the Arasu Cable TV Corporation Ltd. 

 

The broadband service is the latest entrant to the fast growing broadband internet segment in Tamil Nadu. Vodafone will provide the bandwidth to Arasu Cable. 

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa launched the service through a video conference. 

‘Arasu Fibre’ aims to provide broadband plans costing between Rs. 299 and Rs. 899 with the speed ranging between 2 Mbps and 4 Mbps. 

BSNL, Airtel, RailTel and ACT are already providing broadband services in the State. 

Last year, Arasu Cable Corporation received an ISP licence from the Ministry of Telecom, enabling it to offer broadband services. 

The service will be delivered through cable operators who have signed up with Arasu Cable. 

Arasu Cable floated a tender for companies to provide bandwidth for the service. “Vodafone became the successful bidder and the work order has been issued to them. Arasu Cable will be paying them per Mbps used,” 

The cable corporation will use the control rooms set up in 32 districts for providing cable television. “As of now, 1,100 connections are live. These are mainly used for testing,”

8,000 cable operators

“A preliminary survey done by Arasu Cable showed that about 8,000 cable operators were ready to sign up. More operators are expected to join,”

The revenue will be shared by Arasu Cable, which is the ISP holder, the aggregator and the last-mile cable operators.

Vivo launches Xplay 5, world's first smartphone with 6GB RAM

 

Chinese Smartphone Maker Vivo has launched its flagship device Xplay 5.

The company has introduced two variants of the smartphone, one with 6GB RAM and Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and the other with 4GB RAM and Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor

 

The company has priced the Vivo Xplay5 Ultimate Edition with 6GB RAM with Snapdragon 820 SoC is priced at $654, whereas the 4GB RAM with Snapdragon 652 variant costs $564.

On the specifications front, the Vivo Xplay 5 features a 5.43-inch QHD display with 2560x1440 pixels resolution protected with a coating of Corning Gorilla Glass on top.

The smartphone offers dual sim functionality and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system.

It comes equipped with a 16MP rear camera with dual tone LED flash and an 8MP front facing snapper for selfies.

The handset also incorporates a fingerprint sensor and offers 4G, LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS as connectivity options.

The smartphone packs a 3,600 mAh battery and will be available in Champagne Gold and Rose Gold colour options. 

86th International Motor Show in Geneva,Switzerland - Opel Astra Named "Car of the Year" Monday February 29,2016

 

The Opel Astra has been named "Car of the Year" by nearly 60 journalists ahead of the start of the Geneva auto show, a boon for the European operations of General Motors.

The selection on Monday February 29,2016 of the hatchback comes as the Detroit automaker has been looking to turn the corner with its European operations, which have been losing money for years.

 

Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann praised "the toughest jury in the industry," and said the car's designers made a lighter, more spacious and elegant version with this 2015 edition, which has racked up 130,000 sales. Opel is known as Vauxhall in the UK.

Seven European automotive publications were behind the award. Most of the seven finalists except the Jaguar XE and the BMW 7-Series sedan were basic transportation vehicles. The others were the Audi A4, the Mazda MX5, the Skoda Superb and the Volvo XC90 SUV.

Maruti Suzuki to launch Vitara Brezza on March 21,2016

Unveiled at the recently held 2016 Auto Expo in Delhi, the Vitara Brezza has garnered a lot of interest across India.

The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is likely to carry a starting price of Rs 6 lakh for the base model while we expect the top-end variant to hover around the Rs 8.5 lakh mark.

The compact SUV will be offered in four variants, specifically LDi, VDi, ZDi and ZDi+

The Vitara Brezza will be powered by a 1.3-litre DDIS diesel engine which has been borrowed from Fiat.

The motor generates 90PS of power and 200Nm of peak torque.

The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission which sends power to the front wheels.

Maruti Suzuki has skipped the petrol variant for the Indian market but will be offering it in international markets

China's First Self-Propelled Floating Dock Operational Tuesday March 01,2016

 

China's first self-propelled floating dock Huachuan No.1 has completed its maiden voyage on Tuesday March 01,2016

 The vessel is touted as a major breakthrough by China Military Online as it shifts China's large warship repair from set spots on the coast to mobility far out at sea.

The use of the dock means that ships with minor damage will not have to be taken out of service and those with more serious damage will not have to return to a shipyard.

Huachuan No.1 can provide repair and support for most of the vessels currently commissioned in the People's Liberation Army Navy including destroyers, frigates and comprehensive replenishment ships, submarines, and auxiliary ships under 20,000 tons.

 It will not be suitable for the navy’s aircraft carrier.

The vessel is larger and has greater lifting power than its predecessors and is able to complete repairs in high winds and two-meter (6.6 foot) seas.

The floating dock has special repair, electrical, benchwork and mechanic workshops and four stationary hoisting cranes are located to cover lifting operations across the entire pontoon deck.

The failure analysis center on the floating dock is set up with communications systems that will enable those on board to seek advice from shoreside experts if required.

China's first 25,000-ton-class floating dock Huangshan was completed in 1974, and the 300,000-ton-class Dalian and 200,000-ton-class Zhonghai Mount Jiuhua and Zhonghai Mount E'mei followed.

2016 Asia Cup Match 7 India Vs Sri Lanka @ Sher E Bangla National Cricket Stadium,Mirpur - M S Dhoni now has 51 dismissals in T20's Tuesday March 01,2016

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (35 catches + 17 stumpings in 61 matches) became the second wicketkeeper after Pakistan’s Kamran Akmal to effect 50 dismissals or more in all three formats of International cricket — Tests, ODIs and T20Is

Also M S Dhoni became the first player to complete 200 sixes as captain in 315 innings in International cricket — the next best being 171 in 376 innings by Ricky Ponting.

2016 US Presidential Election Super Tuesday March 01,2016 Results

 

Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton dominate 'Super Tuesday' primaries

 

Super Tuesday saw 11 states voting, from Massachusetts in the east to Alaska in the north-west. 

A 12th state, Colorado, held a caucus

 

 

 

Republican Delegates	Donald Trump	Ted Cruz	Marco Rubio	Democratic Delegates	Hillary Clinton	Bernie Sanders
Alabama	36	13	1	Alabama	44	9
Alaska	11	12	5	Alaska	19	9
Arkansas	16	4	9	Arkansas	24	35
Georgia	40	18	14	Georgia	70	28
Massachusetts	22	4	8	Massachusetts	45	43
Minnesota	10	13	14	Minnesota	28	46
Oklahoma	12	14	11	Oklahoma	16	20
Tennessee	31	14	9	Tennessee	41	22
Texas	33	99	3	Texas	138	61
Vermont	6	0	0	Vermont	0	16
Virginia	17	8	16	Virginia	61	32

Donald Trump (Republican): Alabama, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, Vermont  

 

 

 

 

 

• Ted Cruz (Republican): Texas, Oklahoma,Alaska

 

• Marco Rubio (Republican): Minnesota

Clinton had already secured three wins in the first four early-voting states, polling significantly among blocs of black voters.
 Bernie Sanders, who describes himself as a democratic socialist, has put up an unexpectedly strong challenge against her since his sweeping victory in New Hampshire


• Hillary Clinton (Democrat): Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, Texas, Massachusetts
• Bernie Sanders (Democrat): Vermont, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Colorado

 

With 595 Republican delegates at stake on Super Tuesday, here is how day's series of votes broke down:

• Trump: at least 186 delegates
• Cruz: 125
• Rubio: 62
• Kasich: 18
• Carson: 3

Overall in the race so far, Donald Trump leads with 268 delegates, Cruz has 142, Rubio has 78. Kasich has 24 and Carson has eight.
Republican candidates need 1,237 delegates to secure the nomination

 

 

 

Britney Spears is almost unrecognizable in racy new covers for V magazine

 

Britney Spears shows off her fit figure in a series of sultry new images for V Magazine 

 

The singer is almost unrecognizable as she shows off her killer cheekbones with dramatic eye-makeup in the shots by famed photographer Mario Testino.

 

The 34-year-old poses in a variety of racy outfits and lingerie in the shoot which celebrates the 100th edition of the magazine.

Joanna Krupa in graphic PETA anti-wool poster

 

Joanna Krupa appears naked and with blood and bruises on her skin in a graphic ad for PETA.

The model and former reality star is seen naked and clutching what appears to be a battered and bleeding lamb.

The poster reads: 'Wool: The Naked Truth' along with the statement: 'There's nothing warm and cuddly about wool.'

Hannah Davis on the Cover of Maxim March 2016 Issue

 

It's not hard to see why Derek Jeter wants to spend the rest of his life waking up next to Hannah Davis.

 

The 25-year-old looks sensational for her latest - and very racy - cover for Maxim Magazine's March 2016  issue.

Hannah stripped down to a gold string bikini for the shoot, leaving practically nothing to the imagination in a top that was several sizes too small.

World's Longest Flight - Dubai to Auckland covering 14,200 kilometres (8,824 miles)lands in Auckland Tuesday Wednesday March 02,2016

 

An Emirates Airbus A380 touched down in New Zealand Wednesday March 02,2016, completing what is believed to be the world's longest non-stop scheduled commercial flight.

The service from Dubai to Auckland covered 14,200 kilometres (8,824 miles), according to industry website airwaysnews.com, pipping Qantas' 13,800-kilometre Sydney-Dallas route launched in 2014.

It said the route was also the longest in duration, with passengers set to spend 17 hours 15 minutes in the air during the return leg from Auckland to Dubai.

However, that record is expected to be short-lived because Emirates' upcoming Dubai-Panama City service will take 17 hours 35 minutes when it launches later this month.

 

Emirates described it as "one of the longest air routes in the world by distance".

"But with the assistance of clever technology and good planning, passengers will get to their destination in the shortest possible time," it said.

"Emirates will be using flexible routes, which can vary by day, taking advantage of tail winds and avoiding head winds to reduce the time in the air."  

The inaugural Dubai-Auckland flight was made by an A380 but the regular service will be carried out using the Boeing 777.

New Zealand Transport Minister Simon Bridges said the non-stop service, which cuts three hours off current Dubai-Auckland travel times, improved New Zealand's connectivity to the rest of the world.


Note

This deaf woman’s clever tattoo has gone viral

 

After being fed up by having to continuously explain that she was hearing-impaired, one young woman decided to get a tattoo that would put the question to rest once and for all.

Elisa Menzel, from Germany, got the icon of a muted sound button tattooed behind her left ear to indicate her partial deafness after she became exasperated telling people again and again about her disability

She later posted a picture of herself sporting the tattoo on the website Imgur.

 

The image soon went viral with people around the world praising her for her ingenious idea. Her picture has now received more than 3 million views on that website alone

Indian Railways Launches Bar Coding System for Unreserved Tickets Tuesday March 01,2016

Indian Railways on Tuesday March 01,2016 launched Bar Coding System for Unreserved Tickets to prevent revenue leakage and bring transparency in the ticketing system.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said bar coding of unreserved tickets, one of the rail budget 2016-17 commitments, will be launched in three stations of the city - New Delhi, Old Delhi and Nizamuddin.

The IT-based bar coding project has been introduced as a pilot project at nine ticket counters in these stations. Railway Board Member (Traffic) Mohd Jamshed noted that there were cases of misuse of unreserved tickets by unscrupulous elements who used to get the tickets printed illegally.

"The circulation of unauthorised tickets was affecting Railways' revenue. The bar coding system will prevent such malpractices," he said.

The official stated that in order to check fraud, Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) has decided to print encrypted QR code on unreserved tickets through thermal printers.

The bar coding feature includes details like ticket number, stock number, fare, source station, destination station, number of adults, number of children, train type, class code and date of journey, that are printed in the form of encrypted QR code. Jamshed explained that whenever a staff checks the ticket, he can scan the encrypted QR code and validate the information printed on the ticket to prevent any fraud.

In this technology, printing will be done through thermal printer on thermal stationery only.

Therefore, fraud by taking out carbon copy of the ticket or erasing of data and printing of other information on it will be detected by scanning its QR, the official noted.

The bar coding will be extended to more stations and gradually it will cover reserved segment also, he added

2016 Asia Cup Match 7 India Vs Sri Lanka @ Sher E Bangla National Cricket Stadium,Mirpur - M S Dhoni became the first skipper to smash 200 international sixes Tuesday March 01,2016

M S Dhoni has added another feather to his cap becoming the first skipper to smash 200 international sixes.

The record was broken during the Asia Cup T20 encounter against Sri Lanka, Mirpur at the Shere Bangla National stadium on Tuesday March 01,2016

After the departure of Hardik Pandya, Dhoni smashed Milinda Siriwardana over his head for a maximum which put M S Dhoni well above other international captains

M S Dhoni is leading now being trailed by Ricky Ponting (171), Brendon McCullum (170), Chris Gayle (134) and Sourav Ganguly (132)

2016 IPL Season 9 - Rahul Dravid Named Delhi Daredevils Mentor Tuesday March 01,2016

 

Rahul Dravid (13,288 Test runs, 10,889 in ODIs) was on Tuesday March 01,2016 named as mentor of the Delhi Daredevils. Joining him on the support staff will be South African Paddy Upton as chief coach.

The two will be assisted by a team comprising former Mumbai batsman Zubin Bharucha as technical director, former India batsmen Sridharan Sriram and Praveen Amre (batting coaches), and former Tamil Nadu and India fast bowler T.A. Sekhar (bowling consultant).

Rhul Dravid, Upton and Bharucha were formerly associated with the Rajasthan Royals, now suspended for two years by the Lodha committee.
 “I am very excited by the challenge of taking Delhi Daredevils on to the next level. From what I have seen I have been impressed by the ambition and energy demonstrated by the team and I look forward to working with a group of players that I believe have what it takes to succeed,” Rahul Dravid said.

“Along with the rest of the support staff, I am fully aware of what this franchise means to its supporters and I intend to do everything possible to help build a team that the fans can be proud of.”

The Delhi Daredevils revamped their coaching staff after terminating former India coach Gary Kirsten’s three-year contract early following two disappointing years where the franchise finished near or at the bottom of the Indian Premier League points table.

The group took charge of the side on Monday, on what was also the first day of a training camp, scheduled till March 4 at the Teri ground in Gurgaon.

Rahul Dravid, who has moved into an India coaching role with the A team, and the Under-22 and Under-19 teams, takes over a new-look Daredevils dressing room that will also have a sprinkling his the team that finished runners-up at the West Indies at the recent ICC U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh.

Upton was most recently associated with the Sydney Thunder in Australia’s Big Bash T20 tournament, steering the New South Wales side to their maiden title. He was also India’s mental conditioning coach till 2011 in Kirsten’s time. “I relish the privilege to work again with Rahul and Zubin, and to have the opportunity to do so at a franchise like Delhi Daredevils,” Upton said.

“I am constantly learning about the Twenty20 format as I move around the world, and look forward to applying and furthering this knowledge at the coming IPL season with Delhi.”

International Space Station's 'One Year Crew' Returns To Earth Tuesday March 01,2016

 

US astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko returned to Earth  Tuesday March 01,2016 after spending almost a year in space in a ground-breaking experiment foreshadowing a potential manned mission to Mars.

The 340-day mission saw Scott Kelly break the record for the longest single stay in space by a US astronaut, while Kornienko is now fifth on the list for lengthiest mission by a Russian cosmonaut.

Scott Kelly broke the record (previously 215 days) for most time spent in space by a United States astronaut back in October, and has logged a total of 520 days in space over four missions.

Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko returned with Russia's Sergei Volkov, who was stationed at the ISS for over five months and was met upon landing by his father, retired cosmonaut Aleksandr Volkov.

The "one-year crew" mission -- which began on March 27,2015  was the longest by any astronauts aboard the ISS and seen as a vital chance to measure the effects of a prolonged period in space on the human body.

Expedition 43 crew members Mikhail Kornienko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), top, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, center, and Gennady Padalka of Roscosmos wave farewell as they board the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft ahead of their launch to the International Space Station

They have been subjected to a battery of tests and other experiments in preparation for a future manned mission to Mars and beyond

The one-year mission focused on 7 key areas of human research. Functional studies will examine crew member performance during and after the 12-month expedition. Behavioral studies will monitor sleep patterns and exercise routines. Visual impairment will be studied by measuring changes in pressure inside the human skull. Metabolic investigations will examine the immune system and effects of stress.
Physical performance will be monitored through exercise examinations. Microbial changes in the crew will be monitored, as well as the human factors associated with how the crew interacts aboard the station.

2016 2016 Forbe's list of the World's Billionaires

Forbes' 2016 list of the World's Billionaires includes 1,810 billionaires, down from a record 1,826 a year ago.

Their aggregate net worth is USD 6.5 billion, USD 570 million less than last year.

Microsoft's co-founder Bill Gates continued his reign as the world's richest person with a net worth of USD 75 billion, according to Forbes' annual ranking of billionaires

Microsoft's co-founder Bill Gates has been number one for 3 years in a row and topped the list 17 out of 22 years

Occupying the second spot on the list is Spanish billionaire Amancio Ortega, founder of closing retail giant Zara and the richest man in Europe. 

On the third spot is billionaire philanthropist and Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu (4) and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos (5)

Mukesh Ambani leads a pack of 84 billionaires from India and is ranked 36th on the list with a net worth of USD 20.6 billion, with pharma magnate Dilip Shanghvi (rank 44 and USD 16.7 billion networth), Wipro Chairman Azim Premji (55 with USD 15 billion networth) and HCL co-founder Shiv Nadar (88 and USD 11.1 billion networth) coming in among the top 100 billionaires.

Other prominent Indian billionaires include ArcelorMittal Chairman Lakshmi Mittal (135), Bharti Airtel's Sunil Mittal (219), Ports and power magnate Gautam Adani (453), matriarch Savitri Jindal (453), Bajaj Group's Rahul Bajaj (722), Infosys chairman emeritus N R Narayana Murthy (959) and Mahindra Group's Chief Anand Mahindra (1577).

Jaipur Airport Declared Best in Asia-Pacific Region for 2015

 

The Jaipur International Airport has been declared the best airport in the Asia-Pacific region by the Airports Council International (ACI) for 2015.

Jaipur Airport has won both the global Best Airport by Size and Best Airport by Size and Region (Asia-Pacific) awards in the 2-5 million passengers per annum category

The authorities will receive the award at the ASQ Awards Ceremony scheduled to take place in April in Australia.

The ASQ Survey covers 34 key service areas and includes eight major categories such as access, check-in, security, airport facilities, food and beverage, retail and more.

Allowing the airport to get an independent perspective on performance and identifying the areas of opportunity, Jaipur did not get any position last year.

Notably, it is for the first time that the Jaipur airport has got a position in the survey ranking.

Meanwhile, New Delhi Airport has also got the top rank in the MPPA category of Asia-Pacific region

Sonakshi Sinha to participate in Guinness World Records attempt on Women's Day March 08,2016

This Women’s Day on March 08, Sonakshi Sinha will be joining the women brigade here in their attempt to achieve a Guinness World Record title of 'Most people painting their fingernails simultaneously'. And the Bollywood actress is more than excited over the thought of being a part of creating history.

By inviting thousands of women on the day, which falls on March 8, Poland-based cosmetic brand Inglot, after partnering with its Indian franchise partner Major Brands India Pvt Ltd, has planned to present a grand platform to create the record, where they will highlight their range of O2M breathable nail enamels.

The event will be held at the Palladium ,Mumbai,Maharashtra,India read a statement.

“As kids we had always heard that so and so has set a record or broken a record and has made a mark for themselves in the Guinness Book of World Records, it was always considered to be prestigious to have a record against your name in the Guinness Book. Back then I never imagined I would get to be a part of one such attempt.

“I'm really excited. I wish Team Inglot good luck for the same and I'm looking forward to the activity,” Sonakshi Sinha said.

Zbigniew Inglot, the chairman of the supervisory board of Inglot and Tushar Ved, president of Major Brands India Pvt Ltd, will also be present.

Talking about the event, Zbigniew said: “It’s a great opportunity for the brand to attempt the Guinness World Record in India.”

Academy Awards - Most No Oscar Award Winners

Katharine Hepburn holds the record for the most Oscar wins by an actress with 12 nominations and 4 Best Actress Awards 

• Morning Glory(1933)
• Guess Who's Coming To Dinner(1967)
• The Lion in Winter(1968)and  
• On Golden Pond(1981)

Daniel Day Lewis  has received the most awards for Best Actor with 3  Oscars for his performances -

• My Left Foot in 1989
• There Will Be Blood in 2007
• Lincoln in 2012

Jack Nicholson is Oscar's most honored male actor, currently with 12 nominations(8 for Best Actor and 4 for Best Supporting Actor)and 3 Oscar wins

Best Actor Award for -

• One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest(1975)and
• As Good As It Gets(1997)

Best Supporting Actor for Terms of Endearment (1983)

Academy Awards - Most Oscars won by a single film in a single year

3 Films are tied for this distinction -

• Ben-Hur (1959)
• Titanic (1997)and 
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

won all 11 awards for which it was nominated

Academy Awards - Those who have won multiple Academy Awards in a single year

Academy Awards - Some Winners Who have Boycotted the Ceremonies and Refused to Accept Their Oscars

Academy Awards - Voters

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), a professional honorary organization, maintains a voting membership of 5,783 as of 2012


Academy membership is divided into different branches, with each representing a different discipline in film production.

Actors constitute the largest voting bloc, numbering 1,311 members (22 %) of the Academy's composition

Academy Awards Ceremony - Venues

Academy Award for Best Direction - Facts

Academy Award for Best Actress - Facts

1)Since its inception in 1929, the award has been given to 73 actresses and the awards ceremony was first broadcast to radio in 1930 and televised in 1953
The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette, officially called the Academy Award of Merit, which has become commonly known by its nickname "Oscar".

2)Katharine Hepburn has won the most awards in this category, with 4 Oscars for her performances in the films -

• Morning Glory(1933)
• Guess Who's Coming To Dinner(1967)
• The Lion in Winter(1968)and  
• On Golden Pond(1981)

3)Meryl Streep has the most Nominations - 15 and winning twice for Sophie's Choice(1982) and The Iron Lady(2011)

4)Janet Gaynor was the first winner in this category for her roles in

• 7th Heaven(1927)
• Sunrise:A Song of Two Humans(1927)
• Street Angel(1928)
•  

5)Luise Rainer became the first person to win two consecutive acting Oscars, having won in both for The Great Ziegfeld(1936)and The Good Earth(1937)

6)Sophia Loren became  the first person to win for a non-English language performance in Two Women(1961)

7)At age 21,Marlee  Matlin became the youngest person to win Best Actress, winning for her performance in Children of a Lesser God (1986).

8)At age 80,Jessica Tandy became the oldest winner in this category for her performance in Driving Miss Daisy(1989)

9)Halle Berry became the 1st Black Actress to win the award for Monster's Ball(2001)

10)Marion Cotillard became the first person to win for a French-language film La Vie en Rose(2007)

11)The following Actresses have won the award twice

• Bette Davis for Dangerous(1935)and Jezebel(1938)
• Luise Rainer for  The Great Ziegfeld(1936)and The Good Earth(1937)
• Vivien Leigh for Gone With The Wind(1939)and A Streetcar Named Desire(1951)
• Ingrid Bergman for Gaslight(1944)and Anastasia(1956)
• Olivia de Havilland for  To Each His Own(1946)and The Heiress(1949)
• Elizabeth Taylor for  Butterfield 8(1960)and  Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf(1966)
• Glenda Jackson for Woman in Love(19770)and A Touch of Class(1973)
• Jane Fonda for Klute(1971)and Coming Home((1978)
• Sally Field for Norma Rae(1979)and Places in the Heart(1984)
• Jodie Foster for The Accused(1988)and The Silence of the Lambs(1991)
• Hilary Swank for Boys Don't Cry(1999)and Million Dollar Baby(2004) 
• Meryl Streep for Sophie's Choice(1982)and The Iron Lady(2011)

 

Academy Award for Best Actor - Facts

1)Since its inception in 1929, the award has been given to 78 actors and the awards ceremony was first broadcast to radio in 1930 and televised in 1953
The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette, officially called the Academy Award of Merit, which has become commonly known by its nickname "Oscar".

2)Daniel Day Lewis  has received the most awards in this category with 3  Oscars for his performances -

• My Left Foot in 1989
• There Will Be Blood in 2007
• Lincoln in 2012

3)Spencer Tracy and Laurence Oliver were nominated on 9occasions, more than any other actor

4)The following actors have won the award twice -

• Marlon Brando for On The Waterfront(1954)and Godfather(1972)
• Gary Cooper for Sergeant York(1941)and High Noon(1952)
• Tom Hanks for Philadelphia(1993)and Forrest Gump(1994)
• Dustin Hoffman for Kramer Vs Kramer(1979)and Rain Man((1988)
• Fredric March for Dr Jekyll  and Mr Hyde(1931)and The Best Years of Our Lives(1946)
• Jack Nicholson for One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest(1975)and As Good As It Gets(1997)
• Sean Penn for Mystic River(2003)and Milk(2008)
• Spencer Tracy  for Captain Courageous(1937)and Boys Town(1938)

5)At 29,Adrien Brody became the youngest winner for Best Actor for his performance in The Pianist(2002)

6)Roberto Benigni became the second actor to win for a role in a film '' Life is Beautiful''(1998)he directed himself.The 1st being Sir Laurence Oliver for Hamlet(1948)

7) Jean Dujardin became the first French actor to win this award for his performance in The Artist(2011)

8)Emil Jannings was the 1st winner for his performances in the films

• The Way of All Flesh(1927)
• The Last Command(1928) 

9)Nominated for Best Actor, won for Best Direction

• Woody Allen for Annie Hall(1977) 
• Warren Beatty for Reds(1981)
• Kevin Costner for Dances With Wolves(1990)
• Clint Eastwood for Unforgiven(1992)
• Clint Eastwood for Million Dollar Baby(2004)

2016 US Presidential Election - New Zealand Democrats 1st to vote as Super Tuesday March 01,2016 starts

New Zealand Democrats 1st to vote as Super Tuesday March 01,2016 starts 

Wellington is the first of 111 cities in 41 countries outside the US to cast ballots in the primary for Democrats abroad

New Zealand may be thousands of miles from the US presidential campaign trail but local Democratic Party supporters could boast about being the first in the world to cast ballots in multi-state primaries dubbed “Super Tuesday” — and in a bar, no less.

American voters living in Wellington and registered as Democrats voted just after midnight early on Tuesday local time, almost a day ahead of compatriots back home. In keeping with the South Pacific nation’s informal style, the votes, all 28 of them, were cast in local drinking spot, the Public Bar and Eatery.
Handily winning the day in New Zealand was senator Bernie Sanders, who picked up 21 votes, while former secretary of state Hillary Clinton got six. One ballot was spoiled. The results will be confirmed later this month at the global voter tally centre in Germany.

Wellington is the first of 111 cities in 41 countries outside the US to cast ballots in the primary for Democrats abroad. Republicans living overseas won’t be able to do the same because the party doesn’t have a similar mechanism for its supporters to vote in primaries.

So far, four states have held primaries or caucuses to choose each party’s nominee in November 2016’s presidential election.

 On Tuesday March 01,2016 , Democrats will be voting in 11 states and American Samoa, with 865 delegates at stake.
It takes 2,383 delegates to win the party’s nomination. Democrats abroad are allocated 17 of those delegates.
Republicans, meanwhile, will be voting in 11 states on Super Tuesday March 01,2016, with 595 delegates at stake towards the 1,237 delegates needed to capture the party’s nomination.

Americans living in New Zealand include students, people with specialised jobs, and retirees, said Kat Allikian, chair of the Democrats Abroad New Zealand.

She said a big motivation for local voters was to stop Republicans winning the White House — in particular, leading candidate Donald Trump.

“The overwhelming concern of all Democrats overseas is this Trump phenomenon that is happening on the Republican side,” she said. “It’s mind-boggling that he’s running away with the nomination. Although it’s not set yet.”

Allikian said it was an honour to lead the vote among those living overseas.

“People are really tickled that we’re the very first in the world,” she said.

 

2016-17 Union Budget Feb 29,2016 - Highlights

    *No change in personal Income Tax slabs

*4-month Compliance Window for domestic black money holders; tax, interest on them at 45%

* Relief for tax payers who earn below Rs. 5 lakh; ceiling of rebate u/s 87A raised to Rs. 5,000 from Rs. 2,000

* Surcharge on super-rich with income of over Rs. 1 cr raised to 15 per cent, from 12 per cent

* House rent deduction raised from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 60,000

* One-time dispute resolution scheme for retro tax cases, penalty, interest waived

* High level committee headed by Revenue Secretary to oversee creation of fresh liability using retro tax law

* Corporate Tax for new manufacturing units fixed at 25%

* Clean energy cess increased from Rs. 200/ton to 400/ton on coal, lignite and peat

* First home buyers to get addl deduction of Rs. 50,000 on interest for loan up to Rs. 35 lakh; cost of house should not be more than Rs. 50 lakh

* To achieve fiscal deficit of 3% of GDP by (2017—18)

* Fiscal Deficit target 3.9% in 2015—16, 3.5% in 2016—17

* Revenue Deficit to be 2.8% in 2015—16 * Current Account Deficit for 2015—16 at USD 14.4 billion or 1.4% of GDP

* Forex reserves at highest at USD 350 billion

* Budget lists 9 transformative pillars including doubling farm income by 2022, infrastructure, investment, reforms

* Highest ever allocation of Rs. 38,500 cr for MGNREGA

* Certain equipment for dialysis exempt from basic customs duty, Excise CVD

* Govt to circulate Model Shops and Establishment Bill, small retail shops may remain open for 7 days

* 100% rural electrification by May 1, 2018

* Govt to pay EPF contribution of 8.33% of new employees for first 3 years.

* Start—ups to get 100% tax exemption for 3 years except MAT which will apply from April 2016—2019

* To give statutory status to Aadhaar programme

* Infrastructure outlay at Rs. 2.21 lakh cr

* Rs. 35,984 crore earmarked for farmer welfare; to spend Rs. 86,500 crore on irrigation in 5 years

* Rs. 20,000 crore irrigation fund to be set up under NABARD

* Rs. 2,000 crore for LPG connection to poor; scheme for MPG connection for women

* Stand Up India allocated Rs. 500 crore

* Roads and highways allocation at Rs. 55,000 crore; NHAI can issue tax free bonds.

*Long term capital gains for unlisted companies to be reduced from 3 to 2 years

* Rs. 9,000 crore allocated to Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan

* Targets 10,000 km national highways, upgradation of 50,000 kms of state highways

* Incentivise gas production from deep sea, other unutilised deep sources

* Rs. 31,300 cr Infra Bonds to be issued by various agencies —— NHAI, IREDA, NABARD

* Further relaxation of FDI rules in insurance, pension, stock exchanges, asset reconstruction companies

* 100% FDI in food products made domestically

* Rs. 25,000 cr for recapitalisation of PSU banks

* Department of Disinvestment renamed Department of Investment & Public Asset Management

* NITI Aayog to identify CPSEs for strategic sale

* To design framework for PSU bank consolidation

* To consider lowering govt stake in IDBI to below 50%

* Health insurance scheme to provide Rs. 1 lakh per family

* Senior citizens to get additional healthcare cover of Rs. 30,000 under the new scheme

* Comprehensive Code for providing specialised resolution mechanism for bankruptcy of banks/insurance firms

* To amend Companies Act for registration of firms in a day

* GAAR to be implemented from April 1, 2017.

* Legislation to deal with the menace of illicit deposit taking schemes

* Place of Effective Management rules deferred by a year

* Withdrawal up to 40% of the corpus at the time of retirement to be tax exempt in the case of NPS

* Steps to re-vitalise Public-Private-Partnership mode

* Public Utility (Resolution of Disputes) Bill to be introduced, Guidelines for renegotiation of PPP Concession Agreements

* New credit rating system for infrastructure projects

* Interest rate setting Monetary Policy Committee in 2016.Krishi Kalyan Cess at 0.5% on all taxable services from, June 1, 2016

* Infrastructure cess at 1% on small petrol, LPG, CNG cars, 2.5% on diesel cars of certain capacity and 4% on other higher engine capacity vehicles, SUVs

* Excise duties on various tobacco products other than beedi raised by about 10 to 15%

* RBI to facilitate retail participation in G—Secs

* New derivative products to be developed by SEBI

* PSU General Insurers to be listed in stock exchanges

* Review and rationalisation of Autonomous Bodies

* Amount sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana increased to Rs. 1.80 lakh crore

* Govt to increase ATMs, micro—ATMs in post offices

* Service Tax to be exempted on general insurance schemes under NIRMAYA Scheme.

* DBT to be used to transfer subsidy on fertiliser in select districts on pilot basis

* Plan, non—Plan distinction to be done away with; a Committee to review FRBM

* Service tax on Single premium Annuity Policies reduced from 3.5% to 1.4% of the premium paid in certain cases

* 10% tax rate on income from worldwide exploitation of patents developed and registered in India by a resident

* NBFCs to get deduction of 5% of its income in respect of provision for bad and doubtful debts

* Basic custom and excise duty on refrigerated containers reduced to 5% and 6%

* 100% deduction for profits in housing project for apartments up to 30 sq metres in four metros; 60 sq mts in other cities, approved during June 2016 to March 2019 and completed in 3 years. MAT to apply.

* Agriculture credit target highest at Rs. 9 lakh crore

* Unified agriculture market e—platform will be dedicated to the nation on the birthday of B R Ambedkar

46th Kerala State Film Awards Announced Tuesday March 01,2016

Dulquer Salmaan for his role in Charlie and Parvathy for her performance in ‘Ennu Ninde Moideen’have won the Best Actor and Actress awards at the 46th Kerala State Film Awards, announcedon Tuesday March 01,2016

Sanal Kumar Sasidharan-directed ‘Ozhivudivasathe Kali’ (A off-day game) was selected as the Best Feature film

‘Amoeba’, directed by Manoj Kana, won the award for second Best Picture

Martin Prakkat, director of ‘Charlie’ won the award for the best director

P Jayachandran won the award for best playback singer for ‘Sarathambaram’ song in Ennu Ninde Moideen

Madhushree Narayan became the best singer in the female category for her song in ‘Edavapathi’

Ramesh Narayanan was chosen as the Best Music director for his songs in “Edavapathi” and ‘Ennu Ninde Moideen,’

Writer Unni R and Martin Prakkat shared the award for the best screen play for the movie ‘Charlie.’

Jomon T John was chosen as the best cinematographer for his works in movies ‘Ennu Ninde Moideen’, ‘Charlie’ and ‘Nee-na.’

2016 ICC World T20 in India - Himachal government backs away from hosting India Vs Pakistan Match @ Dharamsala

The much-awaited India-Pakistan World Twenty20 clash is in jeopardy after the Himachal Pradesh government expressed its inability to provide security for the match, leaving the BCCI in a bind with Board Secretary Anurag Thakur saying that the state should not “play politics”.

The March 19,2016  game is to be played in Dharamsala but its fate is now uncertain after Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh  wrote to the Home Ministry stating that the state government cannot provide security for the match.

Reacting sharply to Singh’s statement, Thakur, who is also a BJP MP in Lok Sabha, said the state knew of the schedule months in advance and did not specify any such concerns at that time.

“The venues of the World Cup matches were decided one year ago, the allotment of matches was decided six months ago. People all over have made bookings and it is not fair to give such statements at the last minute,” Thakur told reporters in New Delhi.

“The Congress-led state government is clearly playing politics. Hundreds of Pakistani athletes were given security during the South Asian Games in Assam, why can’t the Himachal government do the same?” Thakur asked.

“By claiming that you cannot provide security, you are only giving credence to Pakistani claims that there is a security threat to their team in India. It’s about the country’s image, you cannot play politics over it,” he added.

On Monday Feb 29,2016, the Himachal Pradesh Congress had asked the BCCI to either cancel the proposed match or shift the venue

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