Current Affairs April 2016 - Deaths
News 1 - Veteran journalist Babu Bharadwaj died
Renowned journalist and writer Babu Bharadwaj passed away at the age of 68. He died of a massive cardiac arrest on 30th April 2016 in Kozhikode.
He was a recipient of Kerala Sahitya Akademi award in 2006 for his novel, Kalapangalkkoru Grihapadam. He had also produced a Malayalam movie named Iniyum Marichittillatha Nammal in year 1980. He was an integral part of print and media in the state of Kerala.
News 2 - Oscar winning actress Patty Duke passed away
Oscar winning actress Patty Duke passed away at the age of 69. She was suffering with mental illness for quite some time after having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in year 1982. She won an Oscar for playing Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker in 1963.
She was popular for her roles in Valley of the Dolls, My Sweet Charlie and Me, Natalie, and for TV’s The Patty Duke Show, which was aired between the period of 1963 to 1966.
News 3 - One of Britain’s best-loved entertainers Ronnie Corbett passed away
One of Britain’s best-loved entertainers Ronnie Corbett, passed away at the age of 85. Some of his best known works are BBC comedy sketch show, The Two Ronnie’s, The Frost Report. He subsequently starred in sitcoms such as No – That's Me Over Here! Now Look Here and Sorry!
Tributes were paid by prominent figures from across the comedy world.
News 4 - Iraqi-British Architect Zaha Hadid expired
The Iraqi-born British architect, Dame Zaha Hadid, died on 31 March 201 6 due to a heart attack in Miami at the age of 65. Her designs included the London Aquatics Centre which was used during the 2012 London Olympics as well as the Al Wakrah Stadium, which is under construction for the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
In 2004, Hadid became the first woman recipient to win the Pritzker Prize, known as the Nobel for architecture.
News 5 - Former Italy coach and AC Milan defender Cesare Maldini died
Former Italy coach and A.C. Milan defender, Cesare Maldini passed away on 3rd April 2016 in Milan, Italy at the age of 84.
Maldini won four Serie A titles with Milan, as well as their first European Cup in 1963. He then became the manager of the AC Milan side from the year 1972 to 1974. In 1996, he became the coach of the national football team of Italy.
News 6 - Grammy Winning Latin jazz saxophonist Gato Barbieri passed
away
Latin Jazz saxophonist and composer of the Grammy-winning music for the steamy Marlon Brando film "Last Tango in Paris", Leandro "Gato" Barbieri, passed away at the age of 83. He died in a New York hospital due to pneumonia.
He recorded dozens of albums over a career spanning more than seven decades. The Argentine-born musician recorded some 35 albums between 1967 and 1982, when he stopped consistently making new records.
News 7 - Actress, Producer and Screenwriter Barbara Turner passed away
Barbara Turner, an actress, screenwriter and producer died at the age of 79. She was best known for her script of “Georgia”. She was nominated for two Emmys for her work on the 1977 NBC film “The War Between the Tates,” and the 2012 HBO movie “Hemingway & Gellhorn”.
She is survived by her three daughters — Leigh, Carrie Ann Morrow and Mina Badiyi Chassler — plus five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
News 8 - Madras Atomic Power Station “Architect”, Myneni Hari Prasad Rao, passed away
Myneni Hari Prasad Rao, the first project director of the Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS), passed away in Chennai at the age of 88 years. He is considered as the Father or Architect of the MAPS.
A recipient of Padma Shri, Rao later served as the executive director of Nuclear Power Board, now Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) for three years. He was also awarded the Sanjay Gandhi Award for contribution in Science and Technology.
News 9 - American music legend Merle Haggard passed away
The 79-year-old music legend Merle Haggard died of pneumonia. He recorded about three dozen number one country hits in a musical career that spanned six decades, from the 1960s into the 2010s. His top hits include Mama Tried, The Fugitive, If We Make It Through December, Okie from Muskogee and Fightin' Side of Me.
Haggard recorded more than three dozen No. 1 country hits in a musical career that spanned six decades, from the 1960s into the 2010s. He overcame an early life of petty crime and a prison term in San Quentin to develop a rugged, outlaw image that helped sell millions of records.
News 10 - Famous Journalist and Author Yogendra Bali Passed Away
The 85-year-old famous Journalist Yogendra Bali passed away due to a heart attack. He was the author of many books which include The Communal Bogey' with foreword by late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, 'Chandra Shekhar: A Political Biography,' 'Pawan Chamling: Daring To Be Different,' and 'Sri Satguru Ram Singh Ji and Freedom Movement of India'.
He was also associated with a number of leading newspapers and publications like The Tribune, Current Weekly, Probe, Sunday Mail, etc.
News 11 - Former Member of Parliament, C Silvera passed away
The Former Union Minister C Silvera passed away at the age of 81 in Tuikhuahtlang, Aizawl district of Mizoram due to heart failure.
He was a retired medical doctor and a Congress politician. He was the longest serving member of Parliament of India from Mizoram. He was elected in the 9th, 10th and the 11th Lok Sabha sessions. He was the first and so far the only Mizo to be in the union council of the ministers.
News 12 - Prominent woman biker Veenu Paliwal died in a road mishap
One of the top Indian woman bikers, Veenu Paliwal, passed away in a tragic road accident in the Vidisha district, which is in the state of Madhya Pradesh at the age of 44 years.
Paliwal was on a nationwide tour with her friend and fellow biker Deepesh Tanwar. She was recently conferred the Lady of Harley honor (LoH). The LoH is elected by members of the Harley Owners’ Group (HOG).
News 13 - British playwright Arnold Wesker passed away
Prolific British playwright, Sir Arnold Wesker, passed away on 14th April 2016 at the age of 83. He first gained prominence with a trilogy about the lives of Jewish socialist intellectuals: Chicken Soup with Barley (1958), Roots (1959) and I’m Talking about Jerusalem (1960).
He wrote more than 40 plays, as well as short stories, essays and poetry over five decades. Critics grouped him with other working class writers sometimes referred to as the “angry young men” generation. He received a knighthood in 2006.
News 14 - Pioneer photographer Malick Sidibe died
Pioneer photographer Malick Sidibe of Mali passed away on 14th April 2016 at the age of 80 years. He died in Bomako, Mali due to complications of diabetes.
Sidibe is popular for his black and white studio portraits and was the first African to receive the Hasselblad Award, in 2003. In 2007, he became the first photographer – and the first African – to be awarded the Golden Lion lifetime achievement award at the Venice Biennale.
News 15 - Co-founder of Hero Cycles, Satyanand Munjal, died
Patriarch of the Hero Cycles group, Satyanand Munjal, passed away on 14th April 2016 at his residence in Model Town, Ludhiana at the age of 99 years. He was a devoted Arya Samajist and popularly known as Mahatma Satyanand Munjal.
He had co-founded Hero Group with his three brothers - Om Prakash Munjal, Brijmohan Lall Munjal and Dayanand Munjal. He was also a philanthropist. His philanthropic acts included Bahadur Chand Munjal (BCM) Arya schools, Hero DMC Heart Institute, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).
News 16 - “Everybody Loves Raymond” actress Doris Roberts passed away
Five times Emmy winning Hollywood actress, Doris Roberts, passed away of natural causes on 17th April 2016 in Los Angeles at the age of 90 years. She was popular for her role as Marie Barone in the US sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond.
She won five Emmy Awards – four times in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005 for her role in Everybody Loves Raymond and an Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1983 for her role in St. Elsewhere. Roberts accrued over 100 television and film credits over a career that spanned 65 years. She was part of films like The Heartbreak Kid, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, the cult classic The Honeymoon Killers, The Rose and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
News 17 - Silicon Valley coach and mentor, William Bill Campbell, passed away
Silicon Valley coach and mentor William Bill Campbell passed away on 18th April 2016 at the age of 75. He had been suffering from cancer. He served as a president, chief executive and the chairman of a financial software maker, Intuit Inc. He is widely known as "The Coach" as he mentored some of Silicon Valley’s most important entrepreneurs and executives including Steve Jobs and Larry Page. His advice on leadership and management nurtured a range of Silicon Valley luminaries.
News 18 - Comedian Victoria Wood Passed Away
The five-time Bafta-winning actress and comedian Victoria Wood passed away at London after a short illness with cancer at the age of 62 years. She was awarded a CBE in 2008.
She started her career by appearing on the New Faces talent show in 1974. She became popular with the BBC sketch show, Victoria Wood as Seen on TV. She then wrote, produced and starred in Dinner Ladies in 1998, a BBC sitcom.
News 19 - Hollywood movie director Guy Hamilton passed away
Legendary Hollywood movie director Guy Hamilton passed away at the age of 93. He directed four James Bond movies which included "Goldfinger", ''Diamonds Are Forever", ''Live And Let Die" and "The Man With The Golden Gun."
Guy Hamilton was born in Paris in September 1922. He was married twice, first to Naomi Chance and then to the actress Kerima. He had also worked in the film library at Paramount News before joining the Royal Navy.
News 20 - Pop Music Superstar Prince Rogers Nelson died
Music legend Prince Rogers Nelson who was popularly known as Prince passed away on 21 April 2016 at the age of 57 years. His body was found unresponsive at the estate where he lived and worked in a recording studio.
Prince sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time with countless hits including Purple Rain, When Doves Cry and Kiss. He won seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the first year of his eligibility. Rolling Stone ranked Prince at number 27 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
News 21 - Former Prime Minister of Thailand, Banharn Silpa-archa, died
Banharn Silpa-archa, the former prime minister of Thailand, passed away at the age of 83 years from an asthma attack in Bangkok.
Mr Banharn Silpa-archa was elected 11 times to Parliament and served as the Prime Minster during 1995-1996. His government was marked by allegations of corruption and economic mismanagement which led to an economic collapse in the country.
Banharn was considered a master of pork barrel politics, making his home province of Suphanburi, in Thailand's central rice-growing region, one of the country's most developed and prosperous-looking region.
News 22 - Harry Wu, Chinese human rights activist, passed away
A prominent human rights activist in China, Harry Wu, passed away in Honduras at the age of 79 years. He was sentenced to 19 years of imprisonment at the age of 23 years after he had been vocal in criticizing the Soviet Union, the then ally of China.
He was released in 1979 and then moved to US in 1985 where he founded the Washington, D.C. based Laogai Research Foundation.
News 23 - Popular cartoonist V T Thomas died
One of the renowned cartoonist from Kerala, V T Thomas passed away at the age of 86 years. He was also known as Toms. He was the creator of the legendary cartoon characters Boban and Molly (Bobanum Moliyum).
Toms began his career as a cartoonist with Malayala Manorama in 1961 and continued till his retirement in 1987. He has also served in the British Army during the initial phase of his life.
