Current Affairs July 2016 - Deaths
News 1 - Writer and Futurist Alvin Toffler passed away
Writer and Futurist Alvin Toffler died in his sleep at his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles at the age of 87 years. Toffler was one of the world’s most famous futurists who foresaw how digital technology would transform the world.
His million-selling book "Future Shock" anticipated the disruption and transformation brought about by the rise of digital technology. In 2002, the management consultant Organisation Accenture ranked him eighth on its list of the top 50 business intellectuals. His other famous works are The Third Wave, Powershift: Knowledge, Wealth and Violence at the Edge of the 21st Century and Revolutionary Wealth among others.
News 2 - Renowned Marathi literary scholar R C Dhere passed away
Eminent Marathi writer Ramchandra Chintaman Dhere passed away following a prolonged illness at the age of 86 years. He is known for his exhaustive research in folk literature and bhakti tradition of Maharashtra.
He is a recipient of the Sahitya Academy Award in 1987 for his book ‘Sri Vitthal – A Mahasamanvayak (Lord Vitthal – A Great Coordinator)’. ‘Muslim Marathi Saint Poets’, ‘Dakshinecha Lokdev Khandoba’, ‘History of Nath Sampraday’ and ‘Sri Venkateshwara’ are some of his other popular works
News 3 - French Ex-Prime Minister Michel Rocard passed away
Former Prime Minister of France, Michel Rocard, passed away in Paris at the age of 85 years. He served as the Prime Minister from 1988 to 1991 under President Francois Mitterrand.
He was regarded as a staunch advocate of the European Union. He spent 15 years in the European parliament until he resigned in 2009. He had also urged Britons to leave the European Union in 2014. His achievements included a minimum welfare benefit in France and reform of the financing of the welfare system.
News 4 - ‘The Deer Hunter’ and ‘Heaven’s Gate’ Director Michael Cimino dead
Michael Cimino, director of the 1978 Vietnam War drama "The Deer Hunter", which won five Oscars, including Best Picture, died at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 77 years. The Deer Hunter won five Oscars including the award for the best film in 1979.
Cimino directed eight films which includes the 1974 box office hit Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, both of which also marked Cimino’s directorial debut. In 2001, he published his only novel, Big Jane, a story of the 1950s and the Korean war.
News 5 - Holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel passed away
Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Elie Wiesel, died at the age of 87 years. The American Romanian-born Jewish writer, academic and political activist fought for peace, human rights and simple human decency. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986.
His first book, "Night," was published in France in 1958 based on his experience as a prisoner in Auschwitz, Buna and Buchenwald concentration camps. The book has been translated into 30 languages. By 2008, "Night" had sold an estimated 10 million copies.
News 6 - Noel Neill, first actor to play Lois Lane in Superman, passed away
Noel Neill who was the first actress to portray the character of Lois Lane in the Adventures of Superman television series passed away at the age of 95 years at her home in Tucson, Arizona, after a long illness.
Ms. Neill appeared in the "Superman" film serial in 1948 and then played in the "Adventures of Superman" TV show in the 1950s. She later appeared in other Superman films, including the 1978 version as Lois Lane's mother. In the mid-40s, she appeared in a leading role in one of Monogram Pictures' melodramas.
News 7 - Veteran CPI leader Romesh Chandra passed away
Veteran Communist leader Romesh Chandra passed away in Mumbai due to old age at the age of 94 years. Chandra had taken part in the freedom struggle as a student leader and had later joined the CPI and went on to become its national executive. He was a recipient of the Lenin Peace Award and had also worked as the editor of CPI's central organ New Age.
He also joined the World Peace Council headquarters in Helsinki (Now in Greece) as its president had addressed United Nations' General Assembly as peace body's leader, the highest number of times as an Indian.
News 8 - Veteran Iranian film-maker Abbas Kiarostami passed away
Mr. Kiarostami, one of the famous Iranian directors who always worked on dramas of ordinary people and their problems, passed away due to cancer in Tehran where he approached for the treatment. Some of his popular works are “And Life Goes On” (1992), Through the Olive Trees (1994), Taste of Cherry (1997), Report (1977) and First Case, Second Case.
In 1997, he was honored with prestigious Palme d'Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival for his movie, Taste of Cherry.
News 9 - Mumbai based Veteran Music Composer Omi passed away
Mumbai based famous music director Om Prakash Sonik passed away on 7th July 2016 at the age of 77 due to illness. Sonik–Omi was an Indian composer working in duet consisting of Master Sonik (a blind music director) and his nephew Omi.
Some of his best composed music was for films like Mahua (with the haunting Dono ne kiya tha pyar magar), Truck Driver, Mehfil, Beti, Dharti Ki God Mein, Dharma (the famous qawwali Raaz ki baat keh doon to, jaane mehfil me phir kya ho), Raftaar, Umar Qaid and Chowki No. 11. For the last few years, Omi took retirement from Bollywood but composed certain non-film and private albums, religious music and other genres of music.
News 10 - Veteran football coach Amal Dutta passed away
Veteran Indian footballer, Amal Dutta, who was also the first professional football coach of India, passed away due to Alzheimer’s Disease and respiratory problems. He was the winner of all major trophies in Indian football and worked as the technical director of Indian national team in late eighties.
He has been part of the India squad in the 1954 Asian Games. As a coach, Dutta had brought new formations including the diamond system the 1990s. He passed away at the age of 86.
News 11 - Veteran Indian Hockey player Joe Antic died due to bad health
Veteran Indian Hockey player, Joe Antic, passed away on 12th July 2016 in Mumbai due to bad health. Joe Antic toured East Africa and Europe with the senior team in the late 1950s and had retired from Western Railway in the mid-1980s.
Antic represented the country in the Rome Games against Pakistan. He has also served as the coach of Indian Team’s World Cup camp in 1973 and became the national coach of the Oman team that took part in the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi.
News 12 - Veteran scholar and author William H McNeill dead at 98
Author of the stories of civilizations, William H. McNeill passed away at the age of 98 years. Some of his best works are "The Rise of the West," published in 1963, ‘The Decline of the West’, ‘The Pursuit of Power’, ‘The Human Web: A Bird's Eye View of History’ and "The Pursuit of Truth.
His writing on Rise of the West won the 1964 U.S. National Book Award in History and Biography. In 2010, he was honored with National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama.
News 13 - Legendary playback singer Mubarak Begum passed away
Legendary playback singer Mubarak Begum passed away at her residence in Mumbai after a prolonged illness at the age of 80 years.
She is best known for crooning the title track of 1961 romantic-drama "Hamari Yaad Aayegi". She gave scores of Hindi film songs and ghazals, mainly between the 1950s and 70s. Her career as a playback singer began in 1949 with the film 'Aaiye'. Saanwariya Teri Yaad Mein from 1980 comedy Ramu Toh Diwana Hai was one of her last tracks. In 2011, the Maharashtra government had sanctioned financial aid of one lakh for treatment of the singer.
News 14 - Indian Hockey legend Mohammed Shahid passed away
Indian Hockey legend, Mohammed Shahid, passed away due to severe liver condition and kidney failure at the age of 56 years. He was the part of the Indian hockey team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
Known for his brilliant dribbling skills, Shahid was considered one of India’s greatest hockey players. He was also a part of the national team that won a silver medal at the Delhi Asian Games in 1982 and bronze in the Seoul Asiad in 1986. Shahid - who also captained India during the 1985-86 season - received the Arjuna Award in 1981 and was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1986.
News 15 - Oldest litigant of Babri Masjid-Ayodhya case, Mohammad Hashim Ansari, dead
Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant of Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, died due to heart-related complications at the age of 95 years. Ansari was the lone survival among six original plaintiffs of Babri Masjid case fighting for the Mosque title on behalf of Sunni Central Waqf Board since 1961.
Allahabad High Court in 2010 in its majority verdict allotted one-third of the disputed site in Ayodhya to Nirmohi Akahara. The other two-thirds portion has been given equally to be shared by the Waqf Board and the side representing Ram Lalla.
News 16 - Director of 'Pretty Woman', Garry Marshall dead
Famed Director and producer, Garry Marshall, passed away at the age of 81 years. He died at a hospital in Burbank, California of complications from pneumonia following a stroke.
Marshall created some of the most popular 1970's TV shows -- including "Mork and Mindy" and "Happy Days". He directed 18 films, including big screen hits like "Beaches," "Overboard," "Runaway Bride," "Valentine's Day" and 1990's "Pretty Woman. Marshall was born in The Bronx, New York, and graduated from Northwestern University.
News 17 - Former French cyclist Dominique Arnaud passed away
Former French cyclist Dominique Arnaud passed away at the age of 60 years. He died after a hardfought battle with cancer. Arnaud took part on eleven occasions in the Tour de France.
He won three stages in the Vuelta, a stage in the Midi Libre and the Tour du Limousin in 1983. The French cyclist was recently honored at an event in his French hometown of Les Mees. Arnaud won three stages in the Vuelta, a stage in the Midi Libre and the Tour du Limousin in 1983.
News 18 - Former Diplomat Arundhati Ghose passed away
Former Indian diplomat Arundhati Ghose passed away at the age of 76 years due to cancer. She was the first Indian Permanent Representative to the UN Offices in Geneva and was the head of the Indian delegation that participated in the CTBT negotiations at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva in 1996.
She also served as the Ambassador to the Republic of South Korea and the Arab Republic of Egypt. Ms. Ghose was highly admired among the diplomatic circles for her sharp intelligence and plain speak. She was a Member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) from 1998 to 2004.
News 19 - Father of Hybrid Sorghum Dr. NGP Rao passed away
The ‘Father of Hybrid Sorghum’ in India and noted Agricultural Scientist Neelamraju Ganga Prasada Rao passed away at the age of 89 years. He was well-known for basic and applied research in breeding and agronomy of several dryland crops.
Due to his efforts, Sorghum Hybrids, CSH1 CSH5 and CSH9, became very popular and were cultivated. He also made significant contributions to the improvement of crops like long staple desi cotton, pigeon pea, castor, and novel cropping systems. He was awarded with the SS Bhatnagar Prize for Biological Sciences for his efforts.
News 20 - Eminent Littérateur Mahasweta Devi passes away
Eminent Author and Social Activist Mahasweta Devi passed away on 28th July in Kolkata after a multi-organ failure at the age of 91 years. Her writings focused on the marginalized communities in the country and served as the voice of the oppressed which won her a number of awards including the Padma Vibhushan, Magsaysay, Sahitya Akademi and Jnanpeeth award. She is also the Ramon Magsaysay winner.
A number of her works have been adapted for the silver screen. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted: "India has lost a great writer. Bengal has lost a glorious mother. I have lost a personal guide. Mahasweta Di rest in peace."
News 21 - Noted Tabla Maestro Lachu Maharaj passed away
Noted Tabla Maestro Lachu Maharaj passed away in Varanasi at the age of 73 years. Lakshmi Narayan Singh “Lachu Maharaj” was renowned internationally and belonged to the famous Banaras Gharana.
He lived a simple life and stayed out of publicity, even refusing awards. He was admired by music lovers and has many famous disciples. Other than his professional performances all over the world, he played the Tabla in many Bollywood films as well.
News 22 - First Black Writer to win the Pulitzer Prize in fiction, James Alan McPherson, passed away
James Alan McPherson, who became the first Black Writer to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, died at the age of 72 years. He won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for his short story collection Elbow Room in 1978.
He was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship in 1981. In year 2000, John Updike selected his short story Gold Coast for his collection Best American Short Stories of the Century. In October 2011, he was honored as the inaugural recipient of the Paul Engle Award from the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature. He was also a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship.
News 23 - DD News Correspondent Sanjiv Thomas died at age of 59
Senior Journalist and Doordarshan News Correspondent Sanjiv Thomas passed away in Hyderabad at the age of 59 years due to ill health. He worked as a Research Associate in the ISRO, Ahmedabad in 1985 and as a News Correspondent since 1986. He was well remembered for his objective stand and unparalleled comments over the political and social developments of the region which he served for over 3 decades.
Several leaders of different walks of life in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh expressed shock over his demise and conveyed condolences. Doordarshan and All India Radio officials and staff expressed their grief. Media persons have also condoled his death.
News 24 - Veteran Indian Artist S H Raza passed away
Modern Indian Artist S H Raza passed away due to ill health at the age of 94 years. He was honored with the Padma Shri award. He was born in the Mandala town of Madhya Pradesh. Raza travelled first to Nagpur, then to Bombay as it was known then and finally to Paris due to his art of painting. He was an internationally acclaimed painter. He was one of the legends of our art history.
He lived for six decades in France, where he exhibited his work, and travelled across Europe. In 2015, he was conferred the Commandeur de la Legion d'Honneur, the highest French honour for his artistic contributions. However, he never gave up his Indian citizenship and was in constant touch with his contemporaries in India through letters.
News 25 - Pakistani Philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi passed away
Famous Pakistani Philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, also known as Pakistan’s ‘Father Teresa’ died from renal failure at the hospital in Karachi. He was a man of humanity, who had dedicated his life to humanity and serving the poor. Pakistan Government has announced a day of mourning for Edhi, while the provincial Sindh Government has announced three days of mourning.
He was the founder and head of the Edhi Foundation in Pakistan and ran the organization successfully for over 6 decades protecting children, people by providing range of services like ambulance, hospitals, oldage homes, orphanages etc.
