Current Affairs October 2016 - Deaths
News 1 - Famous Bangla writer Syed Shamsul Haq passed away
Renowned Bangladesh writer, Syed Shamsul Haq, passed away in Dhaka, Bangladesh following a brief illness at the age of 81 years. He wrote several novels, poetry, essays and plays. He was also vocal against religious fundamentalism.
His notable works include Boishakhey Rochito Ponktimala, Ekoda Ek Rajjey, Birotihin Utsab, Protidhwonigon and Opor Purush. He was also awarded with various awards including- Bangla Academy Literary Award (1966), Ekushey Padak (1984) and Swadhinata Padak (2000), the highest civilian award of Bangladesh.
News 2 - Popular artist Yusuf Arakkal passed away
Veteran Bengaluru-based artist, Yusuf Arakkal, passed away at the age of 71 years after suffering a heart attack. He was also a sculptor and a poet.
He had recently released a book called Faces of Creativity, which is a comprehensive collection of portraits of fellow artists. He won the National Award for his art in 1983 and the Raja Ravi Varma Puraskaram in 2013. He also won several other awards including Karnataka Lalithkala Academy award in 1979 and 1981 and the Karnataka Lalithkala Academy honour in 1989.
News 3 - Manipur theatre legend Heisnam Kanhailal died
Veteran Manipuri theatre trainer, film producer, playwright and director Heisnam Kanhailal passed away at the age of 75 years following a brief illness. Kanhailal was awarded Padma Bhushan in 2016 for his contribution in the field of theatre.
He was the founder-director of Kalakshetra, the theatre laboratory in Manipur. Kanhailal's major works include 'Tamnalai' (The hunting spirit), 'Kabui-Keioiba' (Half man-half tiger), 'Draupadi' amongst others. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in direction in 1985. He was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratna Award in 2011.
News 4 - Former Boxing Champion Aaron Pryor passed away
Former Junior Welterweight Boxing Champion, Aaron Pryor, passed away at the age of 60 years after a long fight with a heart disease. He was also known as "The Hawk".
Pyror amassed a 39-1 record and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996. He also won a silver medal from the 1975 Pan-Am Games in the lightweight division. He was also voted as the No. 1 Junior Welterweight of the 20th century by The Associated Press in 1999.
News 5 - Philanthropist and style icon Parmeshwar Godrej passed away
Philanthropist and Style Icon Parmeshwar Godrej passed away after a prolonged illness at the age of 71 years. She was the wife of industrialist Adi Godrej.
Parmeshwar was also referred as a ‘style icon’. She was also recognised for her work on spreading awareness of HIV-AIDS. In 2004 she co-founded the Heroes project with Hollywood actor Richard Gere to raise awareness about AIDS in India. The project had support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
News 6 - Oscar-winning Polish film director Andrzej Wajda passed away
Oscar-winning Polish film director Andrzej Wajda passed away at the age of 90 years. He made more than 40 feature films in a career spanning 60 years.
Wajda was awarded an Oscar for lifetime achievement in 2000. He won international acclaim for "Man of Iron" (1981) and the film's subversive predecessor "Man of Marble" (1977). Wajda's films also won a Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and four nominations for Academy Awards, among other prizes.
News 7 - Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away
Thailand's most revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away at the age of 88 years. He was the world's longest ruling monarch and was considered a demigod by Thai people.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said that Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will succeed the king. Flags will be flown at half-mast for 30 days and Government Officials will wear black for a year. The widely revered monarch was central to Thai society. He was always seen as a stabilising figure in a country hit by cycles of political turmoil and multiple coups.
News 8 - Renowned writer Dayanand Anant passed away
Dayanand Anant, veteran writer and litterateur, passed away at the age of 88 years. He was one of the most prominent writers of Uttarakhand.
He wrote two short story books, three novels, five TV dramas and many comics and satires. He also translated many stories from other languages to Hindi. He started a tabloid by the name of 'Parvatiya Times' in 1980 and remained its editor for a decade. He was honoured with many prestigious awards.
News 9 - Nobel-winning Italian writer and performer Dario Fo died
The Nobel prize winning playwright and actor Dario Fo passed away at the age of 90 years due to lung cancer. He won the Nobel prize for literature in 1997. He was popular for his cutting political satire in plays such as The Accidental Death of an Anarchist.
His political activities saw him banned from the United States and censored on Italian television. In his time, he was "arguably the most widely performed contemporary playwright in world theatre".
News 10 - Rwanda's last king, Kigeli V passed away
The last king of Rwanda, Kigeli V, passed away at the age of 80 years. He ruled Rwanda for less than a year in 1959 before being forced into exile and finally settling in the United States.
A 2013 profile in Washingtonian magazine, found him living in subsidised housing, on food stamps and donations, in Oakton, Virginia. He set up a charity, King Kigeli V Foundation, helping Rwandan refugees and orphans.
News 11 - Gandhian activist Mewa Ramgobin passed away
South African struggle icon and Gandhian activist Mewa Ramgobin passed away at the age of 83 years. He was the former president of the Natal Indian Congress which fought discrimination against Indians in South Africa.
He was among the first supporters of the Release Mandela campaign. He was charged with treason in 1985. he was also an African National Congress MP until 2009. He established a Gandhi museum and library. He is the author of Waiting to Live and Prisms of Light.
News 12 - Punjabi actor Mehar Mittal passed away
Veteran Punjabi film actor Mehar Mittal passed away at a hospital in Mount Abu in Rajasthan at the age of 82 years. He was best known for his comic roles. Mittal had a celebrated three-decade long career in Punjabi films. He had worked in more than 100 movies.
Prominent among them were "Sawa Lakh Se Ek Ladaun", "Putt Jattan De", "Babul Da Vehra", "Bhulekha", "Long Da Lishkara", "Peengan Pyar Deeyan" and "Jeeja Sali".
News 13 - Anti-Vietnam war activist, Tom Hayden, died
Tom Hayden, the anti-Vietnam War activist, passed away at the age of 76 years. He was the former husband of the actress Jane Fonda and the father of actor Troy Garity.
He was one of the “Chicago 7” activists who was tried for conspiracy after protests at the Democratic National Convention in 1968. Later he went on to serve on the California Assembly and Senate for almost 20 years.
News 14 - Legendary footballer Carlos Alberto Torres died
Captain of Brazil’s 1970 World Cup winning side, Carlos Alberto, passed away at the age of 72 years. Alberto scored one of the most famous goals of all time when he netted an iconic fourth goal in Brazil’s 1970 World Cup final win against Italy.He was a member of the World Team of the 20th Century.
Alberto won 53 caps for Brazil. He played more than 400 games for his club Santos and helped them win the domestic Brazilian title four times between 1967 and 1973.
News 15 - Veteran Kashmiri singer Raj Begum passed away
Famous singer Raj Begum passed away at the age of 89 due to prolonged illness. She has been voice of Kashmiri music lovers. She has been awardee of Padma Shri in 2002 and Sangeet Akademi award in 2013. She was popularly known as the “Nightingale of Kashmir” and 'Asha Bhosle of Kashmir'.
She joined Radio Kashmir in the 1940s and pursued her career shifting from festive marriage singing to melodies and classical singing.
