Extensive Coverage Of Current Affairs 18/3/2016

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International Affairs

• Today (Friday of the second full week of March) is 9th World Sleep Day.
• Aims :
• to celebrate the benefits of good and healthy sleep 
• to draw society attention to the burden of sleep problems and their medicine, education and social aspects
• to promote sleep disorders prevention and management
• This day was introduced in 2008 by the World Association of Sleep Medicine.
• Theme of 2016 : Good Sleep is a Reachable Dream
• The Bangladesh government is going to organise programmes in eight different locations in India to honour the contributions of Indian soldiers during the 1971 war.
• Chile's lower house of Congress has approved a proposal that lifts a ban on abortion in cases of rape, when there is health risk for the mother, or when the foetus is not viable.
• Important Points to Note :
• Despite being predominantly Catholic, Chile allowed abortion until 1989.
• But the practice was banned by General Augusto Pinochet in one of the last acts of his military government.
• The largest nuclear security centre in the Asia-Pacific region opened inBeijing, China today. 
• Financed jointly by China and the US, the centre is capable of training about 2,000 nuclear-security staff. 
  
• The site will enable international exchanges on nuclear security, demonstrate advanced technology and promote peaceful use of nuclear power. 
• The construction of the centre had begun in 2013.

National Affairs

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today launched India’s first state-wide broadband project called AP FiberNet. 
• Aiming to provide cheap broadband connectivity, the project will offer 15 Mbps internet to households at ₹149 per month and 100 Mbps internet to offices at ₹999 per month. 
• This will be operational in the Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts by April.
• The Supreme Court today allowed the use of pictures of Chief Ministers, Governors and Cabinet ministers in the government's media advertisements. 
• The SC had earlier ruled that the advertisements could only have pictures of the President, Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India. 
• The earlier order was aimed at removing the association between government policy and politicians.
• Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated the 6th National Community Radio Sammelan in New Delhi today.
• The conference will bring together Community Radio Operators, policy makers, Ministries, Departments, International bodies like UNICEF and UNESCO and other stakeholders for exchange of ideas and cross learning.
• Theme of the conference : ‘Community Radio in India: Towards Diversity and Sustainability’.
• The Indian Air Force today demonstrated its combat and fire power capabilities as part of the mammoth Exercise Iron Fist 2016.
• The exercise was witnessed by President Pranab Mukherjee, the supreme commander of India's armed forces, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the deserts of Pokhran, Rajasthan.
• Punjab's Assembly today unanimously passed a resolution against construction of the proposed Sutlej-Yamuna link canal. 
• Punjab also recently returned Haryana's cheque for the construction of the canal to share water. 
• This comes just after the Supreme Court directed that the existing state of the land, which was acquired for building the canal, be maintained until the dispute is resolved.

New Agreements

• India has entered into a social security agreement with Australia.
• Under this agreement, employees of India deputed to Australia and vice versa will not have to make double social security contribution.
• Note : With this, Australia has become the 14th country with which India has a social security agreement in force. 
• The others in the list include Korea, Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Hungry, Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Norway and Switzerland.
• India signed loan agreement of 35 Million dollars with the world bank for Madhya Pradesh citizen access to responsive services project. 
• The objective of the project is to improve access and quality of public services in the state.

New Appointments

• Bangladesh Government has appointed Former Secretary of Finance Division Fazle Kabir as the new Governor of Bangladesh Bank, country’s central bank. 
• He will succeeds Atiur Rahman who had resigned after taking moral responsibility over the cyber theft from the central bank’s official account with New York Federal Reserve Bank.
• Times Internet, Times of India Group's digital wing today appointed former Chief Operating Officer, Gautam Sinha as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). 
• Note : Former CEO Satyan Gajwani has been promoted as the company's Managing Director. 
• Ace fashion designer Ritu Beri has been appointed as the advisor for Khadi promotion.
• AirAsia India appoints Amar Abrol as new CEO to replace Mittu Chandilya

Business & Economy

• The RBI has relaxed its norms for banks holding bonds of debt-ridden State Electricity Boards (SEBs). 
• Banks have reportedly been allowed to keep Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) bonds under the Held-To-Maturity (HTM) category. 
• HTM refers to a part of debt holdings which are not subjected to daily price movement and can be held by banks till maturity.
• The interest rate on Public Provident Fund (PPF) was cut from 8.7% to 8.1%today. 
• Important Note : The government also slashed interest rates on several other small savings schemes, including that of the Kisan Vikas Patra from 8.7% to 7.8% and the 5-year senior citizen scheme from 9.3% to 8.6%. 
• Further, several post office deposit interest rates were also slashed.
• The Maharashtra government today exempted sugar exporting mills from paying cane purchase tax for the 2015 to 2016 marketing year, which began in October. 
• Note : The Maharashtra government levies 3% purchase tax on sugarcane.
• Cuba's Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez has announced plans to eliminate the 10% tax imposed on US dollars entering the country. 
• Note : The United States had recently announced that it would ease the financial and trade restrictions it had imposed on Cuba.

Awards & Honors

• Advisor to the Chairman of multinational group LVHM Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton,Tikka Shatrujit Singh was today conferred the Knight of the Legion of Honour,France's highest honour, by French Ambassador François Richier in New Delhi. 
• Singh was accorded the top honour for his "extraordinary work in exchanging the French lifestyle and Indian culture with each other".

Science & Technology

• China is building a tsunami alert centre in South China Sea.
• Russia has slashed its space budget for 2016 to 2025 by 30%, from 2 trillion rubles ($29.24 billion) to 1.4 trillion rubles ($20.68 billion). 
• It will delay a manned flight to the moon by five years, and eliminate plans to develop a reusable rocket. 
• The move comes as Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said, "all is not well with the economy."

Sports

• New Zealand's Martin Guptill became the 4th highest six-hitter with a total of 73 in T20Is, after hitting four in his 39-run innings against Australia in the World T20 today. 
• Guptill is now level with Australia's David Warner. 
• He has also registered the highest number of sixes in 2016 in T20Is with 20 against his name so far.

NATIONAL:

SC allows pictures of CM, Governor in Government Ads:

·         The Supreme Court allowed the use of pictures of Chief Ministers, Governors and Cabinet ministers in the government's media advertisements.

·         The SC had earlier ruled that the advertisements could only have pictures of the President, Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India. The earlier order was aimed at removing the association between government policy and politicians.

India Inks Social Security Agreement Pact with Australia:

·         India has signed a pact with Australia under which the employees deputed to Australia from India and viceversa need not make double social security contribution.

·         This agreement provides the exception to the employees who have been deputed on a short term basis say less than 60 months from paying social security contribution to both the countries.

Arun Jaitley to Inaugurate National Community Radio Sammelan in New Delhi:

·         Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley will inaugurate the 6th National Community Radio Sammelan in New Delhi.

·         The theme of the conference is, 'Community Radio in India: Towards Diversity and Sustainability'. 

·         The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has been organising the National Community Radio Sammelan annually since 2011.

Surat, Beas India's cleanest Railway Stations:

·         The Surat Railway Station has been named the cleanest in India in the A1 category while Beas was named the cleanest in A category by a survey conducted by the Indian Railways.

·         The survey, conducted across 407 stations and based on the feedback of around 1.34 lakh passengers, classified the stations into 'A' and 'A1' categories based on their traffic.

26.5% of the NSDC trainees from SC/ST/OBCs:

·         As per data with the government, a total of 28.22 lakh people were trained by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) from 2011-12 to 2014-15. Out of the 28.22 lakh trainees, 26.5% belong to the SCs, STs and OBCs.

·         The NSDC was established to impart various vocational skills in unemployed youth. The NSDC extends training through various Sector Skill Councils (SSCs).

Career Guidance Counselling Centres launched in Delhi to improve employment opportunities for Women:

·         Young women seeking Employment in the Delhi NCR region can receive career Guidance from the newly launched Dedicated Counselling centres.

·         This is the first of its kind dedicated to women, established on the findings of a UNDP commissioned study which revealed that almost 80 percent of young women in Delhi did not have access to accurate and timely information on educational and job opportunities.

India to become Third largest Aviation market by 2020 : Indian Aviation Report

·         The FICCI-KPMG India Aviation Report said the country is well on its way to become thethird largest aviation market by 2020.

·         With 81 million trips, India’s domestic aviation market grew at over 20.3% during January-December 2015, the highest ever growth rate recorded in the world.

·         The report observed that the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP 2016), which is likely to be out by next month, would provide a significant fillip to the industry.

Delhi will join 10th Earth Hour on March 19:

·         As part of efforts to spread the message of energy conservation, Delhiites will join a billion people in over 6,000 cities across the globe to observe the Earth Hour this Saturday by switching off electrical appliances between 8.30 PM and 9.30 PM.

India signs $35 mn loan with WB for MP project:

·         India today signed loan agreement of 35 Million dollars with the world bank for Madhya Pradesh citizen access to responsive services project. The objective of the project is to improve access and quality of public services in the state.

·         The project size is 50 million dollar, of which 35 million dollar will be financed by the Bank, and the remaining amount will be funded out of State Budget. The duration of the project is five years.

India starts diesel exports to Bangladesh via rail:

·         India today began exporting diesel via rail to Bangladesh with the rollout of first consignment from Siliguri in North Bengal. A goodwill rail rake carrying diesel from Numaligarh Refineries Ltd was flagged off today, an official statement said.

·         The consignment will travel over 516 km to reach Parbatipur on the 19th of this month.

Railways join hands with ISRO for effective use of Space technology:

·         Railways has joined hands with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for effective use of space technology in remote sensing and geographic information system based applications.

·         Speaking on the occasion, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said, the railway will use the space technology tools in providing passenger information for all trains, indicating next station, stoppage, real-time train-tracking, survey of new rail route alignments particularly in hilly and difficult terrains.

Cisco to set up Internet of Everthing innovation centre in Vizag:

·         Cisco will set up an internet of everything (IoE) Innovation centre in Visakhapatnam to drive regional innovation and will enable partners and start-ups to build solutions around IoE and engage in rapid prototyping.

·         The MoU was signed as a part of the inauguration of India’s first statewide broadband project-AP Fiber Net, in Visakhapatnam in the presence of Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Cisco executive chairman Irving Tan among others.

AP CM Launches Fiber Grid Project for Net Connectivity:

·         Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched the first phase of Fiber Grid project to provide broadband connectivity to all the households at a throwaway price in Visakhapatnam.

·         After launching the project, Mr Naidu said, the state will usher in a revolution in the form of knowledge power and it will be a trend-setter realising Digital Andhra Pradesh.

INTERNATIONAL:

China to build tsunami alert centre in South China Sea:

·         China is building a tsunami alert centre in South China Sea and the facility in the disputed region has been approved by the UN.

·         It has begun operations and has already issued tsunami alerts to the international community,including neighbouring countries in the South China Sea.

·         This is the latest announcement on facilities China is constructing in the disputed South China Sea.

Chile Congress appproves Abortion Ban Bills:

·         In Chile, the lower house of Congress has approved a proposal that lifts a ban on abortion in cases of rape, when there is health risk for the mother, or when the foetus is not viable. The draft, which was submitted by Michelle Bachelet's government, needs Senate approval to become law.

Bangkok to impose curfew during Songkran festival, the world’s biggest water festival:

·         Songkran festival: World's biggest water fight festival marking Thai New Year

·         Songkran festival, often referred to as the world's biggest water fight festival, was in news in the third week of March 2016.

·         The Songkran festival is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year's Day from 13 to 15 April.

Bangladesh to honour Indian soldiers for '71 war:

·         The Bangladesh government will organise programmes in eight different locations in India to honour the contributions of Indian soldiers during the 1971 war, said Bangladesh Minister for 'Liberation war' AKM Mozammel Haque.

·          The statement came during the visit of an eight-member delegation led by Haque to a park constructed by the Tripura government for marking the war.

Kenya on High Alert for Yellow Fever:

·         Kenya has reported its first case of yellow fever in 25 years.

·         The yellow fever virus is transmitted by an infected mosquito and found in tropical regions of Africa and Latin America. Symptoms of yellow fever include headache, vomiting and fatigue.

·         Statistics from Angolan health officials show that more than 50 people have recently died of the virus, and 250 are infected.

N Korea fires missile after fresh US sanctions:

·         North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile into the sea off South Korea's coast just after the US imposed fresh sanctions against the country.

·         South Korean agencies reported that the missile could be a medium-range Rodong missile.

Australia passes voting reforms for early polls:

·         Australia's Senate on Friday passed voting reforms, clearing the way for PM Malcolm Turnbull to dissolve both houses of the Parliament and call an early election.

·         The rare double dissolution election is expected to remove obstacles to long-stalled economic reforms. These reforms were said to have been stalled by independent and minority party members in the senate.

APPOINTMENTS:

Fazle Kabir appointed as Governor of Bangladesh’s Central Bank:

·         Bangladesh government has appointed former finance secretary and Sonali Bank chairman Fazle Kabir as governor of the central bank for four years.

·         This appointment comes from the government after governor Atiur Rahman resigned over the recent cyber heist of $81 million. Kabir is all set to join as the new governor of the central bank after he returns home from the US next week.

AirAsia India appoints Amar Abrol as new CEO:

·         Amar Abrol will replace Mittu Chandilya as its CEO of AirAsia India with effect from next month.

·         Chandilya would continue with the airline until the end of April to ensure a smooth transition of the CEO role.

Ritu Beri becomes advisor for Khadi promotion:

·         Ace fashion designer Ritu Beri has been appointed as the advisor for Khadi promotion.

·         The Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises is implementing several schemes for the holistic development and promotion of khadi.

·         The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament.

Brazil President appoints Lula as Chief of Staff:

·         Brazilians have protested in several cities against President Dilma Rousseff after she named her predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Chief of Staff.

·         Lula is currently being investigated in a major corruption scandal.

Vijay Mallya resigned as Director of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited:

·         The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) intimated Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that Vijay Mallya had resigned from his post as the Director of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL).

·         Following this, an official from the RCB, Russell Adams was named as the new Director of RCSPL and also assumes the role of being the vice-president of Commercial Operations and Cricket Academy at RCB.

BANKING :

RBI eases norms for power utility debt holding:

·         The RBI has relaxed its norms for banks holding bonds of debt-ridden State Electricity Boards (SEBs).

·         Banks have reportedly been allowed to keep Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) bonds under the held-to-maturity (HTM) category.

·         HTM refers to a part of debt holdings which are not subjected to daily price movement and can be held by banks till maturity

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:

Anti-Diabetic Drug ‘Ayush-82’ to be Commercialised:

·         The National Research Development Corporation(NRDC) of the Department of Scientific & Industrial Research, Ministry of Science & Technology signed a License Agreement with Kudos Laboratories India for commercialization of Ayush-82, an ayurvedic formulation for prevention and management of  Diabetes.

·         It has been developed by Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), New Delhi, an apex organization for research in Ayurveda under the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy). 

Aston Martin and Red Bull team up to build Supercar:

·         Formula One outfit Red Bull and British luxury carmaker Aston Martin have announced atechnology partnership to build an Aston Martin-branded supercar.

·         Red Bull’s chief designer Adrian Newey will work with Aston Martin’s design boss Marek Reichman on the car, dubbed Project AM-RB-001.

·         As part of the tie-up, Red Bull’s RB12 cars will carry the Aston Martin wings logo throughout the 2016 Formula One season starting at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Hitachi to set up ATM making firm in India:

·         Japan's Hitachi Group has invested 100 crore for setting up an ATM manufacturing firm in India.

·         The company will commence production in June and produce 1,500 ATMs per month by the end of 2016, Hitachi said in a statement. This initiative by Hitachi is aligned to the government's 'Make in India' program, it added.

Magicbricks acquires Bengaluru-based Properji:

·         In its first acquisition, real estate portal Magicbricks has acquired Invact Technologies, which runs Bengaluru-based property analysis platform Properji, for an undisclosed amount.

·         Properji was founded in 2012 by Priya Maheshwari and Guruprasad Bangle. The platform gives users end-to-end services on property including personalised recommendation, analysis and assistance in property buying

AWARDS AND HONOURS:

The Assasin Sweeps Asian Film Awards:

·         'The Assassin', a movie about a highly trained female assassin swept the Asian Film Awards in Macau, bagging prizes for best film, best actress and best director at a glittering ceremony.

·         The movie took home more than half of the prizes, eight out of 15 trophies, at one of Asia's leading film awards.

·         Chinese actress Zhou Yun grabbed best supporting actress for her performance in the film.

·         South Korean star Lee Byung-hun won best actor for his role in political thriller The Inside Men.

·         Chinese romance film Mountains May Depart won the award for best screenplay, while India's Bajirao Mastani won best visual effects.

·         Hong Kong action choreographer Yuen Wo-ping was given this year's lifetime achievement award.

Tikka Shatrujit Singh given France's Top honour:

·         Advisor to the Chairman of multinational group LVHM Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Tikka Shatrujit Singh was conferred the Knight of the Legion of Honour, France's highest honour, by French Ambassador François Richier in New Delhi.

·         Singh was accorded the top honour for his "extraordinary work in exchanging the French lifestyle and Indian culture with each other".

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

Freecharge allows payments via chat in 5 seconds:

·         Mobile wallet and digital payments player FreeCharge has announced the launch of its ‘Chat and Pay' feature.

·         The company said this feature enables social payments between users and merchants.

·         The chat-based payments interface will let merchants accept payments using theFreeCharge app in under a minute of registration, merchants will also be able to upgrade their payment limit of Rs. 1,00,000 with necessary KYC verification.

·         Earlier this year in January, FreeCharge had partnered with McDonalds to enable customers to pay using its wallet using the on-the-Go Pin authentication method, and had also tied up with fashion retailer Shoppers Stop in November 2015.

WhatsApp beta allows texting in Bold, Italics:

·         WhatsApp has rolled out an update in beta version, allowing users to type messages in bold and italics text formats.

·         Users can insert text between asterisks (*) to type messages in bold and between underscores (_) to type messages in italics.

·         Further, WhatsApp has updated its document-sharing feature to let users share files from Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive accounts.

Domino's Australia unveils Pizza delivery Robot:

·         Domino's Australia with Australian startup Marathon Robotics has turned a military robot into a pizza delivery Robot named 'DRU'.

·         It can speed up to 20 kmph, identify obstacles and calculate the shortest path to reach its destination.

·         DRU has a temperature-controlled box to keep pizzas hot and drinks cold, which lets customers collect their meal on providing a unique code.

YouTube partners with TVF, others for New  Shows:

·         YouTube announced partnership with its content partners Culture Machine, OML, Qyuki and The Viral Fever (TVF) to launch new original shows.

·         While TVF will launch a search for the new web series creators, Qyuki will launch a show featuring Bollywood composers and YouTube music creators. Culture Machine and OML will launch a Beauty Hunt and Comedy Hunt respectively.

SPORTS:

Deepika to lead hockey team for upcoming series:

·         Senior Indian Hockey Women's team defender Deepika will replace Ritu Rani as the captain of the 18-member squad for the upcoming Hawke’s Bay Cup to be held in New Zealand from April 2.

·         Regular captain Ritu Rani has been rested for the tournament which is being seen as preparatory event for the team ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Guptill becomes 4th highest six-hitter in T20Is:

·         New Zealand's Martin Guptill became the 4th highest six-hitter with 73 sixes in T20Is, after hitting four sixes in his 39-run innings against Australia in the World T20 on Friday.

·         Guptill is now level with Australia's David Warner. He has also registered the highest number of sixes in 2016 in T20Is with 20 sixes to his tally so far

OBITUARY:

Paul Daniels, TV Magician, Dies Aged 77:

·         Newton Edward Daniels, has died aged 77, after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

·         Daniels is best known for his BBC TV series The Paul Daniels Magic Show, which ran from 1979 to 1994.He achieved international fame through his television series.

·         Debbie started to work with Paul as his assistant in his 1980 show in Bournemouth before she graduated to the role in his long-running BBC series The Paul Daniels Magic Show.

Former Mossad Director Meir Dagan died:

·         Meir Dagan, former Chief of Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad, passed away on 17 March 2016 due to cancer. He was 71.

·         Dagan served as Director of the Mossad from 2002 until his retirement in 2011.

1) What is India’s position in the World Happiness Report 2016 that was released on 16 March 2016 by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)? – 118th

Explanation: India was ranked 118th out of total 156 countries, down one slot from last year in the World Happiness Report 2016. The report was released by Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), a global initiative of the United Nations (UN).

– The report takes into account the per capita GDP, life expectancy, social support and freedom to make life choices as indicators of happiness.

– What was important with India’s 118th position in the report was the fact that India came below Somalia (76), China (83), Pakistan (92), Iran (105), Palestinian Territories (108) and Bangladesh (110).

– India was ranked 117th last year while it was ranked 111th in 2013.

– The report said that India was among the group of 10 countries witnessing the biggest happiness declines, along with Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Yemen and Botswana.

– The report, for the first time, gives a special role to the measurement and consequences of inequality in the distribution of well-being among countries and regions.

…………………………………………………..

2) Which country replaced Switzerland as the ‘World’s Happiest Country’ as revealed in the World Happiness Report 2016 that was released on 16 March 2016? –Denmark

Explanation: Denmark took the top spot as the ‘happiest country’ in the world, displacing Switzerland, as was revealed in the World Happiness Report 2016. Switzerland is ranked second on the list, followed by Iceland (3), Norway (4) and Finland (5).

– The U.S. is ranked 13th, coming behind Australia (9) and Israel (11).

– Rwanda, Benin, Afghanistan, Togo, Syria and Burundi were the least-happiest countries.

…………………………………………………..

3) An Indian consortium comprising of three firms on 16 March 2016 acquired 29.9% stake in Taas-Yuryakh oilfield in East Siberia (Russia) for around $1.3 billion. This deal is expected to bolster India’s energy security amid subdued global oil prices. Which 3 Indian oil PSU companies are involved in this deal? –Oil India Limited (OIL), Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and Bharat Petroleum Resources Limited (BPRL)

Explanation: As part of the deal, a consortium of three public sector undertakings (PSUs) – Oil India Limited (OIL), Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and Bharat Petroleum Resources Limited (BPRL), will pay $1.28 billion (Rs. 8,618 crore) for 29.9% stake in Rosneft-operated Taas-Yuryakh oilfield in Siberia (Russia).

– The Taas-Yuryakh field is rich in gas with presence of layers of oil. Its current crude oil production hovers around 20,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd). The management is working on a target to raise production to 100,000 bopd in around two years.

– The deal values the oilfield at $4.2 billion (Rs. 28,280 crore) and is expected to be closed by September 2016. The deal involves Rosneft, the world’s largest publicly-traded oil company.

– The deal provides Indian companies access to production on Russian territory, and Rosneft will gain access to the opportunity to operate in the Indian market.

…………………………………………………..

4) What is the name of the American tourist who was sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labour for subversion by North Korea’s Supreme Court on 16 March 2016? – Otto Warmbier

Explanation: 21-year old Otto Warmbier is a University of Virginia undergraduate. The North Korean High Court held that Warmbier had committed a crime “pursuant to the U.S. government’s hostile policy toward North Korea), in a bid to impair the unity of its people after entering it as a tourist.

– Before the trial, Warmbier had said he tried to steal a propaganda banner as a trophy for an acquaintance who wanted to hang it in her church. That would be grounds in North Korea for a subversion charge.

– The U.S. government condemned the sentence and accused North Korea of using such American detainees as political pawns.

– North Korea regularly accuses Washington and Seoul of sending spies to overthrow its government to enable the U.S.-backed South Korean government to take control of the Korean Peninsula.

– Tensions are particularly high following North Korea’s recent nuclear test and rocket launch.

…………………………………………………..

5) Bharti Airtel, India’s largest telecom operator, will acquire which entity’s 1800 MHz spectrum in six circles for Rs. 4,428 crore, as was announced by Airtel on 17 March 2016? – Videocon Telecommunications

Explanation: These 1800 MHz spectrums were allotted to Videocon Telecommunications Ltd (VTL) in April 2013 and the six circles included are Bihar,  Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, UP (East), UP (West) and Gujarat (Transaction). The validity of these spectrums was till 18 December 2032.

– Now Bharti Airtel will acquire these spectrums for total consideration of Rs. 4,428 crore. The pertaining agreement was reached on 16 March 2016.

…………………………………………………

1. Amar Abrol appointed as CEO of AirAsia India 
1. AirAsia India  announced the appointment of Amar Abrol as its chief executive officer with effect from 1 April 2016.
2. Abrol will succeed Mittu Chandilya, who led AirAsia India from 1 June 2013 and ends his contract on 31 March 2016.
3. AirAsia India also announced the appointments of Ankur Khanna as the Chief Financial Officer and Kiran Jain as the Head of Commercial.
4. He was graduated from Delhi University and is a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
5. He has over 20 years of experience, was most recently the CEO of Tune Money, a start-up that aims to deliver low-cost financial products in South East Asia.

2. Goa government classified its country liquor, Feni as Heritage Spirit of Goa 
1. Goa government  classified the country liquor, Feni as Heritage Spirit of Goa.  Feni is the form of spirit produced exclusively in the coastal state.
2. Feni is the first liquor product in the country to obtain such status and got its Geographical Indication (GI) certification in 2000.
3. It used in various cultural traditions, cuisines and is well known for its medicinal value also.
4.The Government opined not categorise it as country liquor as it is presently defined under the Goa Excise Duty Act, 1964 and proposed to bring an amendment to the Act.
5. Feni is a brew made from coconut or cashew fruits and is synonymous with the Goan ethos and identity.

3. Vijay Mallya resigned as Director of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited
1. The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)  intimated Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that Vijay Mallya had resigned from his post as the Director of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL).
2. An official from the RCB, Russell Adams was named as the new Director of RCSPL and also assumes the role of being the vice-president of Commercial Operations and Cricket Academy at RCB. The intimation was was followed the BCCI's insistence on clarity regarding the ownership of RCB.

4. Bangkok to imposed curfew during Songkran festival, the world’s biggest water festival 
1. Songkran festival, often referred to as the world's biggest water fight festival, was in news in the third week of March 2016.
2. The festival came in news after the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration decided to impose a curfew during the festival season that will be celebrated in April 2016.
3. The Songkran festival is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year's Day from 13 to 15 April.
4. The word "Songkran" comes from the Sanskrit word saṃkrānti literally "astrological passage", meaning transformation or change.

5. India, WB signed USD 35 Million loan agreement for MP Citizen Access to Responsive Services Project
1. India signed loan agreement of 35 Million dollars with the World Bank for Madhya Pradesh Citizen Access to Responsive Services Project. The objective of the project is to improve access and quality of public services in the state.
Objective of the Project
1.To improve access and quality of public services in Madhya Pradesh through implementation of the 2010 Public Service Delivery Guarantee Act.
2.To deliver key results in terms of improving access to services and citizen outreach, simplification of Government services, performance management and strengthening the capacity of implementing agencies.

6. Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan launched FCI’s Depot Online System
1. Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan  launched the Online Depot System in New Delhi to automate all the operations of Food Corporation of India (FCI) depots.
2. The key objective of the Depot Online System is to align with Digital India vision for transformation of food distribution supply chain in India.
3. The system, which efficiently captures data online on a real time basis, will bring total transparency in the working of FCI. Besides, it will also help in better monitoring and supervision to reduce leakages and losses.

7. Famous magician Paul Daniels passed away
1.Famous magician Paul Daniels passed away  due to brain tumour. He was 77.
2.Daniels was best known for his BBC TV series The Paul Daniels Magic Show, which ran from 1979 to 1994.
3. Daniels was born in 1938 in South Bank, Middlesbrough, where he began his career as a magician and entertainer.
4. A major turning point in Daniels' career came in 1969 when he was offered a summer season at Newquay.

5.He made his television debut on the long-running talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1970.

:: National ::

Cheating charges invoked on Vijay Mallya by CBI

• The Central Bureau of Investigation has decided to invoke the charge of cheating against businessman Vijay Mallya, Kingfisher Airlines and others in the alleged Rs.900-crore IDBI Bank loan wilful default case. The agency is also probing over 5 lakh financial transactions of the company since 2004.
• The CBI had in JULY 2015 registered the case under Section 409 (criminal breach of trust) read with Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and other provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act against unknown IDBI officials pertaining to abuse of office to allegedly extend favours to Mr. Mallya’s Kingfisher Airlines.
• Section 409 of the IPC, a stringent provision that prescribes a maximum of life sentence, does not come under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the law that empowers the Enforcement Directorate to attach the alleged proceeds of crime. Therefore, the Directorate was concerned that attaching assets in its money laundering case against Mr. Mallya would pose a challenge.
• Apart from corruption, criminal conspiracy and breach of trust, cheating charges are also being pressed against the accused, given that they allegedly defrauded the bank of the loan amount,
• The CBI has through various channels approached the authorities in the four countries seeking access to the details of transactions. The agency is treading cautiously in identifying the transactions pertaining to the IDBI Bank loan funds as the loan had been sanctioned for a wide range of purposes and, therefore, many of the transactions could be legal.

Ford Foundation gets a relief

• The Home Ministry, on the basis of a report sent by the Gujarat government in 2015, had put the international non-governmental organisation on the “watch list”, citing concern to “national security”.
• The Gujarat government report had said that the organisation funded the “anti-India” activities of Citizens for Justice and Peace and Sabrang Trust run by Teesta Setalvad, activist.
• Apart from the diplomatic pressure, Ford Foundation complied with the government’s condition to register itself under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 which enables it to receive foreign funds in its accounts.
• Ford Foundation, which has been operating in India since 1952 was not registered either as an NGO or under any other category like the Indian Society Act till now. It applied under FEMA and got registered as a branch office by the Reserve Bank of India in December 2015.
• Besides Ford Foundation, there are 15 other NGOs/associations, which are under this restricted category.
• The Home Ministry sent a letter to the Reserve Bank of India on March 16 to remove the foundation from the watch list
• The order means that banks will no longer require the Ministry’s clearance to process the foreign funds coming from the foundation to any Indian bank account.

Baig acquitted

• In a reprieve to the lone convict, Himayat Baig (35), in the 2010 Pune German Bakery blast case, the Bombay High Court on Thursday quashed the death sentence awarded to him, citing lack of evidence and the prosecution’s failure to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
• Baig was facing the capital punishment for his alleged role in the explosion that rocked the popular German Bakery restaurant in Pune’s Koregaon Park on February 13, 2010 that killed 17 and injured 58, among them college students and several foreign nationals.
• The Bench also quashed other charges including under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
• Baig has also been acquitted of the charge of forgery, forgery of valuable security and forgery for purpose of cheating.
• The HC has only convicted him of the charges under Section 5 (b) (Punishment for making or possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances) of The Explosive Substances Act, which results in rigorous imprisonment that can extend up to 10 years and Section 474 (Having possession of document knowing it to be forged and intending to use it as genuine) of the IPC that provided imprisonment of seven years.

TIME’s ‘influential on Internet’ list

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among the most influential people on the Internet, TIME magazine said, describing the Indian leader as an “Internet star” who often uses social media to “conduct diplomacy.”
• The list includes U.S. Presidential hopeful Donald Trump, reality TV star Kim Kardashian and her husband Kayne West, author J.K. Rowling, former Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.
• For its second annual roundup of the most influential people on the Internet, TIME said it looked at the contenders’ global impact on social media and their overall ability to drive news.

:: International ::

Kurds declare federal region in Syria

• Syria’s Kurds declared a federal region in areas under their control in the north of the conflict-hit country, but both the government and an opposition coalition rejected the move. The announcement is likely to anger neighbouring Turkey and has complicated peace talks in Geneva aimed at ending the five-year civil war.
• The U.S., a key backer of Kurdish fighters in the battle against the Islamic State (IS), has also warned that it would not recognise any self-ruled Kurdish region within Syria.
• More than 150 delegates from Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian and other parties meeting in Syria agreed to create a “federal system” unifying territory run by Kurds across several Syrian provinces.
• Kurdish parties already operate a system of three “autonomous administrations” in Syria’s north, with independent police forces and schools.
• The three cantons stretch along Syria’s northern border with Turkey and are known as Afrin and Kobani, both in Aleppo province, and Jazire in Hasakeh province.
• The new “federal system” is expected to centralise governance in the three cantons under elected councils.

Sanctions order against N. Korea

• U.S. President Barack Obama signed an order implementing UN-backed sanctions on North Korea after a nuclear test and missile launch this year, as Pyongyang promised reprisals.
• The White House said Mr. Obama had signed an executive order targeting the volatile hermit state’s energy, financial and shipping assets.
• Among the entities targeted are the “Propaganda and Agitation Department” of the Workers’ Party of Korea and mining firms that provide the regime with much-needed revenues.

:: Business ::

Monsanto ordeal

• The government expects to develop its own genetically modified (GM) cotton varieties early next year to end Monsanto's dominance; it controls over 90 per cent of cotton seed supply.
• New technologies are critical to lifting India's poor farm productivity, although even if India did develop a home-grown GM cotton variety in 2017, it would struggle to sustain a program that needs to refresh seeds every decade or so, experts warned.
• The introduction of Monsanto's GM cotton seeds in 2002 helped turn India into the biggest producer of the fiber, while other crops like pulses continue to suffer as transgenic food is banned and local research has stalled.
• Despite the gains GM cotton brought for more than 7 million cotton farmers in India, some of them and their associations, including one affiliated to Modi's ruling party that promotes self-reliance, have complained Monsanto overprices its products.
• Under pressure to mollify farmers hit by three straight crop failures due to bad weather, Modi's government has imposed a cut of around 70 per cent in royalties that local firms pay Monsanto for its cotton technology.
• Monsanto has taken the government to court over the royalty.
• Monsanto said it have to re-evaluate its India business, because it was difficult to bring in new technologies in an “environment where such arbitrary and innovation-stifling government interventions make it impossible to recoup research and development investments

MoU between Railways and ISRO

• The Railway Ministry has signed an agreement with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to leverage space technology for providing passenger information in all trains, map railway assets and help survey new route alignments.
• At present, Indian Railways uses space technology to provide connectivity to passenger reservation counters, unreserved ticketing system in remote areas, and emergency communication using satellite phones during disaster
• The Memorandum of Understanding, signed aims at developing applications in the field of remote sensing and graphic information system, proposes to provide information such as train stoppages, real-time train tracking, survey of new rail route alignments in hilly and difficult terrain

1. World Sufi Forum: PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate four-day conclave

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the World Sufi Forum in New Delhi, where more than 200 Indian and international delegates, including Sufi Shuyukh, spiritual leaders, scholars, academicians and masters of Sufism, are participating.

ii. The 4 day event is being organised by All India Ulama and Mashaikh Board (AIUMB), the apex body of Sufi Dargahs in India. 

iii. The meeting is expected to debate on how Sufi teaching can prevent global terrorism. 

iv. The conclave will also debate on how to guide the Muslim community away from sectarian division.

v. The meeting is expected to debate on how Sufi teaching can prevent global terrorism. 

2. India has signed $35 million loan agreement with The World Bank for MP project

i. The Government of India has signed a loan agreement with the World Bank for Neeranchal National Watershed Project in Madhya Pradesh. 

ii. The loan has been sanctioned by the World Bank’s concessionary lending arm International Development Association (IDA).

iii. The project to be implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development over a six-year period (2016-21) will support the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana in hydrology and water management, agricultural production systems, capacity building and monitoring and evaluation. 

iv. The Neeranchal project was approved by the cabinet in October last year with a total budget outlay of Rs.2142 crore with the Government share of Rs.1071 crore and the rest 50% by the World Bank. 

v. The project size is 50 million dollars out of which 35 million dollar will be provided by World Bank and the remaining amount will be funded out of State Budget. The objective of the project is to improve access and quality of public services in the state through implementation of the Public Service Delivery Guarantee Act, 2010. The duration of the project is 5 years

3. Arun Jaitley to inaugurate National Community Radio Sammelan in New Delhi

i. Information and Broadcasting Minister ArunJaitley will inaugurate the 6th National Community Radio Sammelan in New Delhi. 

ii. The theme of the conference is, ‘Community Radio in India: Towards Diversity and Sustainability’.

iii. The conference will bring together Community Radio Operators, policy makers, Ministries, Departments, International bodies like UNICEF and UNESCO and other stakeholders for exchange of ideas and cross learning. 

iv. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has been organising the National Community Radio Sammelan annually since 2011.

v. The United Nations Children's Emergency Fund is a United Nations program headquartered in New York City that provides long-term humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries. 

4. Indian Railways ties up with ISRO for route surveys

i. The Indian Railway Ministry has announced that it has signed an agreement with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). 

ii. The agreement will leverage the space technology for providing the passenger information in all trains. 

iii. With the help of this tie up Railways will assets and help the new route alignments.

iv. The Memorandum of Understanding has been signed on Thursday with the objective of developing applications in the field of remote sensing and graphic information system to provide information such as train stoppages, real-time train tracking, survey of new rail route alignments in hilly and difficult terrain.

v. At present during disaster, Indian Railways uses space technology to provide connectivity to passenger reservation counters, unreserved ticketing system in remote areas, and emergency communication using satellite phones.

5. Denmark firm to set up pumps manufacturing unit near Hyderabad

i. Desmi Technology a leading international manufacturer of pumps and pump solutions plans to set up a plant on the outskirts of Hyderabad shortly.

ii. A high-level delegation from Denmark representing Desmi Technology headed by its Chief Executive Officer Henrik Knudsen and Lars Boldt Rasmussen called on the Telangana Industries Minister Jupally Krishna Rao in the Secretariat on Thursday and conveyed its interest to start a plant.

iii. Along with the Desmi Technology Country head Murthy, the delegation told the Minister that they were planning to set up Indian operations under the Make in India programme.

iv. Desmi is a leading international manufacturer of pumps and pump solutions. This product is very well known globally and in Indian market especially in Marine i.e. Shipyards for private ships, Indian Navy and Coast Guard vessels. 

v. Their main line of activity includes platform, anchor handling, multipurpose and emergency response vessels equipment.

6. 5600 wilful defaulters owe banks Rs 60K Crore

i. According to the data from credit information bureau CIBIL, more than 5,600 borrowers, who owe banks close to Rs 60,000 crore, have been declared wilful defaulters by lenders as on December 31. 

ii. These instances of wilful default are those where banks have filed suits.

iii. The country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) is owed Rs 12,091 crore, followed by another state-run lender Punjab National Bank (PNB) which has receivables of Rs 9,445 crore lent to 698 borrowers.

iv. Kotak Mahindra Bank has the highest amount of loans stuck with wilful defaulters among private sector banks at Rs 5,442 crore.

v. Wilful defaults for private sector banks stood at Rs 10,250 crore and at Rs 463 crore for foreign banks.

7. Vijay Mallya quits as RCB Director

i. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has confirmed to the BCCI that Russell Adams has been designated as points man for all further correspondence. 

ii. The decision has been taken when Mr. Vijay Mallya has resigned as the director of the Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL) on Thursday. But he will hold the post of chief mentor.

iii. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has confirmed that the founding promoter of the Bengaluru franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

iv. RCSPL, the company that runs the daily affairs of the RCB team. Mallya has been representing the UB Group as Chairman from 2008 by a bid for the Bangalore team at $ 111.6 million for ten years (2008-2017). 

v. RCSPL is a subsidiary of United Spirits which is controlled by Diageo. 

8. TCS named official tech partner for London Marathon

i. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India’s leading IT services provider, announced a three year partnership with the Virgin Money London Marathon to enhance the digital experience delivered to marathon participants.

ii. Under the terms of the partnership, TCS will become the race’s Official Technology Partner for the 2016, 2017 and 2018 events.

iii. First established in 1981, and part of the World Marathon Majors, the Virgin Money London Marathon is considered one of the world’s foremost marathons.

iv. A record total of 247,069 people entered the ballot for the 2016 race.

v. TCS already partners with seven of the world’s leading races, including title sponsorships of the TCS Amsterdam Marathon, TCS New York City marathon, and TCS World 10k Bengaluru. The agreement is the latest example of TCS’ commitment to using digital technology to foster health and wellbeing.

9. Ashley Judd appointed U.N. Goodwill Ambassador

i. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the lead UN agency for delivery of a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled, today appointed actor and activist Ashley Judd as its Goodwill Ambassador.

ii. UNFA Executive Director, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin announcing the appointment, Ms. Judd told journalists that that it was an “honour” to be appointed as UNFPA’s Goodwill Ambassador and to advocate for women’s rights.

iii. Ashley Judd is an American actress and political activist. She grew up in a family of successful performing artists as the daughter of country music singer Naomi Judd and the sister of Wynonna Judd. 

iv. Ashley Judd was born in Granada Hills, California. She is the daughter of Naomi Judd, a country music singer and motivational speaker, and Michael Charles Ciminella, a marketing analyst for the horseracing industry While she is best known for an ongoing acting career spanning more than two decades.

v. She has increasingly become involved in global humanitarian efforts and political activism.

10. Surat Cleanest Railway Station; Varanasi Among The Dirtiest: Survey

i. Surat is the cleanest railway station in the country, followed by Rajkot and Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh), according to an Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) survey released.

ii. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency Varanasi's railway station ranked poorly in terms of cleanliness as it stood at 65, among the 75 A-1 railway stations (those earning revenue more than Rs. 50 crore) surveyed. 

iii. The survey, conducted based on feedback from around 1.34 lakh passengers, is a part of Mr. Modi’s pet project ‘Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan’.

iv. The station at Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh was third among the 75 A1-category railway stations followed by Solapur and Mumbai Central in Maharashtra, Chandigarh, Bhubaneshwar (Odisha) and Vadodara (Gujarat),as per the preliminary report of the survey, which was released by Railway Minister Suresh Prabu.

11. Hitachi to setup ATM making firm in India

i. Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions Corp (Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions) has established Hitachi Terminal Solutions India Pvt Ltd (Hitachi Terminal Solutions India) to be based in Bengaluru as an ATM manufacturing company.

ii. The new company has been set up with a capital of Rs 100 crore and is set a target to produce 1,500 units of ATMs per month at the end of calendar year 2016.

iii. The new entity is expected to commence production in June 2016.

iv. Hitachi has deployed over 5,000 units of ATM in India by 2015 and at present, there are about two lakh ATMs and CDs (Cash Dispensing ATMs) operating in the country.

v. Hitachi Terminal Solutions India will allow Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions to promptly accommodate the needs of the market, strengthen cost competitiveness, shorten the production lead time from order entry to shipment and expand the business of cash recycling ATMs. Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions had entered Indian market on a full-scale basis in 2010 through sales of the cash recycling ATMs.

12. Amar Abrol appointed as the new CEO of Air Asia India

i. Air Asia India has made an announcement on Thursday that Mr. Amar Abrol will be the new CEO of the company  with the effect from April 1, 2016. 

ii. He will succeed Mittu Chandilya. Chandilya’s contract with the airline will ends on March 31, 2016.

iii. Mr. Abrol born and raised in India and graduated from Delhi University. He is a chartered accountant by profession. Prior to this appointment Mr. Amar Abrol was working as the CEO of Tune Money. Tune Money is a start-up company that delivers low-cost financial products in South-East Asia. 

iv. The airline has also announced the appointment of Mr. Ankur Khanna as the chief financial officer (CFO) and Kiran Jain as head of commercial operations.

v. Mr. Ankur Khanna joins from Air France/KLM, where he most recently held the position of Regional Finance Head for the Middle East/Gulf region based in Dubai. And Kiran Jain has over 25 years of aviation related experience covering airports, airlines and duty free and most recently headed the Airport Marketing and Route Development function at Delhi International Airport.

13. Freecharge allows payments via chat in 5 seconds

i. Mobile wallet and digital payments player FreeCharge has announced the launch of its ‘Çhat and Pay‘ feature. The company said this feature enables social payments between users and merchants.

ii. The chat-based payments interface will let merchants accept payments using the FreeCharge app in under a minute of registration,merchants will also be able to upgrade their payment limit of Rs. 1,00,000 with necessary KYC verification.

iii. FreeCharge is looking to bring on board neighbourhood small shopkeepers, Taxi services and merchants from the unorganised sector using the service, which brings a buyer – seller chat interface for merchants.

iv. To accept payments, merchants must register their bank account number, geo-location and choose a custom identifier, called a paytag to allow customers to identify their service area through their FreeCharge app.

v. Merchants can start accepting digital payments in less than a minute after registering on the FreeCharge app, and the chat-based payment feature has a five second transaction time, the company said.

14. Ex Wipro CFO Suresh Senapaty Has Appointed As The New Chairman Of Honeywell Automation

i. Suresh Senapaty, The ex Wipro CFO has been appointed as the new Chairman by Honeywell Automation India Ltd (HAIL) on Thursday. 

ii. He has been appointed as an Additional Director (Non-Executive, Independent) and as Chairman of its Board of Directors. 

iii. He will be responsible for contributing to HAIL’s overall strategy and to provide counsel on corporate governance, business, and financial matters.

iv. Mr. L.Rao has been succeeded by Mr. Suresh Senapaty. He has been serving as the Chairman of the Board of Directors from August 2014 to February 2016 and as the member of Board of Directors of HAIL from 2002 to 2014. 

v. Honeywell partners India through our company’s four businesses – Aerospace, Automation & Control Solutions, Transportation Systems & Specialty Materials with more than 12,000 employees across India.

15. Actor Larry Drake, has Passed away

i. Actor Larry Drake, known for playing Benny on TV show "L.A. Law", has died. He was 66. 

ii. The actor played Benny Stulwicz, a mentally challenged law clerk, from 1987 until the TV show's end in 1994.

The memorable role earned Drake two Emmy Awards, in 1988 and 1989, and a nomination in 1990. 

iii. He reprised the role for the reunion film, "L.A. Law: The Movie", which aired in 2002. 

iv. Drake, who was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was also a series regular on the 1998 sci-fi TV show "Prey" and appeared in several films, including "Darkman" (1990) - as a ruthless villain - and its sequel; as a murderous doctor in "Dr. Giggles" (1992); "Bean" (1997); and "American Pie 2" (2001).

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