PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018
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world news
Sridevi: Bollywood superstar dies at 54 of heart attack
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ollywood superstar Sridevi Kapoor has died of a heart attack, her family says. She was 54. The actress known simply as Sridevi had been with her family in Dubai for her nephew’s wedding. She featured over five decades in almost 300 films, in classics like Mr India, Chandni, ChaalBaaz and Sadma. She was considered one of the very few Indian female superstars capable of huge box office success without the support of a male hero. From the age of four, she had worked in films in the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi languages. Crowds gathered outside Sridevi’s home in Mumbai as news emerged of her death. Bollywood figures and political leaders reacted with shock. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he was “saddened by the untimely demise of noted actor Sridevi”, while Indian President Ram Nath Kovind said her death had left millions of fans heartbroken. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, paid tribute to the late star, writing on Twitter: “Really enjoyed meeting Bollywood icon Sri Devi on my recent trip to India. “So sad to hear the news of the death of such a terrifically talented actress, performer and producer.” The rise of Sridevi is an extraordinary chapter in the nation’s film industry. Her acting career began at the tender age of four and by 13 she was cast in the adult role of a complicated woman avenging her lover’s death. It was not long before directors took note of her versatile acting abilities and the offers started to snowball. She became a box office magnet from the 1970s to the late 1990s with her numerous films spanning more than five Indian languages. But while Sridevi’s screen presence was a glamorous one, her private life was one of heartbreak, loss and estrangement. How did she die? The actress was in the United Arab Emirates to attend the wedding of her nephew, Mohit Marwah. Sridevi’s husband Boney Kapoor and daughter Khushi were with her when she passed away on Saturday, reports say. Her brother-in-law Sanjay Kapoor said it had happened “roughly around” 23:0023:30 (19:00-19:30 GMT), indianexpress. com reports. He did not provide any further details. Why was she such a huge box office draw? She debuted as a lead actress in a Bollywood film in 1978, soon becoming one of India’s biggest film stars. The versatile actress decided to take a break from the film industry after the release of Judaai in 1997. She made a comeback in 2012, starring in English Vinglish. In 2013, the Indian government awarded her the Padma Shri - the fourth highest civilian honour. How are fans reacting? Social media sites are being flooded with condolences, with many users expressing shock that the actress died still relatively young.
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Freezing temperatures to hit UK amid weather warnings B itterly cold temperatures and deep snow are forecast across the UK this week as weather blows in from Russia. A wind chill will mean that during the day it will feel like -10C to -15C. Yellow and amber weather warnings for snow are in place for Monday and Tuesday, covering southern and eastern England before extending to cover the Midlands and Scotland. Wednesday and Thursday’s yellow warnings will also cover Cornwall, Scotland and Northern Ireland. By Wednesday night, more than 20cm of snow could have accumulated in some parts of eastern England and Northern Ireland, say forecasters.
Scotland is expected to have between 5cm and 10cm of snow on Wednesday. Road, rail and air travellers could face severe disruption, with BBC Weather warning of a possibly hazardous conditions in southern England later in the week as a low pressure weather system moves up from the Bay of Biscay and hits the already “exceptionally cold air”. “Any precipitation will turn readily to snow, and with bitterly cold strong to gale force easterly winds,” blizzards are likely, said Alina Jenkins from the BBC’s Weather service. Met Office meteorologist Charlie Powell said: “Unusually for Britain, the snow is going to be quite dry, so it will blow around and gather in drifts and we could see some
blizzard conditions. He added that while he did not want to alarm people, the Met Office was urging people to be prepared. Parts of the UK will feel as cold as northern Norway and Iceland. The Local Government Authority said councils were well prepared, having stockpiled 1.5 million tonnes of salt to help keep roads clear. Council teams will also be visiting elderly and vulnerable people to deliver hot meals and carry out emergency heating repairs, the LGA said. However, it urged people to check on neighbours who may struggle to cope in the cold.
Drug alert as six 13-year-olds fall ill
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ix 13-year-olds from Ayrshire have been treated in hospital overnight after a suspected drug incident. The children were all reported to be unwell at about 18:25 on Saturday. They were taken to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock and kept in overnight. Police have said the children knew each other and may have taken a form of the drug MDMA. Officers have urged anyone else who becomes unwell after taking similar substances to seek medical help. Det Insp Fraser Normansell said: “Police were informed of six children who had been taken to Crosshouse Hospital after taking unwell. “One line of inquiry is that they had taken a type of MDMA tablet, believed to be red, green or brown in colour bearing an owl logo. “We want to remind the public that any drug can be dangerous and that you are putting your health at risk if you do take anything unknown to you. “Anyone who feels unwell, or knows anyone who appears unwell after taking these substances should seek medical treatment as soon as possible.”
The children have been treated at Crosshouse Hospital
British skier killed in French Alps cliff fall
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British skier has fallen to his death in the French Alps, authorities have confirmed. The man - part of a trio who went off-piste in the Alpe d’Huez ski resort - fell from what a mountain rescue spokesperson described as a cliff. A second skier who fell was injured in the “steep and icy” conditions, but survived. The third was unharmed and both men were rescued.
The Foreign Office said it was giving support to the dead man’s family. In a statement confirming the death, it added: “We remain in close contact with local authorities. Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time.” Francois Bepol, a spokesperson at the gendarme mountain rescue unit in Grenoble, said the trio got into difficulty after going the wrong way and taking off their skiis in an attempt to climb
upwards. The accident follows the death of 12-year-old French boy who also died after falling from a cliff in the French Alps on Saturday, while his 10-year-old brother survived. The siblings, who were on a skiing holiday near the Avoriaz ski resort, went down a mountain and strayed off-piste for an unknown reason.
Police drone finds man in ditch in Lincolnshire
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man who crashed his car in freezing night-time temperatures was saved from hypothermia when he was found by a police thermal-imaging drone. He was discovered in a deep ditch, 500ft (160m) away from his car on the A16 near Ludborough, Lincolnshire. Police were called at around 02:20 GMT by a member of the public who
had found the overturned car and had talked to the driver who then wandered off. Sgt Mike Templeman said the man was found “unresponsive and hypothermic”. He tweeted: “Great result & life possibly saved!” after a ground search had failed to find the man. Sgt Templeman said: “We didn’t
know if this male had been picked up, [or] if he had carried on walking. “We did extensive searches in the [police] vehicles, obviously we are very rural and it was very dark so you’re limited in what you can see.” The man has been taken to hospital for treatment. Source: BBC