Current Affairs: September 18, 2011

Japan’s Pop group SMAP performs in Beijing, China

• Japan’s best known Pop group SMAP performed a concert in the Chinese capital Beijing
  
• The concert is seen as part of an effort to better relations b/w Japan and China
  
• SMAP performed their 1^st overseas concert in their 20 year career
  

   

Ban on Clenbuterol under review

• Executives from Sports Anti-doping Agency are likely to talk about whether to relax the complete ban on a broadly ill-treated drug Clenbuterol at a meeting in Switzerland
  
• A lot of athletes use the drug, which was developed to treat asthma to build up muscles
  

Shilpotsav/Silpotsav festival begins in New Delhi

• Shilpotsav / Silpotsav festival, a 15 day programme began in New Delhi
  
  
• Government to soon open the Shilpostav festival in other states also including Maharshtra
  
• The festival is an exclusive stage for the artisans to convey their art
  
• Artisans from Jammu and Kashmir ,Rajasthan Gujarat, Delhi,Uttar Pradesh and other States have come to participate in this festival
  

The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to leave for 66^th UN general assembly session

• The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh will thrust for further efficient ways for global economic and financial revival, UN reforms, Millennium Development Goals and anti-terror convention through his visit to the United Nations
  
• Dr Singh to leave for New York to participate in the High Level Segment of the 66^th UN General Assembly Session
  

PM to lead a high-level delegation that includes External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister T K A Nair

Vote on military intervention in Libya: India’s abstention positive, says NATO

• US-led NATO has taken a positive view of India’s abstention on the UN Security Council vote on military intervention in Libya
  
• NATO held that India’s move showed the world is united in opposing the actions of Muammar Gaddafi
  
• India supported the UN Resolution for recognising the former rebel National Transitional Council (NTC) and for handing over Libya’s UN seat to it
  
• Giving an unanticipated +ve turn to India’s abstention, NATO opined that India’s nonparticipation would lead to the channel of the declaration
  

India-Lanka joint naval exercise to begin

• India and Sri Lanka are planned to hold a combined naval exercise off Trincomalee
  
• The 5 day starting September 19, 2011, combined naval exercise is being seen as part of labours to improve the bilateral guard cooperation in the post-LTTE era
  

63^rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards

• The 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony was organized on September 18, 2011 at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California
  
• Emmy Awards are known as: OSCARs of the small Screen
  
• The awards ceremony was to honour the best in primetime television programming from 1 June 2010 to 31 May 2011
  
• The best drama Emmy was awarded to “Mad Men“. Mad Men was awarded consecutively for the 4^th year in a row and “Modern Family” won the best comedy prize for the consecutive 2^nd year
  

The list of awardess for the 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are as follows:

• Best drama: Mad Men
  Best comedy: Modern Family
  Best miniseries: Downton Abbey
  Best variety or comedy show: The Daily Show
  Best actress, drama: Julianne Margulies, The Good Wife
  Best actor, drama: Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
  Best actress, miniseries: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
  Best actor, miniseries: Barry Pepper, The Kennedys
  Best lead actress in a comedy: Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
  Best lead actor comedy: Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
  Supporting actress in a comedy: Julie Bowen, Modern Family
  Supporting actor in a comedy: Ty Burrell, Modern Family.
  Best direction in a comedy: Michael Spiller, Modern Family.
  Best reality competition: The Amazing Race
  

Month: Current Affairs - September, 2011