Macklemore, Ryan Lewis win 2014 Best New Artist Grammy

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Updated on : 27-01-2014 12:47 PM

Rapper duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis took home the first of the major awards at the 56th Grammys beating the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z, Kanye West and Drake.

Macklemore, 30, and Lewis, 25, both from Seattle, won best new artist, following their phenomenal success with hits like ‘Same Love’, ‘Can’t Hold Us’ and ‘Thrift Shop’ on Sunday night at LA’s Staples Center. They also bagged awards for best rap album, best rap performance and best rap song for ‘Thrift Shop’.  “Wow, we’re here on the stage right now. I want to say we made this album without a record label, we made it independently and we appreciate all the support,” Macklemore said after receiving the awards.  They have been nominated for seven honours in total, including album of the year for ‘The Heist’. Grammys 2014 kicked off with a scintillating performance by Beyonce and Jay Z. The couple selected a duet-track from Beyonce’s last album, ‘Drunk in Love’ for their performance. A black lingerie-clad Beyonce, 32, started the show as she straddled a chair, surrounded by smoke.  ‘Royals’ gets song of the year at Grammy Awards 2014 Rising singer Lorde won the song of the year trophy at the 56th Grammy Awards for her track ‘Royals’ after edging out other works like ‘Just Give Me a Reason’, ‘Locked Out of Heaven’, ‘Roar’ and ‘Same Love’.  The 17-year-old songstress also earned the best pop solo performance for her debut album ‘Pure Heroine’ last night at LA’s Staples Center. “This is the one thing I didn’t expect tonight. I also thank fellow nominees and category losers, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake and Katy Perry for being inspirational vocal artists,” Lorde said while receiving the best pop solo performance award.  She missed out on a hat trick by losing her third nomination, record of the year to Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’ featuring Pharrell and Nile Rodgers.  Bruno Mars’ ‘Unorthodox Jukebox’ took home the best pop vocal album.  Other works in the category included ‘Paradise’ by Lana Del Rey, ‘Pure Heroine’ by Lorde, ‘Blurred Lines’ by Robin Thicke and ‘The 20/20 Experience – The Complete Experience’ by Justin Timberlake.  Best country album award went to Kacey Musgraves for her ‘Same Trailer Different Park’. The awards show was hosted by LL Cool J.

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EGoM approves SUC at 5% for new spectrum

27012014

Updated on : 27-01-2014 02:08 PM

The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on Monday approved a spectrum usage charge (SUC) of 5 percent of the annual gross revenue on all the new airwaves acquired in auction.

Existing telecom operators will have to pay the weighted average of their existing SUC, and 5 per cent if they acquire new spectrum. “For all new spectrum, which will be sold, it will be 5 per cent but it will be charged at weighted average. There is no protection of revenue. In this process if government losses some revenue, doesn’t matter. Ultimately consumers have to be benefited,” Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters in New Delhi on Monday. He added the decision will go to Cabinet for final approval. The SUC for broadband wireless access (BWA) spectrum will continue to remain at 1 per cent as the government has not amended the existing contractual obligation. However, they will have to pay a SUC of 5 per cent for the new airwaves they acquire.  These companies have to report separately the revenue earned from BWA airwaves and new spectrum. “Ultimately it is consumers who need to benefit. Big players (charges) will come down. It will not affect new players,” Sibal said. Government, at present, gets pan India average SUC of 4.8 per cent on airwaves allocated till date which has now been fixed at 5 per cent. Hence, there will be no adverse impact on existing revenue, official sources said. The Telecom Commission has recommended three options to the EGoM headed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram a levy of 3 per cent with weighted average, 5 per cent with weighted average and continuation of the existing regime. GSM firms such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular have locked horns with Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio Infocomm following the Trai’s recommendation of a uniform SUC.  The charge is levied annually by the government as a percentage of revenue earned from telecom services.  It currently ranges from 3 to 8 per cent for mobile operators, while for firms with Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) spectrum such as those of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd and Tikona, the fee is 1 per cent. “Rationalisation of issue, Nobody should be a loser,” Sibal said, adding,”More investment is sector means more service and lower tariffs for consumers.” Major telecom operators including Airtel and Vodafone had written to the Department of Telecom to take a call on SUC before auction starts on 3rd February.

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Egypt to hold presidential election first: Mansour

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Egypt will hold a presidential election before parliamentary polls this year, interim President Adly Mansour said today, a move that could pave the way for the swift election of army chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

“I have carried out several dialogues with political groups, which saw a majority in favour of holding presidential elections first,” Mansour said in a televised address.  “And I have amended the roadmap to meet their demands.” A political roadmap, laid down after the army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July last year, called for parliamentary elections first. But many political parties said they would not be ready for a legislative vote this spring.  The change is likely to benefit powerful army chief el-Sisi, also the defence minister, who has said he would stand in the polls if there is a “popular demand”.  Mansour did not announce a date for the vote, a task that falls to the High Elections Commission.  It must be held no less than 90 days after the adoption of the new constitution earlier this month, which will require a ballot before mid-April.  Several legislative amendments to the law regulating exercise of political rights and elections are also expected in accordance with the provisions of the new constitution.  The President also said he would increase the number of courts dealing with terrorism charges to “bring perpetrators to justice swiftly”. “We’re determined, both the people and the state, to root out terrorism…We will not hesitate to take any extraordinary measures if necessary,” he said.  Egypt has witnessed a steep rise in violence, with blasts now a regular occurrence, since the army toppled Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood amid mass rallies against his one year turbulent rule.  Security forces have blamed Islamist elements for a series of blasts and violence and intensified a crackdown on them.  The President’s comments came after 49 people were killed and 247 injured in violence on the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising which ended the three-decade-long autocratic regime of Hosni Mubarak.  Mansour also said he had urged the prosecutor-general to look into the status of those being detained pending investigation, university students in particular.

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Wawrinka stuns injured Nadal to win Aussie Open

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Updated on : 26-01-2014 09:19 PM

Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka claimed his first Grand Slam title in dramatic fashion on Sunday when he upset injury-troubled world number one Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final.

The eighth seed roared through the first two sets and overcame the distraction of a back injury to Nadal, and then the loss of the third set, to take it 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in two hours 21 minutes.  Nadal, who was chasing his 14th major title, looked as if might pull out with the back injury but he fought back to take the third set and force the match into a fourth set.  It was a stunning win for Wawrinka, who had not beaten Nadal in their previous 12 matches as he rallied to win the fourth set and take the championship.  Wawrinka began nervelessly and after holding his opening two service games for the loss of only two points he made the first move in the final, breaking Nadal in the fourth game.  The Spaniard played a poor drop-shot which was followed by a double-fault to open the door for Wawrinka.  The Swiss again had a break point in Nadal’s next service game as he held his own serves without undue pressure.  But he was three break points down serving out for his first ever set against Nadal, only to win the next five points with some magnificent serves to go one set up in 37 minutes.  Fresh from his psychological breakthrough, Wawrinka broke Nadal to love in the opening game of the second with with a cracking backhand return winner.  The Swiss was in the zone, reeling off 12 consecutive points against the non-plussed Nadal, who received a time violation warning for slow play between points.  Nadal’s problems mounted when he grabbed his back after playing a forehand. He called for the trainer at the next changeover and went off the court for a medical timeout at 2-1 in the second set.

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Binny calls of dharna

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AAP MLA Vinod Kumar Binny on Monday called off his dharna against Arvind Kejriwal government after just four hours but threatened to launch a major stir if his demands, including passage of Janlokpal bill, are not met in 10 days.

A day after he was thrown out of Aam Admi Party, the rebel MLA said he will continue support to the government on “public-related” issues and was withdrawing his stir for now as Lt Governor Najeeb Jung and Anna Hazare had suggested that “some days” should be given to the AAP government to fulfil promises made by it during the Delhi Assembly election.

“If Kejriwal government fails to bring Anna’s Janlokpal Bill in the given time, I would begin protest across the country,” Binny told reporters at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

He also demanded immediate setting up of ‘Mahila Surksha Dal’ and 700 litres of free water to residents along with reduction in electricity bills by upto half as Kejriwal promised during election.

“If AAP government fails to meet these three demands in the next ten days, I will begin country-wide agitation from February 6 next month,” he said.

“I am not withdrawing my support from the AAP-led government. I am giving support to the government on the public-related issues,” he added.

The MLA began his protest at Jantar Mantar at noon and called it off nearly four hours later Asked why he he was withdrawing his dharna on the first day, Binny told reporters that the LG and Hazare had suggested to him that “some days should be given to the AAP-led government so that he (Kejriwal) could work on public-related issues”.

“Women security is the first priority of mine. Before forming government, Kejriwal had said that he would form ‘Mahila Suraksha Dal’ to ensure women security in the Delhi, but he is running away from this promise,” Binny alleged.

Earlier, launching a blistering attack on AAP, he accused Kejriwal of acting like a dictator.

He met the Delhi Lt Governor to take up issues which have not been addressed by the Kejriwal government and demanded action against controversial Law Minister Somnath Bharti.<