Akshay Hari Om Bhatia (born Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia; 9 September 1967), known professionally as Akshay Kumar (), is an Indian actor and film producer working in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as "Khiladi Kumar", through his career spanning over 30 years, Kumar has appeared in over 100 films and has won several awards, including a National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards. He received the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, from the Government of India in 2009. Kumar is one of the most prolific actors in Indian cinema. Forbes included Kumar in their lists of both highest-paid celebrities and highest-paid actors in the world from 2015 to 2020. Between 2019 and 2020, he was the only Indian on both lists.

Kumar began his career in 1991 with Saugandh and had his first commercial success a year later with the action thriller Khiladi. The film established him as an action star in the 1990s and led to several films in the Khiladi film series, in addition to other action films such as Mohra (1994) and Jaanwar (1999). Although his early tryst with romance in Yeh Dillagi (1994) was positively received, it was in the next decade that Kumar expanded his range of roles. He gained recognition for the romantic films Dhadkan (2000), Andaaz (2003), Namastey London (2007), and for his slapstick comic performances in several films including Hera Pheri (2000), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Phir Hera Pheri (2006), Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), and Singh Is Kinng (2008). Kumar won Filmfare Awards for his negative role in Ajnabee (2001) and his comic performance in Garam Masala (2005).

While his career had fluctuated commercially, his mainstream success soared in 2007 with four consecutive box-office hits; it was consistent until a short period of decline between 2009 and 2011, after which he reinforced his status with several films, including Rowdy Rathore (2012) and Holiday (2014). Moreover, around this time critical response to several of his films improved; his work in Special 26 (2013), Baby (2015) and Airlift (2016) was acclaimed, and he won the National Film Award for Best Actor for the crime thriller Rustom (2016). He earned further notice for his self-produced social films Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017) and Pad Man (2018), as well as the war film Kesari (2019), and set box-office records in 2019 with Mission Mangal, Housefull 4, Good Newwz, and the 2021 action film Sooryavanshi.

In addition to acting, Kumar has worked as a stunt actor. In 2008, He started hosting Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi and hosted four seasons. He also launched the TV reality show Dare 2 Dance in 2014 and his off-screen work includes ownership of the team Khalsa Warriors in the World Kabaddi League. The actor had also set up martial arts training schools for women safety in the country. Kumar is one of the India's most philanthropic actor and supports various charities. He is a leading brand endorser celebrity in India.

Sometime during or after the 2011 Canadian federal election, the Conservative government granted Canadian citizenship to Kumar by invoking a little-known law which allowed circumventing the usual residency requirement for Canadian immigrants. According to a former Conservative Party minister, Tony Clement, the citizenship was awarded in return for Kumar's offer of putting his "star power to use to advance Canada-Indian relations", and Canada's "trade relations, commercial relations, in the movie sector, in the tourism sector". On 15 August 2023, Kumar confirmed he got Indian citizenship back and Canadian citizenship was withdrawn as part of Indian law.

Early life and background
Kumar was born in Old Delhi in Delhi, India, to Hari Om Bhatia (later Brijmohan Bhatia) and Aruna Bhatia in a Punjabi Hindu family. His father was an army officer. From a young age, Kumar was very interested in sports. His father too enjoyed wrestling. He lived and grew up in Delhi's Chandni Chowk and later he moved to Bombay (present-day Mumbai) when his father left Army to become an accountant with UNICEF. Soon, his sister was born and the family lived in Koliwada, a Punjabi dominated area of Central Bombay.

He received his school education from Don Bosco High School, Matunga, simultaneously learning Karate. He enrolled in Guru Nanak Khalsa College for higher education, but dropped out as he was not much interested in studies. He requested his father that he wanted to learn martial arts further, and his father somehow saved money to send him to Thailand. Kumar went to Bangkok to learn martial arts and lived in Thailand for five years learning Thai Boxing. Kumar also has a sister, Alka Bhatia. When Kumar was a teenager, his father asked him what he aspired to be. Kumar expressed his desire to become an actor.

After having obtained a black belt in Taekwondo while in India, he studied martial arts in Bangkok, Thailand, where he learned Muay Thai and worked as a chef and waiter. After Thailand, Kumar went to work in Calcutta (present-day Kolkata) in a travel agency, in Dhaka in a hotel as a chef and Delhi where he sold Kundan jewellery. Upon his return to Bombay, he commenced the teaching of martial arts.

During this time, the father of one of his students, himself a model co-ordinator, recommended Kumar into modelling which ultimately led to a modelling assignment for a furniture showroom. Kumar effectively made more money within the first two days of shooting than in his entire month's salary, and therefore chose a modelling career path. He worked as an assistant for photographer Jayesh Sheth for 18 months without payment to shoot his first portfolio. He also worked as a background dancer in various films.

Kumar made his first screen appearance with film Aaj under his birth name 'Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia', in a bit role as a Karate instructor. Kumar further stated that he changed his name to Akshay Hari Om Bhatia and chose his stage name as Akshay Kumar, after Kumar Gaurav's character Akshay in the film.

One morning, he missed his flight for an ad-shoot in Bangalore. Disappointed with himself, he visited a film studio along with his portfolio. That evening, Kumar was signed for a lead role by producer Pramod Chakravarthy for the movie Deedar.

Film career

1991–1999: Debut, breakthrough and action films

Kumar made his first appearance as the lead actor opposite Raakhee and Shantipriya in Saugandh (1991). In the same year, he acted in Kishore Vyas-directed Dancer, which received poor reviews. The following year he starred in Abbas Mustan-directed suspense thriller, Khiladi, widely considered his breakthrough role. A review in The Indian Express called the film "an engrossing thriller" and described Kumar as impressive in the lead part, noting his physical appearance, strong screen presence, and commending him for being "perfectly at ease". His next release was the Raj Sippy-directed detective film Mr. Bond, based on James Bond. His last release of 1992 was Deedar. It failed to perform well at the box office.

In 1993, he acted in the Keshu Ramsay-directed bilingual film Ashaant alongside Dr. Vishnuvardhan and Ashwini Bhave. All of his films released during 1993, including Dil Ki Baazi, Kayda Kanoon, Waqt Hamara Hai and Sainik did not perform well commercially. In 1994, he appeared in 11 feature films. He played a police inspector in two films: Sameer Malkan's Main Khiladi Tu Anari and Rajiv Rai's Mohra, both among the highest-grossing films of the year. Further success came later that year when he starred in Yash Chopra-produced romance Yeh Dillagi, opposite Kajol. One of the year's biggest mainstream successes, both the film and his performance were received well by critics, with The Indian Express describing him as "always dependable" and singling out his performance. His work in the film earned him his first nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare Awards and Star Screen award. During the same year, Kumar also had success with films like Suhaag and the low-budget action film Elaan. All these achievements established Kumar as one of the most successful actors of the year, according to Box Office India.

Kumar proved to have success with what later became known as the Khiladi series. He starred in the fourth and fifth action thriller films with Khiladi in the title: Sabse Bada Khiladi (1995) and Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996), both directed by Umesh Mehra and released to commercial success. He played a dual role in the former. Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi co-starred Rekha and Raveena Tandon. During the film's shooting Kumar was injured, and went on to receive treatment in United States. Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express wrote in a year-end review, "It was Akshay Kumar in Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi who packed the aisles, no doubt about it... He shoved his hair back in a slick little ponytail, much like Steven Segal, wore ankle-length great coats, wrestled with the fearsome Undertaker, and walked away with the film."

Kumar played a supporting role in Yash Chopra-directed musical romantic drama, Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), co-starring Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Karisma Kapoor, for which he received his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. In the same year, he starred opposite Juhi Chawla in David Dhawan-directed comedy Mr. and Mrs. Khiladi, fifth instalment of the Khiladi series. Unlike his previous films of the series, it failed commercially. Considerable success, however, came with another dual role in the romantic action film Aflatoon. Khalid Mohamed of Filmfare, while critical of the film, approved of Kumar's effort: "Akshay Kumar comes to life. Given something even slightly different to do, he does rise to the occasion." His following releases failed in commercial terms and this caused a setback to his film career. In 1999, Kumar played opposite Twinkle Khanna in International Khiladi. The film did not do well at the box office. He received critical acclaim for his roles in the films Sangharsh and Jaanwar. Whilst the former did not make a profit at the box office, the latter turned out to be a commercial success and marked his comeback.

2000–2006: Hera Pheri and expansion to comedy and romantic films

In 2000, Kumar starred in the Priyadarshan-directed comedy Hera Pheri alongside Paresh Rawal and Suneil Shetty. The film which was a remake of Malayalam film Ramji Rao Speaking, became a commercial success and proved to be a turning point in Kumar's career. Hindustan Times noted the film's "intense portrayal of the surreality of the human condition". He also starred in the Dharmesh Darshan-directed romantic drama Dhadkan later that same year. The film performed moderately at the box office but Kumar was praised for his acting. Rediff.coms review stated that he had proved that he is "director's actor" and that "he has worked hard on his role is apparent." That same year, he performed some of his most dangerous stunts in Neeraj Vora-directed action thriller Khiladi 420, where he climbed a running plane, stood on top of the plane flying a thousand feet in the air, and jumped from the plane onto a hot air balloon. In a later scene, he is also seen being chased by a car, dodging bullets, jumping off buildings, and climbing walls. His character in the film had two names and his role received mixed reviews. Sukanya Verma wrote "Negative roles and Akshay Kumar don't go hand-in-hand. [...] Akshay is ridiculously over the top and irritating to the core. However, he manages a decent performance as the sober and suave Anand." Padmaraj Nair of Screen, however, believed it was "the best performance of his career".

His first release in 2001 was Suneel Darshan-directed drama Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love. Kumar was praised for his performance in the film. Next, he played a negative role in the Abbas Mustan-directed film Ajnabee. While reviewing the film for Rediff.com, Sarita Tanwar termed Kumar the "surprise package" of the film. She added that he was "in total control as the bad guy." The film won him his first Filmfare Award for Best Villain and IIFA award 2002 for Performance in a Negative Role.

His first release in 2002 was Dharmesh Darshan-directed romantic drama Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya. He played the role as a blind man in Vipul Amrutlal Shah and Shaarang Dev Pandit-directed heist film Aankhen, co-starring Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Rampal, Aditya Pancholi, Sushmita Sen and Paresh Rawal. His performance in the film was critically acclaimed. Next, he starred in the Vikram Bhatt-directed comedy Awara Paagal Deewana. Rediff.com's review of the film mentioned that his sincerity and intensity seen in Hera Pheri, Ek Rishtaa – The Bond of Love and Aankhen "seems missing". His last film of the year was Rajkumar Kohli-directed supernatural horror film  alongside Manisha Koirala, Sunil Shetty, Sunny Deol, Aftab Shivdasani, Arshad Warsi, Aditya Pancholi and Armaan Kohli. The film was a remake of Kohli's former film Naagin and received mostly negative reviews from critics. Taran Adarsh wrote "only Munish[Armaan] Kohli and Akshay Kumar leave an impact." In 2003, he starred in Suneel Darshan's action film Talaash: The Hunt Begins... opposite Kareena Kapoor. While reviewing the film, Taran Adarsh wrote "Akshay Kumar is plain mediocre. The role hardly offers him scope to try out anything different." Next, he starred in Raj Kanwar-directed romantic drama Andaaz alongside Lara Dutta and Priyanka Chopra. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but turned out to be a commercial success at the box office and the first universal hit of 2003.

In 2004 Kumar starred in Rajkumar Santoshi's action drama thriller Khakee alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn and Aishwarya Rai. Kumar played the role of Inspector Shekhar Verma, a corrupt, morally bankrupt cop who changes himself during a mission to transfer an accused Pakistani spy Dr. Iqbal Ansari (played by Atul Kulkarni) from a remote town in Maharashtra to Mumbai. The film and Kumar's acting were positively reviewed by critics. He was nominated for the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in the film. His other releases included Dileep Shukla's crime film Police Force: An Inside Story. He starred alongside Raveena Tandon, Amrish Puri and Raj Babbar. The film's production was delayed following the break-up of the lead actors Tandon and Kumar. Upon release it received negative reviews from critics. Next, Kumar played Hari Om Patnaik, an IPS officer in Madhur Bhandarkar-directed Aan: Men at Work. He starred in David Dhawan-directed romantic comedy Mujhse Shaadi Karogi alongside Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra. He played the role of Sunny, Sameer (played by Khan)'s roommate who pursuits Rani (played by Chopra)-Sameer's love interest. The film received positive reviews. Taran Adarsh praised Kumar and wrote "Akshay Kumar is a revelation [...] he surpasses his previous work. His timing is fantastic and the conviction with which he carries off the evil streak in his personality is bound to be talked-about in days to come." His performance in the film earned him his third nomination for supporting actor at the Filmfare Awards as well as a nomination for best comic role. His other films included Abbas-Mustan directed Aitraaz and S M Iqbal's Meri Biwi Ka Jawaab Nahin. In the former, Kumar played against type as a worker wrongly accused of sexual harassment by his female boss played by Chopra. According to the directors, Aitraaz was inspired by National Basketball Association player Kobe Bryant (who was accused of rape by a fan); and the film's development began when they read about his sexual-assault case in the newspapers. Talking about the character Kumar said that it is realistic and could be described as a "new-age metrosexual" man. He added that Aitraaz was the boldest film he had done. In the latter, he starred opposite Sridevi. The film was shot in 1994 but was released in 2004 after a delay of 10 years.

The next year Kumar starred in Dharmesh Darshan-directed romantic drama musical film Bewafaa (2005) opposite Kareena Kapoor. He played the role of Raja, an aspiring musician who pursues his love interest Anjali (played by Kareena Kapoor) even after she is married to Aditya Sahai (played by Anil Kapoor). The film received mixed reviews from film critic but Kumar was praised for his acting. Anupama Chopra of India Today wrote that "Kareena Kapoor and Kumar stand out." Taran Adarsh wrote "Akshay Kumar does well in a role that fits him like a glove." Later that year he acted in Vipul Amrutlal Shah's family drama Waqt: The Race Against Time alongside Amitabh Bachchan, another Priyadarshan-directed comedy Garam Masala alongside John Abraham. Waqt: The Race Against Time was a family drama film. The film and Kumar's acting received mixed reviews. Vishal D'Souza wrote "Akshay shoulders an author-backed role, carrying more of the film's emotional baggage though he is distinctly uncomfortable in the soppy-weepy scenes." The films succeeded at the box office and his performance in the latter earned him his second Filmfare Award, for Best Comedian. His other films included Vikram Bhatt-directed action comedy romance film Deewane Huye Paagal and Suneel Darshan directed romantic drama Dosti: Friends Forever. In the former he starred alongside Shahid Kapoor, Sunil Shetty and Rimi Sen while in the latter he starred alongside Kareena Kapoor and Bobby Deol. Both of these films received positive reviews.

Kumar's first release of 2006 was Rajkumar Santoshi-directed drama Family – Ties of Blood followed by Suneel Darshan's Mere Jeevan Saathi and Raj Kanwar's Humko Deewana Kar Gaye. Next, he starred in a sequel to Hera Pheri titled Phir Hera Pheri. As was the former, the sequel became a huge success at the box office. Later that year he starred alongside Salman Khan and Preity Zinta in the Shirish Kunder-directed romantic musical film Jaan-E-Mann. The film was a well anticipated release, and despite receiving positive reviews from critics, did not do as well as expected at the box office. The film received mostly negatively reviews. Vidya Pradhan of Rediff.com called it a "bizarre movie." Though the film under-performed, his role as a shy, lovable nerd was praised. He ended the year with Priyadarshan's comedy murder mystery film Bhagam Bhag. He starred alongside Lara Dutta, Govinda and Paresh Rawal and played the character of a theatre actor. The film received mixed reviews and Rediff.com called Kumar the real hero of the film. The film was commercially successful. The same year, he led the Heat 2006 world tour along with fellow stars Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Sushmita Sen and Celina Jaitley.

2007–2011: Commercial success and professional setbacks

2007 proved to be Kumar's most successful year during his career in the industry, and as described by box office analysts, "probably the best ever recorded by an actor, with four outright hits and no flops." His first release, Vipul Amrutlal Shah-directed Namastey London, was critically and commercially successful, and his performance earned him a Best Actor nomination at the Filmfare. Critic Taran Adarsh wrote of his performance in the film, "he's sure to win the hearts of millions of moviegoers with a terrific portrayal in this film." Kumar's chemistry with lead actress Katrina Kaif also generated immense appreciation, with Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India describing their pairing as "refreshing." His next two releases, Sajid Khan-directed Heyy Babyy and Priyadarshan's Bhool Bhulaiyaa, were box office successes as well. In both of these films he starred opposite Vidya Balan. Kumar's last release of the year, the Anees Bazmee-directed Welcome, did extremely well at the box office, receiving a blockbuster status and simultaneously becoming his fifth successive hit. All of Kumar's films which released that year did well in the overseas market as well. Kumar appeared in a cameo role in Farah Khan directed Om Shanti Om. His role was listed as no. 3 on the Top 10 Cameos in Bollywood list of MensXP.com.

Kumar's first film of 2008, Vijay Krishna Acharya-directed action thriller Tashan, marked his comeback to the Yash Raj Films banner after 11 years. Although a poll (conducted by Bollywood Hungama) named it the most anticipated release of the year, the film under-performed at the box office grossing  in India. His second film, Bazmee-directed Singh Is Kinng in which he starred opposite Kaif was a huge success at the box office and broke the first-week worldwide record of Om Shanti Om, the previous highest figure. His next film was the animated film Jumbo, directed by Kompin Kemgumnird. The year also saw Kumar making his small screen debut as the host of the successful show Fear Factor – Khatron Ke Khiladi. He later returned to host the show's second season in 2009.

In 2009, Kumar featured opposite Deepika Padukone in the Warner Bros. and Rohan Sippy production Chandni Chowk to China. Directed by Nikhil Advani, the film was a critical and commercial failure at the box office. Kumar's next release was 8 x 10 Tasveer, an action-thriller directed by Nagesh Kukunoor that failed commercially. His next release was Sabbir Khan's battle-of-the-sexes comedy Kambakkht Ishq. Set in Los Angeles, it was the first Indian film to be shot at Universal Studios and featured cameo appearances by Hollywood actors. The film was poorly received by critics but became an economic success, earning over  worldwide. Kumar's film Blue was released on 16 October 2009. Blue received negative reviews and collected about ₹ 420 million at the box office. His last release in 2009 was Priyadarshan's De Dana Dan. He starred alongside Katrina Kaif, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal. Kumar played a servant who plans to kidnap his owner's dog. The film received mixed reviews.

He then appeared in the 2010 comedy, Housefull, directed by Sajid Khan which garnered the second-highest opening weekend collection of all time. Kumar's next release was Khatta Meetha, directed by Priyadarshan which was an average grosser. The film received negative reviews. Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN called it a schizophrenic film.
He also appeared in Vipul Shah's Action Replayy, which was a box office failure. The film received mostly negative reviews. His last film of 2010 was Tees Maar Khan. Directed by Farah Khan, the film received poor critical reviews but became moderately successful.

In 2011 he starred in Patiala House and Thank You. His last film of 2011 was Rohit Dhawan-directed Desi Boyz (2011), which co-starred John Abraham, Chitrangada Singh and Deepika Padukone. He also co-produced a film with Russell Peters titled Breakaway (dubbed into Hindi as Speedy Singhs) which is reminiscent of his own Patiala House. Breakaway became the highest-grossing cross-cultural movie of 2011 in Canada. Kumar dubbed for the role of Optimus Prime in the Hindi version of Hollywood, action blockbuster, Transformers: Dark of the Moon. He took the dubbing role for his son, Aarav, and did so for free.

2012: Resurgence

His first release of 2012 was Housefull 2, a sequel of his earlier comedy film Housefull, which became Superhit. Kumar's next film was the Prabhudeva-directed action drama Rowdy Rathore in which he played a double role opposite Sonakshi Sinha. The film earned more than  in India and declared Blockbuster. Both of these films grossed over  at the box office. In 2012, he founded another production company called Grazing Goat Pictures Pvt Ltd.

Joker was reportedly promoted as Kumar's 100th film, but later Akshay Kumar clarified that the 100th film landmark had been crossed long before he even signed up for Joker. "It was a miscalculation on Shirish's part. OMG is my 116th film," he said. Kumar kept himself away from the film's promotion due to differences with Kunder. Reacting to Kumar's backing out from the film's promotion Kunder tweeted "A true leader takes responsibility for his team and leads them through thick and thin. Never abandons them and runs away." He later deleted the tweet. His later release Oh My God which he produced and starred along with Paresh Rawal. It had a slow opening but because of word of mouth it picked up. His last release in 2012 was Khiladi 786, the eighth instalment in his famous Khiladi series as well as the comeback of the series after 12 years. Although film was panned by critics it grossed 700 million at the domestic box office.

2013–2019: Other critical and commercial success

His first release in 2013 was Special 26 which earned a positive critical reception and was moderately successful at the box office. Although the movie earned him positive reviews and commercial success, trade analysts noted that the movie could have done much better business due to its good content and Kumar's high-profile. Milan Luthria chose Kumar to play the character of Shoaib Khan (based on Dawood Ibrahim) in the gangster film Once Upon ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara!, sequel to Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai. It proved to be a below average at the box office. The film was declared a "flop" by Box Office India. It received mixed reviews however Kumar's acting was praised by a majority of critics. In a review for Hindustan Times, Anupama Chopra wrote that Kumar "makes a stellar killer". Madhureeta Mukherjee of The Times of India praised Kumar's performance and said that "Bhai act with flamboyance and mojo ... He gets a chance to do what he does best – herogiri (albeit less menacing, more entertaining), with charisma and clap-trap dialoguebaazi." Al Pacino saw the film's trailer and promos and admired Kumar's portrayal of Shoaib Khan, a gangster. He said that the promos and posters reminded him of his own The Godfather. Kumar said of Pacino's response: "A touch of appreciation is always held dearly in an actor's arms, even if it's from the simplest of people like our beloved spot boys. But to have your work spoken of so kindly by the world's most admired gangster Al Pacino himself – I had goose-bumps thinking about him watching the promo! I was so humbled, not only as an actor but as a fan of his legendary work." Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN criticised Kumar for his "in-your-face flamboyance". After the film's mainly negative reviews, Kumar lashed out at critics, accusing them of lacking an understanding of the audience and the basic ideas of filmmaking. Built on an approximate budget of , it was the first major Hindi language film to be shot in Oman. Kumar received a nomination for Best Actor in a Negative Role at Zee Cine Awards.

His next release was Anthony D Souza's Boss alongside Shiv Panditt and Aditi Rao Hydari. The movie received mixed reviews; it performed poorly at the box office netting  domestically. Kumar came back strongly with Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, the Hindi remake of the 2012 Tamil film Thuppakki. This action drama earned both critical and commercial success entering the 1 billion elite club and became the highest grosser of 2014. The film received critical acclaim and is Kumar's third film to gross over  at the box office. He then starred in Entertainment and has sung a song for the film. Making of the song has been uploaded on YouTube. His last film of 2014 was The Shaukeens. He appeared as himself in it and produced it. He then played the lead role in the thrillers Baby and Gabbar is Back. Kumar's first collaboration with Karan Johar, Brothers was released on 14 August 2015. His next release was Singh is Bling, a quasi sequel to 2008's Singh is Kinng was released on 2 October 2015 and is produced by Grazing Goats Pictures.

His first release was Airlift released on 22 January 2016 was critically and commercially successful, and second was Housefull 3 which released on 3 June 2016. Rustom which was produced by Neeraj Pandey and marked his third release of 2016. Akshay was praised for his performance in Rustom which garnered him numerous award nominations. Rustom grossed more than 2 billion at the box office. Both Airlift and Rustom earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor.

His second film release in 2017 was Toilet: Ek Prem Katha. This film depicted the serious social issue of toilets in certain regions of the country. Akshay's performance was praised. Akshay Kumar dug a toilet in Madhya Pradesh to promote the film. The movie trailer was released on 11 June 2017. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a good effort to further the message of cleanliness, as per Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

In 2018, Akshay starred in another social drama film Pad Man alongside Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte. He later made his Tamil cinema debut in the science fiction thriller 2.0, a standalone sequel to the 2010 film Enthiran, co-starring Rajinikanth, in which he played an evil ornithologist named Pakshirajan.

In 2019, Kumar appeared in Karan Johar's film Kesari opposite Parineeti Chopra, based on the story of the Battle of Saragarhi. The film grossed over  worldwide. He next featured in Mission Mangal with an ensemble cast of Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu, Nithya Menen, Sharman Joshi and Sonakshi Sinha. The film is about the story of scientists at Indian Space Research Organisation who contributed to the Mars Orbiter Mission, which marked India's first interplanetary expedition. Housefull 4, directed by Farhad Samji, was released in October 2019. His next release in December 2019 was Karan Johar's and his own production Good Newwz, a romantic comedy about surrogacy, opposite Kareena Kapoor Khan. All of his four films were commercially successful this year with three consecutive domestic 200 Crore Club net films alongside Mission Mangal, Housefull 4 and Good Newwz.

2020–present: Recent work and further expansion
His only release in 2020 was the horror comedy Laxmii, directed by Raghava Lawrence, an official remake of the Tamil film Kanchana opposite Kiara Advani. It was released on 9 November on Disney+ Hotstar, and was not released theatrically in India due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film revolves around a man who gets possessed by the ghost of a transgender. It received mixed to negative reviews from critics, praising the performance of Kumar, but criticised the writing and screenplay of the film.

In 2021, Kumar had three releases, namely, Bell Bottom, a spy thriller inspired from real life hijacking events in India by Khalistani separatists during the 1980s, directed by Ranjit M Tewari, Sooryavanshi, a Cop Universe continuation of Singham and Simmba, directed by Rohit Shetty and Aanand L. Rai's Atrangi Re along with Sara Ali Khan in dual roles opposite him and Dhanush on Disney+ Hotstar, were released in 2021.

In 2022, Kumar's first release was Bachchhan Paandey, a remake of Jigarthanda, where he played the titular role of a gangster, a name derived from Kumar's character in the 2008 film Tashan. The film paired him with Kriti Sanon, and also features Jacqueline Fernandez and Arshad Warsi. Despite an ensemble cast and hype among fans, Bachchhan Paandey gathered negative critical reception and was not successful at the box office.

His next release was the historical film Samrat Prithviraj, which was based on life of the Hindu warrior Prithviraj Chauhan. It also starred Sonu Sood, Sanjay Dutt and debutant Manushi Chhillar. Released theatrically on 3 June 2022, the film opened to mixed reviews. Anuj Kumar of The Hindu wrote 'In order to tone down his body language and accent, Kumar has lost much of his trademark energy and could not develop the gravitas required to play the celebrated ruler. He growls like a lion who has lost his bite and despite all the air-brushing, doesn't look like the boy who became a Samrat in his 20s'. Made on a budget of 150-300 crore, the film failed to perform well at the box office.

His another movie Rakshabandhan which was released on the extended weekend of 5 days on 11 August received mixed reviews. The Hindu wrote ''The film's engaging powerful anti-dowry sentiments, along with Akshay's brilliant comic timing, ensures that there is enough to keep the audience tied for two hours''. The Indian Express rated the film 1.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Do the filmmakers truly believe that such low-rent family dramas, with their uneasy mix of humour and crassness". The film couldn't manage to impress the audience and scored poorly at the Indian ticket windows. The film managed to earn mere $4.2 million over the extended weekend.

His another release in 2022 was Cuttputlli, which was again a remake of Ratsasan. The movie was released directly on Disney+ Hotstar.

The Hindustan Times wrote "Akshay Kumar got a golden opportunity in the film Ram Setu by Abhishek Sharma released on 25 October 2022, as his character is unlike anything he has done in the recent past. Ram Setu embraces the best of the Indiana Jones and National Treasure schools of storytelling with desi action" With the poor performance of Ram Setu, 2022 proved to be one of the worst years for Kumar in recent times.

His first release of 2023 was Selfiee, an official remake of Driving Licence, which also starred Emraan Hashmi, Diana Penty and Nushrratt Bharuccha. The film bombed at the box office continuing the streak of flops for the actor. Kumar next appeared in OMG 2 – Oh my God 2, a spiritual successor to OMG – Oh My God!, where he played a messenger of Lord Shiva. Ganesh Aaglave of Firstpost stated, "Akshay's character as the messenger of Lord Shiva seems to be an extended cameo. However, the actor impresses with his expressions and dialogues and delivers one of his best performances in recent times." The film became a box office success. Kumar next appeared opposite Parineeti Chopra as Jaswant Singh Gill, a brave and diligent mining engineer in the  disaster thriller Mission Raniganj.

Kumar's other projects in 2023 includes  the official remake of Soorarai Pottru and Vedat Marathe Veer Daudle Saat, his Marathi debut. Akshay is currently shooting for Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, which also stars Tiger Shroff. Akshay has also started shooting for multiple projects set to release in 2024 which also includes the much awaited Hera Pheri sequel.

Personal life

Kumar married Twinkle Khanna, the daughter of actors Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia, on 17 January 2001. Together they have a son,  and a daughter. He is known as a protective father and keeps his children away from the media. He stated that he wants to "give them a normal childhood." In 2009, while performing at a show for Levis at Lakme Fashion Week, Kumar asked Twinkle to unbutton his jeans. This incident sparked a controversy which led to a police case being filed against them.

Kumar was initially a religious, practising Shaiva Hindu who regularly visited shrines and temples across the country, including the famed Vaishno Devi Mandir, but in March 2020 he stated, "I don't believe in any religion. I only believe in being Indian".

Citizenship
Sometime during or after the 2011 Canadian federal election, the Conservative government there granted Canadian citizenship to Kumar by invoking a little-known law which allowed circumventing the usual residency requirement for Canadian immigrants.  According to a former Conservative Party minister, Tony Clement, the citizenship was awarded in return for Kumar's offer of putting his "star power to use to advance Canada-Indian relations," and Canada's "trade relations, commercial relations, in the movie sector, in the tourism sector."  Although Kumar had earlier appeared in a campaign event for Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Brampton, Ontario, a city with a large Indo-Canadian population, and praised Harper, Clement denied that the citizenship was a reward for partisan support.   Kumar had received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Windsor, and in a 2010 interview with the Economist claimed he had "dual citizenship."  He was one of the 15 international celebrities invited for the Olympics torch-bearer rally to Canada.

In December 2019, Kumar stated that he has applied for an Indian passport and plans to give up his Canadian citizenship. On 15 August 2023, on the occasion of Independence Day, Kumar confirmed he got Indian citizenship back and Canadian citizenship was withdrawn as part of Indian law.

Filmography

Production

Television and other work

Television

In 2004, Kumar presented seven-part miniseries Seven Deadly Arts with Akshay Kumar for free, played master and learner as he introduces viewers to each of the seven part of martial arts-kalaripayattu, Shaolin Kung Fu, karate, taekwondo, aikido, Muay Thai, capoeira, the show aired on every following Sunday. The following year Kumar was awarded the highest Japanese honour of "Katana" and a sixth degree black belt in Kuyukai Gōjū-ryū karate.

Since 2008, Kumar started India's stunt/action reality game show – "Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi". He hosted Season 1, Season 2 and Season 4. The show was widely accepted and appreciated, became hugely successful in popular culture. It is still being run by Rohit Shetty.

In 2011, Kumar hosted India's first MasterChef television show on Star Plus, was viewed by 18.2 million viewers and went to prove that Indian audiences are open to experimenting and look forward to innovations in television entertainment.

In 2014, He hosted another reality show Dare 2 Dance as a mentor, which aired on Life OK from 6 September. It broke the norms of a regular dance format with a commitment of a 'first of its kind. A dance show where trained and famed dancers wasn't judged only on the basis of their dance performances, but they had to perform stunts.survive on the dance floor.

In 2014, Kumar also produced a successful television serial Jamai Raja (2014), starring Ravi Dubey and Nia Sharma, which established them leading actors in Indian television industry.

In 2017, he judged The Great Indian Laughter Challenge with Mallika Dua, Hussain Dalal and Zakir Khan, later they were replaced by Sajid Khan and Shreyas Talpade. The show made many popular names including Vishwash Chauhan and Shyam Rangeela.

Kumar joined Bear Grylls for an episode in "Into The Wild", which aired on Discovery channel on 14 September 2020. The episode was second highest-rated show in the infotainment genre (Discovery Channel) in terms of TRP. 1.1 crore people watched the premiere on Discovery Network channels.

Fitness work and stage performances
Kumar promotes health fitness and exercising, stays in shape with a combination of kickboxing, basketball, swimming and Parkour as well as working out. While in standard eighth he had started practising Karate. He intended to open a martial arts school and the state government of Maharashtra allotted land for the school in Bhayandar.
 He helped Khanna with editing the drafts of her debut book Mrs Funnybones. He is a teetotaller but has endorsed for a liquor brand in the past. Half of the sum was given for daan (charity work), of which he has been doing more of in recent times.  In 2013, one of his fan travelled from Haryana to Mumbai, to meet him. The journey took him 42 days. When he reached Kumar's building, he was informed that Kumar was in Casablanca. The fan stayed outside the building for one week before Kumar met him. Kumar has come out in support and lauded the Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore for his stand against corruption. The minister said that the government entrusted CBI in the investigation against the corrupt officials in sports department.

On 9 August 2014, Kumar performed at his 500th live show. The show was held in O2 Arena in London as part of the inaugural function of the World Kabaddi League. His first live show was held in 1991 in Delhi. Kumar owns Bengal Warriors a team in the Indian Kabbadi League. Akshay Kumar sets himself on fire at his upcoming The End series launch with Prime Video, says he's a stuntman first and actor later.

In the media

In Indian media, Kumar is referred as Khiladi or Khiladi Kumar for doing so many dangerous stunts by himself and also because of his Khiladi film series. In 2009, Madame Tussauds wanted to make his wax figure next because he has an international fan following. But he declined and said,"he don't want to be waxed because he does not think it is of that great importance". From 2015, he was continuously feathered in Forbes' highest paid actors top 10 list. In 2019, he was fourth highest paid actor in the world behind Dwayne Johnson, Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr. On the Forbes US list of World's 33rd Highest Earner with $65M. In 2020, He ranked sixth and only Indian actor in top 10 of highest paid actors list with $48.5M. Kumar is the first Indian film actor, whose films' domestic net lifetime collections crossed  by 2013, and  by 2016.

Kumar was named "Sexiest Man Alive" by People Magazine in 2008. Kumar was awarded with NDTV Imagine Best Entertainer of the Year 2007 by the Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards (FTPGI). In 2009, he was awarded the highest Japanese honour of "Katana" and a sixth degree Black Belt in Kuyukai Gojuryu Karate. He was one of the 15 international celebrities invited for the Olympics torch-bearer rally to Canada in 2009. Kumar bagged the Ultimate Man of the Year at the prestigious GQ Awards in 2015. He won the HT Hottest Trendsetter (Male) award at the HT India's Most Stylish in 2019.

Kumar has great brand value and holds strong credibility in the advertising world. In 2020, Kumar has topped the list with brand value of $118M he has seen a jump of 13% by previous years. According to Duff and Phelps, Kumar was third most valued celebrity with $139M in 2021. Kumar has endorsed brands including Thums Up, Honda, Tata Motors, Dollar, Harpic, Sparx, Livguard Battery, and Kajarai Tiles. He was also brand ambassador of Canada Tourism. Kumar ranked number 1 on TAM's list of most visible stars in TV ads with an average visibility of 37 hours per day across all channels since 2019 to 2022.

Kumar has significant fan following in Indian diaspora as well as in European and African countries. As of September 2022, He is most followed Indian actor on social media including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Memes from his comedy movies, especially his face expressions are hugely popular on social media. In 2019, interviewed Modi on TV, which concluded as controversies in social media, later he clarified that it was a personal interview as a common man, not political. Since 2013, Kumar has been the Hindi film industry's highest advance taxpayer for six consecutive years. He paid  as advance tax payment in that year. In August 2022, he got a certificate from Income Tax department for being highest tax payer. Kumar has criticised award functions and doesn't believe in it saying, "Organizers have asked me to perform at award nights. They said that they would pay me half the price and they would also give me an award. I replied saying, 'You pay me the whole amount and keep your award.'" He called National Film Award, most prestigious award of the country.

Kumar holds the Guinness World Records for the most 184 Selfies taken in three minutes at a promotional event of his film Selfiee in Mumbai. He talked to the media and termed it as a 'way of paying tribute' to his fans. In March 2023, Kumar performed in various cities in the United States for "The Entertainers" tour, alongside Disha Patani, Mouni Roy, Nora Fatehi, Sonam Bajwa, Aparshakti Khurana, Stebin Ben and Zahrah S Khan.

Philanthropy and social service
Kumar is one of India's most philanthropic celebrities, does a lot of helps and donations, continues the good work offscreen with his philanthropy and services.  He and his co-star Tamannaah Bhatia donated all the clothes from their film 2014 Entertainment to an animal welfare charity. Youth Organisation in Defence of Animals (YODA) is an organisation which works for the welfare of street animals. He has also donated  to Salman Khan's Being Human Foundation. Kumar also had donated a sum of ₹9 million to drought hit farmers in Maharashtra in 2015, Khan himself tweeted on Twitter. Kumar also helped a contestant of TV reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi by giving him Rs. 25 lakh after knowing that the contestant needed the prize money of the show for his father's cancer treatment. He has also donated ₹5 million to aid drought affected people through the Maharashtra government's Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan.  In March 2013, he started a 30-bed cancer shelter for policemen in Naigaon. In December 2013, Vishwas Nangre Patil, Additional Commissioner of Police, West Mumbai visited his gym along with several trainee officers. Acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal, on whose life Deepika Padukone's Chapaak was based is also an activist. Some years ago, she was struggling to make ends meet. Kumar came to her rescue and transferred Rs. 5 Lakh into her account so that she could fend for herself until she found a job, because medals, awards and certificates don't pay the bills.

He launched an insurance scheme for the registered stunt directors in 2017. The family of deceased stunt director Abdul Sattar Munna has received a compensation of Rs. 20 lakh under the same scheme. Now, the actor has been asked to help those stunt choreographers who are above 55 years of age and therefore, aren't eligible to have insurance in their name.

During the promotions of Rustom, Kumar expressed his wish of serving the nation but destiny held something else in store for him. He has played a soldier in Holiday and Kesari, a special agent in Baby and a naval officer in Rustom. The actor was applauded by many for showing his concern towards the families of 12 slain jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) who were killed in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Saturday, 11 March 2017. He donated Rs. 1.08 crore to the families of the martyred jawans.
In August 2016, Kumar had donated Rs. 80 lakh to the families of army men. He gave Rs 5 lakh to each family and said our soldiers need money along with "samman". In October 2016, Akshay donated Rs. 9 lakh to the family of a martyred BSF jawan.

He also donated Rs. 1.5 crore to build the shelter for transgender persons in Chennai. He is supporting the construction of the home. Laxmii'''s director Raghava Lawrence shared the "good news" of the actor's new initiative with friends and fans along with some pictures on Facebook.

Kumar endorses Swachh Bharat Mission, Builds Toilets in Madhya Pradesh, he had previously posted a video on social media, talking about the importance of having individual toilets at home, His movie Toilet was also based on Toilet's importance. He was named Uttarakhand's brand ambassador for 'Swachhta Abhiyaan'.

In 2017, Kumar launched the Bharat Ke Veer app, with the help of the home ministry. The platform lets people send money directly to the bank accounts of family members of soldiers martyred in the line of duty. On The Kapil Sharma Show, Akshay said that he was only carrying out his responsibility as a citizen with the app. "Hum yeh kahenge, ki hum apna kartvaya nibhate hai… Jo shaheed hote hai, unka nuksaan hum kabhi bhar nahi paayenge. That is for sure. Sarkar unko jo deti hai, woh deti hai. Lekin, as a civilian, humara bhi toh kuch kartavya banta hai. Yeh aisa app hai… Na iske beech mein koi NGO hai, na koi sarkar hai," he said.

In the aftermath of Pulwama terror attack on the CRPF jawans, Kumar came forward to help the families of those sacrificed their lives in the attack. He donated Rs. 15 Lakh to a martyred jawan's family and even urged his fans to do the same. He further pledged to donate Rs. 5 crore through 'Bharat Ke Veer' app. He additionally donated Rs. 9 Lakh each to the families of 12 CRPF jawans who were killed in Chhattisgarh.

In Mid-2020 when Kerala, Assam and Chennai were left devastated as they were hit by floods that severely affected several families as they lost their houses, land, crops, many people died. Kumar donated a sum of Rs. 1 crore each to not just Kerala but also Assam and Chennai. CM Sonowal thanks Kumar.

Kumar was one of the first personalities from Bollywood to contribute to the PM CARES Fund right at the start of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, He donated Rs. 25 crores to the Prime Minister's Fund and another crore to ex-cricketer Gautam Gambhir's charity for the same cause. The former cricketer revealed on Twitter that Akshay Kumar had donated Rs. 1 crore to his foundation during the deadly second wave to help people affected by the novel coronavirus. Gambhir wrote, "Every help in this gloom comes as a ray of hope. Thanks a lot Akshay Kumar for committing Rs 1 crore to #GGF for food, meds and oxygen for the needy! God bless."
In 2021, Kumar donated 1 crore for construction of a school building in Neeru Village of Bandipora district in Jammu and Kashmir.

 Awards and nominations
Kumar has been recipient of two Filmfare Awards from 13 nominations: Best Villain for Ajnabee (2002) and Best Comedian for Garam Masala (2006), and a National Film Award for Best Actor for the films Rustom and Airlift (both 2016). In 2008, the University of Windsor conferred an honorary Doctorate of Law on Kumar in recognition of his contribution to Indian cinema. The following year, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India. In 2011, The Asian Awards honoured Kumar for his outstanding achievement in Cinema.

 Notes

 References

 External links

 Collected news and commentary at The Times of India''

Hindi film producers
1967 births
Living people
Punjabi people
Male actors in Hindi cinema
Indian male film actors
Indian game show hosts
Indian male martial artists
Indian stunt performers
Indian male voice actors
Indian Muay Thai practitioners
Indian Hindus
People who lost Canadian citizenship
People with acquired Indian citizenship
Best Actor National Film Award winners
Filmfare Awards winners
International Indian Film Academy Awards winners
Zee Cine Awards winners
Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts
Don Bosco schools alumni
Traceurs
Male actors from Delhi
Martial artists from Delhi
Indian taekwondo practitioners
Indian male karateka

Akshay Kumar


Non Stop is a French rolling-news television program on BFMTV. Airing in various timeslots throughout the daytime hours and serving as BFMTV's de facto flagship news program, it features national and international news, along with sports, business and weather updates. Initially, it was an image-only show.

History
Non Stop debuted in 2005 (as the channel's launch) and was formatted as a program devoted to hard news. It broadcast weekdays from 9:30am to 6pm, and all weekend (with two half-hour interruptions by Guillaume Vanhems at 7pm and 8pm). Its format only showed news and weather, and did not feature on-air talent in any kind.

In an update of schedule in May 9, 2006, the image-only format was now only featured in weekends, because weekday editions now saw presenters: Guillaume Vanhems (9:30am-1pm), Jean-Alexandre Baril (1-4:30pm) and Stéphanie de Muru (4:30-6pm). The format was also revived: news every 15 minutes, with replay weather every half-hour. Weekend image-only editions were also interrupted longer, now from 6pm to 9pm, presented by Thomas Sotto.

In January 2007, the show's shift was relaunched, now only two presenters: Jean-Alexandre Baril from 9:30am to 2pm, then Stéphanie de Muru from 2pm to 6pm.

In 4 June 2007, Baril's shift no longer ended at 2pm, but at noon instead to make way for Midi|14H with Florence Duprat and Thomas Misrachi.

In September 2007, Gilane Barret dropped the image-only block each weekend from 9pm to midnight.

In February 2008, Stéphanie de Muru lost her Monday and Tuesday afternoon shift of the show, as Gilane Barret joined it and worked on these days. Also, Barret dropped Non Stop Week-End completely in the late slot (10pm-midnight), and unveiled an all-new show: Week-End 360, alongside Stéphanie de Muru. 9-10pm block now featured Non-Stop Week-End again.

19 May 2008 brought a wide variety of changes to the show. It saw the introduction of the two-presenter format, and as a result, Diane Gouffrant joined the morning edition from 9am to noon with Baril, and the current Week-End 360'''s team, Stéphanie de Muru and Gilane Barret, rejoined the show's afternoon edition from 2pm to 5pm. Rachid M'Barki filled in for Barret when he was away.

In September 2008, the show's anchor team was changed completely. The co-host for Jean-Alexandre Baril was now Roselyne Dubois; the former morning team, who became newscasters for midday Midi Ruth Elklief, run Non Stop from 2pm to 3pm; and the former midday team, Florence Duprat and Thomas Misrachi, joined the show's afternoon edition.

Also at this year, the 6pm-midnight block no longer aired Non Stop. It was now occupied by two QG de l'info 6-7pm and 8-9pm with Marc Autheman, then Week-End 360 9pm-midnight with Rachid M'Barki and Diane Gouffrant.

In January 2010, afternoon Non Stop was pushed back an hour, now running from 2pm to 5pm as a result of the expansion of Midi Ruth Elklief and the debut of BFM Story.

In March 2010, the weekend Non Stop no longer just featured the news and weather, but now included various chronicles, like press reviews in the morning daypart.

At the end of April 2010, several presenters exchanged their shift to each other on BFMTV. Ronald Guintrange and Roselyne Dubois was now the show's morning presenters; while afternoon edition was presented by Jean-Alexandre Baril and Florence Duprat.

In summer 2010, the show's afternoon edition went back to its normal broadcasting time: from 3pm to 6pm, as a result of the debut of the new Midi|15H.

In September 2011, BFMTV shifted Non Stop from broadcasting half of the day (without presenters) to multi shows with set hosts and tone. Fabien Combé (from RNC) and Céline Pitelet joined the new Week-End Première from 6am to 10am; then Non Stop Week-End and Midi|14H Week-End with Stéphanie de Muru and Rachid M'Barki from 10am to 2pm; and finally Non Stop Week-End with Céline Couratin, Graziella Rodrigues and Jean-Alexandre Baril from 2pm to 6pm. Mathieu Coache replaced Baril on the 3-6pm weekday block of the show.

At the end of August 2012, several main changes of Non Stop including: Mathieu Coache (now became BFMTV's Washington correspondent) was replaced by Damien Gourlet as afternoon co-host; as a result, the new morning co-host alongside Florence Duprat was now Gilane Barret. On weekends, Stéphanie de Muru had two more presenters: Frédéric de Lanouvelle and François Gapihan on her Non Stop Week-End from 10am to noon (then include Midi|14H Week-End), and Sandra Gandoin, who previously served as fill-in for Céline Couratin on afternoon Non Stop Week-End, now replaced her permanently.

In September 2014, morning Non Stop Week-End was extended, as a result of the cancellation of Midi|14H Week-End. Also, the new weekend afternoon team for the show was Philippe Gaudin and Graziella Rodrigues.

In September 2015, the teams anchoring Non Stop Week-End were shifted. While Stéphanie de Muru and Philippe Gaudin presented from 10am to 2pm, Céline Pitelet and Igor Sahiri anchored the 2-6pm block.

In September 2016, BFM Politique with Apolline de Malherbe became the first live programme to cut into Sunday's Non Stop Week-End, from noon to 2pm.

In 2017, four major changes of the show including:
 Roselyne Dubois will go on a maternity leave. Aurélie Casse will fill in for her.
 Lucie Nuttin now joined 3-6pm Non Stop Week-End.
 As a result of Stéphanie de Muru left BFMTV (from 2 June 2017), Florence Duprat, the former afternoon anchor, now had a new shift: weekend morning anchor from 10am to noon.
 Duprat will also present an hour-long magazine: Priorité au décryptage at 2pm and 5pm. As a result, afternoon Non Stop Week-End'' will only air from 3pm to 5pm.

Television programs

Non Stop


Jude Lemfani Abaga (born 4 October 1981), commonly known by his stage name M.I Abaga, is a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He gained recognition in 2006 with the popularization of his track "Crowd Mentality" in Jos, Nigeria. His debut studio album, Talk About It, was introduced in 2008, followed by MI 2: The Movie (2010). Subsequently, he unveiled his third studio album, The Chairman, four years later. Additionally, Abaga released the playlist Rendezvous in February 2018, followed by his fourth studio album, A Study On Self Worth: Yxng Dxnzl, in August of the same year.

Abaga was CEO of Chocolate City from 2015 to 2019. In March 2020, he announced his exit from the label and launched his own record label Incredible Music.

He won Best Hip Hop and Best New Act at the 2009 MTV Africa Music Awards, and was nominated in the Best International Act category at the BET Awards 2010.

Early life
Jude was born in Jos, Plateau State. His parents, Pastor and Mrs. Abaga, are from Takum, Taraba state, both of Jukun-Nigerian descent. He attended Baptist High School, Jos where his mother purchased basic music notations and later, a 7-key mini piano which launched him into the music world. Jude has two brothers, Jesse Jagz, who is also in the Nigerian and African music scene, and Jason Abaga. During Jude's adolescence, he would listen to tracks from Lauryn Hill, Bob Marley, Sarah Maclachlan, Pablo Neruda, Jay-Z and DMX.

Jude's venture into the hip hop world started with the sampling of musical works from DMX and Lauryn Hill as early as 1998. After his time at Calvin College, Michigan, US, he delved into poetry while pursuing a career in Business and Economics. There, he performed regularly at the school's major hip hop shows and concerts. His rapping gained him a third-place finish at the Calvin College show named 'Hip Hopera' in 2003, which was the only "hip hop show" that Calvin College has ever had. M.I. also made some amateur attempts at comedy, but decided to stick to music.

Career

Jude began his music career when he returned to Nigeria in 2003. Finding his place in an industry dominated by the likes of Modenine, Ruggedman and Eedris Abdulkareem, he quickly commenced the production of mixtapes with his friend Djinee. This led to the critically acclaimed single "Safe" (a song which he parodied popular Nigerian songs in its lyrics) which gathered impressive airplay by African radio and music video stations such as MTV Vibe. The track also earned him awards at the Nigerian Music Video Awards, City People, N.E.A among others.

The hype surrounding the release of Safe led to the critical acclaim given to his first studio album titled Talk About It which was rated 8.5/10 by Oye Akideinde of 360nobs  The album gathered awards such as Musician of the Year (Modemen Awards in 2008) and Best Hip Hop Artist (City People Awards). His first mixtape was PYERIBOY. He later released a sample mixtape titled Illegal Music in 2009. The mixtape was followed by Illegal Music II which was released in 2012.

Back in Jos, Nigeria, he established Loopy Music with his brother, Jesse Jagz, Ice Prince, Ruby, Threadstone, Lindsay, Moses (Elbulk), and E kelly. M.I was eventually signed to the Chocolate City firm, a well-known music label in Nigeria, which forced him to relocate from Jos to the nation's capital, Abuja, and influenced the start of his successful career in the Nigerian music industry. He has also received international recognition in South Africa from the popular Channel O music Award, MTVbase Awards and the American BET Awards. A proficient producer, lyricist, songwriter and instrumentalist, M.I has been described by DIV as the future of African hip-hop. He has produced and featured on the works of artists like, Don Jazzy, Threadstone (Nigeria's first rock band ), Kel, Djinee, Shifi (Styl Plus), Jesse Jagz, Ice Prince, Hyce-age, Ruby, Lindsey, Leony, Wizkid etc. He also runs a production company, Rychus Era Productions with his brother Jesse Abaga (Jesse Jagz). In 2013 he was appointed by Nigerian telecommunication company Glo Mobile as a brand ambassador alongside other Nigerian artistes like Omawumi, Burna Boy etc. He was also a judge in Glo X-Factor, the Nigerian version of the reality singing show in 2013.

Illegal Music 3 - The Finale was released on 29 February 2016. The ten-track mixtape was made available online for free, gathering over 400,000 downloads in just three days.

On 9 February 2018 a seventh studio project titled Rendezvous, a playlist with a style generally different from the regular. The project came as a surprise to fans as it was released merely a day after the rapper announced the release date for Yxng Dxnzl.

Yxng Dxnzl (pronounced Yung Denzl) was itself released on 24 August 2018, about three months later than the initial release date. The album was tagged "A Study on Self Worth" and included the single You Rappers Should Fix Up Your Lives - which triggered a slew of responses. The album was released as part of a collection of Nigerian rap albums titled LAMB August, with the aim of re-awakening rap music in Nigeria. All three albums, Crown by A-Q and Loose Kaynon, Yung Denzl by M.I Abaga & BadBoyBlaq by Blaqbonez were executively produced by M.I. On 6 March 2020, the rapper announced his departure from Chocolate City after 13 years of being a part of the label. In December 2022 M.I Abaga was featured in Africa Cypher (Hennessy Cypher) that happened in Nigeria, the Cypher also featured artists such as A-Reece, Vector, M.anifest and Octopizzo.

Personal life
On 22 September 2022, M.I and Eniola Mafe married in Lagos.

Rapping technique
Tripol of Blaze-A-Mic describes M.I's flow as "easy going but packed full of punches". Similarities in styles have also been drawn to renowned rappers such as Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Jay-Z. Those who know M.I. well have also compared his ego with both that of Kanye West and Jay-Z.

Contributions and recognition
M.I. has been responsible for bringing out many upcoming artists such as Phyno, Wizkid, Vypa, Jesse Jagz, Ruby, Pype, Tone Ice Prince, Brymo, and Khali Graph Jones. He has been described by many Nigerian hip hop fans as Nigeria's "Hip Hop Messiah".
MI has done a lot to bring a Northern presence to the Nigerian music industry, as he depicts the perfect example of bringing Nigeria together. He is the founder of Loopy Records and Incredible Music. M.I also worked in music production with Chocolate City and has produced albums and songs for his label mates. The most notable of these being in 2011 when he produced two songs off Ice Prince's album Everybody Loves Ice Prince and recently Ruby Gyang's Good Man off her "This Is Love" Ep.

M.I was appointed a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador in 2012. M.I also supports the Jostified campaign. He has achieved worldwide recognition as part of the vanguard of the "Afrobeats" wave.

Feuds

Kelly Hansome
There has been a rivalry between Nigerian artists, M.I. Abaga and Kelly Hansome. This started when M.I. in his track Fast Money, Fast Cars stated, "Kelly Hansome is handsome, I'll tell him when I see him. But if I want a man, it'd be Keke or D1". Kelly Hansome did not take kindly to these words and from there they both have gone track for track with Kelly Hansome releasing Catch Me If You Can, where he goes in on the whole Chocolate City label. In response, the Choc City camp released Nobody Test Me with a line from M.I talking directly to Kelly Hansome, saying, " Only one Kelly that I know, Kelly Rowland. Why would I diss them, give them cheap promotion. I think that they're so dry, I should give them lotion". Later, Kelly Hansome released Chocolate Boys (Chocolate City members). M.I. released a track on his 2010 album, M.I.2 named Beef. With Kelly hearing this, brought out the track Finish You Boy.

Iceberg Slim
In 2009 a US-based rapper by the name Iceberg Slim released a single titled Mr International where he said the lines: "Am I better than M.I? I don't know. Am I? Matter of fact you should ask M.I". That apparently didn't sit too well with M.I, prompting him to release a single known as "Somebody Wants To Die", featuring his label mate Ice Prince on the track. Less than 48 hours after the release of M.I's "Somebody Wants to Die" IceBerg Slim released "Assassination" and sources quote that his Facebook status at the time of the release read "Somebody Wants To Die", I'll be responsible for the "Assassination" ... let the countdown begin ... (I told em it would be a M.I.stake, but they didn't listen)". There was a contest in the mind of rap fans on who happened to be the best rapper in Nigeria.  M.I developed more fans than Iceberg Slim and had more hit records, while Iceberg Slim gained hearts on Nigerian rap fans in a very short and unusual period. In 2012, both rappers decided to sweep the feud under the rug. Iceberg stated, "I don't think I picked on MI. It was a healthy competition in Hip-Hop, which most people don't understand. In Hip-Hop community, we could be best friends or brothers and I can say I'm the best rapper in the world and no one takes offense or takes it personal. My shot at MI wasn't a sign of disrespect in any way. Though sarcastic, it was healthy. People just took it out of context and thought I was dissing him. Rap music is all about competition because it helps you grow and improve on yourself."

NotJustOk
M.I's popularity has grown quickly over the years in Nigeria as he has become one of the most critically acclaimed rap artists and has recently been compared to other artists like Naeto C, el Dee, D'banj, 9ice and Mode 9. He was listed as the fourth most talented rapper in Nigeria by online music site Notjustok.com. The ranking didn't sit well with M.I and he used the song NotJustOk/Savage (Track 5) on his 2016 released mixtape Illegal Music 3 to address the issue of him being compared to other Nigerian rap stars. He explicitly demanded that critics leave his name off any list and stop rating, ranking or criticizing music they didn't help create just because the critic wants to gain more traction, followers and boost their ratings.

Vector
M.I and Vector had an ongoing rap supremacy spat overtime to claim who was the best Hip Hop act in Nigeria, in 2019, it led to M.I releasing a diss track "The Viper", he insinuated how he had helped entertainers compared to Vector. He said, "See we rise by lifting others, who you lifted? Nobody in all these years. Can say that Vector put em in position wow."

Vector hit out at M.I in the diss track "Judas, the rat", responding to his claims he said,

"Jesse Jagz, you're my buddy, I couldn't do this in a hurry but the truth about your brother has been blurry. So sometime in this sermon, I will say some uncomfortable facts to show his fans their GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) is really a rat. Let's start the lecture.

"Who are the rappers that I put on?  Many more plus two out of your three and I didn't sign anything. I did it all for free since you were scratching on the surface like your DJ Lambo. How about the guns you brought to help become rambo?...So what am I supposed to do Sign a man I wouldn't sign? I don't do politics music.

"Yoruba people would say, 'Eni dale lo bale lo.' Ambode is leaving with VisionScape"

In December 2020, Vector and Jude "M.I" Abaga seem to have squashed their battle when they both met in the third and final part of "The Conversation", a Hennessy Nigeria documentary series based on the rivalry between M.I and Vector, the duo met face-to-face and discussed what transpired between them. Both rappers addressed what caused the beef and their thoughts on each other. M.I said he had the impression that Vector just doesn't like him, while Vector said he believes M.I is cunning and deceptive.

They finally had a collaboration when Vector featured M.I on a song titled Crown of Clay in March 2021 which emphasized the positive attributes of being African and called out the negative impacts of white supremacy and imperialism. The two lyrical juggernauts also worked together on a song called 'Spirit' which was the first track on a seven-song EP called Hennessy 'The Very Special Tape Volume 1.' The EP was a collaborative effort by the Cognac company to boost the rap culture in Africa and features other rappers like Payper Corleone, Preacher Kingz, Dabu The Gemini and Hennessy VS Class VII winner Matosan.

Discography

Studio albums
 Talk About It (2008)
 MI 2: The Movie (2010)
 The Chairman (2014)
 A Study on Self Worth: Yxng Dxnzl (2018)
 The Guy (2022)

 Compilation albums
 The Indestructible Choc Boi Nation (with Chocolate City) (2015)

Mixtapes and playlists
 Illegal Music (2009)
 Illegal Music 2 (2012)
 Illegal Music 3: The Finale (2016)
 Rendezvous (2018)

EPs
 Judah (2020)
 The Live Report (with A-Q) (2020)

Filmography

Awards and nominations

See also
 List of Nigerian rappers

References

1981 births
Living people
Nigerian songwriters
Nigerian male rappers
Musicians from Jos
21st-century Nigerian musicians
The Headies winners
21st-century male musicians

M.I Abaga


Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, formerly Our Lady of the Lake College, is a private Catholic university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was founded in 1923 and is sponsored by the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady, North American Province. The university has an enrollment of approximately 1700 students. It offers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.

History

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University has evolved from the Our Lady of the Lake School of Nursing, established in 1923 by the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady.  The School of Nursing began in conjunction with the establishment of Our Lady of the Lake Sanitarium in the Capitol Lake area of downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  The school was an integral part of the new hospital's program of service to the community.

Five students from the St. Francis Sanitarium in Monroe, Louisiana, formed the nucleus of the first class of nine students.  The students lived, attended classes and cared for patients in the hospital overlooking Capitol Lake.  Upon completion of three calendar years of education, the students were awarded a diploma in nursing.

The curriculum was revised over the years to incorporate advances in medical science, nursing science, nursing practice, and nursing education.  In 1960, in response to the changing community health needs and the prevailing nursing shortage, the School of Nursing was the first school in the South to revise its curriculum by shortening its program from three calendar years to 27 consecutive months.  Recruitment to the diploma program was intensified, enrollment increased and the school continued to grow.

During the 1970s, major changes began to occur in the student population.  Along with a decline in residential students, there was a gradual but persistent increase in the number of non-traditional students (23 years of age and older) seeking admission to the nursing program.  By the close of the decade, the School of Nursing became a commuter school and no longer offered on-campus housing.  This coincided with the relocation of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center to its present site on Essen Lane.

Further development in the area of academic programming began in the 1980s and 1990s.  In response to current trends in nursing education and licensure, the faculty began exploring options to position nursing education within the collegiate setting.  In 1989, the process culminated with the decision of the Franciscan Sisters and the medical center administration to transition to a degree-granting institution of higher education.  In May 1990, Our Lady of the Lake College of Nursing and Allied Health was registered with the Louisiana Secretary of State and the Louisiana Board of Regents.  Within the next few years, the college began offering Associate of Science degrees in radiologic technology and general studies, in addition to nursing.  In July 1995, the college was officially renamed Our Lady of the Lake College.

The late 1990s and early years of the new millennium were an exciting time of expansion for the college.  In 1998, the college was approved as a Carnegie Level II institution to offer baccalaureate degrees. By 2005, the college was granted approval for master's level programs in nurse anesthesia, nursing, and physician assistant studies.

In February 2006, Sandra S. Harper joined the college as president. In 2007, she led a reorganization of the college's academic programs resulting in two schools: The School of Arts, Sciences and Health Professions and The School of Nursing. Harper left Our Lady of the Lake College in August 2013 to head McMurry University in Abilene, Texas. Tina Holland was named the president in April 2014. Soon thereafter, the college would become a university. In 2016, the school's name was changed to Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University.

References

External links
Official website

Universities and colleges established in 1923
Catholic universities and colleges in Louisiana
Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Universities and colleges in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
1923 establishments in Louisiana


Guadalupe Joseph Arenas (December 12, 1925 – June 30, 2020), also known as "Lupe Joe" Arenas and "Little Joe" Arenas,  was an American football player.  He was a halfback and defensive back for the San Francisco 49ers from 1951 to 1957.  He was best known as a kickoff and punt returner.  His 4,572 career kick and punt return yards was the best in NFL history at the time of his retirement, and his career average of 27.3 yards per kick return remains ninth best in NFL history.  Arenas was, along with Tom Fears and Eddie Saenz, among the first Mexican-American players to achieve significant success in the sport of American football.

Military service
Arenas was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1925.  He served in the United States military for four years during and after World War II.  He participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima, was wounded with shrapnel and received a Purple Heart decoration.  Arenas credited his military background with giving him the mental and physical toughness that led to his success in football.

University of Nebraska-Omaha
Arenas did not play football in high school and did not become involved in football until after he was discharged from the military.  He later recalled that his introduction to football began after a night of carousing: "We were out partying one night, and my mom said, 'What are you going to do with your life?'  That hit me — 'What am I going to do.' I said I was going to school, and from that day forward, I prepared myself to go play basketball for the University of Nebraska. And, by God, I
made it."  He began his college career playing basketball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, but he transferred to the University of Nebraska-Omaha, then known as Omaha University, so that he could play football.  He played college football at Omaha from 1947 to 1950.  He was chosen as the most valuable player on Omaha's 1948 football team.  During the 1949 season he led Omaha in both rushing and passing yards.  Arenas opened the 1950 football season by throwing three touchdown passes in a 33-7 win over Nebraska Wesleyan. Arenas also played basketball at Omaha; he was the team's second leading scorer in 1950 with 144 points on 56 field goals and 32 free throws in 23 games.

San Francisco 49ers
Arenas was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 8th round of the 1951 NFL Draft.  He played seven seasons in San Francisco from 1951 to 1957.  On December 16, 1951 he knocked the Detroit Lions out of the NFL division championship with 51-yard punt return. He led the NFL with 814 kick and punt return yards in 1951, and also led the NFL in yards per touch in both 1951 (13.1 yards per touch) and 1955 (11.1 yards per touch).

In December 1956 two long returns by Arenas helped the 49ers beat the Baltimore Colts 30-17.  The Associated Press coverage of the game opened by noting, "Little Joe Arenas, who earlier returned a kickoff 96 yards, returned a punt 68 for San Francisco's winning touchdown." After the game, 49ers coach Frank Albert said of Arenas, "He's the greatest clutch artist I've ever seen.  He was the difference between the two clubs today."  A newspaper columnist in 1957 described Arenas' value to the 49ers:"Arenas is a valuable man on a pro football team, specifically the 49er team. He is more than a thoroughly dependable player. He is an inspirational holler-guy who can lift flagging spirits; who refuses to be whipped even if the score is top-heavy in the other side's favor.  Team devotees feel a sense of complete confidence watching a well kicked ball sail in the direction of Arenas, playing safety. Joe hardly ever bobbles one. On those rare occasions when the spinning ball briefly twists out of his waiting arms, he is on the pellet with the speed of a mongoose."

Arenas was "a popular and capable performer" in his seven years with the 49ers. A columnist for the Oakland Tribune in July 1958 wrote that the 49ers lineup would not be the same without him and added, "Arenas has a spectacular quality which appeals to the customers. He is dead game, possessing in spirit and aggression what he may lack in sheer talent. He is no speedburner, yet last year and the season before he made long runs which brought the audiences to its collective feet."

Arenas announced his retirement from football in September 1958, saying he was quitting to devote full-time to his job as a salesman and public relations man for the coffee company, Schilling & Co.  Arenas had been working in the coffee business during the off-season for several years.  He compared selling with football in a 1957 interview: "Selling is like football. The buyers are defending, I'm on the offense. It's axiomatic in football for every good offense there is a proper defense — and vice versa. That goes for selling, too."  After he announced his retirement, the Oakland Tribune called him "a scrappy little back" who "made up with hustle what he lacked in ability"  and became "the most popular player on the 49ers."

In seven years in the NFL, Arenas accumulated 987 rushing yards, 675 passing yards, 774 punt return yards, 3,798 kick return yards, 17 touchdowns, six interceptions.  Over the course of his career, he averaged 27.3 yards per kick return, a figure that remains ninth best in NFL history.  His 4,572 career kick and punt return yards was the best in NFL history at the time of his retirement; Al Carmichael broke his record in 1958.

After retiring from the 49ers, he covered the team for the San Francisco Call-Bulletin during the 1958 season.  In December 1958 Arenas wrote that he had been banned from the 49ers' bench and dressing room for things he had written in his newspaper column.  According to Arenas, team owner Vic Morabito claimed that his former teammates "had not appreciated my comments about their playing."  In an interview in 1990, Arenas said of his time with the 49ers, "It was something I will always cherish.  It was the highlight of my life."

Later years

Acquittal on forgery charges
In March 1961 the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department issued an all points bulletin for Arenas after he was charged with forging a business partner's name on a $264 check at a Bank of America branch in San Jose, California.  In June 1961 Arenas was ordered to stand trial in San Jose, California on a forgery charge. In November 1961 a San Jose jury acquitted Arenas of the charge.  The check had been made out to both Arenas and his partner, and Arenas contended he had authorization from his partner to endorse the check with both names.

Coaching
For 23 years, from 1963 to 1986, Arenas was an assistant football coach for the Houston Cougars football team under College Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Yeoman.  Arenas worked with the receivers at the University of Houston and developed such NFL receiving talents as Riley Odoms and Carl Hilton.  Arenas recalled, "I was just fortunate enough to be able to do both with Coach Yeoman.  I was part-time for a while, and then the NCAA said you could only have so many coaches, and then I went voluntary for a while."  He also worked as a volunteer coach at Rice University from 1987 to 1988. From 1991 until at least 2002, Arenas served as an unpaid volunteer coach with the Ball High School football team in Galveston.  Interviewed in 2002, Arenas said, "It's lot of fun.  It just keeps me busy. That's the thing, and it's something I like to do. Anytime I can be around young men and help them along, that's good for me."

Property management
Arenas later worked as a property supervisor at Barney Rapp Realtors, Inc., on Galveston Island in Texas.  Arenas retired in 1991, but he continued to "dabble" in property management before finally retiring for good in 1993.

Family, awards and honors
Arenas was married to Maxine Brynston Arenas.  The couple had two daughters, Vicki Ritter and Tracey Arenas.  His wife died in August 2008 at Webster, Texas.  In 2000 Arenas was inducted into the Laredo Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame.  Arenas was also profiled in Mario Longoria's 1997 book, "Athletes Remembered: Mexicano/Latino Professional Football Players, 1929–1970."  After reviewing Arenas' career, Longoria concludes that the "exclusion" of Arenas from the Pro Football Hall of Fame is "a gross injustice."

References

1925 births
2020 deaths
Players of American football from Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Military personnel from Iowa
Rice Owls football coaches
American football running backs
American sportspeople of Mexican descent
San Francisco 49ers players
Nebraska–Omaha Mavericks football players
Houston Cougars football coaches
United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II

Joe Arenas


Rashaad Dominic Powell (born June 14, 1981 in Renton, Washington) is an American basketball coach and former player. He played college basketball for Idaho, where he was named the Big West Conference Defense Player of the Year in 2004, and later professionally for several seasons.

Basketball career

Scholastic
Powell attended Renton High School in Renton, graduating in 1999. As a senior, he averaged 20 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks per game en route to becoming the league's most valuable player. He then attended Chemeketa Community College (Salem, Oregon) from September 1999 to June 2001. While at Chemeketa, Powell continued to hone his skills, playing multiple positions. By his sophomore year he was the team co-captain, and concluded the season averaging 14 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block per game. Upon graduating with a General Studies Associate Arts degree, he accepted an offer from the University of Idaho to join the team as a walk-on. By the third game he had become a starter. He was sidelined shortly thereafter due to a dislocated right shoulder, and would medical redshirt the remainder of the 2001–2002 season. Powell returned for the next two seasons. Powell was also named the 2003–04 Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, while graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication with a minor in Recreation.

Professional
He began his professional career in 2004–05 in the American Basketball Association (ABA) with the Bellevue Blackhawks, as he was the first player signed in franchise history. His career was yet again put on hold, as he suffered a broken right hand shortly after training camp. In the fall of 2005 he was invited to training camp with the Yakama Sun Kings of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), and was the last player released before the season began.

Powell returned to the ABA for the 2005–06 season signing with the Tacoma Navigators. At the conclusion of the ABA season, he signed with the Seattle Mountaineers of the International Basketball League (IBL) and was named First Team All-IBL, IBL Western Conference All-Star (All-Star game Most Valuable Player), and number 16 in Pro Basketball News' Top 20 Minor League Players in America. In the fall of 2006 Powell was invited to a mini-camp with the Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) prior to the start of their training camp. He then signed with the Everett Explosion of the IBL for the 2006–07 season, in which he was named to the Western Conference All-Star team.

Following the 2007 IBL season, Powell signed with Club de Deportes Provincial Llanquihue de Puerto Varas in the División Mayor del Básquetbol de Chile. From August 2007 to November 2007 he averaged 29 points per game, 11 rebounds per game, five assists per game, two steals per game, and one block per game. He led the league in virtually every statistical category, and prior to his departure, was ranked the number one player in the league. In November 2007 he returned to the United States, was invited to training camp again with the Yakama Sun Kings of the CBA, and again was the last player released prior to season. Shortly thereafter, he signed with the Albany Patroons of the CBA. Prior to the conclusion of the CBA season, Powell signed with the Sharjah Club in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.  In 2011, he played for the West Coast Hotshots in the International Basketball League.

References

External links
College statistics at Sports Reference
Profile at Eurobasket.com

1981 births
Living people
Albany Patroons players
American expatriate basketball people in Chile
American expatriate basketball people in Mexico
American expatriate basketball people in Saudi Arabia
American expatriate basketball people in the United Arab Emirates
American men's basketball players
Bucaneros de Campeche players
Idaho Vandals men's basketball players
Junior college men's basketball players in the United States
Shooting guards
Sportspeople from Renton, Washington
Basketball players from King County, Washington
Yakima Sun Kings players

Rashaad Powell


Yuty Crater is a maurtian crater on the Chryse Planitia. Yuty is aboot 11 mile braid, an it haes an unco peend in it's mids. Thare is a pronoonced waw terracin forby. The crater's ejecta (breesed pirr no aerial bombardment) pairtially kivers an aulder crater; the fact that ye can see the ither crater shaws that Yuty's ejecta wis scleff.

Maurs

Yuty Crater


L'armoire de fer (French: 'iron chest') in general refers to an iron chest used to house important papers. A notable and frequent use of the term refers to a hiding place at the apartments of Louis XVI of France at the Tuileries Palace where some secret documents were kept. The existence of this iron cabinet, hidden behind wooden panelling, was publicly revealed in November 1792 to Roland, Girondin Minister of the Interior.

History

A locksmith by the name of François Gamain helped reveal these documents to the authorities, who rewarded him with a government pension. The cabinet hid correspondence between Louis XVI and, among others, Mirabeau, whose venality and duplicity were exposed. Also, the cabinet included the correspondence of the king with the financier Maximilien Radix de Sainte-Foix, an important secret advisor of the sovereign; with the bankers Joseph Duruey, and Tourteau de Septeuil; with Arnaud Laporte, a Royalist government minister who controlled large funds of money during the revolution; with François de Bonal, Bishop of Clermont, et al.

Most of the pieces of correspondence in the cabinet involved ministers of Louis XVI (Montmorin, Valdec Lessart, Bertrand de Molleville, Count of Narbonne, Cahier de Gerville, Charles François Dumouriez, et al.).

Other letters involved prominent figures of the Revolution, such as General Santerre, Lafayette, Antoine Rivarol, and Talleyrand. There were rumors that only selected documents were made public, and that certain other documents were destroyed. The Interior Minister Roland would have played a role in this regard, and may have destroyed documents involving his colleague Danton.

Aftermath
After the discovery of the armoire de fer, Mirabeau's remains were removed from the Pantheon. On 20 November 1792, Jean-Marie Roland filed these archives—at least what was left of them (which was considerable)—with the office of the National Convention, negating all maneuvers to prevent putting Louis XVI on trial. By the order of the Convention of 6 December 1792, many of these documents were published by the national printing office in 1792–1793.

Notes

This article is based on French Wikipedia.

References
 Andrew Freeman, The Compromising of Louis XVI : the armoire de fer and the French Revolution, University of Exeter Press, collection "Exeter studies in history", 1989.
 Olivier Blanc, La corruption sous la Terreur, Paris, Robert Laffont, collection "Les hommes et l'histoire", 1992.
 Paul and Pierrette Girault de Coursac, Enquête sur le procès du Roi Louis XVI, La Table Ronde, 1982. Réédition : F.X. de Guibert, 1992.

External links
An alternative version (French) This is a version of the story by Louis XVI's defenders—based on the work of Girault de Coursac—that claims that the 'iron chest' didn't even exist.

1792 events of the French Revolution
French Revolution

Armoire de fer


Anti-phishing software consists of computer programs that attempt to identify phishing content contained in websites, e-mail, or other forms used to accessing data (usually from the internet) and block the content, usually with a warning to the user (and often an option to view the content regardless). It is often integrated with web browsers and email clients as a toolbar that displays the real domain name for the website the viewer is visiting, in an attempt to prevent fraudulent websites from masquerading as other legitimate websites.

Most popular web browsers comes with built-in anti-phishing and anti-malware protection services, but almost none of the alternate web browsers have such protections.

Password managers can also be used to help defend against phishing, as can some mutual authentication techniques.

Types of anti-phishing software

Email security
According to Gartner, "email security refers collectively to the prediction, prevention, detection and response framework used to provide attack protection and access protection for email." Email security solution may be : Email security spans gateways, email systems, user behavior, content security, and various supporting processes, services and adjacent security architecture.

Security awareness computer-based training
According to Gartner, security awareness training include one or more of the following capabilities: Ready-to-use training and educational content, Employee testing and knowledge checks, Availability in multiple languages, Phishing and other social engineering attack simulations, Platform and awareness analytics to help measure the efficacy of the awareness program.

Notable client-based anti-phishing programs

avast!
Avira Premium Security Suite
Earthlink ScamBlocker (discontinued)
eBay Toolbar
Egress Defend
ESET Smart Security
G Data Software G DATA Antivirus
GeoTrust TrustWatch
Google Safe Browsing (used in Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Safari, and Vivaldi)
Kaspersky Internet Security (discontinued)
Kaspersky Anti-Virus (discontinued)
McAfee SiteAdvisor
Microsoft SmartScreen (used in Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Outlook)
Mozilla Thunderbird
Netcraft Toolbar
Netscape
Norton 360
Norton Internet Security
PhishTank SiteChecker
Quick Heal
Windows Mail - default Windows Vista e-mail client
WOT (Web Of Trust) - browser extension
ZoneAlarm

Service-based anti-phishing

 Google Safe Browsing
 OpenDNS
 PhishTank

Anti-phishing effectiveness
An independent study conducted by Carnegie Mellon University CyLab titled "Phinding Phish: An Evaluation of Anti-Phishing Toolbars" and released November 13, 2006 tested the ability of ten anti-phishing solutions to block or warn about known phishing sites and not block or warn about legitimate sites (not exhibit false-positives), as well as the usability of each solution. Of the solutions tested, Netcraft Toolbar, EarthLink ScamBlocker and SpoofGuard were able to correctly identify over 75% of the sites tested, with Netcraft Toolbar receiving the highest score without incorrectly identifying legitimate sites as phishing. Severe problems were however discovered using SpoofGuard, and it incorrectly identified 38% of the tested legitimate sites as phishing, leading to the conclusion that "such inaccuracies might nullify the benefits SpoofGuard offers in identifying phishing sites." Google Safe Browsing (which has since been built into Firefox) and Internet Explorer both performed well, but when testing ability to detect fresh phishes Netcraft Toolbar scored as high as 96%, while Google Safe Browsing scored as low as 0%, possibly due to technical problems with Google Safe Browsing. The testing was performed using phishing data obtained from Anti-Phishing Working Group, PhishTank, and an unnamed email filtering vendor.

Another study, conducted by SmartWare for Mozilla and released November 14, 2006, concluded that the anti-phishing filter in Firefox was more effective than Internet Explorer by over 10%. The results of this study have been questioned by critics, noting that the testing data was sourced exclusively from PhishTank, which itself is an anti-phishing provider. The study only compared Internet Explorer and Firefox, leaving out (among others) Netcraft Toolbar and the Opera browser, both of which use data from PhishTank in their anti-phishing solutions. This has led to speculations that, with the limited testing data, both Opera and Netcraft Toolbar would have gotten a perfect score had they been part of the study.

While the two directly aforementioned reports were released only one day apart, Asa Dotzler, Director of Community Development at Mozilla, has responded to the criticism of the Mozilla-commissioned report by saying, "so you're agreeing that the most recent legitimate data puts Firefox ahead. Good enough for me."

Since these studies were conducted, both Microsoft and Opera Software have started licensing Netcraft's anti-phishing data, bringing the effectiveness of their browser's built-in anti-phishing on par with Netcraft Toolbar and beyond.

See also
Mutual authentication
Two-factor authentication - note: almost all two-factor techniques are also susceptible to phishing.

References

External links

Computer security software

Anti-phishing software


Victor Vasefanua Junior Vito (born 27 March 1987) is a New Zealand former rugby player and All Black who last played blindside flanker for French team La Rochelle. He was a star of New Zealand Sevens, and captained the 2006 New Zealand Under 19 Rugby team. Also in 2006 Vito was nominated for the IRB Under 19 Player of the Year Award. He is a key member of 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup winning teams, becoming one of only 21 players who have won the Rugby World Cup on multiple occasions.

Vito attended the Wellington private school, Scots College, where he played for the 1st XV and was a boarder.

While playing rugby in New Zealand, Vito was a member of amateur rugby Marist St Pats in Wellington, and was a prominent player in the 2009 Wellington Lions. In 2010 he started for the Hurricanes Super 14 team and was named in the All Blacks extended squad for the first tests of the year.

During an interview with the ZM FM Morning Crew, Vito described his new position in the All Blacks as "a really really awesome promotion."

Vito was a colour commentator for Sky Network Television at the 2010 Wellington Sevens. During the tournament he revealed he was a fan of NFL side Tampa Bay Buccaneers and regarded Ronde Barber as a personal idol of his.

In 2010, he was bestowed the matai title of Leaupepetele in the village of Fasito'outa. Vito was in the All Blacks camp, preparing for his test debut off the bench against Ireland, when his mother Luma'ava Leaupepe-Timoteo returned to their village in Samoa to accept the passing of the title.

It is one of Samoa's highest honours, and was bestowed by Leaupepe Tele to the eldest sons of his respective children: Vito and three of his cousins.

"My grandfather holds the highest title in Fasito'o Uta and he's getting on now and he needed to pass it on to keep the name in the family," Vito explained.

Vito, despite inexperience compared to other players was selected for the 2011 Rugby World Cup over Liam Messam, and was again selected for the 2015 Rugby World Cup where he played as a substitute for the knockout stages, becoming one of only 20 players to have been part of multiple World Cup-winning sides.

His last appearance for the All Blacks was the game against Australia at Twickenham on 31 October 2015, where the All Blacks won the Webb Ellis Cup for the third time and second consecutive time. Vito announced his move to La Rochelle in France after the final, meaning his 2016 Super Rugby campaign would be his last.

In the final of the 2016 Super Rugby final Vito played in his 100th and final game for the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes won the title, beating the Lions from South Africa.

Vito currently plays for Top 14 Rugby Team Stade Rochelais where he won the French Top 14 Player of the Year award in 2017. He was also a nominee for EPCR European Player of The Year in 2018, helping his team to their first Champions cup season and Quarter-Final playoff.

Teams
 La Rochelle (2016–present)
 New Zealand All Blacks (2010–2015)
 Wellington Hurricanes (2009–2016)
 Wellington Lions (2006–2016)
 New Zealand National Sevens Team (2007, 2008)
 New Zealand U21 Team (2007)
 New Zealand U19 Team (2006)
 New Zealand Secondary Schools (2004)

References

External links
 All Blacks profile
 Hurricanes profile
 Wellington profile
 ESPN Scrum profile
 Statistics from Fox Sports

1987 births
Living people
Wellington rugby union players
Hurricanes (rugby union) players
New Zealand rugby union players
Rugby union flankers
Rugby union number eights
New Zealand international rugby union players
People educated at Scots College, Wellington
Rugby union players from Wellington City
New Zealand sportspeople of Samoan descent
New Zealand international rugby sevens players
New Zealand male rugby sevens players
Stade Rochelais players
New Zealand expatriate rugby union players
Expatriate rugby union players in France
New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in France
Victoria University of Wellington alumni
2011 Rugby World Cup players
2015 Rugby World Cup players

Victor Vito (rugby union)