1) NITI Aayog, Intel India join hands to start Atal Tinkering Lab initiative
a) NITI Aayog has signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with Intel India to start the Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATL) initiative as a part of its flagship programme the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM).
b) The SoI includes creation of 10 laboratories, which aim to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in youth; teaching skills such as computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing; and developing a design mindset among students. It intends to build relevant skill set among youngsters and provide access to technology to help create solutions for social impact.
c) Intel will support Niti Aayog in building capacities of mentors and developing linkages with maker ecosystem for quality improvement of projects made by youth, facilitating ideation, design thinking and prototyping workshops through industry experts and co-lead an innovation festival which reaches out to 5,00,000 young innovators.
2) Nigeria’s Didi Akinyelure wins BBC World News Komla Dumor Award
a) Nigerian journalist Didi Akinyelure has won the BBC World Service News Komla Dumor Award for 2016. She is the second recipient of this award which was established to honour Ghanaian BBC World News presenter Komla Dumor.
b) This honour intends to appreciate outstanding talent and to celebrate African journalism. The first Komla Dumor Award was won by Ugandan news anchor Nancy Kacungira.
3) Amitav Ghosh’s The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable released
a) The book titled The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable authored by Indian novelist Amitav Ghosh has been released.
b) The book addresses the challenges of representing the complexity of climate change in literature and the responsibility of writers to document the extreme reality humans are now witnessing. He examines the inability at the level of literature, history and politics to grasp the scale and violence of climate change.
c) Amitav Ghosh is an awar-winning novelist. Best of his works include The Calcutta Chromosome, The Glass Palace, The Hungry Tide and the Ibis Trilogy: Sea of Poppies, River of Smoke and Flood of Fire.
4) Rohit Khandelwal becomes first Indian to win Mister World title
a) Rohit Khandelwal has become the first Indian (as well as Asian) to clinch the Mister World title. The grand finale of Mr. World 2016 was held at the Southport Theatre & Convention Centre in Southport, U.K.
b) Puerto Rico’s Fernando Alberto Alvarez Soto was named the first runner-up and Aldo Esparza Ramirez of Mexico was named the second runner-up.
c) Former Mr World Nicklas Pedersen passed on the title to him. Khandelwal
also won a cash prize of $50000.
5) Steve Elworthy appointed MD of 2019 World Cup
a) Steve Elworthy has been appointed as Managing Director of the ICC Cricket World Cup, which will be held in England and Wales in 2019.
b) Elworthy has previously been Tournament Director for three different ICC global events: the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013 and the ICC World T20 tournament in 2009, which were staged in England and Wales, as well as the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 tournament in South Africa in 2007.
c) A former South African fast bowler who played four Tests and 39 ODIs and also featured in the Commonwealth Games 1998 and the ICC Cricket World Cup 1999, he will be responsible for all aspects of the tournament including marketing, logistics, cricket operations, volunteering and security.
6) Coca-Cola appoints Sarvita Sethi as VP (Finance) for India and South West Asia
a) Coca-Cola has announced the appointment of Sarvita Sethi as vice-president – finance – for India and South West Asia. She replaces Sanjeev Kumar, who has taken charge as director – finance, Coca-Cola West Africa.
b) Previously, Sethi served as the commercial finance director for the Coca-Cola Central and Southern (CSE) Business based in Athens.
7) Country’s first e-court opened at Hyderabad High Court
a) India’s first e-court has opened at the High Court of Judicature in Hyderabad, the common high court for the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
b) Besides, SC judge Justice Madan B Lokur has also announced the launch of India’s first Integrated Criminal Justice System (ICJS) in the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad. This system will integrate the courts, police stations, prosecution, forensic science laboratories and jails.
8) Malcolm Turnbull sworn in as Australia’s PM for another term
a) Malcolm Turnbull was recently sworn in for another term as Australia’s prime minister after a narrow election victory with budget repair and a public vote on same sex marriage among his top priorities.
b) The multi-millionaire former banker’s Liberal/National coalition is holding 76 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives.