• National

Masood Azhar designated as a global terrorist

• US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has hailed the listing of Pakistan-based Jaish e Mohammed group chief Maulana Masood Azhar as a terrorist.
• Designating him a global terrorist is a big diplomatic win for India.
• The task was accomplished when China relented and dropped its technical hold on a French proposal to ban Azhar at the UN’s 1267 Sanctions Committee.

• Sports

Kumar Sangakara: 1st Non-British Pres of MCC

• Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara was appointed as the first non-British president of the Marylebone Cricket Club.
• He will be the first overseas MCC president in the organization’s 233-year history.
• His nomination announced by current President Anthony Wreford will begin with one-year tenure in October.

• Sports

Apurvi Chandela Ranks World Number 1 In Women’s 10 m Air Rifle Event

• Indian shooting ace Apurvi Chandela has been ranked the world number one in the women’s 10 metres air rifle event while compatriot Anjum Moudgil rose to number two after consistent performances.
• The rifle ace from Jaipur has already secured 2020 Olympics quota for the country.

• Awards

Drake Sets Record With Most Wins At Billboard Awards

• Rapper Drake set a record with the most wins ever, taking home 12 honours at the Billboard Music Awards.
• Drake surpassed singer Taylor Swift to become the top award recipient in the Billboard Music Awards history.
• He won 12 awards, bringing his career total to 27.
• Swift has won 23 Billboard Music Awards.
• Drake won the top artist and top Billboard 200 album, among others.

• Awards

Goldman Environmental Prize Conferred On 6 Environmental Activists

• Six grassroots environmental activists received the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize.
• Known as the Green Nobel Prize, the Goldman Prize honors environmental activists from each of the six continental regions: Europe, Asia, North America, Central America and South America, Africa and islands and island nations.

• Appointments

Gates Foundation hires senior Tata exec as India policy head

• The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has hired Sanjay Ubale, head of infrastructure and urban solutions at Tata Sons, as its policy director for India.
• Ubale will oversee the Seattle-based charity’s healthcare, poverty alleviation and educational activities in the country.
• Ubale, who has spent over a decade at Tata Group, was previously the CEO of Tata Realty & Infrastructure.

• Defence

Defence Ministry-PSU to build 8 anti-submarines shallow watercrafts

• Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (Kolkata-based defence shipyard) signed an Rs. 6,311-crore contract with the Defence Ministry to build eight anti-submarine warfare shallow watercraft for the Indian Navy.
• The first vessel will be delivered within 42 months from the contract (by October 2022).
• The ASWSWCs are equipped with sophisticated sonar, with an algorithm that differentiates the signals reflected off the enemy submarine from those bouncing off the sea bed.
• These vessels will also have the ability to sprint fast for short bursts order to maintain contact with a submarine.

• States

Hyderabad’s Charminar damaged

• From the 428-year-old Charminar, a huge chunk of lime-plaster from its south-west minaret broke and fell to the ground.
• Pictures from the site showed that the lime-plaster comprising eight flower-petals, sized about 2.5 meters/0.8 meters, came-off the minaret.

• States

Meghalaya: GSI North Eastern Region installed geological display boards at Mawmluh cave, Therriaghat

• In Meghalaya, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) North Eastern Region (NER) installed two geological display boards at two important geological sites in the State with geo-scientific information which will help in creating awareness among visiting tourists, students and the general public.
• The boards are unveiled at Mawmluh cave and Therriaghat, Sobhar in East Khasi Hill District.
• Mawmluh cave made headlines earlier as high resolution stable isotopic studies of the stalagmites from the cave have shown that there was a major climatic event about 4200 years ago.
• The stalagmite in the Mawmluh cave has been tagged a Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) which is the first formally ratified marker of a geological time period in India.
• The Um-Sohryngkew (Wahrew) river section at Therriaghat is known for having the most complete records of the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K-Pg) boundary transition in India.

• Agreements

CBDT and GSTN sign pact to nab evaders, reduce black money generation

• The income tax department and Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) signed an agreement to facilitate the exchange of data to nab tax evaders and reduce black money generation.
• The move will allow the I-T department to verify the information filed by businesses in income tax returns, compared to the annual GST returns.
• Both sides will decide on the modalities for “automatic”, “spontaneous” and “request based” exchange of data.
• The I-T department will share key financial information, including the status of I-T return filings, turnover of the business, gross total income, and turnover ratio among others with GSTN.