1. Pakistan observed its Independence Day as Kashmir Solidarity Day on August 14, 2019

• Pakistan observed its 73rd Independence Day as ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’, after India revoked Article 370 of the Constitution. The Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan Syed Haider Shah read out the message of Pakistan President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan, hosted on the Chancery’s lawns, by hoisting the Pakistani flag to the tune of its national anthem.
• Pakistan has announced to celebrate August 15 – India’s Independence Day – as “Black Day”.
• Pakistan introduced a special logo for Independence Day which has been created to express solidarity with the people of occupied Kashmir. It is based on the “Kashmir banega Pakistan” theme, with the word ‘Kashmir’, written in red, representing sacrifices rendered during the struggle for freedom by the Kashmiris.

2. New transgender inclusive policy to include transgender player in cricket unveiled by cricket Australia

• Cricket Australia took a revolutionary move announcing new guidelines with the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) gender recognition  policy to include transgender players to play cricket.
• The transgender players willing to play for the state and national women’s team will have to undergo a test to verify testosterone level limit set out in the policy.The testosterone concentration should be less than 10 nanomoles per litre over at least for 12 months and players should demonstrate consistency in their elected gender on a daily basis.
• Cricket Australia’s chief executive, Kevin Roberts announced that this initiative was taken to support the players to participate in elite cricket irrespective of gender identity allowing the players to experience Australian Cricket’s inclusive culture.

Foot Notes:
About ICC

1. Chairperson: Shashank Manohar
2. Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
3. CEO: Manu Sawhney
4. Founded: 15 June 1909

About Australia

1. Capital: Canberra
2. Currency: Australian dollar
3. Prime Minister: Scott Morrison

3. Simone Biles becomes the first woman to make ‘triple-double’ twist

• 22 year old American Artistic gymnast Simone Arianne Biles became the first woman in the world to make a “triple-double” floor exercise landing which is a finale featuring two flips and three twists at the 2019 US(United States) Gymnastics Championships held at Kansas city, Missouri, US.Simone BilesKey points
• The event was held from August 8-11.The triple double involves two flips and three twists in the air( only 2 men in the world have done the move successfully).
• Biles was part of the “final five” gold medal winning team at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Foot Notes:
About United States

1. Capital: Washington, D.C.
2. President: Donald Trump

3. ‘Panchamirtham’ of Palani temple in Tamil Nadu gets GI tag

• Geographical Identity (GI) tag was given to the famous Panchamritham, an offering of the Palani Dandayuthaswamy temple, in Tamil Nadu. It became the first temple offering – Prashad – from Tamil Nadu to be conferred this honour.PanchamirthamKey Points:
• Panchamritam (Five Nectars) of Palani temple is prepared using 5 sweet substances including plantains, jaggery, grapes, forest honey and ghee.The quality of the offering is monitored by the Central Research Institute of Food Technology in Mysore, Karnataka.
• Earlier, the Tanjavoor Veenai, Madurai Malligai, Neelgiri Tea leaves and Turmeric from Erode from Tamil Nadu were given the GI tags.

Foot Notes:
About GI Tag

1. A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g. a town, region, or country).

About Tamil Nadu

1. Chief minister: Edappadi K. Palaniswami
2. Capital: Chennai

4. 96 police personnel awarded Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation 2019

• Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation 2019 was conferred to 96 police personnel, including 15 Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers. The award was instituted in 2018 to promote high professional standards of investigation of crime and to recognize such excellence in investigation by officers.
• 11 were from Maharashtra Police, 10 from Uttar Pradesh Police, 9 from Kerala Police, 8 from Madhya Pradesh Police, 6 from Delhi Police and Karnataka Police and the remaining were from the other States/Union territories and Central Investigating Agencies.
• 13 women officers were among the 96 personnel.

Foot Notes:
About Ministry of Home Affairs:

1. Headquarters: New Delhi
2. Founded: 15 August 1947
3. Minister In-Charge: Amit Shah (Constituency: Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat)

5. A 3-day Global Investors Summit 2019 will be held in Srinagar, J&K

•  A 3-day Global Investors Summit 2019 starting from October 12, 2019, will be held in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) which will provide the state an opportunity to showcase its strengths, strategies, and potential.Global Investors Summit 2019Key points:
• The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) will be the national partner for the investor’s summit, which has signed an MoU(Memorandum of understanding) with Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organisation (JKTPO).
• The summit, which was announced after the government removed special status to J& K under Article 370, will help reduce fears and apprehensions in the minds of trade and business communities outside the state.

Foot Notes:
About J&K

• Capitals: Jammu (Winter), Srinagar (Summer)
• Governor: Satya Pal Malik

6. Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launches 2nd Edition of Swaccha Survakshan Grameen for 2019

• Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched the 2nd Edition of Swaccha Survakshan Grameen, India’s largest sanitation survey, for 2019 in New Delhi.
• To engage rural communities in improvement of the sanitation status of their districts and states through intensive campaign and to accelerate the momentum of Swachhta Abhiyan..
• Under the Swachh Survekshan Grameen, districts and states will be ranked on data collected from citizen feedback, direct observation and service-level progress.Coverage: 45-day long survey will take place in 18 thousand villages of 698 districts.

Foot Notes:
About Ministry of Jal Shakti:

1. Founded: 31 May 2019
2. Headquarters: New Delhi
3. Constituency of Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat: Jodhpur, Rajasthan

7. Indian Navy signed MoU with CIAL

• Naval Air Enclave (NAE), Kochi signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) in a formal function held at CIAL. The agreement was signed by Captain Satish Kumar S, Officer-in-Charge, NAE and Shri ACK Nair, Airport Director CIAL.
• The MoU was aimed with the commencement of naval air operations from the NAE, a naval aviation facility at CIAL in Nedumbassery.
• The MoU sets the standard operating procedures for CIAL and the Indian Navy. It also ensures safe, secure and uninterrupted military air operations.

Foot Notes:
About Indian Navy

1. Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral:  G. Ashok Kumar, AVSM, VSM
2. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral:  Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM
3. Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff :Vice Admiral M. S. Pawar, AVSM, VSM
4. Headquarters location: New Delhi
5. Founded: 5 September 1612

8. Assam Golden Butterfly tea variety auctioned for Rs.75,000 at GTAC

• In Assam, a kilogram of Golden Butterfly tea struck gold at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) as it was sold at Rs.75,000. This is a new international record bettering the previous high of Rs.70,501 per kg.
• Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) said that the growing demand for speciality tea helped the ‘Golden Butterfly tea’ surpass the earlier record by Rs.4,499.
• The hand-crafted tea was made from tender leaves and buds available only around June-July. It was produced by Dikom Tea Estate near eastern Assam’s Dibrugarh town.

Foot Notes:

About Assam

1. Capital: Dispur
2. Chief minister: Sarbananda Sonowal

9. WhatsApp finally brings fingerprint authentication to Android beta users

• WhatsApp's Messenger most awaited features, fingerprint authentication, is finally rolling out to Android users. The feature is currently available to those who have registered in WhatsApp's beta programme for Android.
• The Fingerprint authentication has been around on the platform since last year to iOS users.
• This is the first time the feature has made its way to a stable WhatsApp beta build for Android.
• The beta tester for WhatsApp, you can activate the functionality by tapping on the hamburger menu (three dots on the top right corner).

10. Centre plans to institute a Motor Vehicle (MV) Accident Fund, a relief fund to victims of road accidents.

• The announcement comes after passing the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act.The act says that the centre will provide compulsory insurance cover to all road users in the country.
• The accident fund will be used for treatment of road accident victims or compensation to relatives in case of death by road accident under the sections of MV amendment act 161 and 162. The maximum liability amount to be paid in each case will be prescribed by the Centre.
• The MV Accident fund will be managed by an authority or agency who is appointed by the Centre. The agency will have high knowledge of insurance business of the agency, capability of the agency to manage funds and any other criteria fixed by the government. Comptroller and Auditor General of India will audit the fund in regular intervals.