1) Taj Mahal Named Second-Best UNESCO World Heritage Site
•The Taj Mahal, India's iconic ivory-white marble mausoleum in Agra, is the second best UNESCO world heritage site in the world, according to a new survey by online travel portal TripAdvisor.
•The Taj Mahal is rated after Cambodia's Angkor Wat. Other popular heritage sites on the survey include the Great Wall of China (Third) built by Xu Da of Northern Qi Dynasty in 1368 AD. Machu Pichu in Peru in South America has bagged the fourth spot.
2) 1st Intl. Conference on Sports Medicine & Sports Sciences SAICON 2017 Inaugurated in Delhi
•The First International Conference on Sports Medicine and Sports Sciences SAICON 2017 was inaugurated in New Delhi by the Minister of State (I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore.
•SAICON 2017 will promote scientific temperament in the country and inspire students, researchers and educationists alike to take up sports science and research to the next level. Organized by Sports Authority of India, the 3-day conference is being attended by about 1000 national and international delegates.
3) International Conference on Groundwater Organized
•An International conference is being organized on the Groundwater issues in the country with a theme of “Groundwater Vision 2030- Water Security, Challenges, and Climate Change Adaptation”.
•The conference has been organized by the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee and Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) under the aegis of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
4) USA Now Recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's Capital
•President of USA Donald Trump has announced that the US now recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital,overturning decades of official US policy.
•The fate of the ancient city is one of the thorniest issues between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel called Donald Trump's move "historic" but there has been sharp international criticism. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Donald Trump's announcement "deplorable".
5) Kerala's Alappuzha in Top 5 UN Clean City List
•The waste management system being implemented in Kerala's coastal town of Alappuzha has been recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as one of the five models across the world for fighting the pollution menace.
•Alappuzha, often called "the Venice of East", has been listed in the UNEP environment report entitled, 'Solid approach to waste: how five cities are beating pollution' alongside cities like Osaka in Japan, Ljubljana in Slovenia, Penang in Malaysia and Cajica in Colombia.
6) London Mayor Names Deepak Parekh as First International Ambassador
•The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has named noted Indian businessman, Deepak Parekh, as 'International Ambassador' who will be tasked with championing the UK capital across the globe.
•Parekh, is one of the first of a network of international ambassadors, that would include high-level business and cultural figures based in London or overseas. Parekh is the chairman of India's premier housing finance company HDFC Ltd.
