1) Mali Government has declared country Ebola free. It was announced after no new case of deadly virus was reported in last 42-day period (i.e. two incubation periods of 21 days for Ebola virus). While, United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) has also declared that Mali as Ebola free. Key facts • Mali was the sixth West African country to record cases of Ebola virus. • First case was reported in October 2014. • As per World Health Organisation (WHO) in Mali, in total 8 cases were reported, killing 6 of them. According to WHO, it is the worst Ebola (viral haemorrhagic fever) outbreak in history which has infected at least 21,296 people. Till date deadly Ebola virus has killed more than 8,400 people mostly from West African countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. 2) Frank Islam, an eminent Indian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist has been presented with the prestigious Martin Luther King Jr Award. He was given the award for his contribution to the legacy of the great leader through his efforts in international service and civil engagement. About Frank Islam • He was born in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh to a peasant father. He had moved to US when he was only 15 years old. • He is an entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. • In 1993, he had bought a struggling IT company in Maryland. Later in 2007, he sold it to spent rest of his life in philanthropy, both in India and the US. • Currently, he heads the FI Invest Group a firm that he established after selling his IT Company. • He is also board member of several think tanks, academic and cultural organisations including pretigious Kennedy Centre for Performing Arts, the Brookings Institute and US Institute of Peace. • Books:1) Working the Pivot Points: To Make America Work Again (2013), 2) Renewing the American Dream: A Citizen’s Guide for Restoring Our Competitive Advantage (2010). Martin Luther King Jr Award • It is an annual award started in 1991. • It honors the legacy of noble peace recipient civil right leader Martin Luther King Jr and the legendary Dorothy Height and their impacts both at home and abroad. 3) According to US scientists, year 2014 was the hottest year on record, with global average temperature increasing about 0.8 degrees Celsius since 1880. It was revealed by two separate analyses carried out by NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 2014’s record warmth occurred during an El Nino-neutral year.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 08:17:29 +0000