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The Bangalore-based electronics engineer, Nitesh Kumar Jangir has won the 2019 Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Innovation for Sustainable Development Award in London, United Kingdom (UK). He received his award in the ‘People’ category alongside 14 other innovators from across the 53 member-countries of the Commonwealth. Jangir created Saans as a breathing support device to tackle avoidable deaths of premature babies from respiratory distress syndrome due to a lack of immediate access to complex medical equipment. His low-cost neonatal breathing device has saved the lives of new-born babies across small towns of India. Jangir is the co-founder of Coeo Labs, a medical device company with a vision to prevent preventable deaths in the field of emergency and critical care. Each of the 15 winners of the inaugural Commonwealth Innovation Awards receive a trophy, a certificate and 2,000 pounds in prize money.

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India has extended US$ 15 million grant assistance to Niger in support of organizing of the African Union (AU) summit scheduled from 7-8 July, 2019 in Niamey, the capital of Niger. The support of grant assistance was in response to a specific request made by Government of Niger. Niger is hosting the AU Summit for the first time. The AU Summit in Niamey is also expected to launch the historic African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). India is also establishing in Niamey, Mahatma Gandhi International Convention Centre (MGICC) under grant assistance. The MGICC honours the memory of Mahatma Gandhi whose 150th birth anniversary is being observed in 2019. The Centre is likely to host some meetings associated with the forthcoming AU Summit. India’s grant assistance for organizing the AU Summit will further contribute towards enhancing of bilateral ties. The grant assistance is also reiteration of India’s firm commitment towards Africa.

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India’s PU Chitra has won gold in women’s 1500m at Folksam Grand Prix 2019 held in Sollentuna, Sweden. Beside her, Asian Games gold medallist Jinson Johnson won the silver in the men’s 1500m clocking 3:39.69s as he finished behind Sweden’s Andreas Almgren (3:39.68s).

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Global internet body Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and Indian IT industry body Nasscom has collaborated to develop identifier technology that can be used for managing devices and infrastructure using internet. Under the collaboration, both the bodies will focus on updating Internet of Things (IoT) devices using Domain Name System (DNS) even in situation when the manufacturer or supplier has closed down the business. The ICANN is a nonprofit organization responsible for coordinating the maintenance and procedures of several databases related to the namespaces and numerical spaces of the Internet, ensuring the network’s stable and secure operation. Its’ headquarters is located at Los Angeles in California, United States.

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The World Refugee Day (WRD) is observed every year on 20th of June to celebrate the stories and contributions of refugees. The 2019 theme is “#Step with Refugees – Take a Step on World Refugee Day”. According to the latest annual study released by the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 70.8 million children, women and men were forcibly displaced at the end of last year. This is the highest number in the organization’s almost 70-year history. The study said wars, violence and persecution have driven record numbers of people from their homes worldwide. Almost two thirds of those uprooted from their homes are internally displaced people who have not left their homelands. About 80% of these refugees live in countries neighbouring their country of origin. On an average, one person is forcibly displaced every two seconds as a result of conflict or persecution and refugees are among the most vulnerable people in the world.