The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that Thailand has become the first Asian country to eliminate mother-to-child HIV transmission.
On 8 June 2016 World Health Organization (WHO) recognized Thailand, Armenia, Belarus and Moldova for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and Syphilis.
•    The announcement was made in New York on the eve of the United Nations General-Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS. 
•    With this remarkable accomplishment, Thailand also became Asia and the Pacific region’s first country to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of both infections.
•    These countries have worked to ensure early access to prenatal care, HIV and syphilis testing for pregnant women and their partners.
•    They also   provided treatment to women who test positive, as well as their babies.
•    The provision of reproductive health information, the engagement of communities and outreach to marginalized populations, in a manner consistent with basic human rights and gender equality, has helped to facilitate such access.
•    In 2014, WHO and partners developed global processes and criteria to validate the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of both infections through a rigorous review of country progress.
•    As treatment for prevention of mother-to-child-transmission is not 100% effective, elimination of transmission is defined as a reduction of transmission to such a low level that it no longer constitutes a public health problem.
•    On 30 June 2015, Cuba became the first country to be validated for having successfully eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.
•    In 2007, WHO launched the Global elimination of congenital syphilis: rationale and strategy for action. The strategy aims to increase global access to syphilis testing and treatment for pregnant women.

India has surpassed Japan to become the world’s third-largest oil consumer.
•    With its oil demand galloping 8.1 per cent in 2015, according to BP Statistical Review of World Energy. 
•    With demand of 4.1 million barrels a day, India is the third-largest consumer behind the U.S. (19.39 million bpd) and China (11.96 million bpd). India accounted for 4.5 per cent of world oil consumption in 2015.
•    India’s demand growth surpassed China’s 6.3 per cent expansion. 
•    The U.S. oil consumption grew 1.6 per cent, which accounts for 19.7 per cent of the total world pie of 95 million bpd in 2015.
•    Japan slipped to the fourth spot after its oil usage contracted 3.9 per cent to 4.15 million bpd in 2015. 
•    In 2014, it used 4.3 million bpd, ahead of India’s 3.84 million bpd.
•    The review shows that global demand for primary energy grew only 1 per cent in 2015, which is significantly slower than the 10-year average.
•    Oil remained the world’s leading fuel, accounting for 32.9 per cent of global energy consumption and is gaining market share for the first time since 1999. 
•    Coal came in as the second-largest fuel by market share (29.2 per cent).
•    Natural gas’ market share of primary energy consumption stood at 23.8 per cent.

A study by Microsoft has found that At least four out of ten computers in Asia Pacific countries are likely to be infected with malware.
•    While Pakistan tops the list of countries figuring in the Malware Infection Index 2016, India ranks 8th on the list.
•    The index has also identified the top three most encountered malware as Gamarue, Skeeyah and Peals.
•    Out of the top five locations across the globe most at risk of infection, a total of four are from the Asia Pacific — Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Nepal, topping the rankings at first, second, fourth and fifth places respectively in terms of computers encountering malware.
•    The Asia Pacific region is especially vulnerable with emerging markets most at risk of malware threats.
•    More than 40% of computers in the 19 countries in Asia Pacific region are infected against the global average being around 20%, Microsoft has claimed.

Sweden has been voted as the best country in the world while India figured low at 70th position on a list of 163 nations.
•    'Good Country' 2015 index measures how countries contribute to the global good, Sweden, relative to the size of its economy, does more "good" and less harm than any other country.
•    The report ranked a total of 163 countries.
•    Indexing took 35 different UN and World Bank indices into account, for listing out the countries.
•    India figured at 70th position overall, three places below China.
•    India ranked at 37th position in health
•    India ranked 62 in wellbeing
•    India Ranked 119 in science and technology, and 106th in climate and 100th in world order.
•    The biannual index was founded by Simon Anholt, a British government adviser.
•    India’s best ranking 27th was in ‘international peace and security’ parameter of index and was the worst 124th in ‘prosperity and equality’
•    His aim was to find ways of encouraging countries to collaborate and co-operate a lot more, and compete a bit less.

Sweden has been voted as the best country in the world when it comes to serving the interests of its people and contributing to the common good of humanity while India figured low at 70th position on a list of 163 nations.
•    According to the 'Good Country' 2015 index which seeks to measure how countries contribute to the global good, Sweden, relative to the size of its economy, does more "good" and less harm than any other country. 
•    The report ranked a total of 163 countries taking 35 different UN and World Bank indices into account, including global contributions to science, culture, peace and security, climate change and health and equality.
•    The top 10 best countries included Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, Finland, Canada, France, Austria and New Zealand, whereas Libya was ranked as the least "good" country in the world. 
•    India figured at 70th position overall, three places below China, with the best ranking (27th) in 'international peace and security' and the worst (124th) in 'prosperity and equality'.
•    While the country stood at 37th position in health and wellbeing and 62nd in science and technology, it was ranked 119th in culture, 106th in climate and 100th in world order. 
•    "The Good Country Index is pretty simple: to measure what each country on earth contributes to the common good of humanity, and what it takes away, relative to its size," the report said.

France has finally made a theme park filled with alcohol. La Cité du Vin, which translates to "the city of wine" and probably "heaven on Earth," is a full-blown wine theme park.
•    It's located in Bordeaux, one of France's most famous wine-making regions, and was opened on 1st June 2016.
•    There are no roller coasters at this theme park but there are 20 wine-themed sections and exhibits that cover the history and culture of wine. 
•    There is also a 250-seat auditorium for classes, screenings and wine-tasting sessions in the 10-story building, High Snobiety noted. 
•    La Cité du Vin — which is housed in a stunning structure also has two restaurants on-site. 
•    One offers dishes made from in-season regional produce, while the other boasts 800 bottles of wine from around the world and some special-seeming tapas.
•    There will be no limp corn dogs and under-salted pretzels sold at exorbitant prices. 
•    The cost of entry at the theme park starts at approximately $22 per adult .

Switzerland on 1 June 2016 inaugurated Gotthard Base Tunnel, world’s longest and deepest railway tunnel. The tunnel is also the first flat low-level route through the Alps.
•    It took 17 years and 12.2 billion Swiss francs to construct the tunnel.
•    The Gotthard Base Tunnel has route length of 57.09 km and a total of 151.84 km of tunnels, shafts and passages.
•    It is a part of the AlpTransit project, also known as the New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA).
•    It is situated 2.3km deep under the Alps.
•    It is the third tunnel connecting the cantons of Uri and Ticino after the Gotthard Tunnel and the Gotthard Road Tunnel.
•    The main purpose of the Gotthard Base Tunnel is to increase total transport capacity across the Alps, especially for freight.
•    The construction of the tunnel began in 1996 after 64 percent of Swiss voters accepted the AlpTransit project in a 1992 referendum.
•    Drilling operations in the eastern tunnel were completed on 15 October 2010 in a ceremony broadcast live on Swiss TV.

Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu etched his name into Indian football’s history book after becoming the first player in the history of the nation to play in a game in the top division of a European league. 
•    The former East Bengal star achieved the feet as he was named in Norwegian side Stabaek’s starting line-up for their Tippeligaen game against Start.
•    However, this week, Gurpreet made history when he was named a starter in Stabaek’s starting eleven in a bottom of the Norwegian league clash against Start. Thus, after waiting for nearly two long years, Gurpreet finally got his break.
•    The 6’6” keeper’s start was made even sweeter as he kept a clean sheet as his side romped home to a 5-0 win. 
•    The win helped Stabaek pull away from the bottom and they now stand only a point away from getting out of the relegation zone at the midway point of their season.
 

Alastair Cook achieved a fabulous milestone as he broke Sachin Tendulkar's record and became the youngest to reach 10,000 runs in Tests on the fourth day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Durham.
•    Cook became the first England player to reach the landmark of 10,000 runs and he also became the youngest at 31 years and 158 days to achieve the landmark. 
•    Tendulkar was 31 years and 326 days old when he reached the landmark against Pakistan at Eden Gardens in 2005.
•    The England skipper became the 12th batsman overall to reach the milestone and he achieved it in his 128th Test.
•    Alastair Nathan Cook, MBE (born 25 December 1984) is an English cricketer. 
•    A left-handed opening batsman, he is the captain of the England Test team and former ODI captain, and plays county cricket for Essex. 
•    Cook played for Essex's Academy and made his debut for the first XI in 2003. 
•    He played in a variety of England's youth teams from 2000 until his call up to the Test side in 2006. 

Paralympian David Weir made world history by becoming the first wheelchair race to complete a mile in less than three minutes on Sunday.
•    Posting a time of two minutes and 57 seconds, Weir shaved six seconds off his previous best performance at the Westminster Mile
•    Six-time gold medalist Weir said after the race: "I've always said I could do it.
•    Sunday's victory was Weir's fourth consecutive Westminster Mile title, beating South African rival Ernst.
•    Wheelchair racing is the racing of wheelchairs in track and road races. 
•    Wheelchair racing is open to athletes with any qualifying type of disability, amputees, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy and partially sighted (when combined with another disability). 
•    Athletes are classified in accordance with the nature and severity of their disability or combinations of disabilities.
•    Like running, it can take place on a track or as a road race. 
•    The main competitions take place at the Summer Paralympics which wheelchair racing and athletics has been a part of since 1960.