2016 Nobel Prize in Literature

American singer-songwriter, artist and writer Bob Dylan (75)won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature. The Swedish Academy has selected Dylan for this prestigious award for creating new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition. He is one of the best-selling artists (musician) of all time and has sold more than 100 million records.He also received numerous awards including 11 Grammy Awards, Golden Globe Award and Academy Award (Oscar). The Pulitzer Prize jury had awarded him a special citation in 2008 for his profound impact on popular music and American culture.

Secretary-General of the United Nations

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has formally elected Antonio Guterres (67) as the new Secretary-General of the United Nations. Mr. Guterres,was Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015. He will become the world's top diplomat on 1 January 2017, and hold that post for the next five years. He has to run an unwieldy bureaucracy and manage the competing demands of the world’s big powers. His role is to step in both publicly and privately to prevent escalation of international disputes.

The UN Secretary-General is the head of the United Nations Secretariat. He is de facto spokesperson and leader of the UN. The role Secretary-General has been mentioned in Chapter XV (Articles 97 to 101) of UN Charter. The post lasts for five years and is limited to a maximum of two terms.

International Day of Rural Women

The International Day of Rural Women was observed across the world on 15 October 2016.This  day highlights the critical role and contribution of rural women, including indigenous women in enhancing rural and agricultural development, eradicating rural poverty and improving food security.

2016 Theme: “Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too”.The theme tries to bring focus on farmers, fishers and pastoralists who are standing on the frontlines of food insecurity as temperatures rise, weather patterns become less predictable and climate-related disasters become more frequent.

The first International Day of Rural Women was observed on 15 October 2008. The day was constituted by the UN General Assembly by passing resolution 62/136 in December 2007.