Virat Kohli’s One8 Commune in Bengaluru; Jacinta Kerketta: Finding power in poetry

Hello,

More clarity on climate finance is needed.

At the UN COP28 climate summit, India’s Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said countries need to establish a clear definition of climate finance as the lack of clarity affects transparency and trust. 

Meanwhile, given the recent drug safety alert by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission on the use of Meftal Spas, a common over-the-counter pain reliever used by women for menstrual cramps, HerStory spoke to women and doctors about what the alert means to them and the way forward.

Elsewhere, three entities on Friday offloaded shares of NBFC Five Star Finance for Rs 1,656 crore through open market transactions. Following the share sale, shares of Five Star Business Finance fell 2.85% to close at Rs 735 apiece on the NSE. 

ICYMI: Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift was named 2023’s Person of the Year by Time magazine.

Lastly, Reuters deep dives into the global climate crisis faced by the world amid a record rise in temperatures across the year.

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Virat Kohli’s One8 Commune in Bengaluru
• Jacinta Kerketta: Finding power in poetry
• Must-visit villages in Surrey, England

Here’s your trivia for today: Which year marked the release of the last printed edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica?

Food and Beverage

Virat Kohli’s One8 Commune in Bengaluru

Cricketer Virat Kohli’s One8 Commune restaurant in Bengaluru is just a stone’s throw away from M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. 

The cricket stadium is partially visible at this plush restaurant, which opened its doors in the Garden City last month. This is the restaurant chain’s fifth outlet, after the ones in Mumbai, Pune, and Kolkata. 

Cosy vibes: 

• The restaurant in Bengaluru–with stunning Bohemian decor, spread across three floors–caters to diners of all kinds: couples on a date night, those celebrating a milestone with a group of friends, or families that have gathered for a cosy meal.
• One8 Commune, as the name suggests, is all about the community and the idea of togetherness. This philosophy is conveyed through the seating spaces across the restaurant, replete with elaborate sectional sofas.  
• The entire restaurant is Instagram-worthy, with decorative chandeliers whose soft light fills up the space with warm ambient light. 

Community

Jacinta Kerketta: Finding power in poetry

On November 26, Adivasi poet and journalist Jacinta Kerketta declined a literary award from a popular media house for her book of Hindi poetry, Ishwar aur Bazar. 

It is the third collection in her series of poems on mountains, and a moving dedication to the Dalit-tribal people of Niyamgiri in Odisha, who, for a whole decade, have been fighting against bauxite mining in the region.

Taking a stand:

• After working as a reporter for a news daily between 2010 and 2013, Kerketta started writing independently for various media platforms on gender politics, the exploitation of tribal populations for land, and the role of colonisation in uprooting them from their sustainable heritage. 
• As a second-generation graduate from her community, Kerketta says her parents were able to access education through a mission school set up inside the remote forests of West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand 80 years ago. 
• She spent the last two decades travelling across Jharkhand to meet marginalised communities, listen to their experiences, and understand the history of the state’s tribal movement.

Travel

Must-visit villages in Surrey, England

Located in the South-East of England, Surrey is synonymous with cricket to most Indians. But the UK’s most wooded county is renowned for its rolling hills, sinking valleys, meandering waterways, and ancient heathland. 

Vibrant towns and sleepy villages—all surrounded by the bucolic countryside, including the scenic Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty—ensure there’s never a dull day.

Old-world charm:

• More than 2,000 miles of public paths are spread across the county, and people can explore the place leisurely–on foot, on cycles, or horses.
• Surrey has many old market towns and straight-out-of-a-storybook villages, all steeped in history and run through with cobbled streets.
• There’s plenty to do in the towns, but it’s in the leafy, expansive villages— some of the most beautiful and picturesque in the UK—that the Surrey countryside comes alive.

News & updates

• Landmark rules: Europe has reached a provisional deal on landmark EU rules governing the use of AI, including governments' use of AI in biometric surveillance and how to regulate AI systems such as ChatGPT. With this, the EU moves toward becoming the first major world power to enact laws governing AI.
• Climate crisis: Failure to agree on a phase-out of fossil fuels at the UN COP28 climate summit would push the world beyond the crucial 1.5C temperature limit and into climate breakdown, warned Alok Sharma, the UK’s former climate chief. He added that it was vital that governments made a clear commitment in the next few days to eliminate coal, oil and gas.
• Racing ahead: Beijing startup LandSpace Technology has sent its second rocket powered by a methane-based fuel into space. The rocket, ZQ-2, took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert. Methane-based fuel has the potential to be cleaner and safer than solid propellants, liquid hydrogen and other fuels currently used.

Which year marked the release of the last printed edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica?

Answer: 2010 when its 15th edition was last printed, spanning 32 volumes.

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