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INTERNATIONAL
Ibrahima Kassory Fofana sworn in as PM of Guinea
Ibrahima Kassory Fofana took charge as the prime minister of Guinea. He replaced Mamady Youla. Earlier, Ibrahima Kassory Fofana was minister in charge of public investment & relations with the Private Sector.
Former IMF official Carlo Cottarelli nominated as Italian PM
The Italian President nominated Carlo Cottarelli, a former official at the International Monetary Fund, to form an interim government.
Pakistan Names Former Chief Justice As Caretaker PM
Former Pakistan Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk was appointed as the interim Prime Minister of the country. The decision comes ahead of the dissolution of the current government and parliament.
Hariri wins third term as Prime Minister
Lebanon’s Saad Hariri has won a new term as Prime Minister after he won the backing of the majority of parliamentarians. It will be 3rd term for Hariri, who has held the position since December 2016 and was also Prime Minister between 2009 and 2011.
Barbados elects Mia Mottley as 1st female Prime Minister
The Caribbean island of Barbados has elected Mia Mottley as its first female Prime Minister since gaining independence from the UK in 1966. Mottley’s Barbados Labour Party won all 30 seats in the country’s Parliament, coming to power for the first time in a decade.
Nepal becomes first country in south-east Asia to eliminate Trachoma
World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Nepal for having eliminated trachoma, a contagious bacterial infection of the eye. It makes Nepal first country in WHO’s South-East Asia Region to defeat trachoma, world’s leading infectious cause of blindness.
Guatemala 2nd Nation to open Embassy in Jerusalem after US
Guatemala has opened its embassy in Jerusalem, following in the footsteps of the United States, which inaugurated its embassy in the city two days prior. Guatemala was one of only a few nations that backed Trump’s decision in December to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and is only the second country to move its embassy to the holy city.
Hungary’s re-elected PM Orban forms fourth government
Hungary’s new parliament re-elected Viktor Orban as the Prime Minister for his fourth term who won the general elections with 49.42 per cent of the vote, at 81 percent of the votes counted by the National Election office.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro re-elected, opposition cries foul
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro won another six years of term in an election that has been called as a sham by the opposition and other countries including the United States.
Russia Unveils World’s 1st Floating Nuclear Power Station
Russia unveiled the world’s first floating nuclear power station at a ceremony in the port of the far northern city of Murmansk, where it will be loaded with nuclear fuel before heading to eastern Siberia. Built in Saint Petersburg, the Akademik Lomonosov arrived in Murmansk where it was moored in the port and presented to the media.
Susheela Jayapal becomes 1st South Asian to be elected in Oregon
Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal’s sister Susheela Jayapal became the first South Asian to be elected in Oregon in the western US State. She won the District 2 seat on the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners with 57% of the vote.
Malaysia gets oldest prime minister in the World
Mahathir Mohamad was sworn in as Prime Minister of Malaysia. He took the oath at the Istana Negara Palace in Kuala Lumpur. He has replaced Najib Razak.
Nikol Pashinyan becomes Prime Minister of Armenia
Armenia’s parliament elected Nikol Pashinyan as a new prime minister in a 59-42 vote. His election comes after Serzh Sargsyan’s resignation as Prime minister of Armenia.
Russia confirms Dmitry Medvedev as its PM
The Russian State Duma (the lower house of parliament) has given its mandate to Dmitry Medvedev for a new term as the Prime Minister.
US and Philippines began military exercises
US and Philippine forces have begun their largest annual military exercises named Balikatan. The Balikatan exercises involved combat drills in mock urban settings to train special forces in battling terrorists.
Carlos Alvarado sworn in as Costa Rican President
Carlos Alvarado was sworn in as the new President of Costa Rica. Alvarado swept to victory against conservative Protestant singer Fabricio Alvarado Munoz. At 39, Alvarado is the country’s youngest president in modern history.
Royal Navy receives its minesweeping system
Britain’s Royal Navy has taken the delivery of its first unmanned autonomous minesweeping system. It can be operated from a land or ship-based control station & can be deployed from a suitable ship or port.
Vladimir Putin sworn-in as Russian President for 4th term
Vladimir Putin was sworn-in as the President of Russia for the fourth time, renewing another six-year term in office.
Indian-American woman appointed Interim Civil court judge in US
Indian-American Deepa Ambekar has been appointed as interim judge to the civil court of New York City, becoming the second Indian-American woman judge in the city after Chennai-born Raja Rajeswari.
Oscars Academy expels Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski
Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski have been expelled from the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In Polanski’s case, the expulsion comes more than 40 years after he was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl.
INDIA & WORLD
India ranked 6th wealthiest country
The AfrAsia Bank Global Wealth Migration Review ranked India as the 6th wealthiest country in the world with a total wealth of 8,230 billion dollars, while the United States was ranked as the wealthiest with a total wealth of 62,584 billion dollars. The review ranked China with a total wealth of 24,803 billion dollars in the second position and Japan with 19,522 billion dollars at the third place.
India emerges third largest solar market in the world in 2017
According to recently released report by Mercom Communications, India emerged as third largest solar market in world in 2017 behind China and United States.
India, largest remittance-receiving country in World
India has become the largest remittance-receiving country in the world, with migrant workers from the country sending home 69 billion US dollars in 2017. India with 69 billion Dollars, China with 64 billion Dollars and the Philippines with 33 billion Dollars are the three largest remittance-receiving countries in the world in 2017.
Indian and Malaysian Armies conclude exercise Harimau Shakti 2018
Indian and Malaysian Armies concluded the Exercise Harimau Shakti 2018 at the tropical rainforests of Hulu Langat, Malaysia. The grand finale of the Exercise was a tactical operation on conduct of attack on the enemy camp.
India slips to 6th spot in biz optimism index
As per Grant Thornton’s quarterly global business survey, India slipped to the 6th position globally in the business optimism index for the first quarter of 2018. The top five nations on the index are Austria, Finland, Indonesia, Netherlands and the US.
India, Guatemala agree to support each other for non-permanent membership of UNSC
India and Guatemala have agreed to support each other’s candidature for Non-Permanent Membership in the United Nations Security Council. Guatemala will support India’s candidature for UNSC membership for 2021-22 while India will do so for Guatemala for 2031-32.
India rises to 5th Spot in World’s top five Defense Spenders
India has surpassed France to become one of the world’s five largest military spenders, Swedish arms watchdog Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Report. The other countries in top five include the US, China, Saudi Arabia, and Russia.
NATIONAL
LCU L54: Indian Navy commissions fourth ship of Landing Craft Utility MK-IV
Indian Navy inducted Landing Craft Utility MK-IV LCU vessel L54 at Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Island. It is fourth of total eighth Mark IV LCU vessels to be inducted into Indian Navy. The Mark IV LCU vessels are further improved version of Mark III LCU vessels presently being used by Indian Navy. These total 8 vessels under Mark IV category have been ordered by Indian Navy from GRSE.
Indian Navy conducts security exercise, called Prasthan
The Indian Navy conducted a security exercise, called “Prasthan”, in the Offshore Development Area (ODA) off the coast of Mumbai.
India’s first solar powered railway station
Guwahati now has India’s first railway station run by solar power. Around 2352 solar modules with a capacity of generating 700 kwp has been set up over the roof of the Guwahati railway station.
Indore, India’s cleanest city in Swachh Survekshan-2018
As per the Swachh Survekshan-2018 results, Indore has once again emerged as the cleanest city in India. Bhopal has been ranked 2nd and Chandigarh 3rd in the survey at the national level.
Coast Guard ship Vikram arrives in Mangaluru
Indian Coast Guard vessel Vikram, the first in the class of seven new-generation offshore patrol vessels under the union government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, arrived at Mangaluru. The ship is also designed to carry a twin-engine light and heavy helicopters.
Air Force formally inducts Dakota DC-3 aircraft; Parshuram back in service after 4 decades
Dakota DC-3 aircraft of 1940’s vintage named as ‘Parshuram’ ones again joined Indian Air Force more than four decades after the fleet was phased out following an illustrious service record.
STATES
HD Kumaraswamy took oath as new Karnataka Chief Minister
The JD(S)-Congress coalition government head HD Kumaraswamy was sworn-in as the New Chief Minister of Karnataka. Congress Leader G. Parameshwara was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister.
Gandiv Vijay: Chetak Corps of South Western Command conduct military exercise in Rajasthan
Chetak corps of South Western Command of Indian Army conducted military exercise Gandiv Vijay in Mahajan field firing ranges of Rajasthan. The exercise was conducted two months to validate their operational plans of Chetak corps.
Mangaluru is the best in waste management
The Union government has selected Mangaluru as “India’s best city in solid waste management”. It was selected under the categories of cities having a population between three lakh and 10 lakh under Swachhata Survekshan 2018.
Gujarat Governor given additional charge of MP
Gujarat Governor Om Prakash Kohli was given the additional charge of Madhya Pradesh while the state’s Governor Anandiben Patel is on leave.
BS Yeddyurappa takes oath as Karnataka CM
BS Yeddyurappa, Karnataka BJP President, was sworn in as Karnataka’s new Chief Minister on ending hours on uncertainty.
Chhattisgarh to recruit transgender in police
To promote gender equality, Chhattisgarh govt has decided to recruit transgender in the police force. Chhattisgarh is the first state to recruit transgenders for police.
Justice A K Mittal appointed acting chief justice of Punjab and Haryana HC
Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal has been appointed as the acting chief justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The appointment comes soon after incumbent chief justice Shivax Jal Vazifdar demitted office at midnight upon his retirement.
South Western Command conducts exercise Vijay Prahar in Rajasthan
South Western Command of Indian Army is conducting ‘Vijay Prahar’ exercise in Mahajan area close to Suratgarh in Rajasthan. In this exercise, over 20,000 troops are participating with fighting equipment for couple of weeks to fine-tune jointmanship with the Indian Air Force.
Kavinder Gupta sworn in as Deputy CM of J & K
Kavinder Gupta, who resigned as the Speaker of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was sworn-in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, replacing BJP colleague Nirmal Singh.
CONFERENCES
5th India CLMV Business Conclave held at Phnom Penh
The Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry along with Ministry of Commerce of Cambodia organized the 5th India-CLMV Business Conclave.
Pakistan hosted SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure meeting
Pakistan hosted its first ever Shanghai Cooperation Organisation-Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) legal experts meeting in Islamabad.
Regional Conference on Clean and Renewable Energy held in Bhopal
The Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh (MP), Shri Narayan Singh Kushwah inaugurated the one day Regional Conference on the theme of ‘New and Renewable Energy’ in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
26th BASIC Ministerial meeting of Environment Ministers held in Durban
The 26th BASIC Ministerial Meeting of Environment Ministers was held in Durban, South Africa. The grouping is a bloc of four countries – Brazil, South Africa, India and China. India was represented by Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan.
SAWEN’s 1st meeting in India
The South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN), an inter-governmental wildlife law enforcement agency, held its first-ever meeting in India. Its member countries are India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, Pakistan & Maldives.
Customs and Postal department hold 1st ever Joint conference
Indian Customs and Department of India Posts held a first-ever Joint Conference in Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi to deliberate on streamlining of imports and exports by post.
6th U.S – India aviation summit held in Mumbai
In collaboration with the U.S.-India Aviation Cooperation Program and the Government of India, US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is hosted the 6th U.S.-India Aviation Summit in Mumbai, India.
First Apex conference for CEOs of Smart Cities held in Bhopal
The First Apex Conference for CEOs of Smart Cities was held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. It was organised by Union Urban Affairs Ministry and inaugurated by Minister of State (I/C) for Housing & Urban Affairs.
12th Informal Meeting of SAARC Finance Ministers held in Manila
The 12th informal meeting of SAARC Finance Ministers was held in Manila, Philippines, on the sidelines of the 51st Annual Meeting of Asian Development Bank (ADB). The meeting was attended by the Finance Ministers/Heads of Delegations from the SAARC member states. Finance Minister of Nepal Yuba Raj Khatiwada chaired the meeting.
Sri Lanka, India hold 29th International Maritime Boundary line meeting
The 29th International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) meeting between India and Sri Lanka was held onboard Indian Naval Ship ‘Sumithra’ at the Indo-Sri Lanka Maritime Boundary Line off Kankesanthurai.
AWARDS & HONOURS
First Indian to receive Linnean Medal
Indian botanist Kamaljit Bawa received the Linnean Medal in Botany from Linnean Society of London. Bawa is the 1st Indian to win the award ever since it was constituted in 1888. He was recognised for his pioneering research on evolution of tropical plants, tropical deforestation & non-timber forest products. Linnean Medal is awarded to a biologist every year by the Linnean Society of London.
CSIR bags the Clarivate Analytics India Innovation award 2018
Council of Scientific & Industrial Research has been awarded the Clarivate Analytics India Innovation Award 2018 in the Government Research Organizations Category.
NRI industrialist Swraj Paul wins lifetime achievement award in UK
Leading NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul has received a lifetime achievement award for his contributions towards promoting brand India in the United Kingdom.
INSV Tarini team conferred Nari Shakti Puraskar 2017
The Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi presented the prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskar 2017 to the members of the INSV Tarini team in New Delhi.
BRICS forum presents award to late actress Sridevi
Late veteran actress Sridevi was posthumously conferred with the BRICS Business Forum Leadership Award for Lifetime Achievement in Indian Cinema.
2018 Billboard Music Awards
Ed Sheeran emerged as the big winner as the singer-songwriter bagged five top honours at 2018 Billboard Music Awards. Janet Jackson created history when she won the BBMA Icon Award. With this, she became the first African American female artiste to receive the recognition.
Pawel Pawlikowski won the best director award
Poland’s Pawel Pawlikowski won the best director award at the 2018 Cannes film festival for his love story “Cold War”.
Prajnesh Gunneswaran won T.K. Ramanathan award for 2017-18
Prajnesh Gunneswaran won the prestigious T.K. Ramanathan award for the year 2017-18 at the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA) annual day function at the SDAT tennis stadium.
Japanese director won Cannes Top award
Asian, Arab, and women filmmakers scored big at the closing ceremony of the 71st Cannes Film Festival, while Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda took home the top prize — the Palme d’Or. Kore-eda, in the festival’s main competition for the fifth time won the Palme d’Or for ‘Manbiki Kazoku’ (Shoplifters).
Amitabh awarded for being bridge builder between India, Europe
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has been honoured by European Union for strengthening Europe-India cultural ties. Tomasz Kozlowski, the European Union Ambassador to India, bestowed the prestigious award on him from the European Union for being a bridge builder between India and Europe.
Sridevi honoured at Cannes Film festival
Veteran Bollywood actor Sridevi was honoured with the TITAN Reginald F Lewis Film Icon Award at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival.
NMDC bags S&P PLATTS Global Metals award 2018
NMDC (National Mineral Development Corporation) Limited has bagged the prestigious S&P Global PLATTS Global Metals Award 2018 in corporate social responsibility (CSR) category held at London.
Mark Tully chosen for RedInk Award 2018
Veteran British journalist and former BBC India correspondent Sir William Mark Tully has been chosen for 2018 RedInk award for lifetime achievement in journalism.
Anindita honoured with Jayadev Rashtriya Yuva Puraskar award
US-based Kathak dancer Anindita Anaam was honoured with the prestigious ‘Shri Jayadev Rashtriya Yuva Pratibha Puraskar 2018’ for outstanding contribution to the field of art. The award was presented to the Kathak exponent during the ‘Jayadev International Dance Festival’ in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
DRDO Awards – 2016 & 2017 presented
Raksha Mantri gave away the DRDO Awards- 2016 & 2017 to various DRDO scientists for their outstanding contributions, while commemorating the National Technology.
Mimi Mondal: First Indian to be nominated for Hugo award
New York based Indian Writer has become the first Indian to be nominated for this year’s prestigious Hugo awards, for the best literary works of science fiction or fantasy in the best related works category.
Lata Mangeshkar conferred with Swara Mauli award
Melody queen Lata Mangeshkar was honoured with the Swara Mauli title by spiritual guru Vidya Narsimha Bharati Swami.
Prof Muhammad Yunus conferred KISS Humanitarian award 2018
Nobel laureate and noted economist Muhammad Yunus was honoured with the 11th KISS Humanitarian Award 2018 at a function held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Bharat Biotech receives National Technology Award for Rotavac
Leading vaccine maker Bharat Biotech received the National Technology Award for 2018 from the Central government’s Technology Development Board for its Rotavac vaccine.
Nisha Bhalla conferred with ‘WEF 2018’ award
Women Economic Forum (WEF) is the largest global gathering of women entrepreneurs and leaders worldwide. Nisha Bhalla, a 46-year-old holistic coach and consultant from Mumbai was felicitated at the recently concluded Annual WEF 2018 Awards.
M T Vasudevan Nair wins ONV Literary Prize
Jnanpith laureate M T Vasudevan Nair has won this year’s annual ONV Literary Prize, instituted in memory of iconic poet late O N V Kurup, for his overall contributions to Malayalam literature.
No Nobel Prize in Literature this year
The Swedish Academy has decided to postpone the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature, with the intention of awarding it in 2019. For the first time since 1949, the secretive jury will not unveil a winner this autumn.
Legendary singer Asha Bhosle honored with PC Chandra Puraskaar
Legendary singer Asha Bhosle was honoured with 26th PC Chandra Puraskaar for her contribution in the field of Indian music. Sharmila Tagore was the Chief Guest at the event who also presented the prestigious award to Asha Bhosle.
Dadasaheb Phalke film foundation awards 2018 announced
Bollywood actors Bhumi Pednekar, Sonam Kapoor and Akshay Kumar bagged the best actress and best actor awards respectively at the Dadasaheb Phalke awards, given by Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation, held in Mumbai.
SPORTS & GAMES
Virat Kohli emerged as International Cricketer of Year: CEAT Ratings
Indian skipper Virat Kohli has emerged as the International Cricketer of the Year at the CEAT Cricket Ratings awards, which were presented in Mumbai. Batsman Rohit Sharma collected the award on behalf of Kohli.
Daniel Ricciardo wins Monaco Grand Prix 2018
Australian Formula One racer Daniel Ricciardo handed Red Bull a victory in their 250th race in the Formula One at Monaco GP.
Japan’s women clinch uber cup of Badminton
Japan’s women team clinched the Uber Cup by defeating the Thailand in the world’s second prestigious badminton tournament.
CSK defeat SRH to clinch Record-Equalling third IPL title
Playing in their seventh Indian Premier League final, Chennai Super Kings has defeated SunRisers Hyderabad to clinch their third Indian Premier League title. With this, Chennai Super Kings equaled Mumbai Indians’ record for winning the most number of Indian Premier League titles (3).
Real Madrid lifts Champions Trophy defeating Liverpool
Real Madrid has lifted Champions Trophy defeating Liverpool 3-1 in Kiev, Ukraine. A sensational overhead strike from Real Madrid substitute Gareth Bale and two calamitous errors by Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius gave the Spanish side a third straight Champions League title in an incident-packed final.
Archery World Cup Stage II 2018 Starts in Turkey
The second stage of Archery World Cup 2018 has been started in Antalya, Turkey. India opened its account with a silver and a bronze medal in the compound section. India’s women compound team of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Muskan Kirar and Divya Dhayal recovered from a poor start to lose to their Chinese Taipei opponents by three points to settle for a silver.
Tejaswini strikes Gold at Munich Grand Prix
Former World Shooting Champion Tejaswini Sawant had bagged the gold in the Grand Prix in Munich, Germany. Tejaswini had won the World Championship gold in prone in 2010 in Munich.
AB De Villiers retires from International Cricket
Star South African batsman AB de Villiers has announced his decision to retire from international cricket with immediate effect. In his 14-year career, he played 114 Tests, 228 One-Day Internationals (ODI) and 78 T20 Internationals.
Srinath Narayanan becomes champion of Kolkata open chess meet
Srinath Narayanan took a quick draw against Shyam Sundar M in just 27 moves to become champion in LIC 3rd Kolkata Open International Grandmasters Chess Tournament.
Iraq to host first international football tournament
Iraq is to host a West Asia Football Federation championship in the southern city of Basra in November, the first international tournament to be staged in the country since the 1990s. World football’s governing body FIFA has lifted a three-decade ban on Iraq hosting international football, this March.
Elina Svitolina wins women’s singles of Rome Open
Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina won the Rome Open championship. The Ukrainian player thus retained the Rome title that she won in 2017. It was 75th edition of the Italian open.
Rafael Nadal wins Rome open tennis for 8th time
Rafael Nadal defeated Alexander Zverev in the finals to win a record 8th time of Italian open. With this win, he regained the world number one ranking.
Bala Prasath wins Formula Junior Racing series 2018 championship
Coimbatore racer Bala Prasath has won the Formula Junior Racing Series 2018 Championship in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
South Korea wins Asian champions Trophy 2018
The Indian women’s Hockey team failed to defend its crown at the fifth Asian Champions Trophy, as it lost to hosts South Korea, 0-1 in the summit clash at Donghae City, South Korea. A goal by Youngsil Lee clinched the Korean team as the winner of Champions Trophy.
Lionel Messi won European Golden Shoe for the 5th time
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi won the European Golden Shoe for the fifth time. Messi also won the award last year, as well as in 2010, 2012 and 2013.
Rajinder Singh Named Hockey India President
Rajinder Singh has been named the new President of Hockey India (HI), following Mariamma Koshy’s resignation from the post. Singh, who is the Senior Vice President of HI was earlier the Treasurer of HI and currently serves as the Treasurer of Hockey Jammu & Kashmir.
Himanta Sarma elected as vice-president of Badminton Asia Confederation
Himanta Biswa Sarma, the President of Badminton Association of India (BAI), has been elected as the vice-president of Badminton Asia Confederation (BAC) during the Annual General Meeting of the body at Bangkok, Thailand.
Neymar wins French Player of the year prize
Neymar was named as France’s player of the year at an awards ceremony in Paris.
Heena Sindhu clinches gold in International Shooting in Hannover
Ace Indian shooter Heena Sidhu secured the gold medal in the 10-meter air pistol category of the international shooting competition of Hannover. Heena was in a carefree form in the final where she was tied with France’s Mathilde Lamoille on 239.8 points. She won the tie to win the gold ahead of Mathilde.
Alexander Zverev beats dominic thiem to win Madrid open
World number three Alexander Zverev won his third Masters title by beating dominic thiem in the final of the Madrid open. He becomes only the fifth player to win at least three masters 1000 titles – joining Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
Kvitova won third Madrid Open title
Petra Kvitova outlasted her Dutch opponent Kiki Bertens 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 6-3 in the finals to clinch the third Madrid Open title.
Indian U-16 football team wins title in Serbia, beats Tajikistan in final
The Indian U-16 football team was crowned champions at the Four-Nation Tournament held in Serbia after they defeated Tajikistan 4-2 in the finals. The four-nation tournament was played between India, Serbia, Tajikistan and Jordan.
Hamilton wins Spanish GP, strengthens lead in F1 standings
British driver Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix, his second victory in a row after winning the Azerbaijan GP.
Indian judokas win 3 medals
Indian judokas won 3 medals on the opening day of Asian Cadet Judo Championships in Lebanon. Rohini S Mohite from Maharashtra won a gold medal in the 40kg category while Tababi Devi Thanjam of Manipur emerged as a champion in the 44kg category.
Rafael Nadal sets record of winning 50 consecutive sets on a single surface
Rafael Nadal broke John McEnroe’s 34-year record by winning his 50th consecutive set on
clay at the Madrid Open. Nadal’s straight-sets victory means he establishes a new Open era best for consecutive sets won on a single surface, passing McEnroe’s 49 on carpet in 1984.
Manchester City lift third premier league trophy in seven seasons
It took three weeks for Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany to finally get his hands on the Premier League trophy. This was also Pep Guardiola’s first league title in England.
Nadal continues to lead ATP rankings ahead of Federer, Dimitrov 4th
Spain’s Rafael Nadal remained in the number one spot in the latest edition of the men’s Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) world singles rankings with 8,770 points while Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov jumped to the fourth spot. Switzerland’s Roger Federer stayed in second place, ahead of Germany’s Alexander Zverev in third spot.
Narang-Ghatkar win silver medal in shooting
Gagan Narang combined with Pooja Ghatkar to win the mixed team silver medal in the Grand Prix of Liberation international shooting competition in Pilsen, Czech Republic. Nivetha Paramanantham clinched the gold medal in the women’s air pistol after topping the qualification.
3rd South Asian Junior Athletics Championships: India tops with 50 medals
India finished on top in the 7-nation 3rd South Asian Junior Athletics Championships in Colombo, Sri Lanka on the final day. India ended with 20 gold, 22 silver and 8 bronze medals (Total 50 Medals).
Justin Langer appointed as Head Coach of Australian Cricket Team
Former Australian cricketer Justin Langer appointed as Australian cricket team’s head coach for all three formats. Langer replaces Darren Lehmann, who had stepped down after Australia’s tour of South Africa amid the ball-tampering controversy.
Shuttler Srikanth climbs to 3rd spot in BWF Rankings
India’s star shuttler and Commonwealth silver-medallist Kidambi Srikanth climbed to the third spot in the latest rankings released by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Fellow Indian HS Prannoy and London Olympic bronze-medallist Saina Nehwal climb up two places to reach career-best eighth spot and tenth spot respectively. In the women singles section, Indian star PV Sindhu continues to hold on to the third spot.
India’s Neeraj Goyat is WBC Asia boxer of the year
Indian pugilist Neeraj Goyat has been conferred with the ‘WBC Asia Boxer of the Year Award’. Neeraj is the current WBC Asia champion in welterweight category.
Salah named writers’ Footballer of the Year
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year. The Egypt star – the first African winner of the award – also won the Professional Footballers’ Association player of the year award in April.
Rizvi claims No.1 spot pistol rankings
Indian shooter Shahzar Rizvi grabbed the number one spot in 10m air pistol rankings by ISSF. He won the silver medal in the just-concluded World Cup in Changwon, Korea. The other Indians in the top-10 are Jitu Rai and Om Prakash Mitharval who are at 6th & 12th spot.
Prajnesh wins maiden singles title
Prajnesh Gunneswaran clinched his first ever singles title on the ATP Challenger circuit. Prajnesh, who had won the decisive fifth rubber of the recent China tie, beat the Egyptian 5- 7 6-1 6-3 in one hour and 52 minutes.
Pliskova wins Stuttgart Open
The Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova clinched the Stuttgart Open title after defeating the US wildcard Coco Vandeweghe. This was Pliskova’s first title of 2018 and the tenth of her career.
Indian fencer won silver medal at Reykjavik
India’s CA Bhavani Devi won a silver medal in the sabre event of the Tournoi World Cup Satellite Fencing Championship in Reykjavik, Iceland. Bhavani Devi had won a gold medal at the Reykjavik tournament last year to become the first Indian to do so in an international fencing event. The Tamil Nadu fencer defeated USA’s Alexis Browne in the final.
Hamilton wins F1 Azerbaijan GP
Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton won the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Hamilton grabbed his 63rd career win and his first in 2018.
Badminton Asian C’ships: Momota, Tai clinch singles titles
Japan’s Kento Momota and Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei bagged the men’s singles and women’s singles titles respectively at the Badminton Asian Championships.
56th Belgrade International Boxing tournament in Serbia
56th edition of Belgrade International Boxing Championship was held at Belgrade in Serbia. Indian boxers won three gold, five silver and five bronze medals at this championship.
ECONOMY
CII pegs India’s growth between 7.3-7.7%
Industry chambers Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) expects India’s economy to grow at 7.3-7.7 percent in 2018-19 on the back of “sustained structural reforms”, recovery in global markets and a normal monsoon.
India’s Q4 GDP growth likely at 7.4 percent: ICRA Report
Rating agency ICRA Ltd expects gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the fourth quarter of the fiscal 2017-18 at 7.4% on account of good Rabi crop harvest and improved corporate earnings, up from 7.2% in the third quarter.
WPI inflation rises to 3.18 % in April
According to government data, Inflation based on wholesale prices shot up to 3.18 percent in April on increasing prices of petrol and diesel as well as fruits and vegetables. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) based inflation stood at 2.47 per cent in March and 3.85 per cent in April last year.
India’s economy is projected to grow 7.6% in 2018-19: UN WESP
According to UN World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP), India’s economy is projected to grow 7.6% in fiscal year 2018-19, making it fastest growing economy in the world. GDP growth in India is expected 7.5 and 7.6% in fiscal years 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively.
India to clock GDP growth of 7.7%
India’s GDP is expected to grow by 7.7% in January-March, up from 7.2% in the preceding quarter, says a Nomura report. According to the report, despite the moderation in March, industrial production growth averaged 6.2% in the January-March period.
Fitch predicts 7.3% growth rate of India in 2018-19
Credit rating agency Fitch has stated that India’s economic growth will accelerate to 7.3% in the current financial year (2018-19) and 7.5% in the next fiscal (2019-20).
India fastest growing economy at 7.4% in 2018: IMF
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reaffirmed that India will be the fastest-growing major economy in 2018, with a growth rate of 7.4% that rises to 7.8% in 2019 with medium-term prospects remaining positive, according to the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Regional Economic Outlook report.
India topped list of fastest growing economies
India tops the list of the fastest growing economies in the world for the coming decade and is projected to grow at 7.9% annually, ahead of China & US, According to a Harvard University report.
California surpasses UK to become World’s 5th largest economy
US state California’s economy has surpassed that of the UK to become the world’s fifth largest, according to new federal data released. With a GDP of $2.7 trillion, California is now only behind the US, China, Japan and Germany. The UK and India are next on the list, followed by France, Brazil and Italy respectively.
India’s economy likely to grow at 7.3% this fiscal: Report
According to a BMI Research, a Fitch group company, the economic growth in India is expected to strengthen to 7.3% in financial year 2018-19 from 6.6 per cent in fiscal 2017-18, on the back of robust activity from construction, manufacturing, and services sectors.
Core sector growth slows to 4.1% in March 2018
According to index of eight core industries released by Ministry of Commerce and Industry, core sector growth in March 2018 slowed to 4.1%, a three-month low due to weak performance in six sectors. Cumulatively, the eight core sectors grew 4.2% in 2017-18. The growth was 4.8% in the previous fiscal. The previous low was 3.8% in December 2017.
India to grow at 7.5% in 2018-19
According to a Deutsche Bank report, the Indian economy is likely to clock a GDP growth of 7.5% this financial year. The report noted that higher global oil prices, risk of an earlier than anticipated rate hike cycle from RBI are some of the factors that pose downside risk to its baseline GDP estimate.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
India successfully test-fires BrahMos Missile along Odisha coast
India successfully test-fired the Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from a test range along the Odisha coast to validate some new features. The missile was test-fired from a mobile launcher stationed at Launch pad 3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, according to DRDO.
APPOINTMENTS
Uber promotes India head Amit Jain as APAC Regional GM
Uber said that, it has promoted its India head Amit Jain as regional general manager for Asia Pacific region (APAC)
R K Agrawal appointed President of NCDRC
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed former Supreme Court Judge Justice R K Agrawal as President of National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC). He will succeed Justice D K Jain, who completed his term.
RBI appoints Sudha Balakrishnan as its first CFO
Sudha Balakrishnan has been named the first Chief Financial Officer of the Reserve Bank of India. Balakrishnan, a chartered accountant, until recently served as vice-president of National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL).
Defence secretary gets additional charge as DRDO chief
The government has asked Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra to hold additional charge of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) after its head S. Christopher’s.
Ramesh Chand Meena elected Chairperson of TRIFED
The General Body meeting of Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd (TRIFED) which the 11th Board of Directors was reconstituted and the Office Bearers were elected unanimously. Ramesh Chand Meena was elected as the Chairperson and Smt. Pratibha Brahma was elected as the Vice Chairperson of TRIFED.
President Kovind appoints Odisha, Mizoram Governors
Professor Ganeshi Lal has been appointed as the Governor of Odisha. He will replace Satya Pal Malik. Ganesh Lal was the national President of discipline committee of BJP in Haryana. Besides, Kummanam Rajasekharan, current president of Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Kerala unit, has been appointed to be the Governor of Mizoram. He will replace incumbent Lt Gen Nirbhay Sharma, who is completing his tenure on May 28.
Barbados elects Mia Mottley as 1st female Prime Minister
The Caribbean island of Barbados has elected Mia Mottley as its first female Prime Minister since gaining independence from the UK in 1966. Mottley’s Barbados Labour Party won all 30 seats in the country’s Parliament, coming to power for the first time in a decade.
New Vice Chief of Army Staff
Lt. Gen. Devraj Anbu has been appointed as the new Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS). He is presently GOC-in-C (General Officer Commanding-in-Chief) Northern Command.
Chandramauli appointed as Chairman of PCI
Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad, who was the former Supreme Court Judge has been appointed as the Chairman of the Press Council of India (PCI) for the second time. The decision was taken by a committee of three members, headed by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu
Airtel Payments Bank appoints Anubrata Biswas as MD and CEO
Airtel Payments Bank has appointed Anubrata Biswas as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Biswas fills the position, which was lying vacant since end-December, after Shashi Arora quit the post. Prior to joining Airtel Payments Bank, he was the Joint General Manager and Retail Business Head – South India for ICICI Bank.
Pravin Agrawal appointed BHEL director
Power equipment maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited has appointed Pravin L Agrawal as the part-time official director on its board.
Pawan Singh named RTS Jury chief
India’s former shooter & national coach Pawan Singh has been appointed as the Chairman of Result Timing Score Jury by the International Shooting Sports Federation for the ISSF World Cup in Munich. With this appointment, Singh became the first Indian to chair the RTS Jury at a senior World Cup.
NYSE names 1st woman chief in Exchange’s 226-Year history
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has promoted Stacey Cunningham to President, making her the first sole woman head of the 226-year-old exchange.
Anil Kumar Jha appointed CMD of Coal India
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of Mahanadi Coalfields chief Anil Kumar Jha as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Coal India. Jha had replaced Coal Ministry’s Additional Secretary Suresh Kumar.
Gina Haspel confirmed as first female director of CIA
The US Senate confirmed Gina Haspel as the first female director of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Haspel’s nomination was confirmed in a 54-45 vote, following a difficult nomination process that reopened an emotional debate about brutal interrogation techniques in one of the darkest chapters of CIA’s history.
Ambika Sharma to head USIBC India office
The U.S India Business Council named Ambika Sharma as its head for India. Ms. Sharma was Director General for International at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
Ramalingam Sudhakar sworn-in as Chief Justice of Manipur High Court
Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar was sworn-in as the Chief Justice of Manipur High Court. Justice Sudhakar was administered the oath of office by Governor Jagdish Mukhi at the Raj Bhawan in Imphal.
Uttam Pacharne appointed as Chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi
Uttam Pacharne was appointed as the regular Chairman of the Lalit Kala Akademi. His appointment was approved by the President Ram Nath Kovind. Pacharne is an eminent artist and sculptor.
Mukul Rohatgi appointed as eminent jurist
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi has been appointed as an eminent jurist in the selection committee for appointment of the Lokpal. Rohatgi was appointed as Attorney General of India after the Narendra Modi government assumed power in May 2014.
Lt Gen Sukhdeep takes over as DGAR
Lieutenant General Sukhdeep Sangwan has taken over the charge as the Director General of Assam Rifles. Lt Gen Sanwagn has taken over as the 20th Director General of the Force which is popularly called as Sentinels of the North East.
Shashank Manohar re-elected as chairman of ICC
Shashank Manohar was re-elected as the Independent Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) for his second term.
Piyush Goyal to take over Finance Ministry, Smriti Irani moved out of I&B
In the Cabinet rejig, Piyush Goyal to take additional charge as Finance Minister until Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is under treatment. Smriti Irani to handle only the Ministry of Textiles and Rajvardhan Rathore has been given the charge of Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
Google names Nitin Bawankule head of India cloud business
Tech giant Google has appointed Nitin Bawankule as the country head for Google Cloud India. Bawankule has been with Google for six years and was previously head of sales for its ecommerce, retail and classifieds and education business.
Ashok Lahiri appointed full-time member
Former Chief Economic Adviser Ashok Lahiri has been appointed as full-time member of the 15th Finance Commission. He is at present the part-time member of the commission, headed by N.K. Singh.
Subhash Chandra Khuntia appointed chairman of IRDA
Subhash Chandra Khuntia, a 1981-batch Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer who
was a former Karnataka Chief Secretary, has been appointed as Chairman of Insurance
Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
Sitanshu Kar takes over as DG of Press Information Bureau
Mr Sitanshu Ranjan Kar (1983 batch officer of Indian Information Service) took over as the 27th Principal Spokesperson of the Government of India and Director General of Press Information Bureau in New Delhi.
Saudi Aramco appoints the first woman to the board
Saudi Arabia’s Aramco, the world’s top oil company has appointed its first female board member among five new members to its board of directors. Lynn Laverty Elsenhans, the former chairwoman, president and CEO of U.S. oil refiner Sunoco is the first female board member of Aramco.
RESIGNS
Lok Sabha MP Baijayant Panda resigns from BJD
Lok Sabha MP from Odisha’s Kendrapara constituency, Baijayant Panda, resigned from the Biju Janata Dal.
Karnataka CM Yeddyurappa Resigns
BS Yeddyurappa resigned 55 hours after taking oath as the Karnataka CM, ahead of the floor test. BJP, with 104 seats, was seven short of the required number of 111.
Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal quits after Walmart deal
Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal announced his exit from the company, hours after the news of American retailer Walmart acquiring Flipkart broke in the nation.
New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman resigns
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced that he would be resigning from office hours after four women accused him of physical violence.
Prime Minister of Gabon Emmanuel Issoze Ngondet resigns
Gabon’s Constitutional Court ordered the Prime Minister Emmanuel Issoze Ngondet to resign and the lower house of parliament dissolved after legislative elections scheduled for the weekend were delayed.
DEATHS
Former Bihar minister Kameshwar Paswan passes away
Former Bihar minister Kameshwar Paswan died after a long term illness in Patna, Bihar. He was 77 years old.
Congress MLA Siddu Nyamagouda passes away
Newly-elected Karnataka Congress MLA Siddu Nyamagouda passed away in a road accident at Tulasigere cross near Bangalore. He was 67.
Civil rights attorney Lewis Myers Jr. passes away
Civil rights attorney Lewis Myers Jr., who worked on a key lawsuit against racial discrimination in Mississippi’s higher education system has passed away. He was 70 years old.
India’s highest decorated general passed away
India’s most decorated General, Lt Gen Zorawar Chand Bakshi, also known as Zoru Bakshi passed away. Decorated with Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra, Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal, Bakshi was instrumental in the historic capture of strategic Haji Pir pass from Pakistan army.
Alan Bean, 4th man to walk on the Moon died
Former US astronaut Alan Bean, who was the fourth man to walk on the Moon, has died in Texas, United States. He was 86. Bean went into space twice, the first time in November 1969 as the lunar module pilot on the Apollo 12 moon-landing mission. In 1973 he was commander of the second crewed flight to Skylab- America’s first space station
Pakeezah actress Geeta Kapoor dies at 57
Pakeezah actress Geeta Kapoor Dies In Old Age Home at 57. Pakeezah fame actor Geeta Kapoor, passed away at a old age home in Mumbai. She was 57. The news was confirmed by Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) member Ashoke Pandit on Twitter. The 57-year-old actress was abandoned by her children last year.
Veteran Gujarati writer, humourist Vinod Bhatt passes away
Eminent Gujarati writer and humourist Vinod Bhatt died following a prolonged illness. He was 80.
Iconic hollywood film poster creator Bill Gold passes away
Bill Gold, one of hollywood’s best-known creators of film posters, has died aged 97. The veteran illustrator who had hand in more than 2,000 posters began work at the film production company Warner Brothers in the 1940s.
Telugu writer Yaddanapudi Sulochana Rani dies
Veteran writer, novelist Yaddanapudi Sulochana Rani, who along with her women counterparts Arikepudi Kousalya Devi and Ranganayakamma, heralded a new era in Telugu fictional literature since the 1950s, passed away at California.
Actor who played Lois Lane in Superman dead at 69
The actor Margot Kidder, best known for playing Lois Lane in the Superman films in the 1970s and 1980s, has died at the age of 69, a funeral home in Montana, US.
Pak hockey legend Mansoor Ahmed passes away in karachi
Pakistan’s hockey icon Mansoor Ahmed, who had been ailing for few years, died at a hospital in Karachi. He was 49.
Former test cricketer Rajinder Pal passes away
Rajinder Pal, the former Delhi cricketer who represented India in one Test, passed away at his Dehradun residence. The right-arm fast bowler played his only Test against England in 1964 and was 80.
Oscar-winning film editor Anne V. Coates dead
British film editor Anne V. Coates, who won an Academy Award for David Leans classic “Lawrence of Arabia”, is dead. She was 92.
Eminent Odia lyricist passes away
Eminent Odia lyricist Gurukrushna Goswami passed away in Odisha. Goswami was associated with the Odia music industry for over six decades. He was a scriptwriter, a lyricist and a music director. Goswami had received the Best Lyricist award in 1996, Bhakta Kabi Salabeg award and Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi (OSNA) Award in the year 2000.
Renowned Marathi Singer Arun Date passes away
Veteran Marathi singer Arun Date, known for his popular song “Shukratara” had passed away in Mumbai. He was 84. He was the first recipient of the state government’s ‘Gajananrav Vatave Puraskar’.
Freedom fighter Keyur Bhushan passed away
Well-known Gandhian, freedom fighter & writer Keyur Bhushan passed away. Bhushan took part in the 1942 Quit India movement as a student in Raipur and was incarcerated. He penned novels, collections of short stories and poems. He also edited ‘Sapthahik Chhattisgarh’ and ‘Antyoday’.
Noted Malayalam novelist Pushpanath passes away
Noted detective novelist” Kottayam Pushpanath, who expanded the world of horror fiction in Malayalam literature, died due to age related ailments. He was 80.
Marxist economist Ashok Mitra dead
Eminent Marxist economist and politician, and former finance minister of West Bengal, Ashok Mitra, died at age 89 on Tuesday. He served as Chief Economic Adviser during Indira Gandhi’s prime ministerial tenure.
VISITORS
PM Modi visits Russia for informal meet with Putin
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his first informal Summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the city of Sochi, Russia.
MoS external affairs general VK Singh visits North Korea
Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh visits North Korea, the first high-level visit from India in 20 years. General VK Singh held talks with his North Korean counterpart and a host of other leaders.
Venkaiah Naidu 3-Nation Visit: India & Peru signs agreement
India and Peru signed an agreement in the field of Renewable Energy at Lima. The pact was signed in the presence of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and the Prime Minister Cesar Villanueva Arevalo. This is the final leg of the 3-Nation visit to Guatemala, Panama and Peru of Indian Vice- President.
MISCELLANEOUS
Sangeeta Bahl becomes oldest Indian woman to Scale Mount Everest
Sangeeta Bahl, a 53-year-old former model become the oldest Indian woman to conquer Mount Everest. Bahl, who currently resides in Gurugram, scaled the peak with the help of two Sherpas and was felicitated at the Indian embassy in Kathmandu. She already conquered six out of the seven highest peaks in the world.
Air India, IndiGo in top five cheapest airlines in World
Low-cost carriers IndiGo & Air India Express have been ranked among the top five cheapest airlines in the world in providing international connectivity. Air India Express, the wholly-owned subsidiary of state-run carrier Air India, has been ranked second and the budget carrier IndiGo placed at the fifth position in a Global Flight Pricing Report
prepared by Melbourne-based Rome2rio — a multimodal travel planning site.
Arjun Vajpai became youngest to summit six peaks over 8,000m
Indian mountaineer Arjun Vajpai has become the youngest person in the world to scale six peaks over 8,000 metres when he summited the treacherous Kangchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world.
UNEP has recognised CIAL as world’s 1st fully solar energy-powered airport.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has recognised Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) in Kerala as the world’s first fully solar energy powered airport. CIAL is India’s first airport to be constructed in public-private-partnership (PPP) model in 1999. It is the busiest and largest airport in the state of Kerala.
Nima Jangmu Sherpa scales 3 highest mountains sets world record
Nima Jangmu Sherpa, a Nepali woman created a world record by scaling three highest mountains in a single climbing season. The 28 year old Nima Jangmu has become only woman in the world to climb three highest peaks in Nepal above 8,000 meters in one season within 25 days.
World’s most popular athlete
Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo was named the most popular athlete in the world as he topped the ESPN World Fame 100 list for a third straight year.
India Stands 44th in competitive rankings, USA Tops: Report
India rose one place to 44th this year in the global competitive rankings out of 63 countries that were ranked by the IMD World Competitiveness Center.
Shivangi Pathak becomes youngest Indian woman to scale Mount Everest
India’s Shivangi Pathak has become youngest women of the country to scale Mt Everest from Nepal side. According to the Managing Director of Seven Summit Treks, Mingma Sherpa, 16-year-old Shivangi successfully stood atop world’s highest mountain.
India ranks 145th among 195 countries in healthcare access, quality: Lancet Study
India ranked 145th among 195 countries in terms of Healthcare access and quality (HAQ) index in the year 2016, behind its neighbours like China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan.
President Ram Nath Kovind, 2nd president to visits Army base in Siachen
President Ram Nath Kovind visited the Army base camp in Siachen, becoming the second President of India to visit the world’s highest battlefield in 14 years. The previous visit was undertaken by former president APJ Abdul Kalam in April 2004.
GST, bank balance sheet problems pushed India’s economic growth downward: UN report
As per the UN report, India’s economic growth was pushed downward in 2017 due to the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as well as due to issues such as bank balance sheet problems.
Xi Jinping tops the World’s most powerful people list of Forbes
Forbes has released a list of “The World’s Most Powerful People 2018” which consists of 75 men and women. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, seizes the top spot for the first time ever. Top Indian is PM Modi at 9th spot and another is Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani at 32nd place in the list.
India ranked 4th in Asia-Pacific on power index
The inaugural Asia Power index by the Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank, has ranked India at the 4th position among 25 nations in the Asia Pacific region.
Patanjali ranked as most trusted FMCG brand in India
Patanjali Ayurved Limited has been ranked as India’s most trusted Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) brand in the TRA’s Brand Trust Report 2018. In overall brand ranking Patanjali is at 13th rank. The Top Brand is Samsung and Top BFSI is SBI (21 rank).
PM Modi most liked leader in world on Facebook
According to the study “World Leaders on Facebook” released by Burson Cohn & Wolfe PM Modi is the most ‘liked’ world leader on Facebook. With 43.2 million likes, Prime Minister Modi is almost double of USA President Donald Trump, who has 23.1 Million likes. Modi also has the second highest number of interactions and interaction rate behind Trump.
FDI Confidence Index 2018: India ranks 11th
India was ranked 11th position in the FDI Confidence Index 2018 released by global consultancy firm A T Kearney. It has slipped by three notches in 2018 as it was ranked 8th in 2017 and 9th in 2016. This is first time India fell out of the top 10 since 2015.
BOOKS IN NEWS
Book release by Chief of Army Staff
General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army the Staff released the book ‘Across the Bench – Insight into the Indian Military Judicial System’ by Lt Gen Gyan Bhushan, former Army Commander and Member ‘A’, Armed Forces Tribunal, Lucknow Bench.
Eleven Gods and a Billion Indians authored by Boria Majumdar
Famous Cricket journalist Boria Majumdar has written a book Eleven Gods and A Billion Indians.
Former PM Manmohan Singh launches Economist Rao’s book
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh released a book titled ‘My Journey from Marxism-Leninism to Nehruvian Socialism’ by former Planning Commission and Finance Commission member C H Hanumantha Rao.
COMMITTEES
Panel to look into black money recovery
A parliamentary panel headed by Murali Manohar Joshi will study the recovery of black money & performance of public sector banks. 30-member Estimates Committee has decided to study a host of subjects related to various ministries in the year 2018-19.
DAYS & DATES
29 May: International day of UN Peacekeepers
The International Day of UN Peacekeepers is observed across the world on May 29, with an aim to honour more than 3700 peacekeepers who have lost their lives while serving the United Nations since 1948, including 129 who died in 2017. The theme of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers 2018 is ‘UN Peacekeepers: 70 Years of Service and Sacrifice’.
22 May: International Day for Biological Diversity
The International Day for Biological Diversity was observed across the world on May 22, 2018 with an aim to raise awareness about the conservation of biodiversity. The theme of International Day for Biological Diversity 2018 is ‘Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity’.
17 May: World Telecommunication and Information Society Day
The World Telecommunication and Information Society Day was observed across the world on May 17. The theme for WTISD 2018 was “Enabling the positive use of Artificial Intelligence for All”.
15 May: International Day of Families
The International Day of Families is observed on the 15th of May every year. This year (2018), the theme for the event is ‘Families and inclusive societies’.
May 11: National Technology Day
National Technology Day is being observed across India on May 11 to mark India’s technological advancements and to promote the development of technology in various fields. The official theme for 2018 is “Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future”.
03 May: World Press Freedom Day
The World Press Freedom Day was observed across the world on May 3, 2018 with an aim to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom, defend the media from attacks and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives while being on duty. The Theme for 2018 is ‘Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and The Rule of Law’.
May 01: International Labour Day
International Labour Day is also known as International Worker’s Day, Labour Day and May Day. It is celebrated across the world on 1st May to promote and encourage the international labour associations. The theme of International Labour Day 2018 is “Uniting Workers for Social and Economic Advancement”.
BANKING AWARENESS
Dena Bank, Punjab & Sindh Bank, CBI get new chairpersons
The finance ministry has appointed non-executive chairpersons at Punjab and Sindh Bank, Dena Bank and Central Bank of India, as part of its agenda to reform public sector banks.
State Bank of India reports loss of Rs. 7,718 crore in march quarter
State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s biggest lender, reported a loss of Rs. 7,718 crore in the January-March quarter, hurt by higher provisions for bad loans.
RBI imposed penalty on Cooperative bank
The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty of Rs. 50,000/- on Universal Co-operative Urban Bank, Mancherial, Telangana. The penalty has been imposed on the bank as it had violated RBI’s directive and guidelines on loans and advances to directors and their relatives.
Lending, deposit curbs on Allahabad Bank
RBI has imposed restrictions on Allahabad Bank, including on expansion of risky assets, creation of non-banking assets and accessing/renewing wholesale/costly deposits.
RBI puts Dena Bank under prompt corrective action
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has put state-run lender Dena Bank under prompt corrective action (PCA) framework. It has barred Dena Bank from extending fresh credit in view of deteriorating financial health due to mounting non-performing assets (NPAs) and mounting losses. It makes Dena Bank first lender to face curbs on lending under PCA framework.
Reserve Bank of India announced Rs10,000 crore bond purchases
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that it would buy Rs. 10,000 crore ($1.50 billion) of government bonds via open market operation (OMO), after failing to sell all the debt it had offered to bidders.
ICICI Bank names Radhakrishnan Nair as Independent Director
Former IRDAI member Radhakrishnan Nair has been appointed to ICICI Bank’s board as an Additional (Independent) Director for a period of five years. His appointment is subjected to the approval of shareholders.
Argentina’s central bank hiked interest rates to 30.25%
Argentina’s central bank (Central Bank of Argentina) has raised interest rates by 300 bps to fight inflationary pressures. The already high benchmark interest rates in the country has been raised from 27.25 per cent to 30.25 per cent in a bid to prop up its ailing currency from sliding further against the US dollar.
Uday Kotak redesignated as MD & CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank
The board of directors of Kotak Mahindra Bank has redesignated Uday Kotak as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Kotak was earlier executive Vice Chairman and Managing Director.