Pakistan removes names of 4,000 terrorists from its watchlist
Pakistan has quietly removed the names of around 4,000 terrorists from its watchlist, including one of the main plotters of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
The New York-based startup Castellum, which automates compliance of countries placed on watch lists for their terrorist related activities, has found that in the past 18 months, Pakistan has deleted 3,800 names from the Proscribed Persons List "without explanation or notification to the public."
Beijing Names Islands In Disputed South China Sea
China defended its naming of 80 islands and other geographical features in the South China Sea in a move likely to anger neighbours as the country asserts its territorial claims.
A joint announcement of the names from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Civil Affairs came a day after China established new administrative districts for the contested Spratly and Paracel island chains.
US Senate Approves 484 Billion Dollar In Fresh Relief For Economy And Hospitals
US Senate has unanimously approved 484 billion dollar in fresh relief for the economy and hospitals hammered by the coronavirus pandemic. The bill was hurried along shortly after congressional leaders and the White House brokered an agreement.
The measure, which passed by unanimous consent after more than a week of negotiations between Democrats, Republicans and the White House, now heads to the House of Representatives where a vote could occur as early as tomorrow.
Europe is heating faster than the global average as new data indicates that last year (2019) was the warmest on record.
While globally the year was the second warmest, a series of heatwaves helped push the region to a new high mark. Over the past five years, global temperatures were, on average, just over 1C warmer than at the end of the 19th century.
Netflix Gets 16 Million New Sign-Ups Thanks To Lockdown
Netflix has seen subscriber numbers surge this year, as lockdowns around the world keep people at home where they want to be entertained.
Almost 16 million people created accounts in the first three months of the year. That is almost double the new sign-ups it saw in the final months of 2019. However, the streaming service, which is behind some multi-million dollar productions, said shutdowns have halted "almost all" filming around the world.
Facebook's $5.7bn bet on India's richest man Mukesh Ambani
Facebook has said it is investing $5.7bn (£4.6bn) in cut-price Indian mobile internet company Reliance Jio, which is owned by the country's richest person Mukesh Ambani.
The deal makes the social network the largest minority shareholder in the telecoms unit of Reliance Industries, with a 9.99% stake.
It gives Facebook a major foothold in India, where its WhatsApp chat service has 400m users and is about to launch a payments service.
Reserve Bank Cancels License Of Goa's Oldest Mapusa Urban Co-Operative Bank
India's central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has canceled the license granted to the Mapusa Urban Co-operative Bank of Goa Ltd., Goa to conduct banking business which includes acceptance of deposits and repayment of deposits as defined in Section 5 (b) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 with immediate effect.
The order came into effect from the close of business on 16 April 2020.
Iran Says It Launched a Military Satellite Into Orbit
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in Iran had launched a military satellite into orbit, after months of unsuccessful efforts that raised the specter of outside sabotage.
There was no immediate independent confirmation of the announcement, which came amid wider tensions between Iran and the United States. This was the first military satellite ever launched by Iran.
Pune Municipal Corporation Develops 'Saiyam' App To Track Home-Quarantine
To track home quarantine people on a real-time basis, Pune Municipal Corporation has developed a mobile application named 'Saiyam'. The mobile application has GPS tracking so that whenever quarantined citizens leave their homes, city administration gets alerted and the local ward or the local police station gets informed, who then visit the family.
The municipal corporation has appointed dedicated teams for five zones of the city to monitor home quarantined citizens with technology in their hand.
Swiss Scientists Discovers Six-Planets System With Near 3:2 Resonance
A team of Scientists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, have discovered a six-planet system (a 'super-Earth' & five 'mini-Neptunes') orbiting the star HD 158259 in the Draco constellation.
The discovery was done by using the SOPHIE spectrograph installed at the Haute-Provence Observatory in the South of France and TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) exoplanet-hunting space telescope.
The star HD 158259, which is 88 light-years away from Earth, was observed by Astronomers for the last seven years. Every planet in the HD 158259 star has the same orbital resonance from its later planet and it is 3:2. This would be 1.5 according to Period Ratio. That is, when the inside planet makes three rounds, then immediately after that the planet makes two rounds.
N Kamakodi reappointed as MD and CEO of City Union Bank
Private sector lender City Union Bank reappointed N Kamakodi as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Bank. The appointment was approved by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 20 April, 2020. Kamakodi's reappointment is for a further period of three years with effect. The reappointment will be effective from 1 May 2020.
Kamakodi has been associated with the City Union Bank since 2003. He was elevated as MD and CEO in 2011.
Former Fiji Prime Minister Qarase Dies
Former Fiji prime minister Laisenia Qarase, who was installed as leader following one coup attempt and overthrown by another, died aged 79.
The founder of the Soqosoqo Duavata Ni Lewenivanua Party, who served as Fiji's sixth prime minister from 2000 to 2006, died in hospital after a short illness.
HSBC Appoints Noel Quinn as Permanent CEO
HSBC Holdings PLC has appointed Noel Quinn—a stalwart of the British bank—as chief executive seven months after he assumed the position on an interim basis.
Mr. Quinn has been with HSBC for more than 30 years. His appointment removes one element of uncertainty about Europe's largest bank as it deals with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, which has triggered the worst financial crisis in more than a decade.
On 22nd April 2020, World Earth Day will be celebrated across the globe via 'digital means' amid the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. PM Narendra Modi expressed his gratitude towards Mother Earth for the abundant gifts given by her. He also lauded the COVID-19 warriors who are leading humanity's fight against the Coronavirus pandemic in the challenging times.
World Earth Day 2020 will mark the 50th Anniversary of the day since it started being observed in 1970. To mark the day, Search Giant Google dedicated its doodle to one of the smallest and most critical organisms of the earth- the bees.
Earth Day 2020
On 22nd April 2020, World Earth Day will be celebrated across the globe via 'digital means' amid the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. PM Narendra Modi expressed his gratitude towards Mother Earth for the abundant gifts given by her. He also lauded the COVID-19 warriors who are leading humanity's fight against the Coronavirus pandemic in the challenging times.
World Earth Day 2020 will mark the 50th Anniversary of the day since it started being observed in 1970. To mark the day, Search Giant Google dedicated its doodle to one of the smallest and most critical organisms of the earth- the bees.
Shri Narendra Singh Tomar participates in the G-20 Extraordinary Agriculture Ministers Meeting
Union Agriculture Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar participated in an Extraordinary virtual meeting of G-20 Agriculture Ministers to address the issue of COVID-19 impacts on food security, safety and nutrition.
He shared the decision of Government of India to exempt all agriculture operations during lockdown period and ensuring continued availability of essential agriculture produce and supply, while adhering to protocol of social distancing, health and hygiene.
Book On Chernobyl Nuclear Accident Wins $5,000 Prize
The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster has won a $5,000 prize.
Higginbotham has received the William E. Colby Award, given for an outstanding book on military or intelligence history. The awarD is named for the late CIA director. It's presented by Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont, and sponsored in part by the Chicago-based Pritzker Military Foundation
Amid the lockdown for the coronavirus outbreak, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Tuesday gave the green signal for the third edition of his government''s ''Sujalam Sufalam Jal Sanchay Abhiyan'' , a conservation plan to deepen water bodies in the state before monsoon.
The scheme, which will continue till June 10, 2020 will see the deepening of lakes, check dams and rivers by removing silt, and it will be done with people''s participation as well as under MNREGA.
IREDA to handle CPSU Scheme Phase-II: MNRE
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) on its behalf in the amended clause has appointed the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) as the implementing agency to handle the Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) Scheme Phase-II & all issues regarding the time-extension and dispute resolution on inevitable events.
IREDA will conduct bidding for solar power projects allocation in the Scheme with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) amount as a bid parameter to select project proponents. MNRE will timely review the maximum permissible VGF amount & will reduce if the cost difference comes down.
TDB Approves Financial Support To MyLab Discovery Solutions For Ramping Up Production Of COVID-19 Diagnostic Kits
The Technology Development Board (TDB) has approved financial support to MyLab Discovery Solutions, Pune, for ramping up production of COVID-19 diagnostic kits. Mylab Discovery Solutions is the first indigenous company to develop real-time PCR based molecular diagnostic kit which screens and detects COVID 19 from samples.
The support from TDB will ensure ramp up in the production of the kits through automation of the facility. This aid is supposed to increase the capacity to one lakh tests per day from the current numbers of thirty thousand.
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