Russia's foreign ministry said that it had expelled a Ukrainian diplomat in retaliation for Kyiv kicking out an employee of the Russian embassy earlier this month.
Russia and Ukraine expelled a diplomat each earlier this month after Moscow accused a Ukrainian consul in St. Petersburg of trying to obtain classified information.
Ukraine's foreign ministry called the decision "another provocation" and said that in the near future it would announce "on the basis of reciprocity" the expulsion of a Russian diplomat from country.
Tanzanian President Pardons 5,000 Prisoners
Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan has pardoned more than 5,000 prisoners to celebrate Union Day.
President Samia urged the released inmates to put into practice the lessons they learnt in prison and lead responsible lives when re-joining their communities.
Union Day marks the coming together of Tanganyika and Zanzibar to form the Republic of Tanzania on 26 of April 1964.
Pardoning prisoners on Union Day is an annual tradition.
Last year, the late President John Magufuli pardoned 3,973 prisoners in order to ease congestion in prisons.
About 35,000 prisoners are reported to be in the country's jails.
Chad's Interim Prime Minister Named
Chad's new ruling military council has named as interim Prime Minister the runner-up in this month's presidential election.
The appointment of Albert Pahimi Padacké follows last week's battlefield death of President Idriss Déby.
Mr. Padacké served as Prime Minister under Mr Déby until the post was abolished in 2018.
An opposition leader, Yacine Abderamane, has refused to accept Mr. Padacké's nomination saying the transitional military council has no right to make such an appointment.
Mr. Déby was killed the day after he won the presidential election.
He was fighting rebels who swept into Chad from their bases in Libya.
Global Carbon Emissions Set for Second-biggest Increase
According to a new International Energy Agency (IEA) report, global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions are on course to surge by 1.5 billion tonnes in 2021 - the second-largest increase in history - reversing most of last year's decline caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This will be the biggest annual rise in emissions since 2010 during the carbon-intensive recovery from the global financial crisis.
The IEA's Global Energy Review 2021 estimates that CO2 emissions will increase by almost 5 per cent this year to 33 billion tonnes, based on the latest national data from around the world as well as real-time analysis of economic growth trends and new energy projects that are set to come online.
RBI Cancels Licence of Bhagyodaya Friends Urban Co-Operative Bank
The RBI cancelled the licence of Bhagyodaya Friends Urban Co-operative Bank Limited (Amravati), as the lender does not have adequate capital and will be unable to pay its present depositors in full.
However, as per the data submitted by the bank, more than 98 per cent of the depositors will receive the full amounts of their deposits from Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).
On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive a deposit insurance claim amount of his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of Rs. 5 lakh from DICGC, subject to the provisions of the DICGC Act, 1961.
Reliance, BP Start Production at Satellite Cluster
Reliance Industries (RIL) and BP announced the start of production from the Satellite Cluster gas field, in block KG-D6, ahead of schedule. The second of the three deep-water gas developments, planned jointly, was expected to start production in mid-2021.
RIL and BP have been developing R Cluster, Satellite Cluster and MJ in the KG-D6 block — which together is expected to produce around 30 mmscmd (1 billion cubic feet a day) of natural gas by 2023. It will meet up to 15 per cent of the country's gas de¬mand.
Despite Covid-19 challe¬nges, the Satellite Cluster field has come onstream two months ahead of schedule, it said. The field is located about 60 km from the existing on¬shore terminal at Kakinada on the East Coast in water depths of up to 1,850 metres.
The fields will each utilise the existing hub infrastructure in the KG-D6 block. RIL is the operator of the block with a 66.67 per cent participating interest, while BP holds 33.33 per cent.
RBI Turns Net Seller of US Dollars in February
According to RBI data, the Reserve Bank turned net seller of the US dollar in February 2021, offloading USD 1.219 billion in the spot market.
This is for the second time in the financial year 2020-21 when the central bank sold the US currency in the spot market on a net basis. In April 2020, RBI had net sold USD 1.142 billion. Since then, it remained a net purchaser for straight nine months till January 2021.
During February 2021, RBI bought USD 23.352 billion and sold USD 24.571 billion in the spot market, the central bank said in its monthly bulletin for April 2021.
In the same month of 2020, RBI had net purchased USD 9.144 billion.
Nadal Outlasts Stefanos Tsitsipas to Win Title for 12th Time
Rafael Nadal just kept grinding it out. He found a way to overcome lost opportunities in the Barcelona Open final and escape defeat while facing a red-hot opponent.
Nadal won his first title of the year, squandering a couple of match points and then saving one on his way to beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-7 (6), 7-5. Nadal secured his record 12th title at the clay-court tournament by converting on his third match point to cap a satisfying victory. It had been a lackluster start to the season for the third-ranked Nadal after he didn't play much last year amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Amit Panghal Gets Bronze in Russia
Haryana boxer Amit Panghal had to be content with a bronze medal in the 52 kg category at the Governor's Cup in St Petersburg after going down to world champion Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan in the semifinals.
Panghal, winner of a silver medal at the 2019 World Championships, lost 0-5 to Zoirov, who is also the reigning Olympics champion. This was the Indian's second loss to Zoirov after the 2019 World Championships, in which Panghal had lost in the gold medal bout, with the same 5-0 scoreline.
Both the boxers could again clash at the Tokyo Olympics Games, to be held in July-August. Incidentally, Zoirov had been beaten by India's Asian silver-winning boxer Deepak Kumar in the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Bulgaria in February this year.
EC Bans All Victory Processions on and after May 2 Election Results
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that it has banned all victory processions on or after the counting of votes for the assembly elections in four states and one Union Territory that is scheduled to be declared on May 2.
The decision comes amid the nation's fight against the unprecedented surge in COVID-19 infections.
The Madras High Court yesterday said that the EC responsible for the second wave of the COVID pandemic by allowing political rallies in the country and that the officials should be booked for murder.
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the military spending across the world rose to $1,981 billion in 2020, registering an increase of 2.6 per cent as compared with figures for 2019.
According to the data published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the five biggest spenders in 2020, which together accounted for 62 per cent of the global military expenditure, were the United States, China, India, Russia and the United Kingdom.
The US military expenditure reached an estimated $778 billion, representing an increase of 4.4 per cent over 2019, while the spending by China grew for the 26th consecutive year, says the report titled 'Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2020'.
Swarnim Vijay Mashaal Reaches Jammu, Tributes Paid to 1971 War Heroes
The 'Swarnim Vijay Mashaal', marking the commemoration of 50 years of India's victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war, arrived at the Jammu-based Tiger Division.
The victory torch was received at the Tiger War Memorial by Lt Col Rishma Sarin, the wife of Major Mohit Sharma who sacrificed his life in the service of the nation during an encounter with terrorists in Kupwara district in 2009.
The ceremony at the Tiger War Memorial started with laying of wreaths by Maj Gen Neeraj Gosain, General Officer Commanding Tiger Division, Brig N R Pandey, Brig G S Shan (Retd), veterans and the serving soldiers of Tiger Division.
Former Maruti Suzuki MD Jagdish Khattar Passes Away
Former managing director of Maruti Suzuki India, Jagdish Khattar, passed away.
Khattar, a former bureaucrat, was considered as one of the most high profile leaders of the Indian automotive industry, laying the foundation for Maruti's future growth after the government began its disinvestment in 2002 and gradually exited from its joint venture with Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC).
He had joined the then Maruti Udyog Ltd in July 1993 as director (marketing) and went on to become executive director (marketing) in the next six years. He was promoted as joint managing director in 1999, a year that saw various disagreements between SMC and the government.
Waman Bhonsle, National Award-winning Film Editor Passes Away
National-award winning editor Waman Bhonsle passed away. He was 87.
Bhonsle won the best editing award at the 25th National Film award for 'Inkaar'.
Born in Pomburpa village in Goa, Bhonsle came to Mumbai in 1952 in search of a job and later started training under his family-friend, "Pakeezah" fame editor D N Pai, at the Bombay Talkies.
The Chinese born film maker Chloe Zhao has become the first Asian woman to win the Best director at the Academy Awards. She won the award for her film Nomadland.
Zhao was born in China and went to a boarding school in London. She then moved to Los Angeles where she completed her high school. Her debut film was Songs My Brothers Taught me. It was premiered at Sundance Film Festival. Her second film was The Rider. It received nominations at the Independent Spirit Award for the Best Film and Best Director.
Nomadland won three major awards namely Best Director, Best Actress for Frances McDormand and Best Picture. The film is about a woman who leaves town after her husband dies. She also becomes houseless as sole industry closes down. She then lives in a van and travels around the US.
Telangana Promotes All School Students from Classes 1 to 9
Telangana issued an order promoting all students from Classes 1 to 9 studying in government, aided and private unaided schools to the next higher class for the academic year 2021-22.
Education Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy said that the state has decided not to detain anyone from classes 1 to 9 in the state.
The order issued by the government said, "The government, after careful examination of the matter and keeping in view of the hardship caused due to the Covid-19 pandemic, hereby accord permission to the Director of School Education (FAC), Telangana, Hyderabad, to promote all students of classes 1 to 9 studying in government, aided, and private unaided schools during the academic year 2020-21 to next higher classes in the academic year 2021-22."
Periyar University Launches Online Learning Portal for UG, PG Courses
Periyar University, Salem, has announced to launch an online learning portal http://www.periyaedu.in. It will offer undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in multiple domains with a live learning process. The University announced this as an initiative to expand its offerings in line with the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP2020).
Through the live learning portal periyaredu.in, the varsity will offer MBA, MSc in Mathematics, MA with specializations in English and History, and Masters in Commerce. It will also offer Bachelors of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts in English to aspirants looking to get into business management and literature as a domain, respectively.
With the launch of the online portal, Periyar University aims to improve the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Higher Education which currently stands at 27.4%.
Special Scholarships to South Asian Students by University of Dundee
The University of Dundee is offering South Asia Scholarships worth 5000 GBP/year for undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) students commencing September 2021 and January 2022. The scholarship is to support students from South Asia during these challenging times, which includes students from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The eligibility criteria for the undergraduate programme is that the student must be studying a full-time undergraduate programme excluding programmes in the School of Medicine or the School of Dentistry, should be domiciled in South Asia and have international fee status.
For postgraduate programme scholarship, the student must be studying a full time, 180 credit PG programme over the course of 1 year. If you are studying a 2-year full-time programme, you may be eligible for the awards in both years. The applicant must be domiciled in South Asia and have an international fee status.
E-Book "Climate Change Explained - For One And All"
The climate activist-author, Aakash Ranison has come out with a new e-book titled "Climate Change Explained – for one and all", on the occasion of Earth Day. Through the e-book, the author explains the impact of climate change and aims to motivate readers to reduce its outcome with the help of simple sustainable solutions.
The book is a mix of facts, data, and information about climate change, having topics like "Greenhouse effect, global warming, Carbon footprint" and their effects on earth in the near future.
Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli inaugurated the newly-constructed historic Dharahara Tower that collapsed in a powerful earthquake in 2015, a day before the disaster's sixth anniversary.
The 19th century, 11-storey tower, a major tourist attraction, was among the buildings which collapsed in the 7.8-magnitude quake that hit the country on April 25, killing nearly 9,000 people and injuring about 22,000 others.
Oli inaugurated the new 22-storey, 84-metre white tower that was built two and a half centuries ago as per the orders of then Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari, by showering flowers from the top-floor balcony and declaring it open to the general public.
The tower had already been rebuilt once, after a 1934 earthquake and is part of a huge national reconstruction programme.
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