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- 26th BASIC Ministerial meeting of Environment Ministers in Durban
The 26th BASIC Ministerial Meeting of Environment Ministers was held in Durban, South Africa for co-operation to protect the climate for present and future generations.
- The BASIC grouping is a bloc of four countries – Brazil, South Africa, India and China – formed by an agreement on November 28, 2009.
- International Bio-diversity Day: 22 May
The International Bio-diversity Day is observed on 22nd May every year to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.
- The theme for this year is, ‘Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity’.
- 2018 marks the 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity and to highlight progress made in the achievement of its objectives at the national and global levels.
- India to attend SCO meet in Pakistan
An Indian delegation will be among those attending an anti-terrorism conference being held here under the banner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Pakistan’s Foreign Office said on Tuesday.
- Pakistan will be hosting its first SCO meeting, since the country along with India became a member of the organisation in June 2017.
- Experts from the eight SCO member states – China, Kazakhstan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan – as well as representatives of the SCO-Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) will participate in the three-day meeting.
- 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.
- This was sixth such Regional Conference in the series in a lead-up to 3rd Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) which is being hosted by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India in collaboration with AIIB, Government of Maharashtra, RIS and CII among others in Mumbai on 25th and 26th June, 2018.
- The one day Seminar in Bhopal was also organized by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India in collaboration with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) and the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI).
- Workshop on “Ganga and its Biodiversity
Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari released the report on “Status of Conservation of Select Aquatic Species” in river Ganga in New Delhi.
- He also inaugurated a day-long workshop organized by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on the theme “Ganga and its Biodiversity: Developing a Road Map for Habitat and Species Conservation”.
- A database of Ganga Praharis’, a self-motivated cadre, being created by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) was also launched by the Minister.
- GDP growth in Q4 of FY18 seen at 7.4%: Icra
Rating agency Icra expects GDP growth in January-March 2017-18 at 7.4 per cent on account of good rabi crop harvest and improved corporate earnings, up from 7.2 per cent in the third quarter.
- The Central Statistics Office (CSO) is scheduled to come out with GDP estimate for the fourth quarter (Q4) of fiscal 2017-18 and provisional annual estimates for the year 2017-18 on May 31.
- As per Icra, the growth of the Indian gross value added (GVA) at basic prices in year-on-year (YoY) terms is likely to record a considerable recovery to 7.3 per cent in Q4 FY2018.
- Moody’s downgrades PNB’s deposit ratings
Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded the local and foreign currency deposit ratings of fraud-hit Punjab National Bank to Ba1/NP from Baa3/P-3.
- The global credit rating agency has also downgraded the bank’s baseline credit assessment (BCA) and Adjusted BCA to B1 from Ba3.
- SBI net loss widens to Rs 7,718 cr in Q4
State Bank of India’s net loss widened to Rs 7,718 crore in the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2018 against Rs 3,442 crore in the year-ago quarter.
- Total provisions, including towards loan loss, rose to Rs 23,601 crore from Rs 20,751 crore in the year-ago quarter.
- Gross non-performing assets rose to Rs 2,23,427 crore as at March-end 2018 against Rs 1,77,866 crore as at March end 2017.
- 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.
Source: currentaffairs.wifistudy.com
