Marco Normativo:

Stamps issued to Aprk Shakespeare’s 400th death anniversary

Britain’s Royal Mail has issued a set of special postage stamps to Aprk the 400th death anniversary of playwright William Shakespeare.

• Ten First Class stamps pay tribute to the genius of Shakespeare through his immortal words and poetry. They will be sold at 8,000 post offices across Britain.

Bronze bust of Aryabhatta unveiled at UNESCO Headquarters

A bronze bust of ancient Indian mathematician and astronomer Aryabhatta has been unveiled at the UNESCO by the HRD Minister Smriti Irani in an international conference on the zero in

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Paris, France.

• The bust has been sculpted by renowned Indian sculptor Ram Sutar who was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian awards for his contribution to the world of art.

• Ram Sutar was recently awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian awards in India, for his contribution to the world of art.

International Conference on the Zero:

• UNESCO with the Pierre and Aprie Curie University, Paris, will host anInternational Conference on the Zero on 4-5 April, 2016 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

• The highlight will be Zero: Infinity and Set Theory conducted by Mr.Romain Attal from the Palais de La Decouverte in Paris.

Shakespeare’s First Folio discovered on Scottish island

A copy of William Shakespeare’s original First Folio, a most sought-after books containing 36 of the Bards plays, has been discovered at a stately home on a remote Scottish island.

• The Shakespeare’s plays, published in 1623, was found at Mount Stuart House on the Isle of Bute.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh Statue to be ensconced in France.

The statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh will be installed in France’s Saint-Tropez town, the birth place of Army General Jean-Francois Allard.

• Henri Prevosat-Allard, Deputy Mayor and in-charge of tourism of Saint-Tropez met Punjab Tourism Minister Sohan Singh Thandal to invite him for the ceremony which will be held in the month of September.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt agree to build bridge over Red Sea

Saudi Arabia’s has announced a pact with Egypt to build a bridge over the Red Sea linking the two countries. The deals agreed with would amount to about $1.7bn.

• This historic step to connect the two continents,Africaand Asia, is a qualitative transformation that will increase trade between the two continents to unprecedented levels.

China, Sri Lanka to redefine Colombo Port City project

China and Sri Lanka have decided to redefine the Colombo Port City project by making it an international financial outpost in the Indian Ocean, as part of the 20-year framework

• Once the Port comes to operation it will be the bigger city in the Indian Ocean where there will be more opportunity of infrastructure development by Chinese and other companies.

• The budget is estimated to be US$1.5 billion.

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Dubai to build tower taller than BurjKhalifa

Dubai plans to build a tower that will stand higher than its BurjKhalifa, currently the world’s tallest skyscraper, will be built by property developer Emaar. The total cost will be USD 1 billion.

Nauru becomes 189th member of IMF, World Bank

South Pacific island nation Nauru has become the 189th member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

• Nauru applied for membership in the Washington-based IMF and World Bank in April 2014, after joining the United Nations in 1996 as the world’s smallest independent republic.

• South Sudan had become the institution’s188th member and last country to join the IMF and World Bank in April 2012.

South Korea’s opposition party wins general election

South Korea’s main opposition party won a surprise victory in general election, ending the 16-year parliamentary majority.

• The main opposition Minjoo Party won 123 in the 300-member National Assembly and Park’s Saenuri Party yesterday won 122 seats in the 300-member National Assembly.

• The splinter opposition People’s Party bagged 38 spots, and another six seats went to the Justice Party.

New York Mayor declares April 14 as Bindeshwar Pathak Day

New York City declared this year’s April 14 as ‘Bindeshwar Pathak Day’ in recognition” of the contributions made by the Indian social activist and ‘Sulabh International’ founder for

improving the lives of people engaged in the “most dehumanising situation”.

• New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio honoured Pathak for his outstanding work to improve health and hygiene and “moving the world forward“.

US jury slaps $940 million fine two companies of India’s Tata group

A US grand jury has slapped $ 940 million fine on two companies of India’s Tata group namely Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Tata America International Corp

• TCS and Tata America International must pay USD 240 million to Epic Systems for stealing its software

• Tata firms have also been asked to pay another USD 700 million as penalty.

WADA revokes Russian lab accreditation

World Anti-Doping Agency revoked the accreditation of the Moscow Antidoping Center of Russia due to non-compliance with the International Standard for Laboratories and the

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related Technical Documents

• The laboratory had been suspended on November 10, 2015 as recommended in the WADA independent commission report that laid bare evidence of state-sponsored doping and corruption in sport in the country.

EU approves anti-terror plan to collect air passenger information

European Union lawmakers approved a scheme, to share airline passenger information.

• The scheme is used to track foreign fighters travelling to and from conflict areas like Syria.

• Passenger Name Record law was approved at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, by 461 votes to 179, with nine abstentions.

Global Leaders Launch First ever Investment Framework for Nutrition and Call for Immediate Action

Introduction:

Due to decline in the progress of Nutrition, World level leading researchers and

Economists in Nutrition fields have initiated thorough researches on Nutrition and reiterate the Governments and Businesspersons to invest in Nutrition to accelerate progress for Nutrition.

Hosted By: The Investing in Nutrition: The Foundation for Development event by World Bank Malnutrition:

Malnutrition is basic cause for fatal and nearly half of deaths of children under 5 years of age in every year due to unbalanced diet.

Global Nutrition Report:

• Every $1 of investment in nutrition would produce $16 in benefits

• In order to save an estimated 2.2 million lives, we have to invest an additional $2.2 billion per year in nutrition for next 10 years.

Conclusion:

Every Global Leaders, Governments, Donors and Business to make financial policies and

commitments in 2016 including African Development Banks meeting in Lusaka in May 2016.

Cabinet clears expansion of India-Chile trade agreement

Introduction: Union Government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has successfully accorded its approval for expansion of the India – Chile Preferential Trade Agreement

• Expressing the happiness for the approval, Ambassador on Special mission to the Asia-Pacific, Eduardo Frei told that the issues were resolved and we hoped to sign the Agreement when he lead a high Level business and Official delegation during visit to India.

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Europe becomes world’s first region to end malaria: WHO

Europe has become the world’s first region to eliminate malaria the zone recorded with zero cases reported last year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

• The number of cases reported dropped to zero in 2015 from 90,712 in 1995, and the last cases were reported in Tajikistan in 2014.

India, China agree for peaceful negotiations to settle border issue

Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval visited china for the 19th round of boundary talks was supposed to be held in earlier this year, but it was postponed following the Pathankot terrorist attack.

• India and China agreed to go with peaceful negotiations to settle the hostile border issue and reach a fair and mutually acceptable solution by the sides.

• These negotiations were decided during the annual 19th round of boundary

talks here between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi to discuss the way forward to decide the dispute between the two nations.

Anti Slavery Crusader Harriet Tubman to be first African-American on US Dollar

• USD: $

• Official Currency of the United States and its insular territories

• Federal Reserve Note and equivalent to 100 cents

Insular Territories: 13, Three in the Caribbean (Navassa Island, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands) and ten in the Pacific (American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, the Northern Apriana Islands and Wake Atoll)

India signed World Trade Organization’s Trade facilitation agreement Headquarter: Geneva

Director General: Roberto Azevedo

India officially signed the World trade organization’s trade facilitation agreement Aim:Make easier at customs procedures to boost commerce

Union Government Commerce and Industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman expressed her views that move would supplement India’s ongoing reforms to bring in simplification and transparency in cross-border trade in goods.

• The Instrument of Acceptance has been handed over by the India’s WTO ambassador Anjali Prasad to WTO director General Roberto Azevedo and he added that our nation is one of the most dynamic economies and progressing exponentially and has become top in destination for Foreign Investment.

• India will be 76^th WTO member to accept the Trade Facilitation Agreement.

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India and French jointly launches programmes under International Solar Alliance Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy ShriPiyush Goal Jointly launches programmes under International Solar Allicance along with Ms. Segolene Royal, French Minister of Environment & President of COP21

Venue: Headquarters of the United Nations in New York

Delegates: Ministers and Representatives from over 25 countries including Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Namibia, Uganda, Nigeria, Peru, Djibouti, Surinam, Zambia, Bolivia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Mali, USA along with India and France

In order to develop the massive progress in Solar Energy the following demands have been formulated

1. Solar Finance – Lower the cost of finance and facilitate the flow of $1000 billion investment

2. Improved solar technologies – Macro level technologies to be adopted

3. Future Solar technologies and Capacity building through Research and development and to improve the efficiency and Integration

The Two Programmes of the International Solar Alliance 1. Affordable finance at Scale

2. Scaling solar applications for agricultural use

Recreation of destroyed Palmyra arch unveiled

A model of the Palmyra Arch a two thousand year old Syrian architectural landAprk believed to have been destroyed by Islamic militant group ISIS

• It measures 15-feet-high (4.6-metre-high) was officially unveiled by Mayor Boris Johnson. Palmyra site including the necropolis outside the walls was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1980

Cuba removes ban on Cubans entering or leaving the country by sea

The Cuban government adjusted its migration policy and lifted a restriction that prevented Cubans from entering or leaving the country by cruise ship or commercial vessel opening the way for U.S. cruise operator Carnival Corp to set sail for the country from Miami next week

• Previously Cuba did not allow Cuban-born individuals living elsewhere to travel to the island by a commercial vessel.

India lays foundation for final phase of Housing Project in Central and Uva Provinces of Sri Lanka

India lays foundation stone for 4000 houses under the third and final phase of Housing Project in Central and Uva Provinces of Sri Lanka.

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• High Commissioner of India, Y.K.Sinha, and Minister of Infrastructure and Community Development, Palani Digambaram jointly laid the foundation stone for the third phase of the Indian Housing Project at Dunsinane Estate in Nuwara Eliya District.

Saudi Arabia unveiled Vision 2030 cutting reliance on oil

Saudi Arabia kingdom has approved the Vision 2030, along term economic reform plan. The Blue Print charts out the roadmap to broaden the country’s economy in next 14 years and to ensure reduction in oil dependency and to live without oil by 2020.

• It envisions forming Investment fund from the Public, offering affordable housing and providing expats long-term residence among others.

Bangladesh brings in law to impeach Supreme Court judges

Bangladesh government passed a draft of the Bangladesh Supreme Court Judge (Investigation Act) 2016.

• It will empower the Parliament to impeach the Supreme Court judges for misbehavior and incapacity as well as physical and mental incapability.

• The proposed law allows any citizen with evidence can submit allegations of

misconduct or incapacity against a Supreme Court judge to the Speaker of Parliament.

Indian Air Force (IAF) for the first time took part in Exercise Red Flag

The New Delhi based Indian Air Force top pilots and jets participating in the Exercise Red Flag are kept ready to go for the kill during the Main Conduct Phase.

• The Air Force team currently in the United States for the Exercise Red Flag to have completed the Work-up Phase at Eielson Air force base Alska.

• The Indian side taking part including four Sukhois, four Jaguars, two IL-78 tankers and two C-17s strategic airlift platforms are participating in this exercise.