In Ukraine, comedian and political newcomer Volodymyr Zelensky has apparently secured a landslide victory in the 2019 Presidential election. Mr Zelensky is best known for starring in a satirical television series ‘Servant of the People’ in which his character accidentally becomes Ukrainian president. The pressure will now be on Mr Zelensky to demonstrate that he knows what he is doing. Throughout the election campaign, he avoided serious interviews and discussions about policy – preferring instead to post light-hearted videos to social media.

State Bank of India has launched India’s first ‘Green Car Loan’ (loans for Electric Vehicle) to encourage customers to buy electric vehicles. The interest rate in SBI Green car loans will be 20 basis points less than the normal car loan schemes. It will also come with the longest repayment period of up to eight years.

The Reserve Bank of India has announced that it has divested its entire stake in NABARD and NHB on February 26, 2019, and March 19, 2019, respectively. RBI has a share of Rs 20 Crore in NABARD and Rs 1450 Crore in NHB.

The UAE Space Agency and Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) have announced that 85 percent of the Hope Probe project has been completed. Hope Probe is an ambitious dream project of UAE to send a mission to Mars.

The Supreme Court on April 23, 2019 constituted a three-judge panel headed by Justice SA Bobde, the senior-most judge in apex court after the Chief Justice of India (CJI), to inquire into the sexual harassment complaint by a former junior court assistant against CJI Ranjan Gogoi. Besides Justice SA Bobde, the inquiry panel comprises Justice NV Ramana, the next senior most judge, and Justice Indira Banerjee, who was elevated to the Supreme Court on August 7, 2018.

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance collaborated with Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance to launch their 1st product titled ‘Total Health Secure Goal’.The product is a combination of 2 existing plans, namely, Health Guard policy by Bajaj Allianz General Insurance and iSecure policy by Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance.This combined plan offers customers a 5% extra discount on the total premium and also provides the flexibility of availing service or communication on the product.The product provides an overall insurance solution and ensures that health and security needs of the customer are taken care of without compromising on their savings.

Two Indian Navy warships – the stealth guided missile destroyer INS Kolkata and tanker INS Shakti – will participate in the International Fleet Review (IFR) as part of 70TH Anniversary celebrations of PLA (Navy) at Qingdao, China on 23 April, 2019. IFR is a parade of naval ships, aircraft and submarines, and is organised by nations to promote goodwill, strengthen cooperation and showcase their organisational capabilities. IFR also serves as an ideal platform for world’s navies to showcase their prowess and indigenous ship designing and ship building capabilities in a global/ international arena.

Saudi Arabia will host the 15th edition of G20 summit in its capital Riyadh, which is scheduled to be held on November 21-22, 2020. This would be the first G20 summit to be hosted by an Arab country. The summit’s agenda will include financial, economic and social issues including energy, the environment, climate, the digital economy, trade, agriculture, healthcare, education and labour. The G20 consists of Germany, the US, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Indonesia, France, South Africa, South Korea, India, the UK, Italy, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the European Union.

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has reduced the minimum subscription requirement for Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs). SEBI has also defined trading lots for REITs and InvITs. Minimum subscription requirement for REITs: Rs 50,000 (and its multiple) [earlier its was Rs 2 lakhs]. Minimum subscription requirement for InvITs: Rs 1 lakh  (and its multiple) [earlier its was Rs 10 lakhs]

 The 2019 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards were announced on April 22, 2019 with 18 organizations in India winning total 43 Stevie Awards including 10 Gold Stevies, 19 Silver, and 14 Bronze.  The winners of the sixth annual Asia-Pacific Stevie awards will be presented their awards in Singapore on 31 May, 2019. The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are the only business awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace in all 29 nations of the Asia-Pacific region.

Several events and campaigns held worldwide on the occasion of Earth Day 2019 to support and protect environment of the earth. This year’s theme is – Protect Our Species. The theme lays emphasis on protection of the planet and preservation of its environment.

SBI General Insurance (SBIG) has launched a new insurance product named – Cyber Defence Insurance. The insurance plan will offer cyber insurance to businesses. In the initial phase, it will focus on small medium-sized enterprise (SME), mid-market businesses.

The Royal Society of London has announced a list of 51 eminent scientists elected to its fellowship in the year 2019. Among these is Dr. Gagandeep Kang, who is now with the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad. With this feat, Dr. Kang has become the India’s first female scientist to be elected to the Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). She is known for her inter-disciplinary research studying the transmission, development and prevention of enteric infections and their sequelae in children in India. She has built national rotavirus and typhoid surveillance networks and conducted phase 1-3 trials of vaccines, which has supported two WHO pre-qualified vaccines.

A book containing English translation of the 100-year-old classic Punjabi poem about Jallianwala Bagh massacre, ‘Khooni Vaisakhi’ has been released in Abu Dhabi. India’s Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri has commended the launch of a book containing English translation of the Punjabi poem. The poem was translated by Mr Suri whose grandfather, revolutionary poet and novelist Nanak Singh, a Jallianwala Bagh survivor, wrote it after witnessing first-hand the events of April 13, 1919. On this ill-fated day, British troops fired upon crowds of protesters peacefully demonstrating against the Rowlatt Act of the British Raj, leading to the loss of well over a thousand lives. The book was also released in New Delhi on 13th April 2019, marking 100 years since the Jallianwala Bagh massacre that took place in Amritsar.

The strategy comprised of eight objectives. It includes the reaffirmation of the UAE’s position as a global artificial intelligence (AI) hub. It’ll be put into operation by the Emirates Council for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transactions.

To make domestic industry competitive at the global level, the steering committee, led by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, has finalised the mission’s approach. Rs 10,000 crore has been earmarked under FAME-II to roll out 1 million electric buses, in the next couple of years, in the country.

The Monastery has been reconstructed with the Indian government’s grant of 18.9 million Nepalese rupees. It was established in 1946. It is an integral part of the social and cultural life of people in the area.