1. RBI gives approval  to Kamakodi’s reappointment as MD & CEO of City Union Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India has given its approval for the re-appointment of N Kamakodi as MD & CEO of City Union Bank (CUB).
• He has been appointed for three years with effect from May 1.
• Kamakodi has been associated with the Kumbakonam (Tamil Nadu) -headquartered CUB since 2003. He was elevated as MD and CEO in 2011.

Foot Notes: About RBI
Headquarters: Mumbai, India
Governor: Shaktikanta Das

About CUB:
It was formally called ‘The Kumbakonam Bank Limited’ & was incorporated as a limited company on 31st October, 1904.
Headquarters:  Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu
Tagline: Trust and Excellene since 1904

2. Earth Day is observed every year on 22 April

• The day is celebrated worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental protection. 
• The day was proposed at the UNESCO conference in 1969 and the first Earth Day celebrations took place in 1970.
• World Earth Day 2020 will mark the 50th Anniversary of the day since it started being observed in 1970.The theme of Earth Day 2020: ‘Climate Action’.

Foot notes: About UNESCO
Headquarters: Paris, France
Head: Audrey Azoulay
Founded: 16 November 1945, London, United Kingdom

3. Spain's bull-running festival canceled due to coronavirus pandemic

• Spain's best-known bull-running festival in the northern town of Pamplona has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
• Hundreds of thousands of people typically attend the centuries-old San Fermin celebration, which sees half-a tonne fighting bulls chase hundreds of daredevils, many wearing traditional white shirts and scarves, through the narrow streets of the city each morning.
• Pamplona's municipal council decided to call off the event, held each year between July 6 and 14, because of the fight against COVID-19.

Foot notes: About  Spain
Capital: Madrid
Prime Minister: Pedro Sánchez
Currency: Euro

4. India’s Agriculture minister joins G-20 meet over Covid-19 impact on food safety

• Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar participated in a virtual meeting of G-20 Agriculture Ministers to address the issue of Covid-19 impacts on food security, safety and nutrition.
• The G-20 Agriculture Ministers virtual meeting was organized through video conferencing by the Saudi Presidency to deliberate on the ways and means of ensuring continuity of the food supply value chain including livelihood of farmers.
• Agriculture Ministers of all G-20 members and the representatives of some guest countries and International organizations attended the meeting.
• The G-20 nations resolved to have international cooperation in the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, to avoid food wastage and losses, and maintain the continuity of the food supply value chain across borders.

Foot notes: About G-20
Chairman: King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud(Saudi Arabia)(2020)
Founder: Group of Seven(G-7)
Founded: 26 September 1999

5. Manipur becomes the second state after Goa to be Corona free

• Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has declared the state now has no COVID-19 active case as the second coronavirus patient was discharged from hospital after he tested negative for the deadly virus. 
• Though the State has no COVID-19 active case now but people should keep vigil all the time.
• Manipur had two confirmed COVID-19 cases but both the patients, a 23-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man have recovered and have been discharged from hospital.
• Goa was declared a Corona free State a few days back.

Foot Notes: About Manipur
Capital: Imphal
Governor: Najma Heptulla
Chief Minister: N Biren Singh

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6. Britain's Parliament prepares for virtual debates amid COVID-19 lockdown

• Britain's Parliament is preparing for MPs to return to the House of Commons to hold virtual debates and pave the way for a historic hybrid parliamentary setting amid the coronavirus lockdown.
• Unprecedented changes to the main House of Commons chamber will be rolled out to let politicians tune into statements and question sessions via video link.
• Screens have been installed in the chamber to allow MPs to speak remotely while the limited number attending in person will be signposted where to sit. 
• The new practices will initially operate until May 12, although could remain in place for longer.

Foot notes: About Britain
Queen: Queen Elizabeth II 
Constituent countries: England; Scotland; Wales; Northern Ireland
Prime Minister: Boris Johnson
Currency: Pound Sterling

7. Israel’s Netanyahu and rival Gantz agree to form ‘emergency’ coalition government

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his chief rival signed an agreement to form an “emergency” coalition government.
• The deal between Netanyahu’s Likud Party and former military chief Benny Gantz’s Blue and White ends months of political paralysis and averts what would have been a fourth consecutive election in just over a year.
• After the last vote on March 2 ended in a stalemate, Netanyahu and former military chief Benny Gantz agreed late last month to try to form a unity government because of the burgeoning coronavirus crisis. The power-sharing agreement means that Netanyahu will almost certainly remain in office for the duration of his upcoming trial on corruption charges.

Foot Notes: About Israel
Capital: Jerusalem
President: Reuven Rivlin
Prime Minister: Benjamin Netanyahu

8. Iran successfully launched a military satellite into Orbit

• Iran successfully launched a military satellite and the first satellite of the Islamic Republic of Iran successfully launched into orbit by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
• Satellite reached an orbit of 425 kilometers (264 miles) above the  Earth's surface. The two-stage launch took place in Iran's Central Desert, The satellite was sent into orbit using a Ghased, or "Messenger," satellite. 

Foot Notes: About Iran
Capital: Tehran
President: Hassan Rouhani
Currency: Iranian rial

9. Donald Trump to temporarily suspend immigration to US

• President Donald Trump said he will suspend all immigration into the United States temporarily through an executive order. He has said his forthcoming executive order barring new immigration will apply only to people seeking green cards, will last 60 days. 
• It won't affect workers entering the country on a temporary basis.
• Instead, President Trump said the provision would amount to a 60-day pause only on people seeking permanent resident status in the United States. 
• He would review the executive order at the end of that period and decide if it should be renewed.

10. Third edition of Gujarat’s ''Sujalam Sufalam Jal Sanchay Abhiyan'' begins

• Amid the lockdown for the coronavirus outbreak, Gujarat’s  Chief Minister Vijay Rupani gave the green signal for the third edition of his government's ''Sujalam Sufalam Jal Sanchay Abhiyan''.
• This is a conservation plan to deepen water bodies in the state before monsoon.
• The scheme, which will continue till June 10, 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 MGNREGA.
• Apart from maintaining social distancing, local authorities need to provide masks and sanitizers to the workers.
• The scheme was started in 2018 after a weak monsoon, and till date, the state's water storage capacity has increased by 23,000 lakh cubic feet due to deepening of lakes, check-dams, rivers and reservoirs.

Foot Notes: About Gujarat
Capital: Gandhinagar
Governor: Acharya Devvrat