 NITI Aayog, the premier think tank of the Government of India, partnered with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to host a South Asian regional conference at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi to discuss the key issues, perspectives and the way forward in the Urban Infrastructure. The two-day conference on “Urban Infrastructure: New Approaches to Public & Private Partnerships and Municipal Finance Innovations” was inaugurated by CEO, NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant. |
| Source- Press Information Bureau (PIB) |
 Every year on 16 November, the international community celebrates the International Day for Tolerance with activities that target both educational institutions and the general public. In 1996, the UN General Assembly invited the UN Member States to observe the International Day for Tolerance on 16 November. |
| UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence: In 1995, to mark the United Nations Year for Tolerance and the 125th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, UNESCO created a prize for the promotion of tolerance and non-violence. The 2018 winners are social entrepreneur and filmmaker Manon Barbeau (Canada) and the Coexist Initiative, a non-profit organization working to end violence against women (Kenya). |
| Source- The UNESCO |
 Former Australia all-rounder John Hastings has retired from all cricket, citing the risks posed by a bleeding lung condition. Hastings played one Test, 29 ODIs and nine Twenty20 internationals for Australia before retiring from Tests and ODIs a year ago to become a T20 specialist. |
| Source- The Firstpost |
 The third edition of the India International Cherry Blossom Festival 2018 was held in Shillong. It was inaugurated by the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in the presence of Japanese Ambassador to India, Kenji Hiramatsu. The four-day long festival is being organized by the Forest and Environment Department, Govt of Meghalaya, Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. It celebrates the unique autumn flowering of the Himalayan Cherry Blossoms with several cultural events. |
| Source- AIR World Service |
 The United Nations Children’s Fund-India (UNICEF) has appointed Asian Games gold-medalist sprinter Hima Das as India’s first ever Youth Ambassador. Recently, Hima clinched a Gold medal in Women’s 4×400 metre relay event at the 2018 Asian Games at Jakarta, Indonesian. She also won Silver in the Women’s 400m Race event with a clock timing of 50.59 seconds. |
| Source- India Today |
 Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Radha Mohan Singh launched the ‘Yuva Sahakar-Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme’ of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). The schemes aims for attracting youth to cooperative business ventures. The scheme will be linked to Rs 1000 crore ‘Cooperative Start-up and Innovation Fund (CSIF)’created by the NCDC. The funding for the project will be up to 80% of the project cost for these special categories against 70% for others. |
| Source- Press Information Bureau (PIB) |
 Satya Pal Singh, Minister of State for Human Resource Development, launched two new initiatives, namely, the Leadership for Academicians Programme (LEAP) and the Annual Refresher Programme In Teaching (ARPIT) for higher education faculty. LEAP is a three weeks flagship leadership development training programme for the second level academic functionaries in higher education institutions and ARPIT is a unique initiative of online professional development of 15 lakh higher education faculty. |
| Source- The Indian Express |
 The government will release a Rs 75 coin to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose hoisting the Tricolour for the first time at Port Blair. The Ministry of Finance has issued a notification regarding the release of the Rs 75 coin along with its specifications. On December 30, 1943, Bose raised the Indian National Army (INA) to fight against the British, had hoisted the Tricolour for the first time at Cellular Jail, Port Blair. |
| Salient features of the coin:
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| Source- Times-Now |
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 13th East Asia Summit in Singapore. The summit is a regional forum held annually by leaders of 18 countries in the East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian regions, including Russia and the United States.He presented awards to winners of first India-Singapore Hackathon. Mr. Modi attended the second Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit with 16 member states. He reiterated India’s commitment to the early conclusion of high quality, comprehensive and balanced Regional Economic Partnership agreement. |
| Source- Press Information Bureau (PIB) |
 The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has unanimously agreed to lift sanctions against Eritrea after nine years. An arms embargo, asset freeze, and travel ban were imposed in 2009 amid claims that Eritrea supported al-Shabab militants in Somalia. Eritrea agreed on a peace deal with Ethiopia following two decades of animosity, while the leader of Eritrea and the UN-backed government in Somalia recently signed a joint cooperation agreement. |
| Source- News On AIR |
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