The mascot for the 4th Asian Para Games scheduled to be held here from October 9 in 2022 was unveiled on Thursday. The design of ‘Feifei’ is inspired by the motif of the ‘Divine Bird’ in the Liangzhu Culture.

The mascot is the fusion of Hangzhou’s heritage and its drive for technological innovation, carrying the longing for harmonious co-existence between humans and nature. “We are very pleased that the Mascot has been launched so far ahead of the Games in order to start building excitement right across Asia,” Asian Paralympic Committee President Majid Rashed said.

“The mascot helps to bring the Games to life for everyone, from the athletes to the spectators. It’s important therefore that the mascot is attractive and appealing – and ‘Feifei’ is certainly both of those! It is the messenger of sportsmanship, an envoy of culture and a symbol of friendship. These are all very important aspects of the Asian Para Games and we are pleased that they have been incorporated into the mascot’s design.”

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to postpone the tournament indefinitely owing to the global coronavirus pandemic, as per media reports.

The BCCI made the announcement on Wednesday following a conference call with stakeholders on Tuesday to discuss the same according to a respot by ESPNCricInfo.

The conference call was attended by BCCI's top officials including Sourav Ganguly (President), Jay Shah (Secretary), Brijesh Patel (IPL chairman), Arun Dhumal (BCCI Treasurer) and Hemang Amin (IPL COO).

16 April 2020 Current Affairs:Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the virtual session of the 2nd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting on 15 April. The meeting was held under the Saudi Arabian Presidency. The Ministers discussed the global economic outlook amid the evolving COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

Highlights:
♦ Saudi Arabia was appreciated for its tireless efforts in delivering on the outcomes as mandated by the G20 Leaders during the Extraordinary Leaders' Summit.
♦ As per the direction, Saudi prepared the G20 Action Plan in Response to COVID-19.
♦ The Action Plan was prepared with an aim to protect lives, safeguard jobs and incomes. It also included measures to restore confidence, preserve financial stability, revive growth and recover stronger.
♦ The plan included providing help to countries that need assistance, coordinate on public health and financial measures and minimize disruption to the global supply chain.
India:
♦ Finance Minister highlighted the role of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in safeguarding the lives and livelihood of people while maintaining macroeconomic stability in a sustainable manner. 

It has been decided that the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, initially scheduled for June 29 to July 9, 2020, in Fuzhou of eastern China’s Fujian Province, will be postponed to a later date due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, China’s Ministry of Education announced Wednesday.

The decision was made unanimously by the committee’s bureau members, the ministry said in a press release.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the organizing committee of the 44th session, which will be hosted by the Chinese government, has maintained close communication with UNESCO and paid close attention to the impact of the pandemic on the event, it read.

New Delhi: State Bank of India has waived service charges for all ATM transactions made on SBI ATMs as well as other bank ATMs. This will be applicable till June 30. The announcement made on the SBI's official website said, "In view of the announcement made by Finance Minister on 24th March, State Bank of India has decided to waive ATM charges for all ATM transactions made on SBI ATMs and other bank ATMs on account of exceeding the free number of transactions up to 30th June."

It is worth mentioning that on March 24, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that no charges will be levied on bank customers on cash withdrawal made from any other bank's ATMs for three months i.e. up to June 30. Debit cardholders can withdraw cash from any other banks for free. The decision was taken by the Finance Minister in view of the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The country's largest lender SBI offers eight free transactions to regular savings bank account holders, including five transactions at SBI ATMs and three at other bank ATMs.

In non-metros, such account holders get 10 free transactions, including five at SBI ATMs and five at others. Thereafter, it charges Rs 20 plus GST per financial transaction and Rs 8 plus GST for the non-financial transactions as mentioned on the bank's website.

Tata Power bags Edison Award for social innovation. The company bags the awards for its 'Club Enerji #Switchoff2SwitchOn' campaign. It has brought about 533 participating schools across India, saving over 29.8 million units of power since its inception in 2007.

Tata Power is India's largest integrated power company and has an installed capacity of 10,763 megawatts together with its subsidiaries and jointly controlled entities.

What is Edison Award?

The Edison Awards honours the world's best innovations and innovators. It is to honour excellence in new product and service development, marketing, design and innovation. The award winners represent products and services, leadership and excellence in innovation around four criteria: Concept, Value, Delivery, and Impact. It is established in 1987 in the memory of Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931).

Digital payments major Paytm on Wednesday said it has named Vineet Arora as the managing director and chief executive officer of Paytm General Insurance Ltd.

The appointment, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is a step for Paytm to further its journey into the insurance sector with an immediate focus on General Insurance, the company said in a statement.

Arora will lead the efforts to provide industry-leading solutions in the general insurance space, where Paytm continues to explore options to enter the sector, it added.

"The financial service solutions that Paytm is building for millions in India are relevant globally as well. With Paytm leading the way I believe just like payments, the general insurance industry would also go through a major transformation going forward," Arora said.

Modi thanked the people for following the lockdown and says the sacrifices made by Indians in the last 21 days like disciplined soldiers have helped control the spread of coronavirus in India. He says that India made timely interventions and this has prevented a situation prevalent in many developed countries.

The day coincides with the 130 birth anniversary of renaissance leader BR Ambedkar, with many leaders expecting the prime minister to speak on the occasion, besides the Centre's plan to battle the deadly COVID-19. There have been indications that the shutdown could be extended till April-end with certain relaxations to boost economic activities.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 10 am on 14th April 2020," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted. With most states favoring the lockdown to be extended at least by two weeks beyond April 14, the government is broadly focusing on a two-pronged action plan — containing the spread of COVID-19 in the country and staggered resumption of economic activities.

14 April 2020 Current Affairs:World Chagas Disease Day is observed on 14 April every year. The day aims to raise the visibility and public awareness of people with Chagas Disease and the resources needed for the prevention, control or elimination of the disease.

Chagas disease:
Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis. The disease is common in places where the triatomine bug transmits the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. These places include South America, Central America, and Mexico.
Symptoms: The disease can cause swelling and fever. It can be long-lasting. If the disease is left untreated, it can cause congestive heart failure.
Treatment: Chagas disease can be treated by taking medication that kills the parasite and on managing symptoms.