13th May CURRENT AFFAIRS IN ENGLISH

1. International Nurses Day: 12 May

International Nurses Day (IND) is an international day celebrated around the world on 12 May (the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth) of each year, to mark the contributions nurses make to society.

• The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has celebrated this day since 1965.
• The theme for the year 2018 is Nurses A Voice to Lead – Health is a Human right.

2. World Migratory Bird Day: 12 May

The World Migratory Bird Day was celebrated throughout the world on 12th May 2018.

• The World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated from now on twice a year, on the Second Saturday in May and in October. It will also be observed on 13th October 2018.
• The theme for World Migratory Bird Day 2018 is: “Unifying our Voices for Bird Conservation”. Also 2018 is the “Year of the Bird”.

3. Frozen Semen Station being set up in Maranga,Purnea

Laying the foundation stone of the frozen semen station in Maranga, Purnea Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that the frozen semen station is being set up at a cost of Rs 64 crore under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission with 100% contribution from the Central Government.

• Out of this, Rs 20 crore has already been released.
• Currently, the artificial insemination is being done by CMOFED (Sudha) in Bihar. For artificial insemination, semen from high genetic merit bulls is needed.
• Shri Singh elaborated that the frozen semen station in Purnea will be the first state-of-the-art semen production center of the country.
• The Minister said the RashtriyaGokul Mission was initiated in December 2014 with an aim to conserve and develop indigenous breeds.

4. Punjab signs MoU with UK for setting up bio-gas, bio CNG plants

The Punjab government has signed a pact with the UK for setting up of bio-gas and bio-CNG plants in the state.

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in the presence of Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and Andrew Ayre, deputy high commissioner, British High Commission.
• Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) will facilitate regulatory clearances and incentives by the state government.

5. Chhattisgarh CM to launch Vikas Yatra

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has launched Vikas Yatra from Dantewada.

• Addressing the media, the Chief Minister said, "This yatra is to tell people about the development the state has witnessed. We will also work to further increase the growth of the state in coming days.
• The chief minister, during his Vikas Yatra, will distribute free pesticides to 5.5 lakh labourers.
• Also, 50 lakh families will be given smartphones as part of the Chief Minister's dream project Sanchar Kranti Yojna.

6. RBI puts Dena Bank under prompt corrective action

Reserve Bank has initiated prompt corrective action against public sector lender Dena Bank in view of high non-performing loans, restricting the bank from giving fresh credit and new hiring.

• The public sector lender reported widening of its net loss to Rs 1,225.42 crore in the March quarter on mounting bad loans and higher provisioning to cover them.
• The RBI has initiated similar action against other public sector banks, including IDBI Bank, Indian Overseas Bank and UCO Bank before this.

7. Renowned storyteller Ankit Chadha passes away

Ankit Chadha, a renowned storyteller associated with the tradition of Dastangoi, died in a tragic accident near Pune.

• Quoting police officials, the reports said that the accident occurred at Uksan Lake near Kamshet, 60 kilometers away from Pune.
• Chadha was known for his unique style of storytelling in Urdu.
• Over the past few years, he had performed at various national and international stages, including universities like Harvard, Yale and Toronto.

8. Pak hockey legend Mansoor Ahmed passes away

Pakistan's World Cup-winning hockey goalkeeper Mansoor Ahmed passed away at a city hospital in Karachi  after battling a prolonged heart ailment.

• The hockey legend, who was known as the 1994 World Cup hero for Pakistan, had been suffering from heart ailment for the past three years and was under treatment.