1 Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty pair won Thailand Open men’s doubles badminton title
In badminton , the pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have won the men’s doubles title of Thailand Open . In the final match, the top seeded Indian pair defeated China’s Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi 21-15, 21-15. The pair had won over Thang Kai Wei and Lu Ming Che of Chinese Taipei in the semi-finals. Satwik and Chirag won their first Super Series title in this competition in 2019.
2 South-west monsoon has hit the Nicobar Islands, the southernmost tip of the country.
The southwest monsoon has knocked on the Nicobar Islands, the southernmost tip of the country . The Meteorological Department said that the monsoon is moving towards parts of Maldives and Comorin area and parts of South Bay of Bengal , Nicobar Islands and South Andaman Sea in the next 48 hours. The monsoon is expected to reach Kerala by May 31. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rainfall in the southern part of the country for the next three days. Heavy rains are likely to continue in the southern peninsular areas for the next 5 days. Heavy rainfall may occur at isolated places in Tamil Nadu and Kerala till May 21.
3 America conducted sub-critical nuclear test, last test was done in the year 2021
America has conducted sub-critical nuclear tests . This test was conducted in Nevada on Tuesday this week . This is the third time that President Joe. America has conducted this test during Biden ‘s tenure. This test has been done to make the nuclear warhead more safe and effective. The United States temporarily banned nuclear explosive tests in 1992 , but subsequent governments have continued to conduct sub-critical tests. America last conducted sub-critical test in the year 2021.
4 Arunachal Pradesh’s Sela Tunnel recognized as India’s highest tunnel by International Book of Honor
Sela Tunnel of Arunachal Pradesh , an engineering marvel has been recognised by the International Book of Honour (IBH) , England, United Kingdom(UK) as the highest tunnel in India . The recognition underlines the achievement of Border Roads Organisation(BRO) in building the tunnel at an altitude of 13,000 feet through Project VARTAK with construction carried out by Patel Engineering Limited . Sela Tunnel is the world’s longest bi-lane tunnel constructed on the road connecting Tezpur in Assam to Tawang in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh .
5 48 year old film Manthan was screened in Cannes
Legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal ‘s 48-year-old film Manthan was screened at the 77th Cannes Film Festival . After the screening, the audience gave the film a standing ovation. Legendary actor Naseeruddin Shah played an important role in the film. After the screening, he said that this is a proud moment for Indian cinema. The main actors of the film, Girish Karnad, Smita Patil, Amrish Puri are no longer in this world. Vijay Tendulkar, who wrote the screenplay of the film, and Kaifi Azmi, who wrote the dialogues, are also no longer in this world. Govind Nihalani did the cinematography of Manthan. The music was given by Vanraj Bhatia. The film Manthan was made 48 years ago and five lakh farmers of Gujarat donated money for its production . This film, made in the year 1976, is inspired by the milk cooperative movement of Dr. Verghese Kurien .
6 Outgoing Croatian PM wins third term with right-wing support
On 17 May 2024, outgoing Croatian Prime Minister (PM) and President of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party Andrej Plenkovic (54 years old) has been appointed as the PM-designate of the Republic of Croatia for the third consecutive time. He has been serving as the PM of Croatia since 19 October 2016.
7 India and UAE hold meeting on India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor
India and the United Arab Emirates recently concluded an important meeting focused on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) . The meeting, held under the Intergovernmental Framework Agreement, was aimed at enhancing cooperation for the development and operation of the corridor . The initiative is set to provide alternative supply routes, create capacity and reduce costs. The first inter-ministerial delegation from New Delhi had reached Abu Dhabi. Indian Ambassador to UAE Sanjay Sudhir held discussions with key entities such as DP World UAE, AD Ports Group and the Federal Customs Authority of UAE.
8 FICCI & IESA sign MoU to promote Electronics & Semiconductor Industry in India
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) to drive innovation, boost semiconductor and electronics industry and strengthen supply chains. Did it. The main objective of this strategic alliance between FICCI and IESA is to establish a joint task force on semiconductor and future critical technologies; and organizing technology consultation roundtables and promoting business partnerships.
9 Forbes’ World’s Highest-Paid Athletes 2024: Portuguese soccer player Ronaldo on top
Forbes released the World’s Highest-Paid Athletes 2024 list, which includes the top 50 world’s highest-paid athletes . Soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) tops the list with total earnings of US$260 million , which includes US$200 million on-field and US$60 million off-field. Spanish golfer Jon Rahm is in second place with total earnings of US$218 million and Argentinian football player Lionel Messi is in third place with US$135 million .
10 Warburg Pincus acquires Shriram Housing Finance for Rs 4,630 crore
Chennai, Tamil Nadu -based Shriram Finance Ltd (SFL) has approved the sale of its housing-finance subsidiary, Shriram Housing Finance Ltd (SHFL) to New York, United States (US) -based equity firm Warburg Pincus for Rs 4,630 crore . The acquisition comprises SHFL’s equity and convertible instruments and is subject to regulatory approvals. As part of the transaction, Valeant Partners LP, Mauritius, a minority shareholder in SHFL, and SFL will sell their equity stake entirely to Warburg Pincus. Warburg Pincus will acquire the stake through its affiliate Mango Crest Investments, and invest Rs 1,000 crore in the equity.
11 According to the report of the National Commission for Backward Classes, the number of students studying in the Scheduled Caste category in the country increased by 44 percent compared to 2014-15.
According to the report of the National Commission for Backward Classes , the number of students studying in the Scheduled Caste category in the country has increased by 44 percent as compared to 2014-15 . This number was 46 lakh in the year 2014-15 which increased to 66 lakh in 2021-22. The number of minority female students has also increased by 42 percent as compared to 2014-15. There has been an increase of 51 percent in the number of Scheduled Caste female students and more than 65 percent increase in the number of Scheduled Tribe students. According to the report, in the year 2020-21, 27 percent reservation for other backward class students was implemented due to which more than 34 thousand children got admission. In institutions of national importance, enrollment of Other Backward Classes has increased by 71 percent and the number of women has doubled.
12 Nishad Kumar won silver medal in high jump at the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan.
Nishad Kumar won the silver medal in high jump at the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe , Japan . Nishad, who won the silver medal at the Tokyo Paralympics, secured second place in the men’s T-47 category by jumping 1.99 meters . In this way, he opened the account by winning the first medal for India on the third day of the competition. Roderick Townsend of America captured the gold medal with a jump of 2.05 meters . Another Indian in the competition, Rampal, remained at the sixth position despite his best performance of the season of 1.90 meters. Competitor Preeti Pal won the bronze medal in the women’s T-35 200 meter race by taking a time of 30.49 seconds. This is India’s second medal in this competition . Deepti Jivanji has made it to the final of the 400 meter race in the women’s T-20 category . She took 56.18 seconds in her heat, which is an Asian record .
13 World AIDS Vaccine Day 2024
World AIDS Vaccine Day , also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day , is observed annually on 18 May . The day is dedicated to raising awareness of the urgent need for AIDS vaccines and acknowledging the efforts of individuals, including doctors, scientists and community members, who are committed to developing vaccines to combat HIV/AIDS. World AIDS Vaccine Day originated from a speech given by then-President Bill Clinton at Morgan State University on May 18, 1997.
14 International Museum Day 2024
International Museum Day is celebrated annually on 18 May across the world to raise public awareness about the invaluable role of museums in the preservation of artistic, cultural and historical artefacts. The day highlights the educational and cultural contribution of museums, showcasing their importance as repositories of knowledge and history. The theme of International Museum Day 2024 is “ Museums for Education and Research ”. The first International Museum Day was organized by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in 1977.