Cabinet Committee on Security has approved to set up the Defence Space Research Agency, headquartered at Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Former Women and Child Minister Maneka Gandhi has been notably left out from PM Modi’s new Cabinet Ministers.

The first-of-its-kind naval drill exercise ‘Pacific Vanguard’has been kick started by the United States, Japan, South Korea and Australia near Guam, United States. The “Pacific Vanguard” drill brings together more than 3,000 sailors from the four countries to sharpen skills and strengthen practical cooperation at sea. The drills will focus on live fire exercises, defensive counter-air operations, anti-submarine warfare, and replenishment at sea. The Royal Australian Navy contributed two frigates to the exercise – HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Parramatta. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force sent destroyers – JS Ariake and JS Asahi, and South Korea the Republic of Korea Navy destroyer ROKS Wang Geon. The USS Blue Ridge, the Seventh Fleet’s flagship, will lead the operation from the U.S. side. Guam is home to more than 160,000 people, and was at the centre of nuclear tensions between Washington and Pyongyang in 2017, with North Korea threatening to hit the US territory with “enveloping fire”.

Acharya Balkrishna, the Managing Director of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd., has received the ‘UNSDG 10 Most Influential People in Healthcare Award’ on behalf of Patanjali Group of Institutions in Geneva, Switzerland. Balkrishna was among keynote speakers of the UNSDG (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals) organisation. The others are Randy Oostra, UNICEF executive director Henrietta H Fore, WHO director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Abe Lee. Patanjali Ayurved produces a range of Ayurvedic medicinal and personal care products, among other consumer items. The company was co-founded by Baba Ramdev and Balkshrina.

NSIC Limited is established by the Government of India in 1955.

Scott Morrison has been sworn in as Australia’s Prime Minister, 11 days after retaining the position in the country’s general election. Along with Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, Morrison was sworn in by Queen Elizabeth’s official representative in Australia, Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove, in the capital, Canberra.

UN Secretary, General Antonio Guterres, has appointed Indian Army officer, Lieutenant General Shailesh Tinaikar, as the new Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

With sales estimated at Rs. 168.25 crore, contemporary sculptor Anish Kapoor has topped the first edition of the Hurun India Art List. He is followed by artists Akbar Padamsee and Krishen Khanna.

Facebook will be launching its cryptocurrency, internally named ‘GlobalCoin’.

The 2nd edition of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Mass Media Forum was held at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan from 23-26 May, 2019. A delegation from I&B Ministry represented India at the Forum. The Forum was inaugurated by the President of Kyrgyz Republic Mr. S. Jeenbeko. The President in his inaugural address highlighted the importance of Mass Media organizations of SCO countries in accomplishing the SCO objectives of mutual trust, friendly relations with neighbors and regional security in line with the “Shanghai Spirit”. The Forum aims to strengthen the exchange and cooperation in the field of mass media amongst SCO countries. It offers a unique platform for active work through mass media to create an objective vision of the organization and strengthen its positive image in the global information space.

 Prof N Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), has been conferred with the ‘Life Time Recognition Award’ by the Confederation of Horticulture Associations of India on May 28, 2019 during the International Conference on Innovative horticulture at Pantnagar, Uttarakhand.

As per the latest ICC player rankings, India’s Virat Kohli leads the batting ranking table, while fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah leads the bowling rankings chart.

Towel Day is celebrated every year on 25 May as a tribute to the author Douglas Adams by his fans.

Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) headed by incumbent Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is all set to form a government for a fifth consecutive term. The new Cabinet is likely to be sworn-in on 27th May.

PV Bharathi is the present Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation bank.

On May 24, the Defence Research and Defence Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested a 500 kg class Inertial Guided Bomb (IGB) from Su-30 MKI Aircraft from the Pokhran test range in Rajasthan.

This invitation is a part of the Modi government’s “Neighbourhood First” policy. By inviting the BIMSTEC leaders (instead of SAARC), India has decided to keep Pakistan out of its engagement.

Using a constellation of 12,000 low-orbit satellites, Starlink plans to provide broadband internet access globally. Each satellite of the Starlink system has a life span of five years.

Two women IAF officers from Punjab were part of the country’s first all-women crew to fly a medium-lift helicopter Mi-17 V5. Flight Lieutenant Parul Bhardwaj (Captain), Flying Officer Aman Nidhi (co-pilot) and Flight Lieutenant Hina Jaiswal (Flight Engineer) flew the chopper, which took off from a forward air base in South Western air command.

The government has constituted the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal to adjudicate whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as an unlawful association. The Tribunal is comprised of sitting Judge of Delhi High Court Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal.

Saray Khumalo, a Zambia-born Johannesburg resident, has become the first black African women to conquer the summit of Mount Everest, with an elevation of 8,848m, in her fourth attempt. She uses her expeditions to raise funds for libraries and support children’s educational activities in Africa. So far, she has managed to raise about $80,000 for children’s education and libraries. She also supports a foundation that takes care of orphans, providing them with education, shelter and food. Khumalo has also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Aconcagua in Argentina and Mount Elbrus in Russia In 2003, South African park ranger Sibusiso Vilane became the first black person to summit Mount Everest.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has officially passed a resolution demanding the United Kingdom withdraw its administration of the Chagos Islands. The resolution welcomed the February 25, 2019 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legal consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965. It ruled that the UK’s decolonisation of the Indian Ocean islands was unlawful. It must be noted that UK retained possession of the Chagos archipelago after Mauritius gained its independence in 1968. The islands have since been used for defence purposes by the UK and the United States, which established a military base on the island of Diego Garcia. The entire Chagossian population was forcibly removed from the territory between 1967 and 1973, and prevented from returning. The Chagos Archipelago is a group of 7 atolls consists of more than 60 individual tropical islands in the Indian Ocean about 500 km south of the Maldives archipelago.

The British-Sri Lankan writer and human-rights documentary film-maker, Guy Gunaratne, has won the £30,000 Swansea University International Dylan Thomas Prize 2019 for his debut novel In Our Mad and Furious City.