1. Mark Nicholls appointed new president of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)
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Mark Nicholls has been elected as the next President of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
An Overview of the News
- He will take over from current chairman Stephen Fry in October this year.
- His appointment was announced during the Annual General Meeting of the MCC.
- Nicholls became a member of the MCC in 1981 and had a successful professional cricket career spanning over two decades, in which he scored over 25,000 runs and took 173 wickets.
Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC):
- It is a cricket club which was established in 1787.
- MCC is one of the oldest and most prestigious cricket clubs in the world.
- Since 1814, the MCC has been based at the Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London and is the owner of the MCC Lord's Cricket Ground.
Founder - Thomas Lord
2. DRDO scientist Pradeep Kurulkar arrested in Pune on charges of espionage
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The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad recently arrested a scientist of the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) on charges of espionage.
An Overview of the News
- The scientist named Pradeep Kurulkar was arrested in Pune on 3 May and brought to the ATS office in Pune on 5 May for further investigation.
- The Maharashtra ATS has accused Kurulkar of passing sensitive information to foreign intelligence agencies, which could compromise national security.
- According to the ATS, the scientist was in touch with Pakistan's intelligence agency operatives through various means including WhatsApp messages, voice calls and video calls.
- As per reports, Kurulkar was working at DRDO's Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in Pune, which develops and designs armaments for the Indian Armed Forces.
- Despite being in a responsible position, the scientist allegedly misused his position to compromise sensitive government secrets, which could pose a threat to India's security if it fell into wrong hands.
- The Maharashtra ATS registered a case against the scientist under Section 1923 of the Official Secrets Act 1923 and other relevant sections.
Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
- It is a premier defence research and development agency under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India.
- It aims to make India self-reliant in critical defence technology and systems.
- It is working on several cutting edge military technology areas including aeronautics, armaments, combat vehicles, electronics, instrumentation, engineering systems, missiles, materials, naval systems, advanced computing, simulation, cyber, hypersonic technology, quantum computing and communications.
- DRDO's first project for the Indian Army was a surface-to-air missile (SAM) known as Project Indigo.
- Establishment - 1958
- Headquarters - New Delhi
- Chairman - Sameer V Kamath
3. Former Karnataka HC Justice P Krishna Bhat appointed as administrator of BFI
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The Delhi High Court has appointed former Karnataka High Court Justice P Krishna Bhat as the Administrator of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI).
An Overview of the News:
- The appointment has been made to conduct elections in the organisation, and it came into force with immediate effect.
- The Administrator will continue to act until a newly elected body takes over the BFI.
- The court has directed the administrator to ensure that the election process is completed as soon as possible in accordance with the Sports Code.
- The decision was taken in response to several petitions regarding the election of office bearers and members of the executive committee for the period 2023-2027.
Basketball Federation of India (BFI)
- It is the governing body for basketball in India.
- It is responsible for promoting and developing basketball at all levels through tournaments, grassroots programs and training opportunities.
- President - K. Govindraj
- Establishment - 1950
- Headquarters - New Delhi
- Men's coach - Veselin Matic
4. Indian-origin Neera Tandon becomes domestic policy advisor in Biden administration
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On 5 May 2023, an Indian-American Neera Tandon has been appointed as the domestic policy advisor in US President Joe Biden's team.
Important Point:-
Tandon's appointment has been made keeping in mind the presidential election to be held in the US in 2024.
Following Biden's decision to appoint Neera Tandon, she became the first Asian-American to lead the White House Advisory Council.
Prior to this, Tandon served as Biden's staff secretary during this term.
Neera Tandon responsibly processed all the paperwork that arrived on the President's desk.
According to the White House, Neera Tandon oversaw decision-making processes in the domestic, economic and national security teams.
Neera Tandon:
Neera Tandon was born in Massachusetts to Indian immigrant parents. Tandon studied at the University of California Los Angeles and Yale University.
With over 25 years of experience working in public policy, Neera Tandon has worked with three US presidents, and also headed one of the country's largest think tanks for nearly a decade.
Neera Tandon is the former US Secretary of State and a close aide of Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate in the 2016 presidential election.
Neera also helped pass the Affordable Care Act in the Obama administration.
5. Olympic silver medalist Nigel Amos banned
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Nigel Amos, the Olympic silver medalist in the men's 800 metres at the 2012 Olympics, received a three-year ban for doping by the Athletics Integrity Unit.
An Overview of the News
Nigel Amos, from Botswana, tested positive for the banned substance GW1516 in the lead-up to last year's track world championships, which is known to cause cancer in rodent tests.
The ban has been reverted to his provisional suspension in July 2020 and will last until 2025, meaning he will not be able to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU):
It was established in April 2017 by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
The primary objective of the AIU is to prevent, detect and investigate doping in athletics.
The AIU operates independently of the IAAF to ensure fairness and transparency in its work.
The AIU is responsible for enforcing the World Anti-Doping Code in Athletics and has the authority to ban athletes who violate the code.
About Botswana
It is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa.
The country is defined by two distinctive landscapes: the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta.
Capital and largest city - Gaborone
President - Mokgweetsi Masisi
Vice President - Slumber Tsogwane
Establishment (Constitution) - 30 September 1966
6. Olympic and world title winning star athlete 'Tori Bowie' passes away
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Star athlete Tori Bowie's management company informed on 3 May 2023 that the US sprinter and long jumper, who won three Olympic medals and two world titles, died at the age of 32.
An Overview of the News
For the past few days neither Tory was seen anywhere in public nor there was any news of her. Later, when police officers went to his Orlando (Florida) residence to inquire about her news, Bowie was found dead.
The sheriff's department informed that Bowie's death was not being investigated as a suspicious death. That is, the officials are considering Tori's death as a natural death.
Career of Tori Bowie
Bowie was raised by her grandmother in the rural environment of Mississippi (USA). She switched to long jump in 2014 and became the fastest woman in the world that year.
Bowie also took silver in the 100m, bronze in the 4x100m relay and gold in the 200m at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Bowie became world champion in 2017 by winning the world 100m title in London.
She finished fourth at the 2019 World Long Jump Championships in Doha, her last major competition.
President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC): Thomas Bach.
7. Ajay Banga appointed as new President of World Bank
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Indian-origin Ajay Banga has been officially elected as the new President of the World Bank.
An Overview of the News
Ajay Banga was nominated for this post by US President Joe Biden in February.
The 25-member Executive Board of the World Bank elected Ajay Banga, who previously served as the CEO of Mastercard, to hold the position for a period of five years from June 2.
The World Bank provides loans and grants to low- and middle-income countries for capital projects.
It is made up of two institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA).
The World Bank was established in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference along with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Its lending strategy is guided by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and environmental and social safeguards.
About the United States
It is primarily a country located in North America.
The country consists of 50 states, one federal district, five major unincorporated territories, nine minor outlying islands, and 326 Indian reservations.
The United States of America is the third largest country in the world in both land area and total area.
It shares land borders with Canada to the north and Mexico to the south, while sharing maritime borders with the Bahamas, Cuba, Russia, and other countries.
Capital - Washington, D.C.
President - Joe Biden
Vice President - Kamala Harris
House Speaker - Kevin McCarthy
Chief Justice - John Roberts
8. Vanessa Hudson appointed as the new CEO of Qantas Airways Ltd
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Vanessa Hudson has been named as the new CEO of Qantas Airways Ltd, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the airline's history.
An Overview of the News
Hudson's appointment was announced on May 2, and she will officially take over from outgoing CEO Alan Joyce when he retires in November.
Hudson has had an impressive 28-year career at Qantas, during which he has held a number of senior positions, including Chief Customer Officer and Senior Vice President for the Americas and New Zealand.
About Qantas Airways Ltd.
Qantas Airways Ltd is the national airline of Australia, founded in 1920, and operates domestic and international flights to more than 85 destinations in 20 countries.
The airline's primary hub is at Sydney Airport, with secondary hubs located in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide airports.
Qantas is a founding member of the Oneworld airline alliance and owns a low-cost airline called Jetstar Airways.
Qantas has a reputation for being one of the world's safest airlines, which is recognized by several aviation security organisations.
Australia:
It is the sixth largest country in the world by area, with an area of about 7.7 million square kilometres.
It has a population of around 25 million, and the capital city is Canberra, while the largest city is Sydney.
The official language of Australia is English and the currency is the Australian Dollar.
Government - federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Emperor - Charles III
Governor General - David Hurley
Prime Minister - Anthony Albanese
9. Samajwadi Pandit Ramkishan becomes "centenary man" at the age of 97
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Pandit Ramkishan, a famous socialist leader, was honoured with the title of "Shatabdi Purush" (Man of the Century) in New Delhi for his contribution to Indian socialism.
An Overview of the News
The award was presented to him during the birth centenary celebrations of renowned socialist thinker and parliamentarian Madhu Limaye.
Ramkishan is considered the most senior and distinguished figure in Indian socialism and has been recognized as the "Socialist Centenary Man".
The event was attended by several senior politicians including former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala and JDU leader KC Tyagi.
Ramkishan took an active part in socialist movements led by other prominent leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan and Lohia and was jailed several times, including during the Emergency period.
He served as a member of the Lok Sabha once in 1977 and was elected to the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly four times in 1962, 1967, 1974 and 1990.
Ramkishan fought for the rights of tribals, Dalits and the poor and was arrested several times.
About Madhu Limaye
Madhu Limaye was a prominent Indian socialist essayist and activist in the 1970s.
She was a follower of Ram Manohar Lohia and a close associate of George Fernandes, and played a key role in building the socialist movement in India.
She actively participated in the movement against the Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi government in 1975 and was involved in the formation of the Janata Party, which came to power at the Center after the Emergency was lifted.
During his time in the Janata government, Limaye worked towards promoting socialist policies and ensuring social justice for all.
10. Paraguay's Colorado Party's Santiago Peña wins presidential election
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Santiago Peña, an economist from Paraguay's ruling conservative Colorado party, won the country's presidential election.
An Overview of the News
The election was decided in a single round of voting, and with nearly all ballots counted, Santiago Peña received over 42% of the vote.
His main challenger, Efrain Alegre, who represented the Concertación Nacional coalition, received about 28% of the vote.
The Colorado Party has been the dominant political force in Paraguay for more than 70 years, and Santiago Peña's victory solidified its hold on power.
Despite an expected economic growth of more than 4% this year, Paraguay still struggles with high levels of poverty and corruption.
About Paraguay
It is a country located in the middle of South America. It is a landlocked country, bordered by Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia.
Asuncion is the capital of Paraguay and is situated on the banks of the Paraguay River.
Official languages - Paraguayan Guarani, Spanish
