1 India secured third place in the Asian Weightlifting Championship
India finished third in the women’s team rankings and fifth in the men’s team rankings at the Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships 2026. The championship concluded on Sunday at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat . Organized by the Indian Weightlifting Federation, the championship ran from May 11 to 17 and saw participation from 172 athletes, 97 men and 75 women, from 30 countries. China topped both the men’s and women’s team rankings . In the women’s category, China finished first with 578 points, followed by Chinese Taipei with 491 points and India with 487 points. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Korea completed the top six. In the men’s team standings, China led with 593 points, followed by DPR Korea with 478 and Uzbekistan with 409 points. Chinese Taipei finished fourth with 392 points, India fifth with 379 points and Turkmenistan sixth with 344 points. In the overall medal tally, China dominated with 21 gold, 12 silver and 8 bronze medals, followed by DPR Korea in third place with 18 gold, 11 silver and 1 bronze medal. Chinese Taipei won 3 gold, 7 silver and 3 bronze medals. Bahrain, Iran, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Qatar, South Korea, India, Turkmenistan, Japan, Kazakhstan and the Philippines also featured in the medal standings. India won a total of 10 medals, including one silver and 9 bronze medals.
2 International Day of Women at Sea
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Day for Women in Maritime is celebrated every year on May 18. The day honors women in the maritime industry and aims to promote the recruitment, retention, and sustainable employment of women in the maritime sector, enhance the dignity of women in the maritime sector, strengthen the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (gender equality) , and support actions being taken to address the existing gender imbalance in the maritime sector.
3 International Museum Day
International Museum Day (IMD) is celebrated every year on 18 May around the world. It is organised by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) . Its main objective is to raise awareness among the general public about the preservation of cultural heritage, cultural exchange and the social role of museums. International Museum Day was initiated in 1977 by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). ICOM was established in 1946 with the aim of promoting the preservation, development and global cooperation of museums.
4 Squadron Leader Sanya becomes the first woman officer to become a Cat-A Qualified Flying Instructor
Squadron Leader Sanya has become the first woman officer to achieve the prestigious ‘ Cat-A Qualified Flying Instructor ‘ qualification . In a social media post, the Indian Air Force said that Squadron Leader Sanya’s achievement is a testament to her dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence. The Cat-A QFI qualification is considered extremely difficult and prestigious in the Indian Air Force. Achieving it requires exceptional flying skills, technical proficiency, mental toughness and leadership abilities.
5 India and Sweden sign MoU on Venus Orbiter Mission
On May 17th , Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson held a meeting to discuss bilateral relations. The space agencies of both countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the Venus Orbiter Mission . This MoU was signed between India’s space agency, ISRO , and Sweden’s National Space Agency, SNSA . The mission aims to study the atmosphere, surface, and geological activity of Earth’s neighboring planet, Venus. Sweden will develop and provide ISRO with a scientific instrument called the Venusian Neutrals Analyzer (VNA) for this mission. India will launch the Venus Orbiter Mission in March 2028. PM Modi invited Swedish companies to participate in the “Make in India” initiative, the “National Green Hydrogen Mission,” and the “National Critical Mineral Mission.” India and Sweden also partnered in the sectors of artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing. Modi visited Sweden after eight years. He previously visited Sweden in 2018.
6 Congress leader V.D. Satheesan sworn in as Chief Minister of Kerala
The new UDF government led by senior Congress leader V. D. Satheesan was sworn in in Thiruvananthapuram. V. D. Satheesan was sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister of Kerala . Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office to the new ministers. V. D. Satheesan, whose full name is Vadassery Damodaran Satheesan , is the MLA from Paravur constituency in Ernakulam district . Senior leaders in the new government include former Leader of the Opposition and former KPCC President Ramesh Chennithala, current KPCC President Sunny Joseph, former KPCC President K. Muraleedharan, and IUML leader P. K. Kunhalikutty. In the recently concluded elections, the United Democratic Front (UDF) made a resounding comeback, winning 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, while the Congress alone secured a record 63 seats, its best-ever performance in the state.
7 WHO declares Ebola virus a pandemic
On May 17 , the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the rapidly spreading Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a global health emergency . Ebola has so far claimed 80 lives in Congo’s eastern Ituri province, and 246 suspected cases have been reported. The Ebola virus spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, such as blood, saliva, sweat, or vomit, from an infected person or animal . The WHO has issued an advisory for all countries to remain alert and conduct border screenings. According to experts, the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola has been detected this time, while previously most cases in Congo were of the Zaire strain . There is currently no cure for the Ebola virus . However, the WHO has stated that this virus is not as dangerous as COVID-19 . No new cases of Ebola have been reported in India since 2014. The first case of Ebola virus in the world was reported in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
8 Senior IAS officer Saurabh Vijay takes charge as UIDAI Chief Executive Officer
Senior IAS officer Saurabh Vijay has assumed charge as the Chief Executive Officer of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) . Mr. Vijay is a 1998 batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology stated that Mr. Vijay has held several positions in the Maharashtra Government and the Central Government. He has held important roles at the national and international level on central deputation, including as Director in the President’s Secretariat in New Delhi and Advisor to the Executive Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Sri Lanka at the World Bank in the USA.
9 Union Minister Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia launched the “Coffees of Nagaland” mission
Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region and Communications, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia launched the cluster-based Coffee Value Chain Development Mission for Nagaland . With an outlay of ₹175 crore, the Coffees of Nagaland Mission has been formulated through a whole-of-government approach. The Mission, designed following a cluster-based approach, has identified two pilot coffee clusters : Tuophema village in Kohima district for Arabica coffee and Ghotovi village in Newland district for Robusta coffee. The initiative aims to address critical gaps in the coffee value chain by integrating plantation development, post-harvest processing, branding, marketing, traceability, exports, tourism, and capacity building.
10 India aims to export $1 trillion this year and $2 trillion in the next five years: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal said that India has set a target of exports worth one trillion dollars this year and two trillion dollars in the next five years . This will be the true hallmark of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Addressing the website launch ceremony of the Indian Trade Festival in New Delhi, he said that despite global challenges, exports this year have reached $863 billion , which is about 5 percent more than last year. He said that exports of both goods and services have increased, which is a significant achievement in the current global environment. The Indian Trade Festival will run from August 12 to August 15, 2026 .
11 UK’s Prudential Company to buy 75% stake in Bharti Life
On May 18 , British insurance company Prudential plc announced the purchase of 75% stake in Bharti Life, a leading private life insurance company in India . Prudential will buy this stake from Bharti Life Ventures Private Limited and 360 ONE Asset Management. This deal could be worth between Rs 3,500 crore and Rs 4,200 crore. Sunil Bharti Mittal is the chairman of Bharti Enterprises. After the deal, Prudential will expand its services in India and introduce new insurance schemes. Prudential plc is a leading British multinational finance company, which primarily deals in life insurance. In India, it provides its services through the brand ‘ICICI Prudential’.
12 Kota Doria to get a new identity, premium fabric to be made with Eri silk
A major initiative has been launched to develop a new premium fabric by blending Rajasthan ‘s traditional Kota Doria and Northeast India’s renowned Eri silk . This initiative is expected to give a new identity to two of the country’s rich handloom traditions and create new opportunities for weavers and artisans. In this regard, Sanjay Jaju, Secretary of the Union Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), along with a delegation of fashion designers and weavers, met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is soon to be signed between the NEHHDC and the District Industries Center (DIC) of the Rajasthan government to further this initiative. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla stated that the proposed scheme will develop a unique fabric that combines the soft texture of Eri silk with the light and transparent weave of Kota Doria. He stated that this fabric will be designed for premium markets in India and abroad. Eri silk is a type of piece silk produced by the domestic silkworm Samia ricini. It is produced mainly in the Northeast Indian states of Assam, Nagaland and Meghalaya.
13 Rural Development Ministry to develop SHE-MARTs model for 13 women-led rural marketing networks
The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has launched the SHE-MARTs (Self-Help Entrepreneurs-Marketing Avenues for Rural Transformation) initiative to develop women-led rural marketing networks . The initiative aims to strengthen women-led enterprises, increase rural incomes, and expand market access for self-help groups across the country. The roadmap was discussed during a two-day national consultation meeting held in Bhubaneswar on May 14 and 15. The meeting was organized by the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) . The meeting was hosted by the Odisha Livelihoods Mission under the Mission Shakti Department of the Odisha government , with PRADAN acting as the national partner organization. Senior officials from State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), financial institutions, development experts, and various partner organizations participated in the meeting. The main focus of the discussion was to prepare a strategy for implementing the SHE-MART initiative announced in the Union Budget 2026 at the grassroots level.
14 Jannik Sinner makes history, wins Italian Open
Jannik Sinner created history on Sunday by winning the Italian Open title. He became the first Italian player to win the title since Adriano Panatta in 1976. In the final, Sinner defeated Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 to win his sixth consecutive ATP Masters 1000 title . By registering a spectacular victory in the title match that lasted for 1 hour and 44 minutes, Sinner became only the second player in ATP history after Novak Djokovic to complete the Career Golden Masters . Sinner has now won all the ATP Masters 1000 titles. Djokovic achieved this feat after winning Cincinnati in 2018.