WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Plans to Seek Re-election
As per reports, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, plans to run for a second five-year term as the head of the agency.
Tedros, as he is widely kno¬wn, has been the public face of the WHO's efforts to grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic ever since the new SARS-CoV-2 virus emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.
In 2017, Ethiopia's Tedros became the first African to head the Geneva-based UN agency and made universal health care coverage his priority.
Bill and Melinda Gates End 27 Years of Marriage
Billionaire benefactors Bill and Melinda Gates, co-founders of one of the world's largest private charitable foundations, filed for divorce after 27 years of marriage but pledged to continue their philanthropic work together.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has become one of the most powerful and influential forces in global public health, spending more than $50 billion over the past two decades to bring a business approach to combating poverty and disease.
The Gates have backed widely praised programs in malaria and polio eradication, child nutrition and vaccines. The foundation last year committed some $1.75 billion to COVID-19 relief.
Differences with China Hard to Reconcile: NZ
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern took a tougher stance on China's human rights record, and said that it was getting harder to reconcile differences as China's role in the world grew.
While her language remained moderate when compared with that of many other leaders, it still marked a significant shift for the country. Ardern in past speeches has often avoided direct criticism of China.
New Zealand has been trying to strike the right tone on China in recent weeks after finding itself on the defensive with its Five Eyes (New Zealand, the US, the UK, Australia and Canada) security allies by resisting speaking out in unison with them against China on certain human rights issues.
JSW Energy Signs PPA for 540 MW of Wind Power Projects
JSW Energy's arm JSW Renew Energy sign¬ed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for the supply of 540 Mw of blended wind power capacity. The PPA is signed with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).
The company said that this is single largest PPA for wind/blended wind power capacity awar¬ded to a company and will mark the foray of JSW in this segment.
The firm won these projects in a competitive bidding done by SECI. Earlier in March, it was awarded 450 Gw of wind power capacity. JSW aims to be a 10 Gw energy firm in this decade.
Bajaj Grabs Pole Position in India's Motorcycle Market
Riding high on exports, Bajaj Auto emerged as the largest motorcycle maker in India by sales in April, edging past Hero MotoCorp. The maker of the Pulsar and Discover brands sold 348,173 units last month, of which 221,603 units were exported.
Hero MotoCorp, on the other hand, dispatched 339,329 units during the month. A brief shutdown of its plants by Hero, due to the worsening Covid-19 situation, also helped Bajaj take the lead.
Bajaj Auto expects the strong momentum in exports to continue in the coming months even as the domestic market reels from the impact of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. A fourth of the company's sales outlets in the country remain shuttered.
Verizon Selling Yahoo, AOL Unit to Apollo
AOL and Yahoo are being sold again, this time to a private equity firm.
Verizon will sell Verizon Media, which consists of the pioneering tech platforms, to Apollo Global Management in a $5 billion deal.
Verizon said that it will keep a 10 per cent stake in the new company, which will be called Yahoo.
As part of the deal, Verizon will receive $4.25 billion in cash, preferred interests of $750 million and the minority stake.
The transaction includes the assets of Verizon Media, including its brands and businesses such as Yahoo and AOL.
The deal is expected to close in the second half of the year.
The scientists have created the lightest form of Uranium. It is called the Uranium-214. The discovery reveals more information about an alpha particle. The alpha particles are those particles that get ejected from radioactive elements as they decay.
This isotope of Uranium has a greater number of neutrons than protons. The neutrons have mass. However, Uranium-214 found recently is much lighter than the other common Uranium isotopes. This includes Uranium-235 as well. Uranium-235 is the most commonly used isotope. It has 51 extra neutrons.
Uranium-214 was created at the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou, China.
It had a half-life of just half a milli-second. The half life of a radioactive sample is the time taken for half of the radioactive sample to decay. The half life of Uranium-238 is 4.5 billion years. This is the almost equal to the age of the earth.
Inter Crowned Champions of Italy for First Time in 11 Years
Inter Milan clinched their first Serie A title in 11 years after Sassuolo drew 1-1 with second-placed Atalanta to assure Antonio Conte's side of the league crown. Inter are 13 points clear in first place with four games remaining, and their triumph ends a run of nine consecutive title wins for Juventus. Large crowds of flag-waving fans gathered outside the iconic Duomo in Milan to celebrate a long-awaited success that has broken the domestic dominance of rivals Juve.
The league title is Inter's first since winning the Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League Treble in 2009/10 under Jose Mourinho, and their 19th overall. Inter have therefore overtaken AC Milan, who have 18 Serie A titles, to become the second-most successful club in league history behind Juventus, with 36 league wins. Inter are unbeaten since January 6, a run of 18 games.
Karolina Muchova Stuns Naomi Osaka
Second-ranked Naomi Osaka is out of the Madrid Open as Karolina Muchova won 6-4 3-6 6-1 in the second round. It was Muchova's third win against a top-10 opponent this year. The 20th-ranked Czech was a semifinalist at the Australian Open, which was won by Osaka in February. Osaka was coming off a quarterfinal loss to Maria Sakkari in Miami.
Pinarayi Vijayan Submits Resignation to Kerala Governor
Pinarayi Vijayan who led the ruling CPI(M)-headed LDF in Kerala to a resounding victory in the April 6 Assembly polls, resigned from the post, ahead of the new ministry formation.
Vijayan submitted his resignation letter to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.
Vijayan has been asked to continue as Chief Minister till the new government is sworn in.
In Assam, BJP Tasked with Striking Balance
Assam may have given the BJP a lot to cheer, but it is still facing a tricky challenge to strike the right balance of power between its two Assam strongmen — Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sarma.
While incumbent CM Sonowal is credited with helping the BJP retain Assam on account of his work, popularity and clean image, Sarma is seen as someone who helped the party gain strength ever since he joined in 2014. Speculation is rife over Sarma being shifted to the Centre and Sonowal being anointed the CM, or vice-versa.
Observers say much can be deciphered from the party's hesitancy in naming its Chief Minister's face in the run-up to 2021 Assembly polls.
Central Vista Project: Construction of PM's Residence to be Completed by Dec. 2022
The construction of the Prime Minister's residence under the ambitious Central Vista project will be completed by December 2022, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has informed a government-appointed expert panel, which has given its nod to the project.
The CPWD, which is the project developer, informed the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) that the expansion of the Parliament building and the construction of a new Parliament building will be done by November 2022 and the prime minister's residence will be constructed by December 2022.
The Ministry of Environment has already granted the clearance for the expansion and renovation of the existing Parliament building, which is part of the Rs. 13,450 crore Central Vista Redevelopment Project.
Egypt to Buy 30 Rafale Jets, Contract Signed with France
Egypt and France signed a contract for the supply of 30 Rafale fighter jets.
The concluded contract is financed through a financing loan of a minimum duration of 10 years.
The value of the contract has not been disclosed but is expected to be in the region of $10 billion.
Egypt's purchase of the first batch of Rafale jets was worth $6 billion and was financed up to 50% by a consortium of French banks.
In 2015, France closed a €5.2 billion ($5.9 billion) contract for the sale of 24 Rafale fighter jets to Egypt, in what is the first foreign order of the French-built warplanes.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Jagmohan Passes Away
Former Union Minister and Jammu and Kashmir governor Jagmohan passed away after a spell of illness. He was 93.
Jagmohan started his career as a bureaucrat and was seen by many as a tough and efficient administrator. He also served as the lieutenant governor of Delhi.
He was appointed Jammu and Kashmir governor in 1984 and completed his five-year tenure.
As militancy erupted in Jammu and Kashmir, he was made the governor again in 1990 but was removed within a few months as differences between him and the then V P Singh-led government at the Centre grew over tackling the militancy.
Germany Cancels Oktoberfest Festivities for 2nd Year in Row
Bavarian officials cancelled Oktoberfest festivities for a second year in a row due to concerns over the spread of the coronavirus, saying that there are too many risks in hosting the celebrations, which traditionally bring in visitors from around the world, during a global pandemic.
Bavarian Governor Markus Soeder said that it was with heavy hearts that they decided to call off the festival for which the state is known globally, but that with coronavirus numbers still stubbornly high and hospitals already struggling, it had to be done.
Germany is currently in the middle of a lockdown that includes a ban on large gatherings, with an infection rate of 146.9 new weekly infections per 1,00,000 residents.
Bavaria is slightly below the national average with 145.4 new weekly infections per 1,00,000, according to the country's disease control centre, the Robert Koch Institute.
International Firefighters' Day
International Firefighters' Day is observed on May 4. It was instituted after a proposal was emailed out across the world on January 4, 1999 due to the deaths of five firefighters in tragic circumstances in a bushfire in Australia.
International Firefighter's Day started being marked after a horrific fire incident at the Linton Community, a densely populated place in Australia, on December 2, 1998. Five firefighters - Garry Vredeveldt, Chris Evans, Stuart Davidson, Jason Thomas, and Matthew Armstrong - died battling a devasting fire.
All the five firefighters, part of a strike team, rushed in to attend an SOS. Part of the Geelong West Fire Brigade, the men moved in with equipment when a sudden strong gale changed direction and the raging fire engulged the firefighting vehicle instantly killing all five men.
Coal Miners' Day
Coal Miners' Day is celebrated on May 4 to recognize the hard work of some of the great unsung heroes of Industrial Revolution. Coal miners spend most of the days digging, tunnelling and extracting coal from the mines. They dig deep into the Earth to bring out the riches that help to sustain our life. Coal mining is one of the toughest professions. The day is celebrated to show appreciation for the coal miners and honour their accomplishments.
The coal miners have been working for centuries, however, they became significantly important during the Industrial revolution between 1760 and 1840 when coal was used on a large scale to fuel stationary and locomotive engines and heat buildings. Coal is a natural resource that accelerate both economic and social development.
Education Ministry Asks IITs, NITs, IIITs to Defer Offline Exams
The Education Ministry wrote to all centrally-funded educational institutions (CFTIs) asking them to postpone their offline examinations scheduled this month. The ministry cited the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic behind the request. Online tests, however, can continue.
Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare in his letter said that the decision on examinations will be reviewed again in the first week of June. "The institutions have been further advised to ensure that if anyone in the institution needs any assistance it should be provided immediate possible help so that he/she comes out of the distress at the earliest. All Institutions have to encourage eligible persons to go for vaccination and ensure that everyone follows Covid-19 appropriate behaviour to remain safe," Khare wrote in his letter.
The centrally funded institutes include the Central Universities, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs).
Punjab CM Sets Up VCs Committee to Work Out Exam Reforms
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh constituted a committee of vice chancellors to work out examination reforms and review curriculums. The committee, under the chairmanship of VC GNDU, will also look into introduction of new courses and digital education and will submit its report within 60 days.
Underlining the need to keep up with the transformation taking place globally in education, the Chief Minister tasked the committee with drafting a plan to bring the state's education system at par with the world. New and relevant courses should be identified to ensure that the students are in tune with the changes taking place in global education.
The Chief Minister also directed that all new colleges in the state must start classes from academic session 2021-22.
Congo Declares the End of the 12th Ebola Outbreak
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) officially declared the end of the 12th Ebola outbreak, which killed six people in its eastern province of North Kivu.
Since the outbreak declared in February 2021, a total of 12 cases were reported, including six deaths in the province.
According to the aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres, the outbreak was contained using Merck's Ebola vaccine, which was given to more than 1,600 of the patients' contacts and contacts of contacts.
The cases were genetically linked to the 2018-20 Ebola epidemic that killed more than 2,200 people, the second-highest toll recorded in the disease's history.
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