🇮🇳 National News
President of Angola Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco visited India from 1–4 May 2025 at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu — the first visit of an Angolan President to India in 38 years and his first bilateral visit since assuming office in 2017.
- USD 200 million Line of Credit (LoC) – Announced by PM Modi for the modernisation of Angola’s armed forces during delegation talks at Hyderabad House, New Delhi
- 3 MoUs – Signed to strengthen bilateral cooperation
- ISA Membership – Angola formally joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Framework Agreement, becoming the 123rd member
The Ministry of Mines (MoM) released provisional data showing India’s mining sector achieved record production levels in FY25. India is the 2nd largest aluminium producer, among the top-10 in refined copper, and the 4th largest iron ore producer globally.
| Mineral | FY24 | FY25 | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Ore | 277 MMT | 289 MMT | +4.3% |
| Manganese Ore | 3.4 MMT | 3.8 MMT | +11.8% |
| Bauxite | 24 MMT | 24.7 MMT | +2.9% |
| Lead Concentrate | 381 THT | 393 THT | +3.1% |
| Primary Aluminium | 41.6 LT | 42 LT | ↑ |
| Refined Copper | 5.09 LT | 5.73 LT | +12.6% |
Minister: G. Kishan Reddy (Secunderabad, Telangana) | MoS: Satish Chandra Dubey
The Indian Army (IA) received a fresh batch of ‘Igla-S’ man-portable air defence missiles under an ₹260 crore emergency procurement contract. The missiles were assembled in India by Ahmedabad-based Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Limited (ADSTL).
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Shoulder-fired man-portable air defence missile |
| Targets | Helicopters, UAVs, low-speed aircraft |
| Range | 6 km |
| Altitude Coverage | 3.5 km |
| Advantage over older Igla | Better resistance to countermeasures; enhanced seeker accuracy |
MoD has also issued an RFP to procure 48 launchers, 48 night-vision sights, 85 missiles, and one missile test station for the Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) – Next Generation (NG).
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), launched the ‘Submarine Cable Project’ to enhance long-term monitoring of the Indian Ocean — including oceanographic patterns, seismic movements, and tsunami risks.
- Cable Length – 150 km, installed off the coast of Wandoor, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Infrastructure – Two science nodes with oceanographic and geophysical sensors at water depths of 2,000–2,500 metres
- Applications – Oceanographic patterns, seismic movements, and tsunami risk monitoring
Director: Dr. Balakrishnan Nair T.M. | HQ: Hyderabad, Telangana | Established: 1999
The Ministry of Education (MoE) approved the establishment of an off-campus centre of IIFT (Indian Institute of Foreign Trade) at GIFT-IFSC, Gandhinagar, Gujarat — under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, and as per UGC (Deemed Universities) Regulations, 2023.
Established: 1963 under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry; dedicated to capacity building in international trade. Chancellor: Sunil Barthwal | HQ: New Delhi. MoE Union Minister: Dharmendra Pradhan (Sambalpur, Odisha).
Bengaluru-based Intel Technology India signed an MoU with India AI (under MeitY) to advance AI capabilities and skill development across India. Four key programmes:
- YuvaAI – AI for school students (Intel AI for Youth) and graduates (Intel AI for Future Workforce)
- StartupAI – Technical and market access mentorship for early-stage companies via Intel Startup Programme
- IndiaAI Dialogues + Intel Digital Readiness for Leaders – Workshops for public sector AI policy understanding
- Bhashini Integration – Government’s language translation platform will be integrated into AI-powered PCs in classrooms
The Government of AP signed an MoU with Mumbai-based CreativeLand Asia (CLA) Limited to set up ‘Creatorland’ — India’s first Transmedia Entertainment City — in Amaravati, announced at WAVES 2025, Mumbai.
- Investment – ₹8,000–10,000 crore over 5–6 years
- Infrastructure – Immersive theme parks, gaming zones, esports arenas, global cinema co-production zones, and a Virtual Studio Complex with AI-based real-time rendering and volumetric capture
- Creatorland Academy – Will train 10,000+ youth annually in VFX, AI, gaming, and immersive storytelling
- Employment – Projected to generate over 1.5 lakh jobs across entertainment, technology, and tourism
Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai laid the foundation stone for India’s first AI-based Data Centre Park in Sector-22, Nava Raipur, to be developed by Indore-based RackBank Datacenters Private Limited.
- Area – 13.5 acres (~5.5 hectares); 2.7 hectares as SEZ for AI-based services
- Phase 1 Capacity – 5 MW, scalable to 150 MW
- Additional Investment – Estimated ₹2,000 crore
- Infrastructure – GPU-based HPC infrastructure for AI, HealthTech, Defence, FinTech, and data analytics
🌐 International News
INS Sharda arrived at Maafilaafushi Atoll, Maldives to participate in the inaugural India-Maldives HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) exercise (May 4–10, 2025) under India’s MAHASAGAR vision.
MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) was unveiled by PM Modi in March 2025 (during his visit to Mauritius). It builds on the 2015 SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine, expanding cooperation across the Global South.
- India has trained 1,500+ MNDF personnel in the last decade
- Conducted 630+ MEDEVACs, SAR and air surveillance missions since 2019
- Supports infrastructure like the Composite Training Centre, Coastal Radar System, and ‘Ekatha’ harbor (2023)
President: Mohamed Muizzu | Capital: Malé
Nicaragua’s government withdrew from UNESCO in May 2025 — a reaction to UNESCO awarding the 2025 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to La Prensa — Nicaragua’s exiled newspaper. Nicaragua had been a UNESCO member since 1952; its membership will officially end on 31 December 2026 as per UNESCO’s constitution.
Founded in 1926 in Managua. Since 2021, following imprisonment/expulsion of its leaders and confiscation of assets, it has operated online in exile from Costa Rica, Spain, Mexico, Germany, and the USA.
Established: 1997. Named after Colombian journalist Guillermo Cano Isaza, assassinated in 1986 for his journalism against drug cartels.
President: José Daniel Ortega Saavedra | Capital: Managua | Currency: Nicaraguan Córdoba (NIO)
In May 2025, Togo’s Parliament unanimously elected Jean-Lucien Kwassi Lanyo Savi de Tové as Togo’s first President under its new parliamentary system for a four-year term — elected by all 150 members present in the 174-seat bicameral Parliament.
Togo transitioned from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary system via constitutional amendment in April 2024 (effective May 2024). Under the new system: the President is ceremonial (4-yr term, renewable once); the Chairman of the Council of Ministers — selected from the majority party — holds executive authority (6-yr term). Faure Gnassingbé was sworn in as Chairman of the Council of Ministers — the most powerful role.
Capital: Lomé | Currency: West African CFA franc (XOF)
💼 Business & Economy
Hyderabad-based Goldsikka Limited launched India’s first AI-powered Gold Melting ATM — offering buy, sell, exchange, lease, digitise, and monetise functions for gold and gold jewellery, with an integrated Augmented Reality (AR) experience to virtually try on jewellery.
Customer deposits gold → melted → purity and value displayed → customer accepts → amount transferred to bank account. Takes ~30 minutes. Verifies Aadhaar and ID proof; automatically reports to police if a crime record is detected. Operates with zero human interference.
Note: In 2022, Goldsikka had launched India’s first real-time Gold ATM. The new version adds AI melting and AR capabilities.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by PM Modi, terminated K.V. Subramanian as India’s Executive Director at the IMF on 30 April 2025 — six months before his three-year term (Nov 2022–Nov 2025) would have ended, with no official reason given. He represented India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan at the IMF.
Served as India’s 17th Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) from 2018–21 — the youngest ever to hold the role. Also served on expert committees of SEBI and RBI, and on boards of Bandhan Bank and NIBM.
Replacement: Parameswaran Iyer (current India ED at the World Bank) appointed as interim IMF ED for India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. The change comes ahead of a critical IMF Board meeting on 9 May 2025 to review Pakistan’s USD 1.3 billion climate resilience loan and USD 7 billion bailout assessment.
MD: Kristalina Georgieva | HQ: Washington DC | Est.: 1944 | Members: 191
The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB), under DFS/MoF, recommended Sanjay Joshi (1989-batch officer, currently GM at United India Insurance Company, Chennai) as CMD of OICL (Oriental Insurance Company Limited), New Delhi. Pending ACC approval; if confirmed, he serves until 31 August 2027.
- He succeeds R.R. Singh (retired Feb 2025)
- Amit Misra (ED, OICL) has been acting CMD since 1 March 2025
- Brings 30+ years in general insurance — branch/divisional head roles, Large Corporate Cell, and positions as Dy. GM and Chief Grievance Officer
New York-based Moody’s Ratings (formerly Moody’s Investors Service) released its Global Macro Outlook 2025–26 (May update), cutting India’s 2025 GDP forecast to 6.3% from 6.5%, citing US policy unpredictability, trade restrictions, and India-Pakistan geopolitical tensions.
| Economy | 2025 Forecast | 2026 Forecast |
|---|---|---|
| India | 6.3% (↓ from 6.5%) | 6.5% (unchanged) |
| Global GDP | 1.9% | 2.3% |
Moody’s expects the RBI to implement further benchmark policy rate reductions in 2025 to bolster domestic growth. India’s 2024 growth is estimated at 6.7%.
President: Michael West | HQ: New York | Founded: 1909
🏆 Sports
On 4 May 2025, Oscar Piastri (McLaren, Australia) won the 2025 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome, Miami Gardens, Florida — his 4th win of the 2025 F1 season and 6th career F1 win.
| Position | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
McLaren’s 3rd consecutive victory (following Bahrain and Saudi Arabia) — the first McLaren driver to achieve three consecutive wins since Mika Häkkinen (1997–98). Piastri started 4th, overtook pole-sitter Max Verstappen on lap 15; won by 4.630 seconds.
Miami International Autodrome: 5.412 km, 19 corners, 3 DRS zones. Next race: Emilia-Romagna GP, Imola, Italy (16–18 May 2025).
🕊️ Obituaries
Kariveppil Rabiya (K.V. Rabiya), born 25 February 1966 in Malappuram, Kerala — celebrated as Kerala’s Aksharaputri (daughter of letters) — passed away at Tirurangadi, Kerala. A differently-abled social worker, her legs were crippled by polio at age 17.
- Launched an adult literacy campaign in Tirurangadi in June 1990
- In 1994, founded Chalanam — an organisation for social transformation
- Played a key role in making Malappuram India’s first e-literate district through the Akshaya project
National Youth Award (1993, MoHRD) | Kannagi Sthree Shakti Award (1999) | UNDP Award (2000) | Joseph Mundaserry Award (2010) | Padma Shri (2022) for social work and education
📅 Important Days
The International Day of the Midwife (IDM) is observed every 5 May to honour midwives’ contributions to maternal and newborn health, led by the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). Theme 2025: ‘Midwives: Critical in Every Crisis’.
Proposed at the 1987 ICM conference in the Netherlands; first observed on 5 May 1991. ICM President: Sandra Oyarzo Torres | HQ: The Hague, Netherlands (since 1999). Predecessor: International Midwives’ Union (IMU), founded 1922, Belgium; renamed ICM in 1954.
World Hand Hygiene Day (WHHD) is observed on 5 May annually, led by the WHO, to promote evidence-based hand hygiene practices and prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Theme 2025: ‘It might be gloves. It’s always hand hygiene’.
Part of the ‘SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands’ campaign, originating from the WHO First Global Patient Safety Challenge: Clean Care is Safer Care (2009). The 2025 campaign marks the 17th anniversary of this global initiative.
African World Heritage Day (AWHD) is observed on 5 May to promote awareness and protection of Africa’s unique cultural and natural heritage. 5 May 2025 marks the 10th observance.
- Proclaimed by UNESCO on 19 November 2015 (38th session of UNESCO General Conference)
- First observed: 5 May 2016
- As of 2025, UNESCO has listed 147 World Heritage Sites in Africa — of which ~39% are listed as ‘in danger’ due to conflicts, climate change, and lack of funding
World Cartoonist Day is observed on 5 May globally, tracing its roots to 5 May 1895, when Richard Felton Outcault’s ‘Hogan’s Alley’ (later The Yellow Kid) debuted in the New York World — the first commercially successful cartoon in history.
- The National Cartoonists Society (NCS) was founded in 1946 in Winter Park, Florida, by Gus Edson and Clarence D. Russell
- National Cartoonists Day was initiated in 1999 by Polly Keener and Ken Alvine
R.K. Laxman (‘The Common Man’; Padma Bhushan 1973, Padma Vibhushan 2005) | Keshav Shankar Pillai (Shankar) (pioneer of political cartoons) | Mario Miranda (Times of India; Padma Shri 1988, Padma Bhushan 2002) | Pran Kumar Sharma (creator of ‘Chacha Chaudhary’)
The Government of Meghalaya, with Meghalayan Age Limited (MAL) and the Departments of Tourism and Agriculture, hosted the 2-day Strawberry Festival 2025 (May 2–3) across three locations: Sohliya (Ri-Bhoi), Syntung (East Khasi Hills), and Darechikgre (West Garo Hills). Inaugurated by DC Vibhor Agarwal (IAS).
Meghalaya’s strawberry production reached 1,220 MT in 2024 (vs 1,196 MT in 2023). Activities included strawberry picking, winemaking workshops, culinary tasting, trekking, and strawberry-based baking sessions — aimed at promoting agro-tourism and supporting rural livelihoods.
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