*TODAYS TOP CURRENT AFFAIRS* --------------------------------------- 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will share his thoughts with the people of the country and abroad in the Mann Ki Baat programme on Akashvani at 11 AM today. 2. PM Modi has asked states to develop at least one tourist destination per State at par with global standards by providing all facilities and infrastructure. Chairing the tenth Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog in New Delhi. 3. All States and UTs expressed unanimous solidarity and support to the Armed Forces on Operation Sindoor during the Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog in Delhi. 4. The Delhi Assembly has issued notices to former chief minister Atishi and other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs for allegedly "disclosing" deliberations of the recently held General Purposes Committee meeting. 5. Southwest Monsoon has set in over Kerala yesterday, 8 days before the normal date. This is the earliest date of monsoon onset over Kerala after the year 2009 when it hit on the 23rd of May. With the arrival of the southwest monsoon, a very heavy rain alert has been issued in Kerala for the coming days. 6. India is enhancing its role in ocean geopolitics through advancements in polar and ocean research. The inauguration of “Sagar Bhavan” and “Polar Bhavan” at the National Centre of Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) in Goa marks a very important moment. These facilities are designed to improve India’s capabilities in studying climate change and weather patterns. 7. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar inaugurated the National Conference of Counsels representing the Election Commission of India in New Delhi on Saturday. 8. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is organizing a two-day National Writeshop on the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) Version 2.0 from 26th of May in New Delhi. The Writeshop is aimed at Empowering Panchayats through Data-Driven Governance. 9. In Uttarakhand, the gates of Hemkund Sahib located in Chamoli district will be opened on Sunday. 10. A Week-long International Yoga and Meditation Festival to start from June 15 in Ladakh. 11. Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a review meeting with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in New Delhi on the implementation of three new criminal laws in the State. 12. The Maharashtra government has approved 38 new Anganwadi centres in some of the most inaccessible tribal regions under the Prime Minister’s Tribal Justice Mega Campaign. --------------------------------------- *LEGAL REPORT* --------------------------------------- 1. A review in all the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), including ITBP, BSF, CRPF, CISF and SSB, within six months. The review was originally scheduled for 2021 but has been delayed. 2. The Madras High Court has found Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Anshul Mishra guilty of contempt of court and directed him to undergo simple imprisonment for one month. The court, however, suspended the sentence until he could prefer an appeal before a Division Bench of the court. 3. A 28-year-old contractual health worker, Sahdevhsinh Gohil from Gujarat was arrested on Saturday for allegedly sharing classified information related to the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Indian Navy with a Pakistani woman agent via WhatsApp. 4. Rahul Gandhi Meets Cross-Border Shelling Victims in Poonch, Calls It a ‘Big Tragedy’': The BJP accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of whitewashing Pakistan’s attack in Poonch by stating it as an act of tragedy instead of an act of terror. Talking to the media, Party leader Shehzad Poonawalla said that what happened in Poonch was an act of terror and nothing less. He said that innocent civilians of the country were attacked by the Pakistani army, in which Gurdwaras and schools were attacked and children lost their lives. 5. In Jammu and Kashmir, the Government has ordered temporary suspension of mobile internet service till May 27 in parts of Bhaderwah in Doda district over its likely misuse by “anti-national elements” to disrupt public order. 6. Security forces recovered over 14 kilograms of suspected opium in Nagaland. The operation was carried out by troops of the 78 Battalion CRPF and Police from Sechu Zubza Police Station during a routine check on National Highway 29 at the old Peducha. 7. BJP MLA Kanwar Lal Meena has been disqualified from the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. Mr. Meena represented the Anta constituency in Baran district. The decision was taken by Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani following Meena’s surrender in the Manoharthana Court. 8. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Raman Arora has been arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau in Jalandhar @ Corruption Case. 9. Supreme Court has cleared the path for thousands of slum dwellers in Nagpur to gain legal ownership of homes built on Zudpi jungle land. The decision applies to slums established before December 12, 1996, provided residents can prove continuous occupancy prior to 2011. ------- *MISHAPS*------------ Kerala, the State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has issued a public warning after the Coast Guard reported a possible leakage of dangerous substances from the cargo that fell off a ship in the Arabian Sea, about 38 nautical miles south west of Kochi coast. --------------------------------------- *ENTERTAINMENT NEWS* --------------------------------------- 1. Miss England 2024 Milla Magee has withdrawn from the ongoing Miss World 2025 pageant being hosted in Telangana, citing personal and ethical concerns. The 24-year-old, who arrived in Hyderabad on May 7, returned to the UK on May 16, ending her participation in the global beauty competition. 2. Actor and model Mukul Dev has passed away at 54. The actor was known for his performances in Hindi, Punjabi and some South Indian movies. He died at the age of 54 on 23 May 2025 after a brief illness. Mukul’s brother, actor Rahul Dev, was performed the last rites in Delhi. 3. Workers of Pro Kannada organisations staged protest in Bengaluru demanding the removal of actress Tamannah Bhatia as the brand ambassador from Karnataka Soaps and detergents limited (KSDL). The actress has been offered an amount of ₹6.2 crore to work the brand. --------------------------------------- *DEFENCE News* --------------------------------------- 1. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday (May 23, 2025) sanctioned a policy to grant the next senior honorary rank to retiring Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel, in the absence of real promotion opportunities. To get the honorary rank, the personnel should have had a clean service record and should have received no punishment in the past five years. 2. The Coast Guard has launched a rescue operation for a Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3, approximately 38 nautical miles southwest of Kochi, after receiving a distress call from its crew, Coast Guard rescued 21 crew members. 3. The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General Upendra Dwivedi, in a solemn and emotionally charged ceremony, Friday presented the ‘Badge of Sacrifice’ and the ‘Certificate of Honour’ to the ‘Next of Kin’ (NoK) of eight Indian army personnel and JKPS officer DySP Himayun Muzzammil Bhat, who laid down their lives in the line of duty. --------------------------------------- ✈ *INTERNATIONAL NEWS* --------------------------------------- 1. The all-party delegation from India to Russia, led by DMK MP Kanimozhi, put forth India’s strong message of zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms. Addressing a joint press conference at Indian Embassy in Moscow on Saturday, MP Kanimozhi said that Pahalgam terror attack was done by terrorists who had infiltrated Indian territory from Pakistan. 2. The all-party delegation, led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, arrived in Bahrain to put forth India’s firm message of zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms. 3. Indians who embarked on Haj pilgrimage appreciated arrangements and the quality of facilities offered by the Indian government to ensure a smooth and seamless journey for all in Saudi Arabia. 4. Thirteen Bangladeshi nationals who were residing illegally in the jurisdiction of Purnagad Marine Police Station in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra have been deported to their home country after completing a six-month prison sentence. --------------------------------------- 🌎 *WORLD NEWS* 🌍 --------------------------------------- 1. In Bangladesh, Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud said that Chief Adviser of the interim Government Muhammad Yunus will remain in the interim government, which is committed to completing its assigned responsibilities. Mohd. Yunus to stay as Chief Adviser of Bangladesh amid growing speculation over stability of interim government. 2. The US administration has taken significant steps to lift sanctions on Syria, following President Donald Trump's earlier pledge to assist the war-torn country in its recovery efforts. The U.S. Treasury Department issued a general license that clears the way for transactions involving Syria's interim government as well as its central bank and state-owned enterprises. 3. Leading Venezuelan opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa was arrested on charges of conspiring to sabotage upcoming parliamentary and regional elections that the opposition has vowed to boycott. 4. Harvard University has sued US President Donald Trump’s administration for a second time over ban on international students. 5. A US court in the state of Massachusetts temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s order revoking Harvard University’s certification to enroll international students. 6. In Singapore, the new Cabinet has been sworn in following the ruling People’s Action Party’s (PAP) strong performance in this month’s general election. During the swearing-in ceremony, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong emphasized that the new administration would focus on securing Singapore’s place in a rapidly changing world and preparing the economy for future challenges. --------------------------------------- 🚣🚴🏇🏊 *SPORTS* --------------------------------------- 1. Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has clinched the silver medal at the 2025 Janusz Kusociński Memorial meet in Chorzów, Poland. The two-time Olympic medallist recorded a throw of 84.14 metres in challenging conditions on his sixth and final attempt. 2. Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya announced that the government will organise Khelo India Northeast Games in one of the eight states every year. Addressing the Rising Northeast Investors Summit 2025 in New Delhi. 3. Badminton, ace Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth has stormed into the men's singles finals of the Malaysia Masters with a thrilling victory over Japan's Yushi Tanaka in Kuala Lumpur. 4. Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) has announced the squad for the upcoming test series against England. Shubman Gill has been named as Test captain for Team India, while Rishabh Pant has been chosen as vice-captain in Test cricket. 5. In Shooting, Olympian Raiza Dhillon bagged a silver medal in the women’s skeet event at the ongoing ISSF Junior World Cup in Germany. Dhillon hit 51 targets in the 60-shot final. She finished just behind Great Britain’s Phoebe Bodley-Scott, who clinched gold with a score of 53. -------------------------------------- 🇮🇳 *FACTS ABOUT BHARAT* 🇮🇳 ======================= In the year 1915, Mahatma Gandhi established Sabarmati Ashram in Kochrab near Ahmedabad on 25 May. This was one of the many residences of Mahatma Gandhi who lived at Sabarmati (Gujarat) and Sevagram (Wardha, Maharashtra) when he was not travelling across India or in prison. He lived in Sabarmati or Wardha for a total of twelve years with his wife Kasturba Gandhi and followers, including Vinoba Bhave. The Bhagavad Gita was recited here daily as part of the Ashram schedule.