A private rocket carrying the first Arab woman astronaut was successfully launched on a mission to the ISS. The 76th Cannes Film Festival commenced in France on 16 May, 2023. Twitter appoints Linda Yaccarino as its Chief Executive Officer and more latest news only on the BYJU’S Bulletin Board. We’ve got you covered from breakthroughs in space to major events across the country, sports, arts and culture, economy and academics. Stay informed and up-to-date with our weekly roundup!
SPACE:
A private rocket carrying the first Arab woman astronaut, Rayyanah Barnawi, a breast cancer researcher from Saudi Arabia, and fellow Saudi Ali al-Qarni, a fighter pilot, successfully launched on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket took off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, the United States, at 5:37 pm local time on Sunday.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch its ambitious Chandrayaan-3 mission in less than two months. This mission aims to demonstrate key technologies for landing a spacecraft on the moon’s south pole. Chandrayaan-3 carries equipment to investigate the lunar regolith’s elemental composition, lunar surface plasma environment, lunar seismicity and thermo-physical properties.
CURRENT AFFAIRS:
Twitter appoints Linda Yaccarino as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) after her successful role as head of advertising at NBCUniversal. She brings with her 19 years of experience at Turner Entertainment, where she spearheaded the network’s ad sales operation into the digital future.
The 7th UN Global Road Safety Week, held from 15–21 May, 2023, aims to raise awareness about road safety and the importance of accident prevention. The week-long event, organised by the WHO and UN regional commissions, garners support from governments, NGOs and individuals. The theme for 2023 is #RethinkMobility.
On 14 May, 2023, Pasang Dawa Sherpa, also known as Pa Dawa, achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the second person to scale Mount Everest 26 times. Kami Rita Sherpa was the first individual to achieve this milestone. Together with a Hungarian climber, they reached the summit in this extraordinary mountaineering feat.
National Endangered Species Day was marked on 19 May. It is observed annually on the third Friday of the month. This day aims to raise awareness about endangered species and emphasise the need for their conservation. This year, the day highlights the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act.
ARTS AND CULTURE:
The 76th Cannes Film Festival commenced in France on 16 May, 2023. The festival opened with the world premiere of the film ‘Jeanne Du Barry’, starring Johnny Depp.
At the South Asian Film Festival of Montreal 2023, the documentary ‘Gauri’, directed by Kavitha Lankesh, received the prestigious ‘Best Long Documentary Award.’ The documentary portrays the life of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, who was tragically assassinated in 2017.
Actor Harrison Ford was honoured with the Palme D’Or award for lifetime achievement at the 76th Cannes Film Festival 2023. The award was presented before the premiere of his film ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’.
SPORTS:
Prraneeth Vuppala, a 16-year-old from Telangana, has become India’s 82nd Grandmaster in chess. He earned the required 2,500 FIDE rating points during the Baku Open tournament. Having already achieved three GM norms, he successfully crossed the 2,500 rating points threshold.
ECONOMY/BUSINESS:
RuPay introduces a convenient CVV (Card Verification Value)-free payment experience for its debit, credit and prepaid cardholders. By tokenising their cards on the merchant application or web page, cardholders no longer need to retrieve their wallet or remember card details while making e-commerce transactions.
India’s Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation fell below zero in April 2023 for the first time since July 2020. The WPI inflation recorded a decline of (−) 0.92% in April 2023, compared to 1.34% in March 2023.
A UN report titled ‘World Economic Situation and Prospects as of mid-2023’ predicts India’s economy to grow by 5.8% in 2023 and 6.7% in 2024, driven by resilient domestic demand.
ACADEMICS:
The University Grants Commission (UGC) launched a redesigned website and portals called ‘UTSAH’ and ‘Professor of Practice’. UTSAH, which stands for Undertaking Transformative Strategies and Actions in Higher Education, serves as a platform to provide detailed information about UGC’s initiatives for qualitative reforms in higher education.
Durga Shankar Mishra, the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh, inaugurated the online rural education programme ‘Pahal’ at the Government UP Sainik Inter College, Sarojini Nagar. Developed in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, this programme offers free online education to students in ten government secondary schools during its initial phase.
Writing has always been Shreesha’s passion, be it for imparting knowledge or expressing opinions. In her former role as a journalist, she contributed to enriching society with knowledge. Now, at BYJU’S, she has moved on to something more exciting – creating tailor-made content for students. When she is not writing, you would find her looking for new ways to engage her child.
Arya C is a 4th grader who talks about her transition from the US to India and how BYJU`S has helped her at that. She also loves how BYJU`S has made learning a lot more fun.
Meet Sourabh who has a ton to say about his BYJU`S learning experience. His love for quizzes, games and other fun activities are paying off!
V Shriya is a class eight student who has been using BYJU’S for a year now. She shares her experiences with using the app and how it has helped her in improving her academic performance.
Aanvi from class 9 has been with BYJU`S for just 6 months and hear what she has to say about her learning experience with the app.
