Daily Current Affairs- 21st May 2024

Daily Current Affairs- 21st May 2024

INTERNATIONAL

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Passes Away In a Chopper Crash

• Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister died when their helicopter crashed as it was crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog, The helicopter, carrying the 63-year-old President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other officials, lost contact approximately 30 minutes into the flight. 

SPORTS

Nandini Dairy becomes the official sponsor of the Scotland team for T20 World Cup

• The management of the Scotland cricket team unveiled its jersey with a logo of Karnataka’s home-grown Nandini dairy for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) that runs the Nandini brand is the official sponsor of the Scotland team, and this is the first time the milk brand has gone international.
• Nandini is also an official sponsor of the Ireland cricket team, which will play in the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled for the West Indies and the United States of America. 

Alexander Zverev and Iga Swiatek win Singles Title of Italian open and more

• Alexander Zverev won the single title of the Italian Open tennis tournament, while the women’s singles title was won by the world no.1 player Iga Swiatek. This was the second Italian open title for Alexander Zeverv, while it was the third Italian title for Iga Swiatek.
• In the men’s doubles the pair of Marcell Granollers (Spain) and Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) defeated the pair of Mate Pavic(Croatia) and Marcelo Arevalo (El Salvador) in straight sets 6-2 6-2.
• In the women’s doubles, the Italian pair of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini defeated the pair of Coco Gauff (America) and Erin Routliffe (New Zealand) in the final. 

Max Verstappen Wins Emilia Romagna Grand Prix 2024, Lando Norris Finishes Second

• Red Bull's Max Verstappen clinched the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix as McLaren's Lando Norris finished second, less than a second behind the leader, and ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc here on Sunday – 19 May. It was the 59^th career win for the three-time Formula 1 world champion who kept Norris at bay despite struggling with his car. Verstappen took his third consecutive win in Imola to take his season's tally to five in seven races. 

Ekta wins gold in club throw at World Para Athletic Championships

• India's Ekta Bhyan secured the gold medal with a season's best throw of 20.12m in the women' F51 club throw competition at the World Para Athletic Championships.
• A day after Deepthi Jeevanji clinched the gold medal in women's 400m T20 category race, Indian athletes continued their impressive run with Ekta producing the goods to finish in the top, while Kashish Lakra took the silver with an effort of 14.56m. Nadjet Boucherf of Algeria won the bronze with a score of 12.70m. 

APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Sanjiv Puri, ITC MD elected CII President for 2024-25 and more

• Chairman and Managing Director of ITC, Sanjiv Puri, has been elected as the President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for 2024-25. Sanjiv Puri replaces R Dinesh, Chairman of TVS Supply Chain Solutions as the President of CII.
• Rajiv Memani has been appointed as the new President-Designate, and R Mukundan has  been elected as the new Vice President of the CII for 2024-25 

Mohammad Mokhber, appointed acting President of Iran

• Iran's first Vice President Mohammad Mokhber was appointed as acting President of the Islamic Republic on May 20 after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in the country's northwest.
• Born on June 26, 1955, in Dezful, Iran, is a prominent figure in Iranian politics. He holds two doctoral degrees, one in international law and another in management, along with a master’s degree in management. 

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

• Held every year on 21 May, UNESCO leads the celebration of World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development highlighting not only the richness of the world’s cultures, but also the essential role of intercultural dialogue for achieving peace and sustainable development.
• The United Nations General Assembly first declared this World Day in 2002, following UNESCO's adoption of the 2001 Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, recognizing the need to enhance the potential of culture as a means of achieving prosperity, sustainable development and global peaceful coexistence. 

BANKING AND ECONOMY

Bank of Maharashtra tops among PSU lenders in business growth in FY24

• State-owned Bank of Maharashtra recorded the highest growth rate last fiscal in terms of total business and deposit mobilisation among public sector lenders at a time when most banks are facing difficulty in achieving double-digit growth.
• The Pune-headquartered lender has registered a 15.94 per cent rise in the total business (domestic) in FY24, followed by the country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) with 13.12 per cent growth, according to published financial numbers of the public sector banks (PSBs). 

Yes Bank launches premium services under ‘Yes Grandeur’ for affluent, elite customers

• Private lender, YES Bank has introduced YES Grandeur, an exclusive banking program designed to cater to the financial and lifestyle needs of the fast-growing segment. The launch marks an important step in the bank's strategy to embrace the evolving market dynamics driven by rising incomes and sophisticated consumer habits.
• YES Grandeur targets this evolving demographic with a threshold requirement of either an Average Monthly Balance (AMB) of Rs 5 Lakh or a Net Relationship Value (NRV) of Rs 20 Lakh, including considerations for loan relationships. The program promises a blend of financial benefits and lifestyle privileges tailored to meet the discerning tastes of its clients.