Daily Current Affairs – 18-05-2026

States’ News

Kerala CM Swearing-in

V.D. Satheesan will take oath as the Chief Minister of Kerala on May 18, 2026 in Thiruvananthapuram. Along with him, 20 ministers are expected to be sworn in. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at the Central Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram. Leaders expected to attend include Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states such as Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) returned to power in Kerala after 10 years by winning 102 seats in the 140-member Kerala Assembly elections held on April 6, 2026, with results declared on May 4, 2026. The Congress Party alone secured 63 seats, while the Left Democratic Front (LDF) won 35 seats and the BJP won 1 seat. After a leadership contest involving V.D. Satheesan, K.C. Venugopal, and Ramesh Chennithala, Satheesan was selected as Chief Minister on May 14, 2026. The new cabinet includes leaders such as Ramesh Chennithala, K. Muraleedharan, Sunny Joseph, and A.P. Anil Kumar from Congress, and P.K. Kunhalikutty, N. Samsudheen, K.M. Shaji, P.K. Basheer, and V.E. Abdul Gafoor from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). One ministerial berth each has been allotted to Kerala Congress (Joseph), Kerala Congress (Jacob), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), and Communist Marxist Party (CMP). Senior Congress MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan is likely to become the Speaker of the Assembly. During the election campaign, Congress announced welfare promises including free bus travel for women and a monthly stipend of Rs.1,000 for college girls.

National News

Supreme Court Judges Strength Increased

President Droupadi Murmu approved the decision of the Union Cabinet to increase the strength of judges in the Supreme Court of India to 38 on May 17, 2026. At present, the Supreme Court has 34 judges, including the Chief Justice of India and 33 other judges. The Union Cabinet approved the proposal on May 5, 2026. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal stated that an amendment bill to create 4 additional judge posts will be introduced in the upcoming Parliament session. Under the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, the number of Supreme Court judges excluding the Chief Justice was initially fixed at 10. The strength was increased to 13 in 1960, later to 17, then to 25 in 1986, 30 in 2009, and 34 in 2019 including the Chief Justice. The latest approval raises the total strength of the Supreme Court to 38 judges.

Supreme Court Judges Strength Increased

President Droupadi Murmu approved the decision of the Union Cabinet to increase the strength of judges in the Supreme Court of India to 38 on May 17, 2026. At present, the Supreme Court has 34 judges, including the Chief Justice of India and 33 other judges. The Union Cabinet approved the proposal on May 5, 2026. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal stated that an amendment bill to create 4 additional judge posts will be introduced in the upcoming Parliament session. Under the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, the number of Supreme Court judges excluding the Chief Justice was initially fixed at 10. The strength was increased to 13 in 1960, later to 17, then to 25 in 1986, 30 in 2009, and 34 in 2019 including the Chief Justice. The latest approval raises the total strength of the Supreme Court to 38 judges.

ICEYE to Establish Satellite Manufacturing Facility in India

International satellite company ICEYE has announced that it will establish its first satellite manufacturing facility in India within the next 6 to 12 months. The company owns one of the world’s most advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite constellations and provides surveillance, intelligence, and environmental monitoring services through satellites. According to Rafal Modrzewski, Co-founder and CEO of ICEYE, the facility will manufacture small satellites for security, surveillance, and environmental applications. Around 10 satellites are expected to be produced in the first year, and production will later be increased to 20 to 40 satellites annually. India has been identified as ICEYE’s Asia-Pacific manufacturing hub along with Europe and America. Satellites manufactured in India will be used for domestic requirements and also exported to international markets.

India-Made Airbus C-295 Aircraft Ready for Testing

The first Airbus C-295 transport aircraft manufactured in India at the Tata-Airbus facility in Vadodara, Gujarat, is ready for testing for use by the Indian Air Force. The C-295 aircraft is being inducted to replace the Avro-748 aircraft used for troop and cargo transport. The aircraft can carry 70 soldiers and military equipment and is capable of operating from short runways. India signed a ₹21,935 crore agreement with Spain to procure 56 C-295 aircraft. Under the agreement, 16 aircraft will be imported from Spain, while the remaining 40 aircraft are being manufactured in India under the Make in India initiative by the Tata-Airbus joint venture. The manufacturing facility was inaugurated in 2024 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. More than 85% of the aircraft design work was completed in India, and over 13,000 India-made parts were used in the aircraft. A total of 37 Indian public and private sector companies supplied components for the project. The aircraft was recently inspected by Air Marshal Avdesh Kumar Bharti, Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force, ahead of its maiden flight test.

Tamil Nadu News

Automated Electricity Bill Payment System

The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board has introduced an automated electricity bill payment system for consumers in Tamil Nadu. Under the existing system, electricity consumption for households is calculated once every two months, and consumers must pay the bill within 20 days from the date of meter reading. The new ‘EB Auto Pay’ facility enables automatic deduction of electricity bill amounts from consumers’ bank accounts. Consumers can register for this facility through the official website www.tnpdcl.org by selecting the ‘EB Auto Pay’ option under the payment section and entering their electricity service connection number, registered mobile number, and bank account details. Under this system, the electricity bill amount will be automatically deducted on the 10th day from the date of meter reading. The facility is available to all electricity consumers under the Low Tension (LT) category, including domestic consumers.

International News

India–Netherlands Agreements

India and the Netherlands signed 17 agreements on May 17, 2026 in The Hague in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The agreements aim to strengthen cooperation in sectors such as defence, critical minerals, trade, investment, maritime development, science and innovation, semiconductors, Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum computing, space, healthcare, water resources, renewable energy, agriculture and animal husbandry, customs, education, culture, and migration and mobility. A joint statement issued after the talks emphasized the need to ensure free navigation and commercial operations in the Strait of Hormuz and supported peace efforts in Ukraine under the UN Charter and international law. The Netherlands also supported India’s candidature for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council for 2025-2026. Bilateral trade between India and the Netherlands reached 27.8 billion US dollars in 2024-25, and the Netherlands is India’s 4th largest trading partner in Europe.

35% of India’s Exports Directed to North America and Asia

According to data released by the Union Ministry of Commerce, 35% of India’s exports were directed to North America, Northeast Asia, and Latin America during 2025-26. Exports to North America accounted for 22.1% of total exports, valued at ₹9.2 lakh crore (97.7 billion US dollars), recording a 1.3% increase compared to the previous year. Exports to Northeast Asia stood at ₹3.9 lakh crore (41.6 billion US dollars), accounting for 9.4% of total exports and showing a 21.6% growth over the previous year. Increased demand for Indian electronic goods, engineering equipment, chemicals, and industrial machinery contributed to this growth. Countries in the region include China, South Korea, North Korea, Japan, Mongolia, and Taiwan. Exports to Latin America were valued at ₹1.5 lakh crore (16.4 billion US dollars), accounting for 3.7% of exports and registering 7.8% growth. India’s total export value for 2025-26 was reported at ₹41.8 lakh crore (441.78 billion US dollars).

WHO Declares Ebola Outbreak an International Health Emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the spread of the Ebola virus in Congo and Uganda as an international health emergency. According to WHO data, the outbreak has caused 88 deaths, while more than 300 people have been hospitalized. The declaration was made by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Officials stated that the current outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which no approved vaccine or medicine is currently available. The Bundibugyo virus was first identified in the Bundibugyo district of Uganda during 2007-08, when 149 people were infected and 37 died. During the second outbreak in Congo in 2012, 59 people were infected and 29 deaths were recorded. According to WHO senior official Jean Kaseya, the spread of the Bundibugyo strain was identified on May 5, and 50 deaths, including 4 health workers, had already been recorded before its identification.

Personalities, Awards and Events

PM Modi Receives Sweden’s Highest Civilian Award

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with Sweden’s highest award, the “Royal Order of the Polar Star, Degree of Commander Grand Cross”, during his visit to Sweden. This became the 31st international award received by PM Modi. He arrived in Gothenburg after completing his visit to the Netherlands and was welcomed by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at the airport. PM Modi is scheduled to visit Norway and Italy following his Sweden visit. Before his departure from the Netherlands, Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte saw him off at the airport. According to Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, the award was presented by Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in recognition of PM Modi’s leadership and efforts to strengthen India–Sweden bilateral relations.

Sports News

Satwik-Chirag Win Silver at Thailand Open

Indian badminton pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the silver medal in the Men’s Doubles category at the Thailand Open 2026 badminton tournament. In the final, the Indian pair, ranked World No. 4, lost to Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin with scores of 12-21, 23-25 in a match lasting 53 minutes. The Indonesian pair received a cash prize of ₹37.90 lakh, while the Indian duo received ₹18.23 lakh. In other categories, Anders Antonsen of Denmark won the Men’s Singles title, Akane Yamaguchi of Japan won the Women’s Singles, China’s Bao Li Jing/Gao Ji Han pair won the Women’s Doubles, and Denmark’s Mathias Christiansen/Alexandra Bøje won the Mixed Doubles title.

Elina Svitolina Wins Italian Open 2026

Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina won the Women’s Singles title at the Italian Open 2026 tennis tournament by defeating America’s Coco Gauff with scores of 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2 in the final. With this victory, Svitolina won the Italian Open title for the third time after previously winning in 2017 and 2018. She received 1,000 WTA ranking points and a cash prize of ₹11.64 crore, while runner-up Coco Gauff received 650 ranking points and ₹6 crore. At the age of 31, Svitolina became the oldest player to win a WTA 1000 tournament title three times and also became the first Ukrainian player in the Open Era to win 20 WTA titles. In the Men’s Doubles, Italy’s Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori won the title, while Russia’s Diana Shnaider and Mirra Andreeva won the Women’s Doubles title.