Daily Current Affairs – 22-05-2026

Tamil Nadu News

Congress Returns to Tamil Nadu Cabinet After 59 Years

In Tamil Nadu, 23 new ministers were sworn into the cabinet led by Chief Minister Vijay. With the inclusion of Congress MLA Rajeshkumar, the Congress Party joined the Tamil Nadu cabinet after a gap of 59 years. The last time Congress was part of the Tamil Nadu cabinet was in 1967 under Chief Minister M. Bhaktavatsalam. In the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, TVK (Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam) led by Vijay won 108 seats and formed the government with the support of Congress, CPI(M), VCK, and IUML. Following the cabinet expansion, portfolio changes were made in which K.E. Sengottaiyan moved from the Revenue Department to the Law Department, the Revenue Department was allotted to Nirmalkumar, and Finance was allocated to Mariya. Chief Minister Vijay additionally brought the Women’s Welfare Department under the special efforts department and added the Poverty Eradication Department to the Chief Minister’s office. The inclusion of Congress in the ministry marked the formation of a coalition government in Tamil Nadu.

International News

India-Africa Summit Postponed Over Ebola Outbreak

The 4th India–Africa Summit, scheduled to be jointly organised by India and the African Union in New Delhi from May 28, has been postponed indefinitely due to the spread of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The outbreak has caused more than 130 deaths in Congo, following which the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an international health emergency. The Government of India, after consultations with leaders of the African Union, decided to postpone the summit. Although no Ebola cases have been reported in India, the Central Government directed all states to strengthen airport surveillance, testing, and quarantine protocols as precautionary measures.

PM Modi’s Cultural Gifts During 5-Nation Visit

During his 5-nation visit to the UAE, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented world leaders with gifts highlighting India’s heritage, agriculture, and handicrafts. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni received Muga silk and Eri silk shawls, with Muga silk being the traditional “Golden Silk” of Assam’s Brahmaputra Valley. Italian President Sergio Mattarella was gifted traditional inlay work items and music CDs of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and M.S. Subbulakshmi. FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu received Indian grains including Palakkad Red Rice (Kerala), Gobindobhog rice (West Bengal), Basmati rice, Joha rice (Assam), and Kalanamak rice (Uttar Pradesh) along with millet snacks. UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was gifted a Tree of Life Gujarati painting, GI-tagged Kesar mangoes, and Meghalaya pineapples. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson received a Shantiniketan bag, works of Rabindranath Tagore, Loktak tea from Manipur, and a Ladakhi Pashmina shawl made from Changthangi goats. Norway Crown Prince Haakon was gifted an Andhra Pradesh Kalamkari painting, while Queen Sonja received an Odisha Pattachitra painting. Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte was gifted a Madhubani painting, King Willem-Alexander received Jaipur Blue Pottery, a GI-tagged handicraft, and Queen Máxima was presented with jewellery featuring Rajasthan’s Meenakari and Kundan work.

Sports News

East Bengal Wins ISL Title

East Bengal FC won the Indian Super League (ISL) football title after finishing first in the league stage of the current season. The tournament was conducted in a new format, in which the team finishing at the top of the points table was declared champion instead of holding a play-off stage. At the end of 13 rounds, East Bengal secured 26 points and won the title, ending a 22-year wait for a major top-tier trophy. Mohun Bagan also finished with 26 points but placed second on goal difference. Mumbai City finished third with 25 points, followed by Bengaluru (23), Punjab (22) and Jamshedpur (22).

Aston Villa Wins Europa League Title

Aston Villa won the Europa League football title for the first time by defeating Freiburg 3-0 in the final held at Istanbul, Turkey. Goals for Aston Villa were scored by Youri Tielemans, Emi Buendía, and Morgan Rogers. This marked Aston Villa’s first major trophy in 30 years, with the club’s previous title being the English League Cup in 1996. Aston Villa had earlier won the European Cup and the Super Cup in 1982. The victory also marked the fifth major title for Spanish coach Unai Emery, who previously guided Sevilla to titles between 2014 and 2016 and Villarreal to a title in 2021.

National News

New Record for Mount Everest Climbs in a Single Day

A new world record was set in Nepal when 274 mountaineers, including 3 Indians, successfully climbed Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, in a single day. The previous record was 223 climbers in May 2019. For the current climbing season, the Government of Nepal granted permission to 502 mountaineers. The record-setting group included 150 Nepali Sherpas and three Indians from Telangana: Tulasi Reddy Palpunuri, Sandeep Are, and Ajay Pal Singh Dhaliwal. On the following day, 8 more climbers, including India’s Laxmikanta Mandal, reached the summit. During the same season, Kami Rita Sherpa of Nepal broke his own record by climbing Mount Everest for the 32nd time, while Lhakpa Sherpa became the first woman to climb Mount Everest 11 times.