• Italy has appointed a woman for the first time, career diplomat Elisabetta Belloni, to head the country's secret service, Prime Minister Mario Draghi announced.
• Belloni, who has already been the first woman to hold key foreign ministry posts, will now lead Italy's Security Intelligence Department (DIS), reporting directly to the cabinet.
• The DIS's brief includes handling intelligence and security matters at home and abroad as well as counter-espionage and cybersecurity.

• International Day of Families is observed on 15 May every year to reflect the importance that the international community attaches to families.
• UN General Assembly proclaimed this day in 1993.
• Theme 2021: ‘Families and New Technologies’.
• The Day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families.

• In Gujarat, ‘Maru Gam – Corona Mukt Gam’ or My Village – Corona Free Village – campaign launched by the state government has helped in checking the spread of Covid-19 in rural areas.
• Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had launched this 15-day campaign on the 1st of May on the occasion of the state’s foundation day.
• The campaign was launched to check the spread of infection due to coronavirus at village level to ensure the villagers remain free from the pandemic.

• On the completion of the first residential project of the government's Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing or SWAMIH fund, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on May 13, handed over possession to home buyers through a virtual event.
• According to a statement released by the Ministry of Finance, the residential project - 'Rivali Park', situated in suburban Mumbai, was the first housing project in the country to have received funding under the government's SWAMIH Fund, managed by the SBICap ventures.
• The Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing fund was launched by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in November 2019.

• Low-cost carrier GoAir has rebranded itself as Go First after 15 years, the company announced.
• The purpose of the revamp is to fully embrace the ultra-low-cost airline model to gain an advantage over its peers.
• The carrier is aiming at young travellers with the rebrand.
• The airline was preparing for an initial share sale to raise funds for its ambitious expansion plans.
• The Go First as ULCC (ultra-low-cost carrier) would operate single aircraft type across its fleet, which currently has both Airbus A320 and A320Neos (new engine option) planes in operation.

7.For 87th Birthday, Ruskin Bond Curates Delightful Collection of Short Stories

• Ahead of his 87th birthday on May 19, Ruskin Bond, one of Indias most-loved writers of children’s stories, has carefully curated a mixed bag of 25 of his most cherished stories in a new book, “All Time Favourites for Children”, (Puffin), interspersed with excellent and quirky artwork that will evoke a range of emotions, not only among the young but also across a spectrum of readers.
• The collection brings together some of the evocative episodes from Bond’s life – iconic Rusty, eccentric Uncle Ken, the ubiquitous grandmother – and many other charming, endearing characters while also introducing us to a smattering of new ones that are sure to become firm favourites with readers. Heart-warming, funny and spirited, this is a must-have on every bookshelf!

• Blue Dart, a leading express logistics service provider, formed Blue Dart Med-Express Consortium with a mission of revolutionizing the delivery of vaccines and emergency medical supplies to the remotest parts of India using drones.
• According to a press release from the logistics major, Blue Dart Med-Express Consortium is part of the ‘Medicine from the Sky’ project in collaboration with the Telangana government, World Economic Forum, Niti Aayog and Healthnet Global.
• The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has granted the project with necessary exemptions and rights to fly drone flights on an experimental basis in Telangana.

• India-born entrepreneur Rajesh Agrawal has been re-appointed as London's Deputy Mayor for Business by Mayor Sadiq Khan after he won a second term in local elections last week.
• Agrawal, who is also the co-chair of the Labour Friends of India (LFIN) diaspora representative group of the Opposition Labour Party, arrived in London in 2001 and went on to grow a small foreign exchange and money transfer enterprise into a multi-million-pound UK-headquartered business.

• Noted Assamese author and journalist Homen Borgohain (88 years) passed away in Guwahati due to COVID.
• He was associated with several newspapers and was most recently working as the editor in chief of Assamese daily Niyomiya Barta until his death.
• He was also the President of Assam Sahitya Sabha.