IMPORTANT DAYS

World No Tobacco Day observed annually on May 31st.

 World No Tobacco Day, also known as Anti-Tobacco Day, is observed annually on May 31 to raise awareness about the potential risks associated with tobacco use.

 The 2024 theme is, "Protecting children from tobacco industry interference," carries immense significance in the fight against tobacco use.

 The primary goal of this day is to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable illnesses and deaths it causes.

 The World Health Assembly established World No Tobacco Day by passing a resolution in 1987.

 Tobacco contains nicotine, which leads to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Donald Trump Convicted of Criminal Charges

 Donald Trump has become the first former U.S. President to be convicted of a crime.

 A New York jury found Trump guilty on all 34 counts related to a scheme involving hush money payments to a porn actor, aimed at illegally influencing the 2016 election.

 Trump is expected to appeal the verdict promptly.

 This conviction does not prevent Trump from running in the upcoming presidential election.

 Trump faces both federal and state charges for allegedly conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which was won by Joe Biden.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

South Korea Establishes First Space Agency

 South Korea has launched its first space agency, the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA), which will spearhead the nation’s “space economy.”

 The country has ambitious plans to land on Mars by 2045 and intends to invest 100 trillion won ($72.6 billion) in space exploration by then, as stated by President Yoon Suk Yeol.

 Aiming for 2032, South Korea plans to deploy its first lunar lander.

 In May 2023, the successful launch of the Nuri rocket marked South Korea as the seventh nation with its own space launch vehicle and satellite development technology.

 By 2027, South Korea plans to conduct at least three more space launches, including the deployment of military satellites.

 Meanwhile, North Korea attempted a rocket launch on May 27, 2024, but failed to place its second military spy satellite into orbit.

 In January, Japan became the fifth nation to send a lander to the moon.

 Last year, India successfully became the fourth country to land on the moon.

STATE NEWS

Rajasthan High Court Calls for Heat Wave to be Declared a National Calamity

 Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand of the Rajasthan High Court has urged that heat and cold waves be classified as national disasters.

 The single-judge bench has directed the state government to provide compensation to the families of those who have died due to heatwaves.

 The court has also instructed the state government to formulate a 'Heat Action Plan' for Rajasthan.

 The chief secretary of Rajasthan has been directed to establish committees across various departments to implement this plan.

 However, the court acknowledged that accurately estimating the death toll from heatwaves remains a significant challenge.

 Heat waves are periods of unusually high temperatures as compared to what is normally expected in a region.