Current Affairs - World
NASA spacecraft arrives at Giant Planet Jupiter
- A NASA spacecraft reached Jupiter on 04.07.2016, Monday after a five-year voyage to begin exploring the king of the planets. Ground controllers at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Lockheed Martin erupted in applause when the solar-powered Juno spacecraft beamed home news that it was circling Jupiter's poles.
- Juno is a NASA New Frontiers mission currently orbiting the planet Jupiter. Juno was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on August 5, 2011 and arrived on July 4, 2016. The spacecraft is in a polar orbit to study Jupiter's composition, gravity field, magnetic field, and polar magnetosphere. Juno is the second spacecraft to orbit Jupiter, following the Galileo probe which orbited from 1995–2003.
- North Korea fired what appeared to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile off its east coast on Saturday, the U.S. and South Korea said, the latest in a string of tests that are part of efforts by the North to advance technology capable of delivering nuclear warheads. The missile was fired from a location near the North Korean coastal town of Sinpo, where analysts have previously detected efforts by the North to develop submarine-launched ballistic missile systems, said an official from Seoul's Defense Ministry. The official, who didn't want to be named because of office rules, couldn't immediately confirm how far the missile traveled or where it landed.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the Indian Community in Durban, he said, India is a land of opportunity and a ray of hope. Mr. Modi visited 'Phoenix settlement' an Ashram in Durban that Mahatma Gandhi had set up during his days in South Africa. Mr. Modi was welcomed by Ila Gandhi, the grand daughter of Mahatma Gandhi. He planted a sapling in the farm and was given a traditional welcome by the local people with songs and dances.
- The Prime Minister also visited Pietermaritzburg and inaugurated an exhibition on Mahatma Gandhi. The exhibition is being held in the same waiting hall where Gandhiji spent his night in 1893 after being thrown off the first class compartment of the train for being a non-white. Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his visit in South Africa with a civic reception given by the Mayor of Durban at city hall. Mayor along with the Premior of Kwazulu natal province welcomed him in the town hall which was packed with people of Indian origin.
- Prime Minister Modi said that in his discussion with President Zuma of South Africa, they have decided to advance the strategic ties to all sectors including trade, IT and capacity building among others. He said that India and South Africa have also decided to work together for stronger security and defence relationship.
- Mr. Modi said that India's development story is a bright spot in the world.The development challenges that we face today should be overcome to reach those who need it most especially the youth. He called upon the people to come and take advantage of the great opportunity that India offers today. Later, the Prime Minister tweeted describing South Africa as a beautiful nation with vibrant diversity. He said, Durban is the largest Indian city outside India.
- PM Modi's Tanzanian President Kassim Majaliwa and Foreign Minister Bernard Membe welcomed him at the Dar es Salaam airport late 09.07.2016, Saturday night. On reaching Tanzania, the PM had tweeted that he is optimistic about this visit and is confident it will usher in a new era in India-Tanzania ties.
- During his visit, PM will hold bilateral discussions with Tanzanian President John Magufuli in Dar-es-Salaam which will be followed by the signing of agreements. On PM's agenda is meeting with 'Solar Mamas'-a group of rural women solar engineers from Africa who have been trained under Government of India-supported programmes to fabricate, install, use, repair and maintain solar lanterns and household solar lighting systems in their villages. He will also meet the Indian community in Tanzania.
- The visit of Prime Minister Modi to Tanzania is being seen as a fillip to India's development assistance to Tanzania. India's development initiatives, the youth of Tanzania are being trained in IT skills and getting skilled to meet the challenges posed by the industry as well as the new age. The commercial hub and the capital of Tanzania, Dar-es-Salaam is the place which caters to the dreams and aspirations of the youth.
- The partnership of the youth is quite significant with regard to the pace of growth registered by both countries. Prime Minister Modi's visit to Tanzania is being seen as providing a new dimension to the already strong relations existing between both the countries.
India gives SUVs to Mozambique, completes delivery of $4.5 mn grant
- Coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Mozambique, India has handed over 30 SUVs to it. External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted that with this India completed the delivery of 4.5 million US dollar grant assistance as part of supporting the institutions of this African country. The vehicles were handed over by Amar Sinha, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the External Affairs Ministry, to an official of Mozambique's Interior Ministry. Swarup posted on Twitter the photographs of the handing over ceremony along with the caption "supporting Mozambican institutions". Shortly before that, the Prime Minister handed over four buses to Centre for Innovation and Technological Development (CIDT) as donation from India Swaroop tweeted. The Prime Minister went around the campus of the CIDT and interacted with students who have studied in India under ITEC and other programmes.
- Super Typhoon Nepartak lashed Taiwan with powerful winds and torrential rain as it made landfall early today. The Typhoon forced thousands to evacuate their homes as the island cancelled hundreds of flights and shut offices and schools for the day. Taipei's two main airports said that most scheduled domestic flights were cancelled while 365 international flights were affected. The railway will be closed for most of the day.
- China has cancelled 341 trains in its southeastern Fujian province as Nepartak is expected to make landfall tomorrow morning. Authorities issued an early-warning response for disaster relief preparations. At least 160 people have been killed and 28 others were missing due to heavy rains and floods in a number of provinces in the last few weeks ahead of the typhoon.
- The BRICS Working Group on "Energy Efficiency and Energy Savings" which met in Visakhapatnam yesterday for a two-day international workshop will chalk out a plan during the course of deliberations and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) would be signed in Energy Saving and Energy Efficiency practices. The MoU intends to pursue energy cooperation through joint research and technology projects, technology transfer, conferences, lectures and seminars and exchange of experience and best practices available among the BRICS nations.
Coal dust kills 23000 per year in EU: Report
- Lung-penetrating dust from coal-fired power plants in the European Union claims about 23,000 lives a year and racks up tens of billions of euros in health costs, an NGO report said today. Even as the bloc shifts towards renewable sources like wind and Sun energy, coal still accounted for 18 per cent of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions in 2014 and a quarter of its electricity mix in 2015.
- Emissions from 257 power plants for which data was available were associated with 22,900 premature deaths in 2013, the report said. The study was compiled by researchers from four green energy lobby groups, the Health and Environment Alliance, the WWF, Climate Action Network Europe and Sandbag.
Current Affairs - India
National Banana Research Centre to be set up in Bihar
- The National Research Centre for Banana would be set up at Goraul in BIHAR's Vaishali district, Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh said 09.07.016. The centre will be set up soon. The land for this purpose was allotted when Jitan Ram Manjhi was the Chief Minister, he said. Singh, accompanied by Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, announced this while inaugurating a two-day 'Horti-Sangam' 2016 organised by organised by National Horticulture Board at Hajipur, the district headquarters of Vaishali.
- ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana was established on 21st August 1993 at Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu by ICAR, New Delhi with an aim to increase the production and productivity of banana and plantains through mission mode basic and strategic research approaches.
- The National Mineral Exploration policy was unveiled on Monday. The new policy aims to bring together best of knowledge and experience, modern technology and trained manpower on a collaborative platform. Releasing the policy at National conclave on mines and minerals at Raipur in Chhattisgarh, steel minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the objective is to set in motion a massive process for mineral exploration in the country, that would give a major boost to the economy.
- The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) today signed an agreement with IIT-Bombay and Madras to establish a bi-nodal 'Centre of Propulsion Technology' (CoPT) at the two institutions. A defence release said that the initiative is aimed at achieving synergy between DRDO and IITs for channelising the research efforts towards developing products and technologies.The Centre will evolve mechanisms to facilitate execution of programmes related to propulsion technology and will engage both IITs as primary research nodes. It will also undertake advanced collaborative research in the areas of critical defence technologies.
- In Meghalaya, the Governor V. Shanmuganathan launched the ‘Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan’ in the East Khasi Hills District in Shillong. he Governor expressed concern over the high Maternal Mortality Rate in the state. He called upon all stake holders including the government, social and religious organisations, youth bodies and the general public to come together to ensure safe and secure delivery of children.
- Spanish train Talgo commenced its second phase trial on 09.07.2016, Saturday from Mathura at 120 km per hour speed with senior officials from Spain and Railways on board. The train with nine coaches started the journey from Mathura to Palwal covering the 84 km distance in about 53 minutes, said a senior railway official. The trial between Mathura and Palwal will go on for 25 days and the speed will go up to 180 kmph this time, he said. Hauled by a 4,500 HP diesel engine, Talgo coaches are lightweight and designed in a way that it can run on curves without decelerating the speed.
- Besides speed, testing team is also taking note of vibration, safety and stability of lightweight coaches during the trial and these technical parameters were vital for high speed run. There will also be a final trial between Mumbai-Delhi route before finalising the report. After the successful launch of semi-high speed Gatimaan Express on the Delhi-Agra route in April, Talgo trial is being conducted as part of railways strategy to increase the speed of trains.
- The maiden budget of the CPI(M)-led LDF Government in Kerala presented by Finance Minister Dr. T.M. Thomas Issac on 08.07.2016, Friday, gives thrust on strengthening social welfare schemes, public health and education and proposes, inter alia, a slew new taxes,14.5 per cent fat tax on Junk Food or packed foods. Finance minister also announced that transgenders in the state who have attained 60 years of age will get monthly pension. He however did not specify the quantum of the pension.The minister said the aim of this proposal is to bring the marginalised to the forefront of the soceity.
- Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Narendra Singh Tomar has said that government will carry out a drive to clean ten iconic places in the country, including Taj Mahal, Vaishno Devi temple and Ajmer Sharif, as part of a pilot project under the Swachh Bharat mission. The other places which have been selected are Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh, Golden Temple in Punjab, Jagannath temple in Odisha, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, Manikarnika Ghat in Uttar Pradesh, Meenakshi Temple in Tamil Nadu and Kamakhya Temple in Assam.
- Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Friday launched a portal of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in New Delhi. The portal will provide information and advisory to the farmers and facilitate online monitoring of the KVK activities. Besides, weather and market related information, question and answer facility will also be available to the farmers. The portal http://kvk.icar.gov.in will also provide agriculture related information of the districts to the farmers. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Singh said KVKs are the main center of knowledge and resource in the field of agriculture at the district level. The mandate of KVK is technology assessment and demonstration for its Application and capacity development. At present 645 Krishi Vigyan Kendras are operational in the country.
- Radhika Menon will become the first woman in the world to receive the Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea from the International Maritime Organisation for saving the lives of seven fishermen, whose hopes of survival were all but over. Menon was at the helm of oil tanker 'Sampurna Swarajya' of Shipping Corporation of India. She is the first woman captain of the Indian Merchant Navy and will be the first female to receive the Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.
- India's first integrated defence communication network was launched enabling the army, air force, navy and the Special Forces Command to share situational awareness for a faster decision-making process. The Defence Communication Network (DCN), a strategic, highly secure and scalable system, has a pan-India reach - from Ladakh to the North East to island territories. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who inaugurated the network at South Block, emphasised on the need to keep the network completely secure all the time. DCN offers high quality voice, video and data services covering 111 entities spread across the country. It is capable of working on terrestrial as well as satellite mode of communication and has also been fixed onboard different military vehicles.
- The NDA Government on Thursday 07.07.2016 launched Namami Gange Programme that includes 231 projects, including installation of sewage treatment plants and ghat constructions, at over 100 locations in seven states with an estimated cost of Rs 1,500 crore. Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Uma Bharati and Mahesh Sharma and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat launched 43 such projects in Haridwar.
- Andhra Pradesh government will conduct a 'Smart Pulse Survey' for collecting socio-economic data of 1.48 crore households in the state beginning today. In the first phase of the survey enumerators will be collecting details of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at his riverfront residence at Vundavalli near to Vijayawada. It will be from 8th to 30th July.
- In Telangana, more than a lakh people are likely to take part in a plantation programme this morning on both the sides of over 163 kilo meters long national highway between Hyderabad - Vijayawada. The state Government with the help of all departments, institutions, Non Government Organisations, school children and individuals has taken up this task as part of the second phase Harita Haram programme to be launched across the state today. The government has aimed at taking up plantation of 46 crore saplings in coming two weeks.
- Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the second anti-drug working group meeting of heads of Drug Control Agencies of BRICS countries in New Delhi. It is being organised by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of India. In accordance with the 'eThekwani Declaration' adopted during the BRICS summit in March 2013 at Durban, South Africa, it was decided to explore, besides economic issues, various new areas of cooperation among the member States, including drug-related issues.
- Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Kalraj Mishra has unveiled the world’s largest Charkha at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport, IGI in New Delhi on 06.07.2016. The idea behind displaying the Charkha at the airport is to highlight India’s quest to foster an egalitarian society as demonstrated by Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a message said the Charkha is a symbol of India's glorious heritage and an inspiring reminder of freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi. An official release said, the four-tones Charkha made from high-quality Burma teak wood is estimated to last for over 50 years. It is 9 feet wide, 17 feet tall and 30 feet long.
- The Supreme Court-appointed green panel Environment Pollution Control Authority EPCA has recommended high pollution cess of up to 25 per cent on the cost of diesel cars above 2,000 cc. EPCA reasoned that imposition of steep cess was imperative to control air pollution in the national capital by making diesel vehicles cost prohibitive. In a note to the apex Court, the EPCA suggested that an environment compensation charge of 10 per cent of the vehicle's cost be imposed on diesel cars with engines up to 1200cc. According to EPCA the environment compensation charge for cars with engines up to 2000cc should be 20 per cent and 25 per cent for those above 2000cc.
- The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval to introduce ‘The High Courts (Alteration of Names) Bill, 2016’ in Parliament. The High Courts (Alteration of Names) Bill, 2016 will facilitate the changing of the names of ‘Bombay High Court as Mumbai High Court’ and ‘Madras High Court as Chennai High Court’ respectively.
- Background History:
- The High Courts of Bombay and Madras were named after the cities in which they were located. Consequence to the change in the names of these cities, there has been demands for change in the names of these High Courts. At present, there is no Central Law under which the proposal for change of names of these High Courts can be addressed. This Legislation is to address this requirement. The Bill would pave the way in changing the names of the High Court of Judicature at Bombay as High Court of Judicature at Mumbai and High Court of Judicature at Madras as High Court of Judicature at Chennai. Since the names of these cities have been changed, it is appropriate and logical that the names of these High Courts also get changed. It will fulfill the wishes of the State Government and the people.
- The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was apprised of a joint issue of postage stamps between Department of Posts and Portugal Post. India and Portugal enjoy excellent bilateral relationship with each other with frequent and active interaction through different platforms that allow both countries to exchange views on many of common issues of concern. This collaboration has been fruitful and beneficial for both countries and the ties of both countries will continue to grow from strength to strength over the years. This joint issue will also help the Postal Departments of both countries in production of philately.
- The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Mauritius. The MoU will help to establish a framework for cooperation between the National Development Unit, Prime Minister’s Office of the Republic of Mauritius and the Ministry of Rural Development of the Republic of India in the sphere of rural development. The MoU will encourage cooperation in the field of rural development and capacity building on the basis of equality and mutual benefit between both countries.
Cabinet Ministers
1. Narendra Modi
3. Sushma Swaraj – External Affairs, Overseas Indian Affairs
4. Arun Jaitley – Finance, Corporate Affairs, Information & Broadcasting
5. M Venkaiah Naidu –
Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Parliamentary Affairs
6. Nitin Gadkari – Road Transport and Highways, Shipping
7. Manohar Parrikar – Defence
8. Suresh Prabhu – Railways
9. D V Sadananda Gowda – Law and Justice
10. Uma Bharti – Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
11. Najma Heptullah – Minority Affairs
12. Ramvilas Paswan – Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
13. Kalraj Mishra – Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
14. Maneka Gandhi – Women and Child Development
15. Ananth Kumar – Chemicals and Fertilizers
16. Ravi Shankar Prasad – Communications and Information Technology
17. Jagat Prakash Nadda – Health and Family Welfare
18. Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati – Civil Aviation
19. Anant Geete – Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
20. Harsimrat Kaur Badal – Food Processing Industries
21. Narendra Singh Tomar – Mines and Steel
22. Chaudhary Birender Singh – Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Drinking Water and Sanitation
23. Jual Oram – Tribal Affairs
24. Radha Mohan Singh – Agriculture
25. Thaawar Chand Gehlot – Social Justice and Empowerment
26. Smriti Zubin Irani – Human Resource Development
27. Dr Harsh Vardhan – Health and Family Welfare
Minister of State (Independent Charge)
28. General (Retd) V K Singh –
Development of North Eastern Region (Independent Charge), External Affairs, Overseas Indian Affairs
29. Inderjit Singh Rao – Planning (Independent Charge), Statistics and Programme Implementation (Independent Charge), Defence
30. Santosh Kumar Gangwar – Textiles (Independent Charge)
31. Bandaru Dattatreya – Labour and Employment (Independent Charge)
32. Rajiv Pratap Rudy – Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge), Parliamentary Affairs
33. Shripad Yesso Naik – AYUSH (Independent Charge), Health & Family Welfare
34. Dharmendra Pradhan – Petroleum and Natural Gas (Independent Charge)
35. Sarbananda Sonowal – Youth Affairs and Sports (Independent Charge)
36. Prakash Javadekar – Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Independent Charge)
37. Piyush Goyal – Power (Independent Charge), Coal (Independent Charge), New and Renewable Energy (Independent Charge)
38. Jitendra Singh – .Development of North Eastern Region (Independent Charge), Prime Minister’s Office Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space
39. Nirmala Sitharaman – Commerce and Industry (Independent Charge)
40. Mahesh Sharma – Culture (Independent Charge), Tourism (Independent Charge), Civil Aviation
28. General (Retd) V K Singh –
Development of North Eastern Region (Independent Charge), External Affairs, Overseas Indian Affairs
29. Inderjit Singh Rao – Planning (Independent Charge), Statistics and Programme Implementation (Independent Charge), Defence
30. Santosh Kumar Gangwar – Textiles (Independent Charge)
31. Bandaru Dattatreya – Labour and Employment (Independent Charge)
32. Rajiv Pratap Rudy – Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge), Parliamentary Affairs
33. Shripad Yesso Naik – AYUSH (Independent Charge), Health & Family Welfare
34. Dharmendra Pradhan – Petroleum and Natural Gas (Independent Charge)
35. Sarbananda Sonowal – Youth Affairs and Sports (Independent Charge)
36. Prakash Javadekar – Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Independent Charge)
37. Piyush Goyal – Power (Independent Charge), Coal (Independent Charge), New and Renewable Energy (Independent Charge)
38. Jitendra Singh – .Development of North Eastern Region (Independent Charge), Prime Minister’s Office Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space
39. Nirmala Sitharaman – Commerce and Industry (Independent Charge)
40. Mahesh Sharma – Culture (Independent Charge), Tourism (Independent Charge), Civil Aviation
Minister of State:
41. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi – Minority Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs
42. Ram Kripal Yadav – Drinking Water and Sanitation
43. Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary – Home Affairs
44. Sanwar Lal Jat – Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
45. Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundariya – Agriculture
46. Giriraj Singh – Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
47. Hansraj Gangaram Ahir – Chemicals & Fertilizers
48. G M Siddeshwara – Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
49. Manoj Sinha – Railways
50. Nihalchand – Panchayati Raj
51. Upendra Kushwaha – Human Resources Development
52. Radhakrishnan P – Road Transport and Highways, Shipping
53.. Kiren Rijiju – Home Affairs
54. Krishan Pal – Social Justice and Empowerment
55. Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan – Agriculture
56. Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava – Tribal Affairs
57. Vishnu Deo Sai – Mines, Steel
58. Sudarshan Bhagat – Rural Development
59. Prof. (Dr.) Ram Shankar Katheria – Human Resource Development
41. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi – Minority Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs
42. Ram Kripal Yadav – Drinking Water and Sanitation
43. Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary – Home Affairs
44. Sanwar Lal Jat – Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
45. Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundariya – Agriculture
46. Giriraj Singh – Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
47. Hansraj Gangaram Ahir – Chemicals & Fertilizers
48. G M Siddeshwara – Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
49. Manoj Sinha – Railways
50. Nihalchand – Panchayati Raj
51. Upendra Kushwaha – Human Resources Development
52. Radhakrishnan P – Road Transport and Highways, Shipping
53.. Kiren Rijiju – Home Affairs
54. Krishan Pal – Social Justice and Empowerment
55. Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan – Agriculture
56. Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava – Tribal Affairs
57. Vishnu Deo Sai – Mines, Steel
58. Sudarshan Bhagat – Rural Development
59. Prof. (Dr.) Ram Shankar Katheria – Human Resource Development
60. Y S Chowdary – Science and Technology, Earth Science
61. Jayant Sinha – Finance
62. Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore – Information and Broadcasting
63. Babul Supria (Babul Supriyo) Baral – Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
64. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti – Food Processing Industries
65.Vijay Sampla – Social Justice & Empowerment
61. Jayant Sinha – Finance
62. Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore – Information and Broadcasting
63. Babul Supria (Babul Supriyo) Baral – Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
64. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti – Food Processing Industries
65.Vijay Sampla – Social Justice & Empowerment
Centre nod for renaming of Mhow railway station after B R Ambedkar
- The central government has given its nod for renaming Mhow railway station in Indore district of Madhya Pradesh after BR Ambedkar as the Dalit icon was born there. Union Home Ministry has requested the Madhya Pradesh government to issue a Gazette notification in this regard. Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot had written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu last year and in January this year, demanding that the name of Mhow railway station be changed to BR Ambedkar railway station.
Niranjan wins eight medals in IWAS World Games
- Bengaluru para swimmer Niranjan Mukundan has won eight medals, including three golds, at the recently-concluded IWAS (International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports) U-23 World Games in Prague, Czech Republic. Niranjan bagged gold medals in 200m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 50m breaststroke, silver in 100m fly and 50m freestyle, and bronze in 100m freestyle, 100m breaststroke and 100m backstroke events. This was stated in a release from GoSports Foundation, which is supporting Niranjan through the Para Champions Programme.In last year's edition of the Games, he had created a record for highest number of individual medals, raking in 10 medals in all the events that he participated in.
- The ICC has approved change in rules in the LBW decisions of the umpires concerning the controversial Decision Review System, which is expected to benefit the bowlers, while deferring plans for a radical shake-up of international cricket, including on the proposed creation of two divisions in Test and a new one-day league.
- The global governing body's annual meeting concluded in Edinburgh on Saturday with the ICC, IDI and IBC Board deliberating over several issues under the chairmanship of former BCCI chief Shashank Manohar. Few major decisions were also taken. The ICC said progress has been made on the issue of the governance restructuring in the world body while a push has been made for women's cricket to be included in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Durban.
- It was a double bonanza for India at the Canada Open as B Sai Praneeth and Rio-bound men's doubles pair of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy clinched twin crowns after winning their respective title clash at the 55,000 dollars Grand Prix badminton tournament in Calgary.
- The 23-year-old Praneeth, seeded fourth, dished out a dominating game to defeat Korea's Lee Hyun 21-12 21-10 in the men's singles final that lasted less than half an hour on Sunday at the Markin MacPhail Centre. Top seed Manu and Sumeeth Reddy, who became the first Indian men's doubles pair to qualify for the Rio Olympics, received a big boost when they defeated local combo of Adrian Liu and Toby Ng 21-8 21-14 in a lop-sided final in Calgary.
- France beat Germany 2-0
- In Euro cup, France defeated world champion Germany 2-0 in a pulsating semi-final match at Marseille last night. It will now take on Portugal in the final on Sunday in Paris. It has taken France 58 years to defeat Germany in a major tournament. The hosts look to add another trophy with two European Championship titles in 1984 and 2000 and a World Cup title in 1998. Antoine Griezmann scored a penalty in the first half and another goal in the second half to carry the hosts into the Euro 2016 final. Griezmann becomes France’s new poster boy by scoring two goals and took his tally for this tournament to six goals. He now stands second after Michel Platini in the history of French scoring charts at European Championships.
- Indian shuttlers made a resounding start to their campaign at the US Open with as many as six men's singles shuttlers, including Canada Open winner B Sai Praneeth, made it to the second round of the Grand Prix Gold tournament in El Monte. Praneeth defeated Sweden's Henri Hurskainen 21-13, 21-12 to set up a second round match against Canada's B R Sankeerth.
- Fifth seed H S Prannoy spanked USA's Calvin Lin 21-7, 21-6 in a completely lop-sided contest. RMV Gurusaidutt too brushed aside local shuttler Phillips Jap 21-8, 21-13 in another one-sided match. Young shuttler Pratul Joshi too outclassed Canada's Kevin Barkman 21-13, 21-13 while Anand Pawar mauled Denmark's Peder Sovndal 21-7, 21-7 in just 17 minutes. Fourth seed Ajay Jayaram got a walkover from Denmark's Joachim Persson.
The 2016 Wimbledon Championships is a Grand Slam tennis tournament which is currently talking place at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom. It commenced on 27th June 2016 and will conclude on 10th July 2016.
- Serena Williams Cliched 7th Wimbledon Tennis Tournament title
- America's Serena Williams Cliched 7th Wimbledon Tennis Tournament title and the 22nd Grand Slam singles title of her career on Saturday (09.07.2016), after defeating Germany's Angelique Kerber 7-5, 6-3 in the Wimbledon women's singles final in London. The 34-year-old Serena Williams equalled the Open Era record of Steffi Graf for the highest number of singles majors.
- Serena Williams and Sister Venus Williams wins Wimbledon Doubles 2016
- Serena and her sister Venus Williams will also wins in the women's Doubles Championship for a sixth time, they beat the pair of Hungary's Timea Babos and Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova in 6-3, 6-4 on Centre Court, a few hours after Serena won her seventh Ladies’ Singles title.
- It was their 14th Grand Slam doubles and placed second with Gigi Fernandez and Natasha Zvereva in for the most major doubles titles in the Open Era, behind only Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver, who claimed 20.
- World No. 1 Serena Williams and her records in Tennis
- Serena Jameka Williams born in September 26, 1981 is an American professional tennis player. The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has ranked her world No. 1 in singles on six separate occasions.
- Serena Williams holds the most major singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles combined amongst active players, male or female. Her record of 38 major titles puts her fifth on the all-time list and second in the open era: 22 in singles, 14 in women's doubles, and two in mixed doubles.
- Serena Williams total of 22 Grand Slam singles titles is tied for second on the all-time list behind Margaret Court and tied with Steffi Graf for the most in the Open Era.
- She has won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with her sister Venus, and the pair are unbeaten in Grand Slam doubles finals. Williams is also a five-time winner of the WTA Tour Championships.
- Serena has also won four Olympic gold medals, one in women's singles and three in women's doubles, an all-time record shared with her sister Venus Williams.
- Williams was the highest paid female athlete in 2016 earning $11.6 million in prize money and $13 million from endorsements. In December 2015, she was named Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated magazine.
- Britain's Andy Murray Won Wimbledon 2016
- Andy Murray clinched a second Wimbledon title and third Grand Slam crown on Sunday 10.07.2016 when he downed Milos Raonic of Canada 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/2). The 29-year-old world number two added the 2016 trophy to his 2013 triumph at the All England Club and his 2012 US Open title.
- Appearing in his 11th final at the majors, but his first against an opponent other than Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, the Scot shattered Raonic's hopes of becoming the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam crown. Murray faced just two break points in the two hour 48 minute encounter while 25-year-old Raonic, who had clobbered 137 aces going into the final, managed just eight on 10.07.2016 Sunday.