1. Captain Avilash Rawat and Crew Honored with IMO 2024 Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea
Captain Avilash Rawat and his crew received the IMO 2024 Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea for their heroic rescue efforts after a missile attack on their tanker in the Red Sea.
Key Highlights:
- ๐ Bravery award: Indian Captain Avilash Rawat and his oil tanker crew were nominated for the IMO 2024 Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea for their courage during a Red Sea rescue mission.
- ๐ฅ Courageous actions: Rawat and his crew demonstrated exceptional determination and endurance while managing firefighting and damage control after an anti-ship missile hit their vessel ‘Marlin Luanda’.
- ๐ข Supporting role: Captain Brijesh Nambiar and the crew of Indian Naval Ship INS Visakhapatnam received commendation for assisting the oil tanker during the crisis.
- ๐ Attack incident: On 26 January 2024, ‘Marlin Luanda’, carrying 84,147 tonnes of naphtha, was attacked by an anti-ship ballistic missile allegedly fired by Iran-backed Houthi rebels while en route from Suez to Incheon.
- ๐ Swift response: Despite the damage, Captain Rawat quickly organized firefighting efforts, ensuring the crew’s safety and maintaining the ship’s navigability.
2. Argentina Triumphs Over Colombia to Win Copa America Championship 2024
Argentina won the Copa America 2024, defeating Colombia 1-0, marking their 16th title, while Spain claimed the Euro 2024 title with a 2-1 victory over England.
Key Highlights:
- ๐ Argentina wins Copa America 2024: Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0 to win the Copa America Championship for the second consecutive time at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, USA.
- ๐ฅ Record victory: This victory marks Argentina’s 16th Copa America title, a tournament record. Lautaro Martinez won the Golden Boot with five goals in the tournament.
- ๐ Individual accolades: James Rodriguez of Colombia was named the best player (Golden Ball), while Emiliano Martinez of Argentina won the Golden Glove.
- ๐ Argentina’s streak: Following their 2022 FIFA World Cup win, Argentina halted Colombia’s 28-match unbeaten streak, which started after a loss to Argentina in February 2022.
- โญ Lionel Messi’s milestone: Messi made his 39th tournament appearance at age 37. This win is Argentina’s third consecutive major title after the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 World Cup, equaling Spain’s back-to-back European Championships around the 2010 World Cup.
- ๐ช๐ธ Spain wins Euro 2024: Spain beat England 2-1 in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin, claiming their fourth European Championship title. Nico Williams scored Spain’s first goal.
- ๐ Euro 2024 highlights: England finished as runners-up for the second consecutive time. 17-year-old Lamin Yamal was named Young Player of the Tournament, and Rodri won Player of the Tournament. Nico Williams was Player of the Final, and Mike Maignan (France) won the Golden Glove.
- โฝ Golden Boot tie: The Golden Boot award was shared by six players with three goals each: Harry Kane (England), Dani Olmo (Spain), Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), Georges Mikautadze (Georgia), Jamal Musiala (Germany), and Ivan Schranz (Slovakia).
3. ITBP Arrests Two for Smuggling 108 kg of Gold from China in Operation Jazba
The ITBP arrested two individuals for smuggling 108 kg of gold from China in a major bust near the East Ladakh border under Operation Jazba.
Key Highlights:
- ๐ Operation Jazba: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) arrested two individuals near the China border in East Ladakh for smuggling 108 kg of gold biscuits from China.
- ๐ฅ Record bust: This was the first major gold smuggling racket exposed in the region, marking the largest ever consignment of smuggled gold seized by the ITBP.
- ๐ Operation details: The operation, codenamed Jazba, was conducted on July 7 and 8 along the defined border of SSS, involving areas such as Chismule, Narbula Top, Zaklay, and Zakla.
- ๐ต๏ธ Team effort: A team led by Deputy Commandant Deepak Bhatt intercepted the suspects with mules within one kilometer of the China border, recovering 108 gold biscuits, a telescope, Chinese food items, knives, mobile phones, and two ponies.
- ๐ฎ๐ณ ITBP background: The ITBP, a Central Armed Police Force under the Ministry of Home Affairs, was established on October 24, 1962, during the Indo-China War. It guards the 3,488 km Indo-China border, with posts at altitudes of up to 18,750 feet, where temperatures can drop to minus 40 degrees Celsius.
4. INS Aditya and INS Visakhapatnam Join US Navy for Joint Exercise Enhancing Indo-Pacific Commitment
INS Aditya and INS Visakhapatnam participated in a joint exercise with US Navy ships, enhancing interoperability and commitment to a free Indo-Pacific.
Key Highlights:
- ๐ Maritime Partnership Exercise: Indian Naval ships INS Aditya and INS Visakhapatnam conducted a ‘Maritime Partnership Exercise’ (MPX) with US Navy Carrier Strike Group, including USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Daniel Inouye, in the Arabian Sea on July 12, 2024.
- ๐ก๏ธ Air defence exercises: The exercise included air defence drills, replenishment at sea, cross-deck flight operations, and maritime maneuvers, showcasing seamless interoperability between the Indian and US Navies.
- ๐ Commitment to Indo-Pacific: The joint maritime activity promoted interoperability and underscored the commitment of India and the US to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific.
- ๐ค Operational focus: The exercises focused on improving shared maritime domain awareness, information sharing, logistics interoperability, and joint air-to-air capabilities.
- ๐ RIMPAC participation: The Indian Navy is also playing a leadership role in the ongoing Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 exercise in Hawaii, collaborating with the US Navy and other allies.
- ๐ ๏ธ Joint exercises: Apart from Yudh Abhyas, India and the US engage in joint exercises such as Cope-India (Air Force), Vajra Prahar (Special Forces), and multilateral exercises like Malabar, Red Flag, and RIMPAC.
5. The second ‘Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman’ Event to Commemorate Indian Constitution’s 75th Anniversary
The second ‘Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman’ event in Prayagraj will commemorate the Indian Constitution’s 75th anniversary, raising legal awareness through various campaigns and launching an informative portal.
Key Highlights:
- ๐ Upcoming event: The second regional event of the ‘Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman’ campaign will be held on 16 July 2024 in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, under the DISHA initiative by the Department of Justice.
- โ๏ธ First event and campaign launch: The first regional event was inaugurated by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud on 9 March 2024 in Bikaner, Rajasthan. The overall campaign was inaugurated by the Vice President of India on 24 January 2024 in New Delhi.
- ๐ Commemoration: The campaign celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Indian Constitution’s adoption and India’s transition to a Republic, aiming to raise awareness about constitutional and legal rights.
- ๐ Portal launch: The event will launch the ‘Hamara Samvaad Hamara Samman’ portal, providing citizens with easy access to information about the Constitution and legal rights.
- ๐ Sub-campaigns: Additional sub-campaigns like โSabko Nyay Har Ghar Nyayโ, โNav Bharat Nav Sankalpโ, and โVidhi Jagrukta Abhiyanโ will be organized to further the initiative’s objectives.
- ๐ Competitions and prizes: Prizes will be awarded to winners of online competitions held on the MyGov platform, including the Constitution Quiz, Panch Prana Rangotsav (poster-making), and Panch Prana Anubhav (reel-making), which ran from 24 January to 23 April 2024.
