Daily Current Affairs – 13-07-2026

Personalities, Awards and Events

Antonio Rattin Passes Away at 89

Antonio Rattin, former Argentina international footballer and a legendary midfielder of Boca Juniors, passed away at the age of 89. He represented Argentina in the 1962 FIFA World Cup and 1966 FIFA World Cup. Between 1956 and 1970, he played 382 matches for Boca Juniors, scored 28 goals, and helped the club win four Argentine league titles.

Important Fact: Antonio Rattin was sent off in the 1966 FIFA World Cup quarter-final against England after a controversial refereeing decision. The incident exposed communication problems between referees and players and is regarded as one of the key events that inspired Ken Aston, a former English referee, to develop the yellow card and red card system. The card system was first officially used at the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico.

International News

EU and 14 Nations Reaffirm 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Ruling

The United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and other countries, along with the 27-member European Union, reaffirmed the 12 July 2016 arbitration ruling that declared China's claims in the South China Sea to be illegal. The ruling was delivered by an arbitral tribunal in The Hague under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and was described as final and legally binding. The arbitration was initiated by the Philippines in 2013, and the tribunal largely ruled in its favour. China rejected the ruling, stating that it neither accepts nor recognises the decision.

14 Nations and EU Reaffirm 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Ruling

Fourteen countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, along with the European Union (27-member bloc), reaffirmed the 12 July 2016 arbitration ruling that declared China's claims in the South China Sea to be illegal. The ruling was delivered by an arbitral tribunal in The Hague under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and was described as final and legally binding. China rejected the ruling, stating that it does not accept or recognise the decision. The Philippines initiated the arbitration proceedings in 2013, while China refused to participate.

Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko Resigns

Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko resigned from her post as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced changes to the Ukrainian government and stated that she would be given a new and important position. Yulia Svyrydenko, who earlier served as Ukraine's Economy Minister, was appointed Prime Minister in July 2025 at the age of 39 after playing a key role in securing the Ukraine–United States mineral agreement. Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues as President of Ukraine under martial law, as wartime elections are prohibited.

India Wins Five Gold Medals at the 56th International Physics Olympiad 2026

India won five gold medals at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026 held in Colombia from July 5 to July 12, 2026. India shared the first position in the country-wise medal tally with China, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, and Taiwan. This is the second time India has won five gold medals at the International Physics Olympiad, the first being in 2018. This was India's 27th participation in the Olympiad. A total of 381 students from 85 countries participated in the competition. The Indian gold medal winners were Kanishk Jain (Pune), Riddhesh Anant Bendale (Indore), Rishit Garg (Dwarka, New Delhi), Shresth Suraiya (Mumbai), and Svarit Joshi (Ahmedabad).

Former Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Passes Away

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (74), the former Emir of Qatar and father of the current Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, passed away. He ruled Qatar for 18 years until 2013 and voluntarily transferred power to his son in 2013. Following his demise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences, and the Ministry of External Affairs announced that one-day national mourning would be observed in India as a mark of respect.

National News

ESIC Expands Healthcare Infrastructure with Seven New Facilities

The Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) will add seven new healthcare facilities across six States, and the projects will be inaugurated by Union Minister for Labour Mansukh Mandaviya at Sanathnagar, Telangana. The new facilities include the ESIC Hospital OPD Block at Sanathnagar, an upgraded 200-bed ESIC Hospital at Beltola, Assam, a 100-bed ESIC Hospital at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, an ESIC Hospital at Rajamahendravaram, Andhra Pradesh, dispensaries and branch offices at Surendranagar (Gujarat) and Kota (Rajasthan), and an ESI Dispensary at Bhawani Mandi (Rajasthan). The facilities, built at a cost of about ₹668 crore, are expected to provide healthcare services to around 53 lakh beneficiaries across India.

ISRO Successfully Conducts Gaganyaan Crew Module System Tests

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted three major tests of the Gaganyaan Crew Module systems. The tests included the Crew Module Uprighting System (CMUS) to ensure the crew module remains upright after splashdown, the separation test of the umbilical mechanism connecting the Crew Module and the Service Module, including the successful separation of CSU-2, and the validation of the structural integrity of the Crew Module during the Apex Cover Separation event before parachute deployment.

Election Commission Makes Parents’ SIR Details Mandatory for New Voter Registration

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has made it mandatory for applicants seeking inclusion in the electoral roll through Form 6 to submit their parents' Special Intensive Revision (SIR) details. The declaration, introduced during the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise launched in June last year, is compulsory for both offline and online applications. The SIR aims to improve the accuracy of the electoral roll by including all eligible Indian citizens and removing duplicate, deceased, shifted, absent, and foreign electors. The Election Commission stated that the process is constitutional, transparent, and supported by the Supreme Court.

Vice President Inaugurates Mannathu Padmanabhan Memorial

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan inaugurated the statue and memorial hall of Mannathu Padmanabhan in New Delhi. Mannathu Padmanabhan was a freedom fighter, social reformer, and the founder of the Nair Service Society (NSS). During the event, C.P. Radhakrishnan planted a sapling under the "Plant a Tree in Mother's Name" initiative of the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism Suresh Gopi also participated in the programme.

Neeru Dhanda Wins Gold at ISSF World Cup Shooting

Neeru Dhanda of India won the gold medal in the women's trap event at the ISSF World Cup Shooting Championship held in Lonato, Italy. She secured the highest score in the event and became the first shooter to win a gold medal in the individual shotgun event of the ISSF World Cup season. Carole Cormenier of France won the silver medal, while Erika Sessa of Italy won the bronze medal.

Sports News

India Finishes with 16 Medals at the Inaugural Asian U23 Athletics Championships

At the inaugural Asian U23 Athletics Championships, Anand Singh won the gold medal in the javelin throw with a personal best throw of 80.57 metres, becoming a member of the 80-metre club. Shivam Lohakare won the bronze medal in the same event with a throw of 77.70 metres. The Indian women's 4x400m relay team comprising Shravani Sachin Sangle, Sandramol Sabu, Pravallika Narimalla, and Nofisa Khatun won the gold medal with a time of 3:33.62, while the Indian men's 4x400m relay team won the silver medal with a time of 3:04.24. India finished the championship with 16 medals, including 3 gold, 4 silver, and 9 bronze.

Jannik Sinner Wins Fifth Grand Slam Title at Wimbledon

Jannik Sinner, the World No. 1, successfully defended his Wimbledon title by defeating Alexander Zverev in the final with a score of 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4. This victory marked Sinner's fifth Grand Slam title. During the tournament, he defeated Novak Djokovic in the semifinal and recorded his 10th consecutive victory over Alexander Zverev, including five wins in the current year.

Linda Noskova Wins Wimbledon Women’s Singles Title

Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic won the Wimbledon Grand Slam women's singles title by defeating Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic with a score of 6-2, 5-7, 6-3. This was Linda Noskova's first Grand Slam title. She became the third Czech Republic player to win the Wimbledon title in the last four years after Marketa Vondrousova (2023) and Barbora Krejcikova (2024). At the age of 21, she became the youngest Wimbledon women's singles champion in the last 15 years. In the women's doubles, the pair of Guo Hanyu (China) and Kristina Mladenovic (France) won the title by defeating Luisa Stefani (Brazil) and Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada).

Tamil Nadu News

VOC Port Signs MoU with Belgian Port Institutions

The V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Port of Antwerp-Bruges International NV (PoABI), Belgium, and APEC Antwerp-Flanders Port Training Center (APEC), Belgium to strengthen India-Europe maritime cooperation. The three-year agreement focuses on capacity building, green port initiatives, and digital transformation of port operations, and supports the VOC Port's green energy partnerships.