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- West Bengal Crime Control Laws Passed | Jannik Sinner Wins Wimbledon 2026
Today’s important current affairs, which are essential for students preparing for government jobs:
NATIONAL
1. India announces national mourning on the demise of Qatar’s former ‘Emir’
- On July 13, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs announced one day of national mourning on the demise of the former Amir, the supreme head of state, of Qatar.
- In Qatar, ‘Emir’ is the position of the country’s supreme head of state and monarch. This position is the most powerful in Qatar.
- On July 12, the former Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, passed away at the age of 74.
- Sheikh Hamad was the Emir of Qatar from 1995 to 2013.
- During Sheikh Hamad’s tenure, Qatar developed rapidly at economic and diplomatic levels.
- Sheikh Hamad handed over power to his son Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in 2013, who is currently the Amir of Qatar.
- Hamad established the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), which is the national investment fund and now manages assets worth over $500 billion.
- During Hamad’s tenure, there was massive investment in the country utilizing Qatar’s vast natural gas and oil reserves.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani joined the Qatar Armed Forces in 1971.
SPORTS
2. Jannik Sinner won Wimbledon 2026 Singles title
- On July 12, World Number-1 tennis player Jannik Sinner won the Wimbledon 2026 Men’s Singles title.
- In the final match, Italian player Sinner defeated Germany’s Alexander Zverev.
- Sinner has become Wimbledon champion for the second consecutive time. He had also won this title in 2025.
- With this Wimbledon victory, Sinner has completed his 100th Grand Slam win of his career.
- Sinner is the 10th player in the Open Era to win the Wimbledon Men’s Singles title.
- Sinner started his professional career in 2018.
Wimbledon 2026
- Wimbledon is the biggest tennis tournament and this was the 139th edition of Wimbledon.
- Wimbledon 2026 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London continued until 12 July 2026.
In May 2026, Sinner also won the Italian Open 2026.
3. India won 5 gold medals at the International Physics Olympiad
- 5 Indian students have won gold medals at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026 held in Colombia on July 12.
- 381 students from 87 countries participated in this Olympiad. India has achieved joint first ranking along with Russia, China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, and Taiwan.
- The gold medal winners include Kanishk from Pune, Riddhesh Anant from Indore, Rishit from New Delhi, Shreshth Suraiya from Mumbai, and Swarit Joshi from Ahmedabad.
- The preparation for this Olympiad program is conducted by the National Centre of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, ‘Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education’.
Death
4. Hollywood Actor Sam Neill Passes Away
- On July 13, Hollywood’s famous film ‘Jurassic Park’ actor Sam Neill passed away. He was 78 years old.
- Sam Neill was known for his powerful acting, he gained the most popularity from his role as Dr. Alan Grant in ‘Jurassic Park’.
- Sam Neill was one of New Zealand’s most famous actors. He started acting in the 1970s.
- Neill gave Australian cinema a new identity worldwide in the late 1970s.
- Neill also played the same character in Jurassic Park 3 (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).
Miscellaneous
5. West Bengal implements two new laws
- On July 13, the West Bengal government implemented two new laws for strict action against organized crime, riots and anti-social activities.
- West Bengal Governor RN Ravi had approved this law on June 29.
- Their objective is to strengthen law and order and take strict action against those who damage public and private property.
It includes 2 new laws.
1. West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act 2026
- This law has been created to control organized crime and anti-social activities.
- Under this law, there is a provision to keep suspected individuals in preventive detention for a maximum of 12 months.
- Under this law, there will be the authority to seize and attach properties linked to organized crime.
- Several offenses have been placed in the cognizable category, meaning the category in which criminals can be arrested without any warrant.
2. West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Act 2026
- Under this law, compensation for damage to public and private property during riots, arson, violence or vandalism will be ensured.
- There will be a provision for auctioning the property of guilty persons to recover the amount of damages.
- Financial accountability will be fixed on those who damage public property.
6. Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway Inaugurated
- The Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway was inaugurated on July 13, it is 63 km long.
- This expressway was inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
- Along with this, other National Highway projects worth approximately 4,850 crore rupees in Lucknow were also inaugurated.
- This expressway starts from Shaheed Path in Lucknow and goes through Unnao to Kanpur.
- This expressway has been developed parallel to the existing NH-27, which will reduce traffic pressure on the old route.
- The total construction cost of this expressway is 4,700 crore rupees.
- This is UP’s first barrier-free tolling expressway.
With this expressway, the journey between Lucknow and Kanpur can be completed in just 30 to 35 minutes.
Today in History
- In 1636, Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan appointed Aurangzeb as the Viceroy of Deccan.
- In 1789, the French Revolution began.
- In 2015, NASA’s New Horizons became the first spacecraft to pass closest to Pluto.
