Michelle Howard became first female four-star admiral in US Navy

1.    Michelle Howard became first female four-star admiral in US Navy

i. Michelle Howard became the first female four-star admiral in US Navy. She is the first women admiral in 236 year old history of US Navy.

ii. Vice-Admiral Michelle was promoted to the highest rank of four-star admiral at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in US on 1 July 2014. The Promotion ceremony was presided over by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus.

iii. Howard is perhaps best known for leading Task Force 151, which oversaw counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden conducted in April 2009 to rescue captured Capitan Richard Phillips by Somali pirates.

2.    India became the first Country to Ratify the Marrakesh Treaty

i. India became the first country to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works for persons who are blind and visually impaired 
ii. Dilip Sinha, the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, handed over the Instrument of Ratification to Francis Gurry, Director General, WIPO. The instrument was handed over at a ceremony held during the 28th Session of SCCR (Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights) in WIPO Headquarters.

Marrakesh Treaty and its goal
The Marrakesh Treaty formally is the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works by Visually Impaired Persons and Persons with Print Disabilities, and was signed in Marrakesh, Morocco, on 28 June 2013. 

3.    Sardar Singh to lead India in Commonwealth Games

i. There were few surprises as Hockey India (HI) selected a 16-member side, led by Sardar Singh, for the 2014 Commonwealth Games that would be held in Glasgow, July 23-Aug 3.

ii. Most the players of the squad, that finished ninth in the Hockey World Cup, barring goalkeeper Harjot Singh, midfielders S.K Uthappa, Jasjit Singh and forward Mandeep Singh.

iii. The two new players in the Commonwealth Games side are midfielder Danish Mujtaba and forward Gurwinder Singh Chandi. While Sardar will be leading the side Sreejesh will be his deputy.