Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 24, 2025

Notes:
On July 22, 2025, Turkey unveiled its first hypersonic ballistic missile, named Tayfun Block-4, in Istanbul. The launch took place on the opening day of the International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) 2025. Tayfun Block-4 is the hypersonic version of Turkey’s longest-range indigenous missile, Tayfun. “Hypersonic” means it travels at least five times the speed of sound, or Mach-5. It was developed by Turkish defense company Roketsan. It uses a GPS (Global Positioning System), GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and INS (Inertial Navigation System) for guidance.

Notes:
A rare, untouched tomb from the ancient Etruscan civilization was recently discovered in central Italy. The Etruscans, also known as Tyrrhenians, flourished between the 8th and 3rd centuries BCE. Their land, Etruria or Tuscia, was located in central Italy, bordered by the Tyrrhenian Sea, Arno River, and Tiber River. They had a strong navy and controlled the seas on Italy’s western coast. Etruria held the largest iron reserves in the western Mediterranean region. They were the first in the Mediterranean to build grid-plan cities, which inspired Roman urban planning. Roman civilization adopted many Etruscan customs, including city layouts and religious beliefs.

Notes:
The Winter Fog Experiment (WiFEX) has recently completed 10 successful years of research on North India’s dense winter fog. It was launched in winter 2015 at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), New Delhi. WiFEX is led by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). It is supported by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF). WiFEX is one of the few long-term open-field experiments in the world focused exclusively on fog. The network now covers Jewar Airport (Noida) and Hisar (Haryana) along key aviation corridors.

Notes:
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress 2025 will be hosted in Abu Dhabi. A key agenda will be the decision on using genetic tools in nature conservation. It is the world’s largest gathering of conservation experts, leaders, and decision-makers. The Congress helps shape global priorities for nature and climate action for the next decade. It is held once every four years. The Congress has three parts: Forum, Exhibition, and Member’s Assembly. The Forum is the largest space for sharing conservation science, innovation, and practice.

Notes:
Recently, the Tamil Nadu government announced the development of Chola Gangam Lake. The lake is also known as Ponneri Lake, meaning “Golden Lake.” It is located in Ariyalur district, Tamil Nadu. It was built by Rajendra Chola I in Gangaikondacholapuram, his newly established capital. Gangaikondacholapuram was founded to commemorate his victorious northern campaign. Rajendra Chola I had conquered the Gangetic plains during this campaign.