Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2024

Notes:
The 33rd Summer Olympics ended on August 11, 2024, in Paris, France, with the Olympic flame being extinguished by IOC President Thomas Bach and French swimmer Leon Marchand. The Olympic flag was handed over to Los Angeles, USA, which will host the 34th Summer Olympics in 2028. India sent a 117-member team to the Paris Olympics and won six medals: one silver and five bronze. Medal winners included Manu Bhaker (bronze, two events), Swapnil Kusale (bronze), the Men’s Hockey Team (bronze), Neeraj Chopra (silver in javelin), and Aman Sehrawat (bronze in wrestling).

Notes:
India is ready to commission its second nuclear-powered submarine, INS Arighat, for strategic deterrence. INS Arighat is India’s second indigenously built nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), following INS Arihant, commissioned in 2018. It was built at the Indian Navy’s Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam. It is crucial for India’s nuclear triad, allowing nuclear missile launches from land, air, and sea. The submarine is 111.6 meters long, with a displacement of 6,000 tonnes, and can reach speeds up to 24 knots submerged. It can carry four K-4 SLBMs or twelve K-15 SLBMs, with additional torpedoes and mines for defense.

Notes:
India and Australia held two key bilateral meetings to enhance their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Australia hosted the 6th India-Australia Maritime Security Dialogue in Canberra, to discuss maritime security cooperation.
The Indian delegation was led by Ms. Muanpuii Saiawi, while Ms. Sarah Storey and Mr. Bernard Philip led the Australian delegation. They discussed Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), sustainable marine resource use, Search and Rescue operations, pollution response, blue economy, and Port State control. India hosted the 14th India-Australia Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism in New Delhi. The 7th Maritime Security Dialogue will be held in New Delhi.

Notes:
The Maharashtra government has declared the geoglyphs and petroglyphs in Ratnagiri as protected monuments under the Maharashtra Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1960. This move addresses concerns about preserving these important cultural artifacts. Geoglyphs and petroglyphs are ancient art from the Mesolithic era, featuring animal figures and footprints that offer insights into prehistoric life and creativity. Over 1,500 artworks are found at around 70 sites in Ratnagiri, covering 210 square meters, with seven sites on UNESCO’s tentative World Heritage list.

Notes:
The US Navy’s new AIM-174B missile aims to counter China’s aerial dominance. It’s an air-launched version of the SM-6 missile and was introduced in July 2024 by Raytheon. This long-range air-to-air missile can strike targets up to 400 km away, exceeding the range of China’s PL-15. Deployed in the Indo-Pacific, it supports US power projection amid rising regional tensions. The AIM-174B targets high-priority ground objects like air defense sites and warships, operating in a quasi-ballistic manner.

Notes:
Sweden reported its first case of the dangerous Clade 1b variant of mpox, which has been causing a severe outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo since September 2023. The case was confirmed in Stockholm and contracted during a visit to Africa. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) assesses the risk of transmission in Sweden as very low due to the country’s high vaccination rate against mpox.

Notes:
The FSSAI has launched a project to tackle microplastic contamination in food. The project aims to develop and validate methods for detecting micro and nano-plastics in food, assess contamination levels, set analysis standards, and ensure consistent laboratory results. It involves collaboration with CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, and Birla Institute of Technology and Science.

Notes:
Shiveluch volcano in Russia erupted following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake off the eastern coast. It is located about 280 miles from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Kamchatka, it is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in the region. Shiveluch has two parts: Old Shiveluch (3,283 meters) and Young Shiveluch (2,800 meters), which is within an ancient caldera. The volcano has been erupting continuously since August 1999, with significant explosive events, including in 2007.

Notes:
Sumit Antil and Bhagyashri Jadhav were selected as flag bearers for India at the 2024 Paris Paralympics opening ceremony on 28 August 2024. The 17th Summer Paralympics will take place in Paris from 28 August to 8 September 2024. Sumit Antil, a 25-year-old World Champion, won gold in javelin at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and holds the world record in the F64 category. Bhagyashri Jadhav, 39, won silver in shot put (F34 category) at the Asian Para Games and World Para Athletics Championships in May 2024.

Notes:
The US centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health advisory due to a rise in parvovirus B19 cases.
Parvovirus B19 is highly contagious, especially in people with weakened immune systems. It’s also known as “slapped cheek” illness due to the red cheeks it causes and as “Fifth disease” for being fifth on the list of childhood illnesses with a rash. The virus spreads through airborne droplets from coughs or sneezes, blood, or contaminated blood products.
Pregnant individuals can transmit the virus to the fetus through the placenta.