Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2024

Notes:
Venezuela loses all glaciers, with the Humboldt Glacier being the last to vanish. The International Cryosphere Climate Initiative declares it too small to be classified as a glacier. It’s now termed an ice field. While no global standard exists, the US Geological Survey suggests around 10 hectares as a guideline for glacier size.

Notes:
The central government authorized the export of 14,000 tonnes of non-basmati white rice to Mauritius, a reversal of the ban imposed in July 2023 to stabilize domestic prices and ensure food security. The exports will be facilitated through National Cooperative Exports Limited, as per the Directorate General of Foreign Trade’s notification.

Notes:
ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) found severe coral bleaching in Lakshadweep Sea due to prolonged maritime heatwaves since October 2023. Corals, sessile organisms, suffered due to warm waters, ejecting algae, their food source. Lakshadweep’s islands, mostly coral atolls, rely on coral-derived soil. Bleaching affects major islands like Bitra, Kiltan, Amini, Andrott, Kalpeni, and Kavaratti. Coral reefs, vital ecosystems, face significant threat in the region due to rising sea temperatures.

Notes:
Indonesia’s Ibu volcano, located on Halmahera island in the Maluku Islands, erupted, sending ash 5 km high. The country’s volcanology agency issued a warning. Ibu is a stratovolcano known for its steep slopes and explosive eruptions. It stands approximately 1,325 meters tall with a base diameter of 10 kilometers. Situated in Indonesia’s eastern region, Halmahera is the largest island in the Maluku archipelago.

Notes:
P Shyaamnikhil, Tamil Nadu native, became India’s 85th chess Grandmaster at 31. Starting his career at eight, he clinched his third GM norms at 2024 Dubai Police Masters Chess Tournament. R Vaishali preceded him as the 84th Indian GM. Before the tournament, Shyaamnikhil required one win and eight draws. Despite accumulating 2500 ELO rating points and two GM norms in 2012, he waited 12 years for the third GM norm, achieved in Dubai.

Notes:
China plans to construct the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS), joining a select group with fourth-generation synchrotron light sources. Currently, around 70 synchrotrons exist globally, with only a few countries possessing fourth-gen facilities like Sweden, Brazil, and France. HEPS will produce Asia’s brightest synchrotron X-rays using electricity to generate intense light beams. Its advanced technology, including a multi-bend achromat lattice, promises breakthroughs in understanding matter at various levels, akin to India’s Indus-1 synchrotron and its affiliation with the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.

Notes:
The Grande Prairie Forest Area, Canada faces an unprecedented wildfire crisis, with multiple out-of-control blazes. Authorities rate the danger as extreme, hampering helicopter and air tanker operations due to limited visibility. Smoke from neighboring British Columbia worsens the situation. One major fire, GWF029, covers 90 hectares near Valhalla. Overnight, a fire guard was established, but ground crews continue battling surface fires until windy conditions ease.

Notes:
TAK-003, developed by Japan’s Takeda, is a live-attenuated dengue vaccine containing weakened strains of all four virus serotypes. It’s WHO prequalified, the second dengue vaccine after CYD-TDV. Recommended for children aged 6-16 in high-burden, high-transmission areas, it aims to combat dengue.

Notes:
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico is in stable condition after being shot five times in a politically motivated assassination attempt in Handlova. The 59-year-old was attacked by a 71-year-old writer while greeting people. Fico underwent emergency surgery in Banska Bystrica. Security officers quickly apprehended the suspect, and no one else was injured in the incident.

Notes:
NASA’s PREFIRE polar mission, launching from New Zealand on May 22, involves twin satellites measuring Earth’s poles six hours apart. The mission aims to reveal the full spectrum of heat loss from polar regions, improving climate models. PREFIRE will address knowledge gaps, enhancing predictions of climate change and sea level rise by providing new data on how Earth’s atmosphere and ice influence heat radiation from the Arctic and Antarctic.