Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2023

Notes:
Hosts India will finish top of the standings during the group stage of the event, as it booked the berth to tackle New Zealand in a knockout semi-final.
The second semi-final will be held the following day, with South Africa and Australia to battle for a place in the final of the ODI World Cup.

Notes:
The Joint summit of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was held in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
During the summit, Saudi Arabia and several other Arab nations reportedly blocked a move to cut diplomatic and economic ties with Israel.

Notes:
The Smart Cities Mission approaches its June 2024 deadline. As per the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry data, about 22% of total projects (1,745 of 7,947) that account for 33% of the total cost are still ongoing. As of November 10, Surat (Gujarat) topped in terms of completion of projects, fund usage and other criteria, followed by Agra (UP), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Varanasi (UP) and Bhopal (MP) in the top five.
Union Territories (UTs) and cities in Northeastern states are among the lowest 10 performers out of the 100 cities involved in the initiative.

Notes:
Former captain Diana Edulji became the first Indian woman cricketer to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.
Another Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag and Sri Lankan World Cup winner Aravinda de Silva were also made members of ICC Hall of Fame for their achievements during their playing career.

Notes:
A team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has developed a robotic AI chemist capable of automatically synthesising and optimising OER catalysts from Martian meteorites.
This advancement holds significant potential for upcoming Mars missions, particularly in terms of resource utilization and diminishing the necessity of importing oxygen from Earth.

Notes:
Dominica is planning to establish the world’s first sperm whale reserve, which will entail setting aside approximately 800-square-kilometer area off its western coast.
In this designated zone, large ships and commercial fishing activities will be restricted, allowing visitors to swim alongside these gentle marine giants. This initiative aims not only to enhance tourism revenue but also to contribute to carbon sequestration in the deep sea, an often overlooked advantage of whale conservation.

Notes:
The 2023-24 Budget has pegged direct tax collection at Rs 18.23 trillion, 9.75 per cent higher than Rs 16.61 trillion in the last fiscal.
The government will exceed the Rs 18.23 trillion direct tax collection target set for the current fiscal, as per Central Board of Direct Taxes. As per government data, the net direct tax collection between April 1 and November 9 this fiscal has grown 22 per cent to Rs 10.60 trillion.

Notes:
After a previous lunar rover mission setback in April, Japanese space startup Ispace Inc is gearing up for its second lunar expedition in 2024.
The upcoming mission, planned for launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, during the northern hemisphere winter of 2024, will carry the ‘Resilience’ lander, which includes a range of components like a water electrolyser, a food production experimentation module, a deep space probe, a commemorative metal plate inspired by the Japanese anime series Gundam, and a micro-rover developed by Ispace.

Notes:
Scientists have detected a soft green glow in the night sky of Mars that can be seen with our human eyes.
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter mission while orbiting around Mars spotted the Martian night sky filled with light in the optical spectrum. As per the scientists, the light is so bright in the polar regions that there is a possibility of human explorers seeing it if the night sky is clear of clouds.

Notes:
United States and the Philippines signed an agreement that permits Washington to export nuclear technology and material to Manila.
It was signed with the Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the President of the Philippines. at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco.