Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2024

Notes:
Tanya Hemanth won the women’s singles title at the Bendigo International Challenge badminton tournament in Australia. She beat Taipei’s Tung Ciou-Tong in straight games, 21-17, 21-17. This is Tanya’s third international title and her first in 2024. She was the runner-up at the Polish Open and Azerbaijan International in 2024. Tanya won titles at the India International in 2022 and Iran Fajr International in 2023. In men’s doubles, India’s Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi lost to Taipei’s Chen Cheng Kuan and Po Li-Wei.

Notes:
The World Bank released the “Pathways out of the Polycrisis: Poverty, Prosperity, and Planet Report 2024”. The report highlights challenges in economic development. Global poverty reduction has nearly stalled over the past 5 years due to the “polycrisis.” Polycrisis refers to multiple overlapping crises like slow growth, fragility, climate risks, and uncertainty. Extreme poverty is projected at 7.3% in 2030, far from the UN SDG target of eliminating it. The global prosperity gap has widened, with income growth slowing since the pandemic. In India, extreme poverty has dropped from 431 million in 1990 to 129 million in 2024.

Notes:
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off the Shetkari Samruddhi Special Train via video conferencing. The train connected Devlali in Maharashtra to Danapur in Bihar. Its purpose was to help farmers transport perishable goods to new markets at a low cost. The train featured small parcel vans for easy and safe transport of perishable items.

Notes:
World Statistics Day is celebrated on October 20th every five years. The United Nations Statistical Commission created the day to raise awareness of the importance of statistics in social and economic life. The United Nations General Assembly established the event, with the first celebration on October 20, 2010. The day emphasizes the crucial role of accurate and timely data in tackling global challenges and achieving sustainable development goals.

Notes:
The first-ever G7 Defence Ministers’ meeting was held in Naples, Italy, on 19 October 2024, hosted by Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto. The meeting took place amid Israel’s announcement of killing Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, accused of masterminding the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. Defence ministers from the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and representatives from NATO, the EU, and Ukraine attended the meeting. Italy holds the G7 presidency for 2024.
The G7 is a group of advanced industrialized countries including Italy, Germany, France, the UK, Japan, Canada, and the US.

Notes:
The first anniversary of Namo Bharat Trains was celebrated as Namo Bharat Diwas in New Delhi. Namo Bharat Trains are India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS). The first 17-kilometer section between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on 20 October 2023. Two more sections became operational, including Duhai to Modinagar North (March 2024) and Meerut South (August 2024). The current 42-kilometer corridor covers nine stations, soon expanding to 54 kilometers with new additions. RRTS offers high-speed, efficient suburban connectivity, promoting sustainable urban transport solutions.

Notes:
World Iodine Deficiency Day is observed on 21st October to raise awareness about the importance of iodine for health.
Iodine is essential for producing thyroid hormones (T3 and T4), which regulate metabolism and support fetal and infant development. It is found in foods and iodized salt, mainly absorbed in the stomach as iodide and used by the thyroid. Iodine deficiency is the leading preventable cause of intellectual disability globally.

Notes:
A 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck the Halmahera Sea in Indonesia, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences. The Halmahera Sea is located near Halmahera Island, part of the eastern entry route of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) passages. The ITF connects the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean through two entry passages: Western and Eastern.

Notes:
Member countries of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Heads of Delegations and partners of the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG) adopted the Rome Declaration on Water Scarcity in Agriculture during the High-level Rome Water Dialogue. This event occurred alongside FAO’s annual World Food Forum. The declaration aims to tackle water scarcity, which is worsened by the climate crisis. WASAG was launched at the 2016 UN Climate Conference in Marrakesh to help countries with water scarcity challenges. The initiative focuses on supporting nations in managing water scarcity issues effectively.

Notes:
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report states that one person died and 49 others got sick from an E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder Hamburgers. E. coli, or Escherichia coli, is a rod-shaped bacterium found in the intestines of humans and animals. Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some can cause illnesses like diarrhea, urinary tract infections, and pneumonia. E. coli spreads through contaminated food, water, or contact with fecal matter from infected individuals or animals. The harmful strains produce a toxin called Shiga, which damages the small intestine lining and causes diarrhea.