Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2023

Notes:
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) will hear a groundbreaking case brought by nine small island states seeking to protect the world’s oceans from the devastating impacts of climate change. It was founded in 1982 in Jamaica.
These nations have turned to ITLOS to determine whether carbon dioxide emissions absorbed by the oceans can be considered pollution and, if so, what obligations countries have to prevent it. Ocean ecosystems play a vital role in oxygen production and carbon absorption, but increasing emissions can harm marine life by warming and acidifying seawaters.

Notes:
The Ministry of Jal Shakti’s Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation is organizing the International Conference on Dam Safety (ICDS) in Jaipur.
The conference was inaugurated under the theme “Safe & Secure Dams Ensure Nation’s Prosperity.”  With India hosting over 6,000 dams, this event focuses on enhancing dam safety, discussing cutting-edge topics, and highlighting the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) Phase II and III.

Notes:
A study warns that the invasive non-native ant species, the red fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), has become established in Italy and poses a threat to Europe and the UK due to global heating.
These ants have a powerful sting, damage crops, and can infest electrical equipment. They are known to form “super colonies” rapidly, prey on invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants, and out-compete native ants, insects, and herbivores for food. The red fire ant is considered one of the most destructive invasive species globally, causing an estimated $6 billion in damage each year.

Notes:
NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTPC Limited and Nayara Energy, a new-age international downstream Energy Company of International scale, have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to explore opportunities in the Green Hydrogen and Green Energy space.
The MoU envisages to collaborate and produce Green Hydrogen for Nayara Energy’s captive usage, accelerate decarbonisation and catalyse reduction in carbon footprint.

Notes:
India’s U-16 team triumphed in the SAFF U-16 Championship 2023, defeating Bangladesh 2-0.
Bharat Lairenjam scored a goal in the first half, while Levis Zangminlun sealed the victory with a second-half goal.

Notes:
Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen clinched his first China Open title after defeating unseeded Lu Guang Zu. His earlier Grand Slam of Super 1000 titles include the All England Open, the Indonesia Open and the Malaysia Open.
South Korean top seed An Se Young became the women’s singles champion, beating second seeded Yamaguchi Akane. She landed her ninth title of the year in the women’s singles.

Notes:
The American government’s Development finance institution has approved investing up to $425 million in TP Solar, a subsidiary of Tata Power Renewable Energy (TPREL), for the Indian firm’s greenfield solar cell plant in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.
The 4.3 gigawatt (GW) plant’s first module production is expected by this year’s end. TPREL is a subsidiary of Tata Power, one of India’s largest integrated power companies.

Notes:
Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has announced an online allotment of safe deposit locker facility for its customers and non-customers.
The new facility can be accessed online just by logging into the bank’s portal. The bank’s customers and non-customers can avail the locker facility without physically visiting a branch, as per the public sector lender.

Notes:
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported that global debt as a share of economic output decreased for the second consecutive year in 2022, but this trend may be ending as the post-COVID growth surge wanes.
According to the IMF’s Global Debt Database update, the world’s total debt-to-GDP ratio fell to 238% in 2022, down from 248% in 2021 and 258% in 2020. However, despite the decline over the past two years, global debt remains well above the 2019 level of 238% of GDP.

Notes:
US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) announced it will hold a hearing on religious freedom in India next week.
Since 2020, USCIRF has recommended that the US Department of State designate India as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.