Here are 20 key current affairs from 15th October 2024:
- Israel-Hamas Conflict Escalates: Israeli forces continue their offensive against Hamas in Gaza, intensifying airstrikes and ground operations following the recent surge in hostilities. International calls for ceasefire and humanitarian aid are mounting.
- India’s Lunar Mission Progress: ISRO announced a new milestone in India’s lunar exploration as its Chandrayaan-4 mission successfully conducted high-resolution mapping of the moon’s polar regions.
- Global Food Security Summit: The UN held a high-level Global Food Security Summit, where world leaders discussed measures to address rising global hunger exacerbated by climate change and geopolitical tensions.
- India’s Export Growth: India’s export growth in September 2024 witnessed a 7% increase compared to the previous year, driven by strong performance in the engineering and pharmaceutical sectors.
- Africa’s First High-Speed Rail Launched: Nigeria inaugurated Africa’s first high-speed rail, connecting Lagos to Abuja, marking a milestone in the continent’s infrastructure development.
- WHO’s New Pandemic Preparedness Plan: The World Health Organization unveiled a comprehensive global pandemic preparedness plan, aiming to strengthen health systems worldwide to handle future outbreaks.
- U.S. Presidential Election Debate: The first debate for the 2024 U.S. presidential election was held, with major candidates discussing climate change, healthcare, and foreign policy.
- France’s Pension Reforms: Protests erupted across France as the government proposed raising the retirement age in a new pension reform plan aimed at stabilizing the national budget.
- China’s Economic Recovery: China reported a modest recovery in its manufacturing sector, with new government measures aimed at stimulating domestic consumption and addressing unemployment.
- Amazon Rainforest Protection Plan: Brazil’s new environmental policy focuses on reducing deforestation rates in the Amazon, with plans to increase monitoring and enforce stricter penalties for illegal logging.
- AI Ethics Debate in Europe: The European Union held discussions on regulating artificial intelligence, with concerns over data privacy and job displacement dominating the conversation.
- India’s New Climate Action Plan: India submitted its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the UN, committing to more aggressive carbon reduction targets by 2035.
- Global Oil Prices Rise: Global oil prices surged by 3% following new production cuts announced by OPEC, raising concerns over inflation in energy-dependent countries.
- SpaceX Mars Mission Update: SpaceX announced the successful test of its Starship prototype, bringing the company closer to its goal of launching a crewed mission to Mars within the next decade.
- UK Court Ruling on Immigration: The UK Supreme Court ruled that the government’s recent immigration policies violate human rights, potentially leading to a revision of the existing rules.
- Japan’s Renewable Energy Push: Japan passed a new energy bill aimed at achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, with a focus on expanding offshore wind and hydrogen technologies.
- India’s Startup Ecosystem Growth: India’s startup ecosystem continues to thrive, with over 50 unicorns (companies valued over $1 billion) emerging in 2024, reflecting strong venture capital interest in the country.
- EU and U.S. Trade Dispute: Tensions between the European Union and the United States increased over new tariffs on steel and aluminum, with both sides threatening retaliatory measures.
- Ukraine Peace Talks: International diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine intensified, with new peace talks involving Russia, Ukraine, and mediators from the EU and UN.
- Nobel Prize in Economics 2024: The Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to researchers for their work on global inequality and its impact on economic growth, emphasizing the importance of inclusive development policies.
Here are 20 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) from 15th October 2024 current affairs, along with their answers:
- Which militant group is involved in the recent conflict with Israel in Gaza?
- A) Hezbollah
- B) Hamas
- C) Al-Qaeda
- D) ISIS
Answer: B) Hamas
- Which Indian space mission recently mapped the moon’s polar regions?
- A) Chandrayaan-2
- B) Gaganyaan
- C) Chandrayaan-4
- D) Mangalyaan
Answer: C) Chandrayaan-4
- Which country recently launched Africa’s first high-speed rail system?
- A) South Africa
- B) Nigeria
- C) Egypt
- D) Kenya
Answer: B) Nigeria
- What is the main focus of the WHO’s new global plan announced in October 2024?
- A) Climate Change
- B) Pandemic Preparedness
- C) Malnutrition
- D) Air Pollution
Answer: B) Pandemic Preparedness
- Which country’s government faced protests over raising the retirement age in 2024?
- A) Germany
- B) France
- C) Spain
- D) Italy
Answer: B) France
- What percentage increase in export growth did India record in September 2024?
- A) 5%
- B) 7%
- C) 10%
- D) 12%
Answer: B) 7%
- Which sector was a major contributor to China’s modest economic recovery in October 2024?
- A) Agriculture
- B) Manufacturing
- C) Real Estate
- D) Technology
Answer: B) Manufacturing
- Which South American country announced stricter deforestation penalties in its Amazon protection plan?
- A) Colombia
- B) Peru
- C) Brazil
- D) Ecuador
Answer: C) Brazil
- The European Union recently debated regulations for which emerging technology?
- A) Quantum Computing
- B) Blockchain
- C) Artificial Intelligence
- D) 5G Networks
Answer: C) Artificial Intelligence
- Which international organization is holding the 2024 Global Food Security Summit?
- A) IMF
- B) UN
- C) World Bank
- D) FAO
Answer: B) UN
- What new energy bill did Japan pass to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050?
- A) Solar Power Expansion
- B) Hydrogen Energy Initiative
- C) Offshore Wind Energy Plan
- D) Renewable Energy Act
Answer: C) Offshore Wind Energy Plan
- Which international organization did India submit its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to?
- A) WHO
- B) UN
- C) G20
- D) WTO
Answer: B) UN
- The Nobel Prize in Economics 2024 was awarded for work on which topic?
- A) Global Poverty
- B) Income Inequality
- C) Economic Growth
- D) Globalization
Answer: B) Income Inequality
- What percentage did global oil prices rise following OPEC’s production cuts in October 2024?
- A) 2%
- B) 3%
- C) 4%
- D) 5%
Answer: B) 3%
- What major international trade dispute has escalated between the EU and the U.S. in October 2024?
- A) Agricultural Exports
- B) Technology Tariffs
- C) Steel and Aluminum Tariffs
- D) Automotive Imports
Answer: C) Steel and Aluminum Tariffs
- SpaceX recently conducted a successful test of which spacecraft for its future Mars mission?
- A) Falcon Heavy
- B) Starship
- C) Dragon Capsule
- D) Orion
Answer: B) Starship
- What sector saw significant growth in India’s startup ecosystem in 2024?
- A) E-commerce
- B) Fintech
- C) Agritech
- D) Healthtech
Answer: B) Fintech
- Which court recently ruled against the UK government’s immigration policies?
- A) European Court of Justice
- B) UK Supreme Court
- C) International Court of Justice
- D) High Court of England and Wales
Answer: B) UK Supreme Court
- Which country hosted the 2024 peace talks to resolve the Ukraine war?
- A) Germany
- B) Switzerland
- C) Turkey
- D) France
Answer: D) France
- What was the main topic of debate in the first U.S. presidential election debate for 2024?
- A) Foreign Policy
- B) Climate Change
- C) Healthcare
- D) Immigration
Answer: B) Climate Change