Current Affairs 08 July 2024

Current Affairs 08 July 2024

01. Who won the British Grand Prix 2024 at Silverstone, England?
(a) Max Verstappen
(b) Charles Leclerc
(c) Lewis Hamilton
(d) Sergio Perez

Ans : C

• Lewis Hamilton won the British Grand Prix at Silverstone
• Hamilton held off Max Verstappen’s late charge to secure the victory.
• This win marked Hamilton’s first victory since the penultimate race of the 2021 season.
• He became the first F1 driver to win on any track nine times, extending his record to 104 wins.
• Max Verstappen: Defending champion who finished second in the British Grand Prix.
• Lando Norris: Finished third for McLaren at the British Grand Prix.
• George Russell: Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate, who started on pole position but did not finish the race due to a technical issue.
• Silverstone Circuit: The location of the British Grand Prix where Hamilton secured his victory.

02. Who won the 2024 Asian Billiards Championship title?
(a) Pankaj Advani
(b) Anupama Ramachandran
(c) Dhruv Sitwala
(d) Panchaya Channoi

Ans : C

• Dhruv Sitwala won his third Asian Billiards Title at Riyadh in 2024.
• He defeated Pankaj Advani to clinch the title.
• Dhruv Sitwala had previously won the Asian billiards titles in 2015 and 2016.
• The championship was organized by the Asian Confederation of Billiard Sports (ACBS) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• Pankaj Advani: A renowned Indian cueist who was defeated by Dhruv Sitwala in the 2024 Asian Billiards Championship final.
• Dhvaj Haria: Another Indian cueist who won the bronze medal by losing to Dhruv Sitwala in the semi-finals.
• Anupama Ramachandran: An Indian player who won the women’s Asian Snooker title at the same championship.
• Asian Confederation of Billiard Sports (ACBS): The organization that conducted the Asian Championship in Riyadh.

03. Rachel Reeves recently became the first woman finance minister of which country?
(a) United States
(b) United Kingdom
(c) Canada
(d) Australia

Ans : B

• Rachel Reeves has been appointed as the first woman finance minister of the United Kingdom.
• She won the position following a landslide victory in the U.K. general election, marking the end of 14 years of Conservative rule.
• Her role as chancellor of the exchequer was given by the newly appointed Prime Minister Keir Starmer, leader of the centre-left Labour party.
• Reeves emphasized the importance of economic growth and fiscal discipline in her acceptance speech, indicating a shift in Labour’s traditional policies.
• Her background includes working as an economist for the Bank of England and in the private sector, along with being a former chess champion.
• She aims to implement policies for renationalization, especially in the energy sector, inspired by U.S. President Joe Biden’s strategies.
• The comparison of her fiscal approach to the “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher, due to her emphasis on balancing the public finances, further highlights her significant role in British politics.

04. Which country has approved 16 species of insects for human consumption?
(a) Singapore
(b) Japan
(c) China
(d) Thailand

Ans : A

• Singapore’s food watchdog has approved 16 species of insects for human consumption.
• The approved insects include crickets, grasshoppers, locusts, mealworms, and silkworms.
• This decision aims to diversify the food options in the multi-ethnic city-state known for its Chinese and Indian cuisine.
• Insects must be farmed in regulated establishments with food safety controls and not harvested from the wild.
• China: One of the countries from which insects will be imported to Singapore for consumption.
• Thailand: Another supplier of farmed insects for the Singapore market.
• Vietnam: Also a source of insect farming for export to Singapore.
• UN FAO: The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization supports insects as a sustainable alternative to meat.

05. In which state is the government establishing ‘Mitra Van’ under the Vriksharopan Jan Abhiyan-2024?
(a) Maharashtra
(b) Uttar Pradesh
(c) Gujarat
(d) Rajasthan

Ans : B

•  The ‘Mitra Van’ initiative is being established in Uttar Pradesh under the Vriksharopan Jan Abhiyan-2024.
• The initiative aims to enhance greenery by planting 35 crore saplings along the borders of Uttar Pradesh and the neighboring country of Nepal.
• The Uttar Pradesh Forest Department is coordinating with neighboring states and Nepal to ensure the success of this extensive tree plantation program.
• Locations have been selected by 35 forest divisions for planting saplings in border districts.
• The campaign will include dignitaries from other states and countries to promote cross-border cooperation in environmental efforts.
• ‘Mitra Van’ will be established in districts adjoining Nepal, including Sonauli in Maharajganj, Lakhimpur Kheri, Shravasti, Bahraich, and Pilibhit.
• The initiative also includes the establishment of special forests like ‘Shakti Van,’ ‘Yuva Van,’ and ‘Bal Van’ in each district.

06. Who has assumed the presidency of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) from July 2024?
(a) T. Raja Kumar
(b) Christine Lagarde
(c) Janet Yellen
(d) Elisa De Anda Madrazo

Ans : D

• Elisa de Anda Madrazo began her term as President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on 1 July 2024.
• She succeeded Mr. T. Raja Kumar of Singapore in this position.
• Elisa has over a decade of experience in the AML/CFT sector.
• She held various leadership roles within the FATF, including Vice-President for three years until June 2023.
• Mr. T. Raja Kumar: He was the previous President of FATF before Elisa de Anda Madrazo.
• Financial Action Task Force (FATF): An intergovernmental organization established to combat money laundering and terrorism financing.
• AML/CFT: Stands for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism.
• Vice-President of FATF: A role previously held by Elisa de Anda Madrazo, providing significant experience in FATF leadership.

07. Who secured both the men’s doubles and mixed doubles titles at the Asian Doubles Squash Championships in Johor, Malaysia?
(a) Velavan Senthilkumar
(b) Ong Sai Hung
(c) Syafiq Kamal
(d) Abhay Singh

Ans : D

• Abhay Singh won both the men’s doubles and mixed doubles titles at the Asian Doubles Squash Championships.
• In the men’s doubles, Abhay was paired with Velavan Senthilkumar.
• In the mixed doubles, Abhay was paired with veteran Joshna Chinappa.
• Both finals took place in Johor, Malaysia.
• Velavan Senthilkumar: Partnered with Abhay Singh in the men’s doubles, securing a win against Malaysia’s Ong Sai Hung and Syafiq Kamal.
• Joshna Chinappa: Partnered with Abhay Singh in the mixed doubles, winning against Hong Kong’s Tong Tsz Wing and Tang Ming Hong.
• Ong Sai Hung and Syafiq Kamal: The Malaysian pair defeated by Abhay Singh and Velavan Senthilkumar in the men’s doubles final.
• Tong Tsz Wing and Tang Ming Hong: The Hong Kong pair defeated by Abhay Singh and Joshna Chinappa in the mixed doubles final.

08. Who has been selected for the Dr. C. Narayana Reddy National Literary Award?
(a) Perumal Murugan
(b) Jayakanthan
(c) Bama
(d) Sivashankari

Ans : D

• Noted Tamil writer Sivashankari has been selected for the Dr. C. Narayana Reddy National Literary Award.
• The award includes a cash prize of ₹5 lakh, a memento, and a shawl.
• The award will be presented to Sivashankari during Dr. C. Narayana Reddy’s 93rd birth anniversary celebrations at Ravindra Bharati in Hyderabad on July 29.
• The event will have Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy as the chief guest, with Minister for Culture Jupalli Krishna Rao and Government Whip Adi Srinivas also attending.
• Sivashankari is a prolific writer with 36 novels, 48 mini-novels, 150 stories, 15 travelogues, seven volumes of essays, four research papers, and two biographies to her credit.
• She has previously been awarded the prestigious Saraswati Samman Award.
• The celebration will also feature the release of Dr. C. Narayana Reddy’s new collection of poems, “Samanvitham”.

09. Which insurance company recently launched a health insurance product named ‘Elevate’ that provides an unlimited sum insured to policyholders?
(a) ICICI Lombard
(b) HDFC Ergo
(c) Star Health
(d) Bajaj Allianz

Ans : A

• ICICI Lombard recently launched a health insurance product called ‘Elevate’.
• The ‘Elevate’ plan offers an unlimited sum insured, meaning there is no upper limit on the claim amount for healthcare treatment.
• This plan can be chosen as an add-on service or a core feature of the policy, providing flexibility to policyholders.
• Unlimited sum insured plans are particularly beneficial for those with pre-existing conditions or those at risk of significant medical expenses.
• Bajaj Allianz also offers a similar plan named Health Infinity, which provides unlimited coverage and additional benefits like wellness and family discounts.
• Another company, Acko, offers the Unlimited Acko Platinum Plan, which includes features like zero waiting periods for pre-existing diseases and full hospital bill payment.
• The cost of unlimited health insurance plans is higher than those with a fixed sum insured, typically ranging between ₹15,000 and ₹20,000 annually.

10. Who broke the national steeplechase record at the Paris Diamond League meet in 2024?
(a) Abrham Sime
(b) Avinash Sable
(c) Amos Serem
(d) Abraham Kibiwot

Ans : B

•  Avinash Sable broke his own national steeplechase record at the Paris Diamond League meet in 2024.
• He finished sixth in the 3000m steeplechase with a time of 8 minutes and 9.91 seconds.
• This new record bettered his previous mark of 8:11.20, which he had set in 2022, by about one and a half seconds.
• Sable’s previous national record was achieved when he won a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
• Despite struggling earlier in the season with times of 8:21.85 and 8:31.75 in other races, he improved significantly by around 12 seconds.
• Avinash Sable hails from Mandwa village in Beed district of Maharashtra and comes from a humble farmer’s family.
• This performance marks his 10th national record-breaking achievement in his career.