25th June 2024 Daily Current Affairs
1. Fire Dragon 480, recently seen in news, is a tactical ballistic missile of which country?
[A] India[B] Japan
[C] China
[D] UK
Correct Answer: C [China]
Notes:
A PLA study claims China’s Fire Dragon 480 missile can sink a US Ticonderoga-class cruiser in the Red Sea. The 750-mm tactical ballistic missile, made by Norinco Group, features precision-guidance sensors and a high-speed launch platform. With a warhead over 400 kg and impact velocity over 500 meters per second, it can destroy a 10,000-ton cruiser with two hits. Adopted in 2019, it has a range exceeding 500 km.
2. Which organization recently released the “State of Global Air (SoGA) 2024”?
[B] Health Effects Institute (HEI)
[C] World Health Organization (WHO)
[D] United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Correct Answer: B [Health Effects Institute (HEI)]
Notes:
Air pollution is the second leading global risk factor for death, per the 2024 State of Global Air (SoGA) report by the Health Effects Institute and UNICEF. It causes non-communicable diseases like heart disease and lung cancer, with 8.1 million deaths in 2021. India and China accounted for 54% of the global air pollution disease burden. In 2021, air pollution caused 1,69,400 child deaths in India and 2,37,000 COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) deaths.
3. What is ‘Garnet’, recently mentioned in news?
[B] AI model
[C] Invasive weed
[D] A type of vitamin
Correct Answer: A [A deep red mineral]
Notes:
New research reveals Australia’s pink garnet sand originated from Antarctic mountains. Garnet, a deep red mineral formed in high-temperature conditions, is rare in beach sand due to wave erosion. Found in metamorphic and igneous rocks, garnets are often opaque to translucent. Australia produces nearly half of the world’s garnets, used in abrasives, grinding wheels, and decorative applications. Garnet-rich sand typically also contains epidote and magnetite.