Current Affairs Today - Latest Current Affairs Questions 2024

NATO announced the signing of a $5.5 billion contract for the purchase of 1,000 Patriot air defense missiles by member states in Europe to enhance security in the face of the threat from Russia. The agreement comes as Moscow launches a barrage of missile and drone attacks against Ukraine. Patriot systems supplied by countries such as the US and Germany have been used by Kiev to repel Russian attacks in the 11-month war.

The female cheetah 'Asha', named by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave birth to three cubs inside the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. This important event is a major milestone for the cheetah restoration project in India. Officials are closely monitoring Asha and the cubs to ensure healthy growth and development.

Recently, the court said that the arbitrary court order to summon government officials in judicial proceedings is contrary to the scheme envisaged by the Constitution and a standard operating procedure has been prepared on this issue. Arbitrary court orders to summon government officials in judicial proceedings are not in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. Along with this, the Supreme Court decided the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in this matter. The SOP aims to outline guidelines and prevent excessive use of subpoena power by courts which often puts pressure on the government. It said that officers cannot be summoned merely because their stand is different from the view of the court. This step brings much-needed reforms to strengthen executive-judiciary coordination by avoiding unnecessary harassment of government officials.

Bangladeshi economist Muhammad Yunus, along with the Grameen Bank he founded, received the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions to poverty alleviation through pioneering microfinance services. By providing small loans to entrepreneurs lacking access to traditional banking, their microcredit model provided support to millions of people. Recently, Yunus faced legal troubles in Bangladesh over alleged violations of labor laws by Grameen Telecom, with critics saying it was political retaliation for his earlier opposition to government policies.

Dr. Arvind Panagariya has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Finance Commission of India. The Finance Commission is a constitutional body that gives recommendations on Centre-State financial relations. Dr. Panagariya is an eminent economist who has served as the first Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog. He will now head the 16th Finance Commission, which will suggest the tax transfer formula between the Center and states for 5 years, starting from 2026-27. The appointment follows the establishment of a new Finance Commission by the President through a notification dated December 31, 2023.

IIT Madras is going to open its campus in Kandy, a major city of Sri Lanka.

The Prime Minister inaugurated the 27th National Youth Festival in Nashik, Maharashtra and then launched development projects worth more than Rs 30,500 crore in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL), now named 'Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu'.

Five Lok Sabha members, including BJP's Sukanta Majumdar and Shiv Sena's Shrikant Eknath Shinde, have been selected for the Sansad Ratna Award this year. Its organizers made this announcement on Sunday.

Scientists recently made a discovery in northern Greenland by uncovering the fossil of a new species of carnivorous worm, aptly named Timorbestia copri, or “terrorist beast.” This species is a pioneer among early carnivorous animals. It colonized the water column during the Early Cambrian period, which occurred about 541 million to 485.4 million years ago. Fossils of Timorbestia copri were found in the Early Cambrian Sirius Passet fossil locality in northern Greenland. These ancient creatures were giants of their time and held an important position near the top of the food chain, comparable in importance to some of the top carnivores of the modern oceans, such as sharks and seals during the Cambrian period.

Earth Rotation Day is celebrated every year on 8 January. This special day is dedicated to acknowledging the important discovery of the Earth's rotation on its axis. The theme chosen to celebrate Earth Rotation Day in 2024 is “Honoring the Discovery of the Motion of Our Planet.” This topic invites us to consider the historical journey of understanding the Earth's rotation and the impact this knowledge has had on our understanding.