CURRENT AFFAIRS 31 OCTOBER 2024

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By EXAM JOB EXPERT Published: October 31, 2024

Day of the Year

National Magic Day

Harry Houdini is quite probably one of the reasons magic is so popular today and, at the time of his death, he was the most famous member of the Society of American Magicians. Houdini died in the afternoon on October 31st, 1926 in a hospital in Detroit, Michigan, USA. This date means that October 31 is not only National Magic Day and Halloween, it is also the anniversary of the death of this famous magician.

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Core sector output slips to 10-month low in Sept.; growth anxieties deepen

Output levels in India’s eight core sectors, which account for about 40% of the country’s industrial production, continued to drag in September with the Index of Core Industries (ICI) falling to a 10-month low of 154.8. That is 0.83% below August levels.
On a year-on-year basis, however, core industries’ output recorded a 2% uptick, reflecting a moderate but positive turnaround from August, when the index had contracted 1.6%, the first such shrinkage in 36 months.
Mixed fortunes
Fortunes were mixed for the two key construction-related sectors, with steel output growth hitting a 33-month nadir of 1.5% in September, while cement production rose 7.1%, the fastest in six months.

News Capsule

AAP protests against ‘tardy’ paddy procurement in Punjab

Police in Chandigarh on Wednesday used water cannons on Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Punjab unit leaders and workers as they tried to march towards the State BJP office to “gherao” it in protest over the “tardy” lifting of paddy in the State. Several Punjab Ministers as well as party legislators were part of the protest. As AAP workers tried to jump over the barricades and move towards the BJP office, police used water cannons to stop them. PTI

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King Charles, Camilla visit holistic health centre in Bengaluru

Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited a Bengaluru-based luxury wellness retreat for a three-day rejuvenation session. This was their first trip to India since he ascended the throne.
The couple quietly arrived at the Soukya International Holistic Health Centre on October 27 and left on Wednesday morning. The King, who was recently diagnosed with cancer, planned this rejuvenation on the advice of his medical team after all the chemotherapy sessions. While the rejuvenation sessions were similar to those provided to other high-profile guests, therapies were decided based on his health. “The sessions were for rejuvenation, detoxification and strengthening the immune system,” sources said.
King Charles, who had celebrated his 71st birthday at Soukya in 2019, was visiting the Centre for the second time while his wife has stayed at the Centre nine times so far.

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WWF’s 73% wildlife decline report: what it does and doesn’t mean

The World Wildlife Fund’s 2024 Living Planet Index (LPI) report published recently makes for some grim reading. The headline is a 73% average decline in wildlife populations since 1970 (Chart 1). While this trend is extremely worrying, the numbers presented are often misunderstood or misreported.
First, let us clarify what this doesn’t mean. It doesn’t tell us anything about the species lost; the number or percentage of species or populations that are declining/lost; or the number of extinctions. Any headline claiming that we have “lost 73% of wildlife” or that “73% of species have gone extinct” or that “73% of species are declining” is incorrect.

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Why is there an upward rally in gold prices?

Mired amidst geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty, spot price of gold scaled a record high of $2,758.37 for an ounce on October 23.

The notion about gold being a safety cushion is best reflected in the purchase of the yellow metal by central banks to hedge against global uncertainties, other than diversifying their forex reserves. For perspective, as per the World Gold Council, central banks made net purchases of 8 tonnes in August.

Demand for the yellow metal traditionally peaks in the second half of the year with the arrival of the festive season and the onset of the wedding season. The buffer period in between (mid-September to the onset of October) is considered inauspicious for such purchases as per the Hindu calendar.