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Current Affairs
Sept. 7, 2026

Key Facts about Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 poisoning is extremely rare, but cases have increased by about 40% in the last decade, according to reports from America’s Poison Centers.
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About Vitamin B6:

  • Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine) is a water-soluble vitamin.
    • Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water so the body cannot store them.
  • It is found naturally in many foods, as well as added to foods and supplements.
  • It is important for normal brain development and for keeping the nervous system and immune system healthy.
  • It helps the body to:
    • Make antibodies. Antibodies are needed to fight many viruses, infections, and other diseases.
    • Maintain normal nerve function.
    • Make hemoglobin: Hemoglobin carries oxygen in the red blood cells to the tissues. A vitamin B6 deficiency can cause a form of anemia.
    • Break down proteins: The more protein you eat, the more vitamin B6 you need.
    • Keep blood sugar (glucose) in normal ranges.
  • Food sources of vitamin B-6 include poultry, fish, potatoes, chickpeas, bananas, and fortified cereals.
  • Vitamin B-6 can also be taken as a supplement, typically as an oral capsule, tablet, or liquid.
  • People who have kidney disease or conditions that prevent the small intestine from absorbing nutrients from foods (malabsorption syndromes) are more likely to be vitamin B-6 deficient.
  • Certain autoimmune disorders, some epilepsy medications and alcohol dependence also can lead to vitamin B-6 deficiency.
  • This can cause a condition in which you don't have enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your body's tissues.
  • Deficiency of this vitamin can cause:
    • Confusion
    • Depression
    • Irritability
    • Mouth and tongue sores, also known as glossitis
    • Peripheral neuropathy
  • Large doses of vitamin B6 can cause:
    • Difficulty coordinating movement
    • Numbness
    • Sensory changes
Science & Tech

Current Affairs
Sept. 7, 2026

What is the LORA Missile?
Germany successfully tested the LORA missile in the North Atlantic overnight, military officials said recently.
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About LORA Missile:

  • The LORA (Long Range Artillery) is a short-range, road-mobile, ground- and sea-launched ballistic missile developed and operated by Israel.
  • It is believed to have entered service in Israel in 2007.
  • It is designed to strike high-value targets deep inside enemy territory.
  • Features:
    • It is a single-stage, solid-propellant
    • It can carry a payload of up to 600 kg and can deploy a single high explosive (HE) warhead or sub munitions.
    • It has a range of 280 km.
    • It uses Inertial Navigation System/Global Positioning System and TV for terminal guidance, with possible in-flight maneuvering capability.
Science & Tech

Current Affairs
Sept. 7, 2026

Corded Ware Culture
Archaeologists near Wrocław, Poland, recently discovered a 42-tooth necklace with an adult male skeleton, stone weapons and human skull remains, offering new insights into the Corded Ware culture.
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About Corded Ware Culture:

  • The Corded Ware culture was a large group of ancient people who lived across Europe between about 3000 BC and 2350 BC.
  • This time period covers the end of the Stone Age, the Copper Age, and the beginning of the Bronze Age.
  • These people lived in a huge area, stretching from the Rhine River in the west to the Volga River in the east. This included parts of Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe.
  • Archaeologists have noticed that the Corded Ware culture wasn't just one single group.
  • People in different parts of this huge area had different ways of living and getting food.
  • Scientists believe that the Corded Ware culture might have started when people from the Yamnaya culture, who lived in the steppes (large grasslands) of Eastern Europe, moved west. They mixed with the local groups already living there.
  • Many experts think the Corded Ware culture played a big role in spreading the Indo-European languages across Europe and Asia. These are the languages that most people in Europe and parts of Asia speak today.
  • The name ‘Corded Ware culture’ comes from the special way these people decorated their pottery.
    • They used twisted cords to press patterns into wet clay. This made unique designs that looked like ropes or cords.
    • A German archaeologist named Friedrich Klopfleisch first used this name in 1883.
  • Archaeologists have found very few settlements of the Corded Ware culture. This led to the idea that they were mostly nomadic herders, like the Yamnaya culture.
  • However, some evidence shows they also did some farming. Traces of wheat and barley have been found at a Corded Ware site in Poland.
  • They also used wheeled vehicles, probably pulled by oxen, continuing a practice from earlier cultures.
  • Other names for groups within this culture include the Single Grave culture. This name comes from their burial custom of burying people alone under small mounds.
  • The Battle Axe culture, or Boat Axe culture, is another name. It refers to the stone axes shaped like boats often found in men's graves.
  • The Bell Beaker culture lived in the western part of Europe at the same time.
    • They shared some ideas with the Corded Ware people.
    • But the Bell Beaker people were better at trading by sea and rivers, which helped them develop new things.
History & Culture

Current Affairs
Sept. 7, 2026

What is the Hall Effect?
Scientists recently discovered an unexpected form of the Hall effect, overturning the long-held assumption that this electrical response only appears when a magnetic field points perpendicular to a material.
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About Hall Effect:

  • It is named after American physicist Edwin H. Hall, who first introduced the theory to the world in 1879.
  • Hall discovered that when a conductor or semiconductor with current flowing in one direction was introduced to a perpendicular magnetic field, a voltage could be measured at right angles to the current path; this measurable voltage is the Hall Effect.
  • How does it work?
    • It takes place when current flowing through a conductor, which is a material such as copper or silver permits electrons to flow freely across the entire surface area.
    • The electrons begin to flow in a straight line from one side of the conductor to the other.
    • If a magnetic field near the conductor is introduced, it would disturb the flow of the electrons due to the force applied.
    • This is called Lorentz force, which is the force on a charged particle due to electric and magnetic fields.
    • The magnet’s north pole pulls the negative electrons to one side of the conductor and deflects the positive electrons to the other side of the conductor.
    • If a voltage tester is put between the two sides, a voltage reading will be given because there is current between the positive and negative electrons; by retrieving this measurable voltage, the Hall Effect principle is put into practice.
    • In a semiconductor such as silicon or germanium, the drift velocity of electrons is a lot quicker due to the material used.
    • This results in a stronger Hall effect which corresponds to a larger voltage reading being detected and therefore a more precise reading being taken.
    • The Hall effect is used in several different products, such as sensors, joysticks, and switches.
  • A Hall effect sensor is a device to measure the magnitude of a magnetic field.
    • Its output voltage is directly proportional to the magnetic field strength through it.
    • Hall effect sensors are used for proximity sensing, positioning, speed detection, and current sensing applications.

Recent Findings:

  • For a long time, people thought the Hall effect only worked when the magnetic field was applied perpendicular to the plane of the film.
  • The recent findings show that a Hall response tied to magnetization can occur in more than one direction.
  • That gives physicists a new way to investigate multidimensional magnetic and topological structures in condensed matter systems.
Science & Tech

Current Affairs
Sept. 7, 2026

What is the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF)?
The Eastern Economic Forum has been described as a successful solid platform since its creation.
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About Eastern Economic Forum (EEF):

  • It is an annual international forum established in 2015.
  • It is held annually in Vladivostok, Russia.
  • Objective: To support the economic development of Russia’s Far East and to expand international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
  • It is a key international platform for establishing and strengthening ties within the Russian and global investment communities.
  • The forum provides a platform for government representatives, businesses, investors, and experts to discuss economic cooperation and investment opportunities.
  • It increasingly attracts guests from widely different countries, especially leaders of China, India, Malaysia, Mongolia, and Myanmar.

Key facts about the Russian Far East:

  • It is the easternmost part of Russia.
  • It is a cold, inhospitable, and sparsely populated
  • The macro-region borders two oceans, the Pacific and the Arctic, and five countries (China, Japan, Mongolia, the United States, and the DPRK).
  • The Far Eastern region spreads over four time zones and various climate zones: from northern deserts to subtropics.
  • It is rich in natural resources like gold, diamonds, oil, natural gas,
  • About 1/3 of all coal reserves and hydro-engineering resources of the country are here.
Economy

Current Affairs
Sept. 7, 2026

A young newly-wed couple was recently found dead in Sasthamcotta Lake near the Ambalakkadavu area.
A young newly-wed couple was recently found dead in Sasthamcotta Lake near the Ambalakkadavu area.
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About Sasthamcotta Lake:

  • Sasthamcotta Lake, also known as Sasthamkotta Lake, is the largest freshwater lake in Kerala.
  • The lake is named after the ancient Sastha temple (a pilgrimage center) located on its bank.
  • It is surrounded by hills on all sides except south, where a bund has been constructed separating the lake from the neighboring rice fields.
  • The lake is a designated wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention since 2002.
Geography

Current Affairs
Sept. 7, 2026

Key Facts about Cape Verde
At least 25 people were killed in a bus accident in the African island nation of Cape Verde recently.
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About:

  • Cape Verde, also known as Cabo Verde, is an island country located in the central Atlantic Ocean, off the northwest coast of Africa.
  • It comprises a group of volcanic islands, which are divided into the Barlavento (windward) and Sotavento (leeward) groups.
  • Climate: Generally moderate, the climate is characterized by stable temperatures with extreme aridity.
  • Terrain: The terrain of the Cabo Verde islands varies from the geologically older, flatter islands in the east and the newer, more mountainous islands in the west.
  • The lack of significant rivers is due to the islands' volcanic nature and the arid climate, which limits the development of long or permanent river systems.
  • Capital: Praia
  • Political System: It is a multiparty republic.
  • Population: The overwhelming majority of the population of Cabo Verde is of mixed European and African descent and is often referred to as mestiço or Crioulo.
  • Languages spoken: Although Portuguese is the official language and is used in formal situations, Crioulo, one of the oldest of the Portuguese creole languages, is by far the most widely spoken.
Geography

Current Affairs
Sept. 7, 2026

Key Facts about Poompuhar
The Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) commenced the third phase of underwater archaeological exploration off the coast of Poompuhar, the ancient port city once known as Kaveripoompattinam, in Mayiladuthurai district recently.
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About Poompuhar:

  • Poompuhar, or Puhar, is a town in the Mayiladuthurai district in the state of Tamil Nadu.
  • ‘Puhar’ in Tamil means the ‘estuary’ of a river in the sea.
  • It is located close to the spot where the Cauveri River flows out into the Bay of Bengal.
  • It was once a flourishing ancient port city known as Kaveri Poompattinam, which for a while served as the capital of the Early Chola kings in Tamilakam.
  • As per archaeological evidence found during excavation, this age-old city is said to have been established thousands of years ago.
  • Ancient pottery dating back to the 4th century BCE has been discovered offshore by marine archaeologists east of this town.
  • Silappathikaram and Manimekalai, the Tamil epics, bring out the greatness of the city in some of the poems in Sangam literature.
  • It has been destroyed several times by huge tsunami waves in the past.
History & Culture

Current Affairs
Sept. 7, 2026

Bura Chapori Wildlife Sanctuary
A man was killed after being attacked by a wild buffalo while working in a jute field on a river island near the Burachapori Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam’s Nagaon district recently.
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About Bura Chapori Wildlife Sanctuary:

  • It is located in the Sonitpur district of Assam.
  • It is a part of the Laokhowa-Burachapori ecosystem.
  • It is nestled between the Kaziranga National Park (NP) to the east and the Orang NP to the west and Laokhowa WLS to the south.
  • Climate: It falls under the subtropical monsoon climatic regime.
  • Vegetation: It comprises a mosaic of wet alluvial grassland, riparian and semi-evergreen forests dotted by wetland and river systems.
  • Flora:
    • The grassland is rich in various kinds of medicinal herbs and plants.
    • It also has Hollang, Mekai, Dhuna, Udiyam, Nahar, Samkothal, Bheer, etc.
  • Fauna:
    • It is home to the Great Indian one-horned rhinoceros, tiger, leopard, wild buffalo, hog deer, wild pig, and elephants.
    • It also consists of highly endangered Bengal Florican, Black-necked Stork, Mallard, Open-billed Stork, Teal, and Whistling Duck, among others.
Environment

Current Affairs
Sept. 7, 2026

What is the Asian-Pacific Postal Union (APPU)?
Vinaya Prakash Singh, a 1988 batch officer of the Indian Postal Service, has been recently reelected as Secretary-General of the Asian-Pacific Postal Union (APPU) for a second consecutive four-year term.
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About Asian-Pacific Postal Union (APPU):

  • It is an intergovernmental organization of 32 member countries of the Asian-Pacific region.
  • Headquarters: Bangkok, Thailand.
  • It is the only Restricted Union of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in the region, which is a specialized agency of the United Nations dealing with postal services.
  • Goal: To extend, facilitate, and improve postal relations between member countries and to promote cooperation in the field of postal services.
  • It decides and pursues the regional stance in response to global postal issues and strategy.
  • Since its creation in 1961, the APPU has taken the lead in projects for improving quality of services in express, parcels, e-commerce, logistics, letter post, and financial services.
  • It has guided members in developing new services and products.
  • As the regional centre for various UPU projects, it also takes the lead in ensuring that all technical and operational projects of the UPU are fulfilled in the region so that the region is integrated into the global postal network in the best possible way.
  • The APPU is made up of the three bodies:
    • Congress: It is the supreme organ of the Union and meets not later than 2 years after the UPU congress.
    • Executive Council: It comprises all members and meets every year to ensure the work of the union.
    • APPU Bureau: It serves as a body for liaison, information, inquiry, and training for members.
  • The Secretary General leads the activities of the Union and is also the Director of the Asian Pacific Postal College (APPC) based in Bangkok.
    • APPC is the largest intergovernmental postal training institute in the region.
International Relations
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