International Current Affairs MCQs

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Rodrigo Paz, a centrist senator, won Bolivia’s presidential election. He defeated conservative rival Jorge Tuto Quiroga amid the country’s worst economic crisis. Paz secured 54.5% of the vote, while Quiroga got 45.5%, according to Bolivia’s Electoral Tribunal. His victory ends nearly two decades of leftist rule by Movement to Socialism (MAS). Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country in western-central South America. The constitutional capital is Sucre, while the seat of government and executive capital is La Paz.

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Sanae Takaichi was elected Japan’s first female Prime Minister on 21 October 2025, breaking the nation’s glass ceiling. She is a hardline conservative, admirer of former PM Shinzo Abe and Britain’s Margaret Thatcher. Takaichi received 237 votes in the 465-seat lower house, securing the premiership. Her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) formed a coalition with the Japan Innovation Party (Ishin) to consolidate power. She was approved by the upper house and will be sworn in as Japan’s 104th Prime Minister, succeeding Shigeru Ishiba.

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India and the United Kingdom (UK) launched the Ramanujan Junior Researchers Programme to foster collaboration between young scientists. The programme was named after Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. It honors his 1913 collaboration with British mathematician G.H. Hardy. The programme is supported by India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) and announced after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to India. Young Indian physicists and mathematicians can conduct joint research at the London Institute for Mathematical Sciences (LIMS). LIMS, at the Royal Institution, London, is renowned for full-time theoretical research and associations with Nobel Prizes and major discoveries. The initiative emphasizes international scientific dialogue and exchange of talent between India and the UK

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The World Trade Organization (WTO) recently credited India’s Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme for boosting exports from Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The DFTP scheme started in 2008 and provides preferential access to the Indian market for LDCs. The objective is to promote economic growth, diversify exports, and strengthen trade relations of LDCs. Duty-Free Access allows products from LDCs to enter India without import duties. The scheme helps LDCs expand trade and integrate into the global economy.

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Afghanistan has announced plans to construct a dam on the Kunar River, blocking its flow into Pakistan. The Kunar River is a major tributary of the Kabul River, which later merges with the Indus River in Pakistan. The river originates from the glaciated Hindu Kush Mountains in Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It flows into Afghanistan and joins the Kabul River there. The two main tributaries of the Kunar River are Bashgal (Landiasind) River and Pech River. The proposed dam may affect water flow and relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

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East Timor (Timor Leste) was formally admitted to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on October 26, 2025, marking the bloc’s first expansion since the 1990s. The formal ceremony took place in Kuala Lumpur, with the East Timor flag added alongside 10 other member states. Timor Leste is an island country in the Eastern Lesser Sunda Islands at the southern end of the Malay Archipelago in Southeast Asia.

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China has started pre-service trials for its new high-speed train CR450, announced on October 21, 2025. The CR450 is hailed as the world’s fastest bullet train. During trials on the Shanghai–Chongqing–Chengdu high-speed railway line, it reached a top speed of 281 miles per hour (450 km/h). The CR450 marks a major step in China’s next-generation high-speed rail technology. It aims to improve travel efficiency and connectivity across major Chinese cities. Once operational, it will surpass the speed record of China’s current CR400 series trains.

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Recently, Cyclone Montha made landfall along the Bay of Bengal coast. The name “Montha” means a fragrant flower in the Thai language. It is a tropical cyclone, a rapidly rotating storm formed over tropical oceans around a low-pressure system. Such storms are called Hurricanes in the Atlantic, Typhoons in the Western Pacific and South China Sea, and Willy-willies in Western Australia.

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Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of Tanzania, was sworn in for her second term amid tight security in Dodoma, the capital. The election was marred by violent protests and opposition rejection of the results. She was declared winner with 98% votes, as several opposition leaders were jailed or barred from contesting. In her victory speech, she called the election free and democratic, labelling protesters as unpatriotic.

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India and Denmark launched the Indo-Danish Business Council (IDBC) in November 2025 in Copenhagen to strengthen bilateral ties. The launch was marked by Manish Prabhat, India’s Ambassador to Denmark, celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations. The IDBC aims to foster structured cooperation, driving strategic collaboration and accelerating business growth. It builds on the India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership, focusing on innovation, entrepreneurship, and knowledge sharing. The Council brings together industry leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers to advance global green and digital transitions.