International Current Affairs MCQs

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China recently launched the Tianwen-2 probe to collect samples from the asteroid 2016HO3 and explore the distant main-belt comet 311P. It was launched using the Long March 3-B rocket. The mission will continue till the end of 2027. Earlier in 2021, China’s Tianwen-1 mission landed on Mars with an orbiter, lander, and the Zhurong rover. Tianwen-3 is planned for launch around 2028 to collect and return samples from Mars. Tianwen-4 is expected to explore Jupiter around 2030.

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Ukraine carried out its most powerful drone strike under Operation Spider Web. The strike was conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). It targeted strategic bomber aircraft at Russian air bases using drones. The attack involved first-person view (FPV) drones, also called Remote Person View (RPV) drones. This marks a major shift in drone warfare, showing Ukraine’s growing use of advanced unmanned aerial technology.

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Recently, Karol Nawrocki won Poland’s presidential election with 50.89% of the votes, narrowly defeating liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, who got 49.11%. Nawrocki is a right-wing conservative candidate, known both as a historian and a heavyweight boxing champion. He was supported by United States (US) President Donald Trump during the election. Nawrocki previously served as the head of the Institute of National Remembrance, an organisation known for promoting nationalist versions of Polish history.

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India and the United States are deepening ties through the Technology for Resilient, Open and Unified Security and Trust (TRUST) framework. The TRUST framework replaces the earlier U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET). It promotes secure, open, and reliable digital cooperation, with a focus on trusted technology supply chains. TRUST aims to boost India’s role as a regional digital hub and net security provider in the Indo-Pacific.

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On June 2, 2025, Nicaragua became the 101st country to accept the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies under the World Trade Organization (WTO). This marks a major step towards banning subsidies that support illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and overfishing. At the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) held in Geneva in June 2022, ministers adopted the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies by consensus. This agreement sets new binding global rules to stop harmful subsidies that support illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

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Recently, Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia, and Liberia were elected as non-permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council. Their two-year terms will start in January 2026 and last until the end of 2027. They will join existing non-permanent members Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia, serving through 2026. These new members will replace Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia, whose terms end in December 2025. The Security Council has 15 members, including five permanent members with veto power: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

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President of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami, announced that Russia will build eight nuclear power plants in Iran under an existing agreement. This statement was made during a visit by the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee to AEOI headquarters in Tehran. The Bushehr nuclear plant, Iran’s only operational facility, was completed by Russia in May 2011. It plays a key role in Iran’s civilian nuclear energy program.

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Israel has launched a military action called “Operation Rising Lion” targeting Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. This included attacks on Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities, missile systems, and military command centers. This move marks a sharp escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. The recent context shows rising tensions in the Middle East, with fears of broader regional instability due to this bold strike.

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India performed better than the global average in air operations and safety, according to the audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in November 2022. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a United Nations (UN) specialized agency formed under the Chicago Convention of 1944. It works to promote safe, secure, and efficient international air transport for peaceful purposes. It sets global aviation safety and environmental standards and supports economic development of air transport.

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Vietnam has officially joined BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) as a partner country. This makes Vietnam the 10th nation in the BRICS partner category. The partner country category was introduced during the 2024 BRICS Summit held in Kazan, Russia. Other BRICS partner countries include Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.