International Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Recently, Ukraine’s parliament appointed Yulia Svyrydenko as the country’s new Prime Minister, the first in five years. This is part of a major cabinet reshuffle aimed at improving wartime governance as peace with Russia remains uncertain. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy tasked her with boosting domestic weapons production and reviving Ukraine’s loan-dependent economy. The target is to increase domestic weapons use on the battlefield from 40% to 50% in six months. Key goals also include deregulation and expanding economic cooperation with allies.

Notes:
A recent joint report by World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) revealed that contaminated medicines have killed 1,300 people over the past 90 years. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) was established in 1997 by merging the United Nations Drug Control Programme and Centre for International Crime Prevention. UNODC is a global leader in fighting illicit drugs, international crime, and terrorism. It educates people on drug abuse dangers and helps strengthen actions against drug trafficking and drug-related crimes. Its headquarters is in Vienna, Austria.

Notes:
Turkey has unveiled its most powerful conventional bomb, the Gazap, at the International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) 2025 in Istanbul. The Gazap bomb weighs 970 kg and is designed for F-16 fighter jets. It disperses 10.16 fragment explosions per metre, up from the earlier standard of 3 metres. It is developed by the National Defence Ministry’s R&D centre, it increases Turkey’s airstrike power.

Notes:
Recently, Chinese Premier Li Qiang launched construction of a huge hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, near India’s Arunachal Pradesh border. The project has raised concerns due to its massive scale, lack of transparency, and no consultation with lower riparian countries like India and Bangladesh. The project is worth 1.2 trillion yuan or 167.8 billion US dollars and includes five cascade hydropower plants in Medog County, just 30 km from the Indian border. It aims to generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually, over three times that of China’s Three Gorges Dam.

Notes:
Recently, China faced Typhoon Co-May and tsunami threats from an 8.8-magnitude earthquake near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. Typhoon Co-May, locally called Zhu Jie Cao, hit Shanghai with strong winds of 83 km/h and heavy rain. Nearly 2.83 lakh people were evacuated from Shanghai and nearby areas. A level-one emergency response was issued for flood and typhoon control.

Notes:
China and Russia began joint naval drills called “Joint Sea-2025” on August 3, 2025, in the Sea of Japan. The exercises aim to strengthen their strategic partnership and counter the United States-led global order. The drills are being held near the Russian port of Vladivostok. Operations include submarine rescue, anti-submarine, air defence, anti-missile, and maritime combat exercises. Four Chinese warships, including guided-missile destroyers Shaoxing and Urumqi, are participating with Russian ships.

Notes:
Moldova became the 107th member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a global initiative launched in 2015 by India and France during COP21 in Paris. Moldova handed over the Instrument of Ratification in New Delhi. It aims to unlock solar investments by 2030 and lower technology and finance costs. It promotes solar energy use in agriculture, health, transport, and power sectors.

Notes:
India will be the ‘Guest of Honour’ at the 38th Bogota International Book Fair (FILBo) 2026. This will strengthen people-to-people connections between India and Colombia. Indian Ambassador to Colombia Vanlalhuma highlighted the role of literary exchange in building deeper ties. Since 1988, the Colombian Book Chamber and Corferias have organised FILBo as a major Spanish-speaking cultural event. The announcement was attended by Colombia’s Cultural Minister, FILBo Director, Corferias President, and Book Chamber President. Recently, at the 37th FILBo 2025 (April 25–May 11), India’s National Book Trust showcased a collective exhibit of Indian books for the first time.

Notes:
The European Union (EU) has offered concessions to United States manufacturers on climate-related trade rules, including the carbon tax and deforestation regulations. Ahead of the next India-EU trade talks in Brussels, Indian negotiators plan to seek similar relief for Indian exporters. A senior government official highlighted that Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and other climate-related rules remain the most challenging issues in the India-EU trade deal. CBAM is an European Union (EU) tariff on carbon-intensive imports to prevent carbon leakage. It aims to put a fair price on carbon emissions from imported goods and promote cleaner production globally.

Notes:
India announced 1,000 e-scholarships for Afghan nationals for the academic year 2025-26. The initiative is part of the Special Scholarship Scheme for Afghan Nationals (SSSAN) through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). Students can pursue online undergraduate and postgraduate courses through the e-VidyaBharati (e-VB) i-learn portal. The scheme continues India’s commitment to Afghan students after similar grants in 2023-24 and 2024-25. Afghan nationals aged 18 to 35 years are eligible to apply.