International Current Affairs MCQs

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On November 9, 2025, several airports in the Bicol region of the Philippines suspended operations as Super Typhoon Uwan (international name: Fung-Wong) brought torrential rains and powerful winds. Typhoons are a type of tropical cyclone that form over the Western Pacific Ocean. A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system that develops over warm tropical oceans. These storms differ in speed, size, and intensity, depending on environmental conditions.

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Maldives President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and India’s Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu jointly inaugurated the Hanimaadhoo International Airport on November 10, 2025, a project completed with India’s financial assistance. President Muizzu hailed the airport as a “gateway to prosperity” and a “symbol of economic transformation” for the northern Maldives, boosting tourism, fisheries, agriculture, and regional development. The project symbolizes 60 years of India–Maldives diplomatic ties, and aligns with India’s “Neighbourhood First” and “MAHASAGAR” visions for regional cooperation.

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United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Operation Southern Spear, a major military campaign in the Caribbean and South America. The operation targets “narco-terrorists” and is led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). Its objectives are to defend the US homeland, remove narco-terrorists from the region, and disrupt drug trafficking networks supplying cocaine to the US.

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The Nagaland government and the British Council signed an agreement making the UK a country partner for the Hornbill Festival 2025. The agreement was signed in New Delhi by CM Neiphiu Rio and Alison Barrett MBE, in the presence of Lindy Cameron CB OBE, the British High Commissioner to India. The partnership strengthens cultural exchange, supports creative talent and boosts global visibility of Nagaland’s cultural heritage. The British Council, with the British Deputy High Commission Kolkata, will curate special programming for the festival.

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The Supreme Court recently asked the Centre to decide on ratifying the United Nations Convention Against Cybercrime, stressing its global relevance. It was adopted by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in December 2024 to boost global cooperation against cybercrime. It aims to strengthen prevention, support capacity-building for developing countries, and promote international coordination. It will come into force 90 days after 40 countries ratify it, and India has not signed it yet. It is the first universal legally binding treaty against cybercrime, developed by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

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The United States has officially designated Saudi Arabia as a Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) after the meeting between Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) is a special strategic status that gives defence partners military, financial and technological benefits but does not provide NATO-style security guarantees. The MNNA category was created under U.S. law in the 1980s to expand America’s alliance network beyond NATO countries. The main aim of MNNA status is to boost defence cooperation, access to advanced weapons, joint military training and security coordination. The move strengthens U.S. strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia, especially given the region’s geopolitical importance.

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Nepal has extended the survey license deadline for the West Seti Hydropower Project and allowed a direct agreement for another project by Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) to support Indian power companies in developing hydropower in the Himalayan region. West Seti Hydropower Project is planned as a 750 Megawatt hydroelectric storage project on the Seti River, a tributary of the Karnali River in Nepal. It is a storage-based project, not a run-of-river project, allowing water to be stored during monsoon and electricity to be generated year-round. The project is being developed by National Hydro Power Corporation Limited (NHPC) of India under a Public-Private Partnership model.

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Recently, the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change joined the 11th Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) Partner Countries’ Meeting. The JCM was first proposed by the Government of Japan and officially launched in 2013. It aims to spread advanced decarbonizing technologies and infrastructure through investment by Japanese entities to support sustainable development in partner countries. It is a bilateral mechanism implemented under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. It functions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and complements the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI). India is one of the 31 partner countries of the JCM.

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Tata Power Company Ltd signed agreements with Druk Green Power Corporation Ltd (DGPC) for the 1,125 Megawatt (MW) Dorjilung Hydroelectric Power Project in Bhutan. It is a run-of-river project located in Lhuentse and Mongar districts of Bhutan on the Kurichhu River, a tributary of the Drangmechhu flowing into India. It will be Bhutan’s 2nd-largest hydropower project and the largest Public–Private Partnership (PPP) hydro project in the country. The World Bank is financing the project, and it will be developed jointly under a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).

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Indonesia officially ended the polio type 2 outbreak after years of low vaccination. Nearly 60 million extra polio vaccine doses were given to children during the response. No poliovirus detected since June 2024 in children or the environment. WHO declared the outbreak closed on 19 November 2025. First case appeared in Aceh in October 2022 and later spread to multiple provinces. Two rounds of nationwide campaigns using novel Oral Polio Vaccine 2 (nOPV2) were conducted. Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) coverage increased from 63 percent in 2023 to 73 percent in 2024. Indonesia introduced hexavalent vaccine combining DPT HB Hib and IPV to protect against six diseases in one shot