International Current Affairs MCQs

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Aisake Valu Eke was elected as the Prime Minister of Tonga and will replace Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, who resigned on December 9. Eke will officially take office in February and serve until the next election in November 2025. Tonga’s Parliament has 17 elected members, nine nobles, and two members who couldn’t vote in this election. Eke, a former Finance Minister (2014–2017), was first elected to Parliament in 2010 as an independent. He earned a PhD from the University of Southern Queensland, focusing on public sector service quality in Tonga. In 2011, he opposed increased allowances for MPs during Tonga’s economic challenges.

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Pokhara, Nepal, is hosting its first International Balloon Festival from December 24, 2024, to January 2, 2025. The event takes place in the scenic Pame region and features more than 20 international pilots and 30 countries participating. More than 500 commercial flights and 300 non-commercial flights are expected, offering stunning views of the Annapurna, Machhapuchhre, and Dhaulagiri mountains. Each 40-minute flight covers 3 km from Lauruk to Chankhapur, with around 3,000 passengers. The festival aims to boost tourism recovery and is estimated to cost Rs 68.3 million.

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China has completed the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the world’s longest expressway tunnel at 22.13 kilometers. It forms part of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, connecting northern Xinjiang to Yuli County, reducing travel time through the Tianshan Mountains from three hours to 20 minutes. The project faced challenges such as high-altitude conditions, complex geology, and environmental concerns near glaciers and water sources. This project supports China’s Belt and Road Initiative, fostering regional economic growth and integration.

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Alexander Lukashenko won a seventh term as Belarusian president with 86.8% of the vote, per the Central Election Commission. Lukashenko has won every presidential election since 1994, often amid controversy. Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It shares borders with Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. The capital and largest city of Belarus is Minsk.

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Britain will be the first country to introduce laws against Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools used to generate sexual abuse images of children. Possessing, creating, or distributing these AI tools will be punishable by up to 5 years in prison. It will also be illegal to possess AI paedophile manuals, punishable by up to 3 years. The law will criminalize websites promoting child abuse content with up to 10 years in prison. AI is making it easier for predators to manipulate images and groom children. 500,000 children in the UK face abuse each year, with online abuse increasing.

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Bart De Wever was sworn in as Belgium’s Prime Minister by King Philippe on 3rd February 2025. He replaced Alexander De Croo, who led a seven-party coalition government. The June 2024 elections did not give a decisive mandate to any party or coalition. Belgium has a complex political system, divided into Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia. De Wever is the first nationalist Flanders leader to become PM.

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The Philippines declared a food security emergency to stabilize high rice prices. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel authorized the release of rice buffer stocks held by the National Food Authority (NFA). The decision was based on recommendations from the National Price Coordinating Council. The Rice Tariffication Law allows the Agriculture Secretary to act during extraordinary price hikes. Rice inflation in the Philippines hit 21.4% in December 2023. The country’s GDP grew by 5.6% in 2024, below the 6-6.5% target. The economy faced setbacks due to extreme weather, geopolitical tensions, and low global demand.

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Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo are advancing south toward Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province. They aim to expand control in the country’s east after capturing Goma. The M23 (March 23 Movement) is an armed rebel group operating in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), particularly in North Kivu province. It originated in 2012 from a faction of the Congolese army, citing grievances over a 2009 peace agreement. The recent escalation has caused massive destruction and violence.

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The oldest known Jurassic bird fossil was recently found in China’s Fujian Province. The fossil is of a species called Baminornis zhenghensis and is estimated to be 149 million years old. The discovery of Baminornis zhenghensis is considered a landmark discovery and one of the most important bird fossils ever found. It shows that birds and dinosaurs lived alongside each other in China during the Jurassic period.

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Brazil recently joined OPEC+, the alliance of major oil-exporting nations. OPEC+ consists of 22 oil-exporting countries that regulate global crude oil supply. The group meets regularly to decide how much oil to sell in the market. The alliance works together to adjust crude oil production and ensure market stability.