International Current Affairs MCQs

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently launched the global initiative ‘Global Specs 2030’ to ensure affordable eye care access for all by the year 2030. The initiative focuses on five key action areas: Services, Personnel, Education, Cost, and Surveillance. Services aim to improve access to refractive eye care. Personnel focuses on training and building the capacity of eye care workers. Education promotes public awareness about eye health. Cost targets reducing prices of eyeglasses and services. Surveillance strengthens data collection and eye care research. The Global SPECS Network supports collective advocacy, experience sharing, and professional collaboration.

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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.

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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.

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Slovenia became the first European Union (EU) country to ban all weapons trade with Israel. The arms embargo was announced by Prime Minister Robert Golob after a cabinet meeting. The decision was taken due to the ongoing war in Gaza. Slovenia acted independently as the EU failed to agree on a joint position due to internal divisions. No military export permits to Israel have been issued by Slovenia since October 2023.

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Russia has officially declared that it is no longer bound by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 between the United States and the Russia (formerly Soviet Union). Its objective was to destroy two categories of lethal missile systems to slow down the nuclear arms race. The treaty targeted ground-launched missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometres. It emerged after a massive missile build-up in Europe by both powers that threatened continental security. It was signed during the leadership of US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The treaty enabled mutual verification, leading to the dismantling of 2,619 missiles in three years.

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United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has temporarily suspended the repatriation of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees. UNHCR was established in 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly after the Second World War. It was earlier called the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees. Its main aim is to save lives and protect the rights of refugees, internally displaced people, and stateless persons. Its headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland.

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India has joined the Health AI Global Regulatory Network (GRN) to strengthen oversight of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) announced the move to share safety protocols and monitor AI performance in clinical settings. ICMR – National Institute for Research in Digital Health and Data Science (NIRDHDS) and IndiaAI will collaborate with HealthAI for global cooperation. GRN members include UK and Singapore. This supports India’s National AI Strategy for public services, startups, and job creation. The initiative promotes responsible AI, data privacy, patient safety, and equitable access to healthcare.

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Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica, has won a third term in office. His Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) secured 34 seats in the 63-seat House of Representatives. The opposition, People’s National Party (PNP) led by Mark Golding, won 29 seats. The election was held amid concerns over corruption, economic challenges, and social inequity. Under Holness, Jamaica has recorded a 43% drop in killings in 2025, the largest decline in decades. The improvement is credited to increased firearm seizures and a stronger, coordinated security force across the island. The victory underscores public trust in Holness’ governance and law-and-order measures.

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Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali has been re-elected for a second five-year term with 55 percent of the 65-seat parliament, as announced by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). Ali’s government, in power since 2020, used 7.5 billion oil revenue to build roads, schools, hospitals, and made state university education free. Guyana, with the largest oil reserves per capita, currently produces 650,000 barrels daily, expected to reach 1 million by 2030. The nation recorded 43.6 percent GDP growth in 2024, with a state budget expected at 6.7 billion in 2025.

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Bangladesh recently announced export of hilsa fish to India ahead of Durga Puja as a mark of “enduring Bangladesh-India friendship.” Earlier in September 2024, Bangladesh had banned hilsa export to India but relaxed it after appeals from traders. Hilsa, also called Ilish fish, is culturally significant in Bengali traditions, offered during pujas, weddings, and to Goddess Lakshmi. It lives in both saltwater and freshwater, spending most life in the ocean but migrating to rivers like Padma, Meghna, Ganges, and Godavari for breeding. Bangladesh produces about 70% of the world’s hilsa and it is the national fish of Bangladesh. Hilsa contributes 12% of Bangladesh’s total fish catch and nearly 1% of GDP.