International Current Affairs MCQs

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The Taliban government recently rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s bid to retake Bagram Air Base, four years after the U.S. withdrawal. Bagram Air Base is the largest airbase in Afghanistan, located north of Kabul. It holds a strategic position near Iran, Pakistan, China’s Xinjiang, and Central Asia. Originally built by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, it supported Soviet operations until the late 1980s. The United States later revamped it and used it as a hub for war against the Taliban and Al Qaeda since 2001. It served as the largest U.S. military installation in Afghanistan for air operations, intelligence, and logistics.

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Fiji launched its first-ever National Child Safeguarding Policy in October 2025. The policy sets a national benchmark for child safety across all sectors. It ensures all child-related services are delivered safely, respectfully, and in a child-friendly manner. It introduces a mandatory Child Protection Code of Conduct for all institutions and organisations. It requires child-safe recruitment and vetting processes, including criminal background checks. It includes risk mitigation strategies tailored to protect children from harm. It strengthens child safety, accountability, and institutional responsibility in Fiji.

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Palau, a Pacific island nation, hosted the world’s first live underwater interview in October 2025. President Surangel Whipps Jr conducted the interview with Estonian Olympic swimmer and activist Merle Liivand. The event aimed to raise awareness about ocean protection. Palau is an archipelago of around 340 islands east of the Philippines, highly vulnerable to rising sea levels. Some atolls may be lost in coming years, as acknowledged by the President. Similar past events include Maldives underwater cabinet meeting (2009) and Seychelles submersible interview (2019).

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Patrick Herminie, opposition leader of Seychelles, won the presidential election, defeating incumbent Wavel Ramkalawan. Herminie secured 52.7% of votes, while Ramkalawan got 47.3% in the run-off election. He represents the United Seychelles party, which ruled for four decades before losing power in 2020. Herminie’s victory gives United Seychelles full control of the government, after winning a parliamentary majority in the first round of elections last month. In 2023, Herminie was arrested on witchcraft charges, which were later dropped. He served as parliament speaker from 2007 to 2016.

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Pakistan has recently sought help from China, its “iron friend,” to join the New Development Bank (NDB). The NDB, earlier called the BRICS Development Bank, was set up by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. It was created to fund infrastructure and sustainable development projects in developing nations. Its headquarters are in Shanghai, China.

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The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is currently holding meetings in Paris to discuss state-sponsored terrorism and funding of banned outfits operating in Pakistan. FATF is an independent intergovernmental body that sets global standards against Money Laundering (ML) and Terrorist Financing (TF). It was established in 1989 during the G7 Summit in Paris and expanded in 2001 to include terrorism financing. FATF headquarters is in Paris, France. India became a FATF member in 2010.

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Saudi Arabia has officially ended the Kafala System, giving millions of migrant workers more rights and freedom. The Kafala System was a sponsor system tying migrant workers to a single employer, requiring employer consent to switch jobs or exit the country. Saudi Arabia will replace it with a contractual model under Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program. The new system allows job mobility, contract-based transfers, and exit/return rights without employer approval. Bahrain abolished Kafala in 2009; UAE partially reformed it in 2015; Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman still have strict Kafala rules.

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Catherine Connolly, an independent left-wing politician, has been elected as Ireland’s 10th President. She won by a landslide victory, defeating her rival Heather Humphreys. Connolly has been a Member of Parliament (MP) since 2016 representing the Galway West constituency. She also served as the Deputy Speaker of the Irish Parliament. The presidency in Ireland is a largely ceremonial role, but her win reflects strong voter support for her independent and progressive stance.

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India has ended its military presence at the Ayni Airbase in Tajikistan after the bilateral agreement with Tajikistan expired around four years ago. The Ayni Airbase, located 10 km west of Dushanbe, was built in the Soviet era and later renovated by India. India spent around $100 million upgrading the base with runway extensions, shelters, fuel depots, and air traffic control facilities. Su-30MKI jets and around 200 Indian personnel from the Army and Air Force were once deployed there. All Indian personnel and equipment were withdrawn by 2022. The base initially supported the Northern Alliance in its fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

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Bangladesh became the first country in South Asia to join the United Nations (UN) Water Convention. The UN Water Convention is officially called the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. It was adopted in Helsinki in 1992 and came into force in 1996. Initially designed for the pan-European region, it became open to all UN Member States after March 2016. It is a legally binding treaty promoting sustainable management of shared water resources. It helps prevent conflicts, promote peace, and support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).