International Current Affairs MCQs

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European Space Agency (ESA) confirmed that an alien signal has been beamed to Earth from Mars for the first time.
The Trace Gas Orbiter, an ESA spacecraft orbiting Mars, transmitted a signal and it was received by the four telescopes/ stations. The transmission is part of “A Sign in Space” project, which is an interdisciplinary project by media artist Daniela de Paulis.

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NASA posted a photo of the flower that bloomed in the zinnia plant which was sowed and grown in the International Space Station.
This particular experiment was started on the ISS in 2015 by NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren. The space garden, developed by the ISS, demonstrates the possibility of growing foods outside of the limits of Earth.

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Late Polish sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz has been honoured with a Google Doodle on what would have been her 93rd birthday.
She won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Sculpture Center in New Jersey, an award for Distinction in Sculpture from the Sculpture Center in New York, and the Commander Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta in Poland.

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Recently, the Supreme Court of the United States of America has ruled to end the ‘affirmative action’ or ‘positive discrimination’ in college admissions.
The verdict was pronounced in the Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard case, which has sparked significant debate and discussion across the world over positive discrimination.

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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will head the NATO for another year, after his contract was extended again.
Mr Stoltenberg’s time as secretary general was due to end in October while his term had already been extended three times. Norwegian-born Mr Stoltenberg was an economist and former Prime Minister and the announcement comes a week before the next NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

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Chinese aerospace company LandSpace recently launched methane and liquid oxygen-powered rocket, Zhuque-2, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre.
The successful mission involved placing a test payload into the sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), making LandSpace the first company globally to accomplish this achievement.

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Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced that he was quitting politics after nearly 13 years in power.
He was the longest-serving leader in the history of the Netherlands as he served since 2010. He announced his resignation after failing to reach consensus among coalition partners on his government’s refugee policy.

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Solar Technology Application Resource Centre [STAR C] Initiative aims to cultivate the human capacity and skills among a Member Country’s public to encourage the undertaking of energy transition activities, creating jobs and contributing to the country’s economic growth.
India is contemplating extending its solar STAR-C initiative, operated in collaboration with the International Solar Alliance, to several Pacific Island nations.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently reported a fresh incidence of MERS-CoV in Abu Dhabi.
In 2012, Saudi Arabia was the initial country to identify the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

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As part of its ‘Cleanup to Clean energy’ plan, the US government has announced that it will transform Cold War sites into largest solar power project.
Formerly employed for atomic bomb development, these sites are now positioned to significantly contribute to promoting clean energy initiatives throughout the United States.