International Current Affairs MCQs

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Australia appointed its first anti-slavery commissioner, Chris Evans, a former senator and human rights official. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus announced Evans’s five-year term starting in December. The role aims to strengthen efforts across government, business, and society to combat modern slavery. Modern slavery robs victims of dignity, rights, and freedoms, as stated by Dreyfus. Walk Free’s 2023 Global Slavery Index estimated 41,000 people in modern slavery in Australia in 2021. A recent report from New South Wales’ anti-slavery commissioner estimated 16,400 people in modern slavery within the state.

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Armenia became the 104th full member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) on November 15, 2024. ISA is a treaty-based intergovernmental organization founded by India and France to promote solar energy globally. The alliance aims to mobilize over USD 1000 billion by 2030 for large-scale solar energy deployment. Armenia’s membership was formalized with the exchange of the ratified Framework Agreement between Armenian Ambassador Vahagn Afyan and India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

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The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a former Defence Minister, and Hamas officials for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The ICC is the only permanent international criminal tribunal, established by the Rome Statute on 17 July 1998. The Rome Statute defines the ICC’s jurisdiction, structures, and functions, coming into force on 1 July 2002. The ICC investigates and tries individuals accused of grave crimes like genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression.

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Yamandú Orsi, a left-wing politician and former mayor, won Uruguay’s presidential election, marking a return of the centre-left government after five years of conservative leadership. Supported by former president José Mujica, Orsi emphasizes environmental policies, social inclusion, and a balanced approach to economic growth.

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Ghana’s Electoral Commission declared ex-president John Dramani Mahama the winner of the presidential election with 56.55% votes. Mahama, 66, served as Ghana’s president from 2012 to 2016 and aims to address Ghana’s economic crisis. He plans to renegotiate the $3-billion IMF bailout, ease business regulations, introduce a triple-shift work system, enact tax reforms, and invest $10 billion in infrastructure modernization.

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An anti-corruption outfit in Bangladesh is investigating the USD 12.65 billion Rooppur nuclear power plant. The plant, located 160 km from Dhaka, is one of the largest projects by Russia’s Rosatom. The deal for the plant was initiated in February 2011, with a contract signed in December 2015. The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission issued a site license in 2016, and construction began in 2017. The first unit is expected to be completed by 2025, generating 2400 megawatts of electricity once fully operational. A 2018 trilateral agreement involving India, Bangladesh, and Russia supports the project.

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres paid tribute to Brigadier General Amitabh Jha of India, serving with the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in Golan Heights. UNDOF was established in 1974 to maintain the ceasefire and supervise the demilitarized buffer zone between Israel and Syria. The mission’s mandate is renewed every six months and extended until June 2025. UNDOF is funded annually by the UN General Assembly. India is the third-largest troop and police contributor to UNDOF. Golan Heights is a hilly region, part of Syria, occupied by Israel since 1967. UNDOF headquarters is at Camp Faouar.

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China launched its first domestically developed deep-sea exploration ship, Tansuo-3 (Exploration-3). The ship officially entered service in Sanya City, Hainan province. Tansuo-3 has a range of 17,261 miles and includes icebreaking capabilities. It will strengthen China’s deep-sea exploration, alongside other icebreakers like Xuelong, Xuelong 2, and Jidi.

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The UK announced the world’s first sanctions regime to combat people smuggling and block illicit finance supporting such crimes. The sanctions focus on irregular migration and organized immigration crime. Authorities can now target individuals and entities enabling dangerous journeys, such as smuggling vulnerable people via sea crossings in Europe. The regime is expected to be implemented within the year.

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US President-elect Donald Trump proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The proposal has sparked debates about its geopolitical and historical implications. Gulf of Mexico borders the southeastern coast of North America, connecting to the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The Gulf is the world’s largest and is often called the “Mediterranean of the Americas.” It formed due to seafloor subsidence and is shallow, with an average depth of 1,615 m. The climate ranges from tropical to subtropical, with severe weather like hurricanes and tornadoes. It holds large petroleum and natural gas deposits in its shallow areas.