International Current Affairs MCQs

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The Indian Defence Minister recently said that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons should be monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure global nuclear safety. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the main intergovernmental body for cooperation in nuclear science and technology. It works to ensure the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear energy, following global non-proliferation rules. The IAEA Statute was approved on 23 October 1956 and became active on 29 July 1957. Its headquarters is in Vienna, Austria. With 178 member countries, the IAEA plays a key global role in nuclear governance.

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Researchers from the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science and Technology (IASST), under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), discovered that Peptidomimetic Drugs can treat Neurodegenerative Diseases (NDs). Neurodegenerative Diseases (NDs) are complex illnesses causing neuron loss and nervous system degeneration, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Peptidomimetic Drugs are synthetic molecules that mimic natural proteins called neurotrophins, which help neuron growth and survival. These drugs have better stability and bioavailability than natural neurotrophins. They target specific cells and reduce side effects, showing promise for safer and effective Neurodegenerative Diseases (NDs) treatments.

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France’s National Assembly has passed a bill legalizing Assisted Dying, reflecting growing public support for end-of-life choices across Europe. The bill allows adults suffering from incurable illnesses to take prescribed lethal medication under strict conditions. Assisted Dying includes two forms: Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. Euthanasia involves a third party actively ending a patient’s life to relieve suffering, and is called Voluntary Euthanasia when done with the patient’s consent. Active Euthanasia means a deliberate act like a lethal injection that causes death. Passive Euthanasia means stopping life-saving treatment like turning off a ventilator or not giving certain medicines. In Assisted Suicide, the doctor gives a lethal drug that the patient takes on their own to end life. This bill provides a legal and medical framework to regulate such decisions with dignity and care. France joins a growing number of nations considering humane laws for terminally ill patients.

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China recently launched the Tianwen-2 probe to collect samples from the asteroid 2016HO3 and explore the distant main-belt comet 311P. It was launched using the Long March 3-B rocket. The mission will continue till the end of 2027. Earlier in 2021, China’s Tianwen-1 mission landed on Mars with an orbiter, lander, and the Zhurong rover. Tianwen-3 is planned for launch around 2028 to collect and return samples from Mars. Tianwen-4 is expected to explore Jupiter around 2030.

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In May 2025, Japan passed a new law called the Act on the Promotion of Research, Development and Utilisation of Artificial Intelligence-Related Technologies. This law aims to make Artificial Intelligence (AI) the core of Japan’s digital leadership and economic growth. Unlike strict global rules, Japan’s approach encourages coordination and voluntary responsibility instead of heavy regulation. This is different from the European Union’s AI Act passed in 2024. The EU law divides AI into risk levels like “Unacceptable” and “Minimal” and places strict rules on high-risk uses. Japan’s flexible model reflects a major shift in global AI policy thinking.

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The Prime Minister recently discussed with Paraguay’s President expanding the Preferential Trade Agreement with MERCOSUR. MERCOSUR stands for the Southern Common Market in Spanish. It is a South American regional economic group formed in 1991 by the Treaty of Asunción. Its goal is to allow free movement of goods, services, capital, and people among members.
Original members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Bolivia and Venezuela joined later, but Venezuela has been suspended since 2016. Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname are associate members. MERCOSUR’s headquarters is in Montevideo, Uruguay.

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On June 2, 2025, Nicaragua became the 101st country to accept the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies under the World Trade Organization (WTO). This marks a major step towards banning subsidies that support illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and overfishing. At the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) held in Geneva in June 2022, ministers adopted the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies by consensus. This agreement sets new binding global rules to stop harmful subsidies that support illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

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Exercise “Tiger Claw” was the first independent Special Forces exercise between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and United States Air Force (USAF). It was conducted from 26 May to 10 June 2025 across North India, ending at the Garud Regimental Training Centre (GRTC) in Chandinagar, Uttar Pradesh. The aim was to strengthen the partnership between both Air Forces and improve interoperability in special operations. The exercise included joint training, mutual exchange of best practices, and development of operational coordination.

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India performed better than the global average in air operations and safety, according to the audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in November 2022. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a United Nations (UN) specialized agency formed under the Chicago Convention of 1944. It works to promote safe, secure, and efficient international air transport for peaceful purposes. It sets global aviation safety and environmental standards and supports economic development of air transport.

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The military conflict between Tel Aviv and Tehran intensified recently as Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field, the largest gas field in the world, located in Bushehr province. South Pars is a joint offshore gas field shared by Iran and Qatar. Iran is the world’s third-largest gas producer after the United States and Russia, with an annual output of about 275 billion cubic meters.