International Current Affairs MCQs

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Uganda recently declared the end of the Ebola Sudan Virus Disease (SVD) outbreak after completing a 42-day mandatory countdown without new confirmed cases. The declaration came less than three months after the virus was detected in Kampala, the capital. The World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines require 42 days without new cases for a country to be declared Ebola-free. Uganda first declared the SVD outbreak on January 30, following the death of a nurse. There are no approved treatments or vaccines for the Sudan strain of Ebola, as vaccines are still in clinical trials.

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Global defence spending is rising fast due to uncertainty and rapid technology growth. As per Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), military expenditure reached $2.718 trillion in 2024, a 9.4% rise from 2023. China has the largest active military force with 2,035,000 personnel in 2025, according to Global Firepower. India ranks second with about 1,455,550 active personnel, showing strong defence strength and rising South Asian influence. The United States of America stands third with 1,328,000 troops, slightly reduced due to more focus on tech-based defence. Russia and Ukraine boosted troop numbers since 2022 due to ongoing conflict between them.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been re-elected, becoming the first leader in decades to win a second term, marking a major political milestone. With around 70.8% of votes counted, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reports that the Labor Party is set to win 85 seats, well above the 76 needed for a majority. The Opposition Liberal National Coalition is likely to secure 36 seats, while Independents are expected to get 10. After his win, Albanese called being Prime Minister the greatest honour of his life while addressing supporters in Sydney.

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Lawrence Wong has been elected as Prime Minister of Singapore. He is from the People’s Action Party (PAP), which has ruled Singapore since independence. Wong is an economist and served as the Finance Minister since 2021 before becoming Prime Minister. In the 2025 general elections, under his leadership, PAP won 87 out of 97 parliamentary seats. This included 82 seats through voting and 5 uncontested. The PAP’s popular vote increased to 65.6 percent, showing strong public support.

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Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was elected as the 10th Chancellor of Germany by the Bundestag on 6th May 2025. He succeeded Olaf Scholz after Scholz’s coalition lost the 2025 Bundestag general election. Merz leads a three-party coalition government including the CDU, Christian Social Union (CSU), and Social Democratic Party (SPD). For the first time since World War II, a German Chancellor was elected in the second round of voting in the Bundestag. The Chancellor is nominated by the President and must win an absolute majority in the Bundestag. Merz failed in the first round but secured victory in the second.

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Recently, India extended financial support to the Maldives by offering a $50 million Government Treasury Bill to help the island nation with fiscal reforms and economic stability. This move highlights India’s commitment under the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy to support its close maritime neighbours. The Maldives holds strategic importance in India’s regional outreach and is a key partner in India’s maritime vision, called Vision ‘MAHASAGAR’ (Maritime Awareness for Holistic Action and Security through Active Geographical Engagement for Regional Stability). The support reflects not just economic assistance but a deeper strategic and diplomatic partnership between India and the Maldives.

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Recently, Colombia officially joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) during a meeting of Latin American leaders in Beijing. Colombia’s capital is Bogotá. It is called the “Gateway of South America” because it connects South America with Central and North America. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also called One Belt, One Road (OBOR), plans to build many roads, railways, and ports across several countries. It aims to boost China’s economic leadership by creating infrastructure in nearby regions. The initiative is known as the “21st Century Silk Road.”

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After two years of civil war, Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan appointed former United Nations (UN) official Kamil al-Taib Idris as the new Prime Minister (PM). The announcement was made by Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council through a constitutional decree. This decision comes nearly a month after the Sudanese army regained control of Khartoum as the war entered its third year. Kamil Idris is the first PM appointed since the 2021 military coup that ousted the civilian government. He is a seasoned diplomat who served as Director General of the UN World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) from 1997 to 2008. His selection is seen as a step towards restoring governance in conflict-torn Sudan.

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US President Donald Trump announced the ‘Golden Dome,’ a space-based missile defense system costing 175 billion dollars to protect the United States from global threats. General Michael Guetlein of the US Space Force will lead this program aimed at blocking missiles from China, Russia, and space. The Golden Dome will create a satellite network to detect, track, and intercept long-range missiles, integrating with existing defense systems. Inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome, it plans to deploy hundreds of satellites for missile detection and tracking. The project aims for completion by January 2029, but experts doubt this timeline and cost.

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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.