International Current Affairs MCQs

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Zoran Milanovic was re-elected as President of Croatia for a five-year term, securing 74% of the run-off vote. The first round of the presidential election on 29 December 2024 saw Milanovic win 49.1% of votes, necessitating a second round on 12 January 2025. Milanovic, backed by the opposition Social Democratic Party, is a critic of the EU and NATO but condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while criticizing Western military support for Ukraine. The Croatian Democratic Union, the ruling party since 1991, had its candidate, Dragan Primorac, secure 19.2% of votes. The President in Croatia is the Head of State with limited executive powers, while the Prime Minister holds real executive authority. Croatia is located on the Balkan Peninsula along the Adriatic Sea.

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US President Donald Trump decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement again, having initially done so in 2017. On his first day in office, he revoked all US climate finance commitments. Trump aimed to reverse climate-friendly energy policies and focus on oil and gas extraction. Joe Biden rejoined the Paris Agreement in 2021. Trump argued that international climate regulations were unfair to the US, as China faced fewer restrictions. The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, seeks to limit global warming to below 2°C, with efforts to keep it under 1.5°C.

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The M23 (March 23 Movement) is an armed rebel group operating in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), particularly in North Kivu province. It originated in 2012 from a faction of the Congolese army, citing grievances over a 2009 peace agreement. The group is involved in territorial seizures, driven by local ethnic tensions and international backing, with UN reports linking Rwanda’s support, including military involvement. M23 recently captured key areas like Minova and poses a threat to Goma, the provincial capital. DRC’s capital is Kinshasa, and it is traversed by the Congo River, Africa’s second-longest river.

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Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have officially left ECOWAS due to diplomatic tensions. ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) was founded in 1975 to promote economic cooperation and development. Citizens of ECOWAS can live, work, and move freely across member states. After the withdrawal, ECOWAS now has 12 members: Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

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Bart De Wever was sworn in as Belgium’s Prime Minister by King Philippe on 3rd February 2025. He replaced Alexander De Croo, who led a seven-party coalition government. The June 2024 elections did not give a decisive mandate to any party or coalition. Belgium has a complex political system, divided into Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia. De Wever is the first nationalist Flanders leader to become PM.

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Panama has formally withdrawn from China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) under US pressure. The Panamanian Embassy in Beijing gave a 90-day notice of its decision. President Jose Raul Mulino rejected US claims about the Panama Canal, calling them “intolerable.” The US alleged Panama agreed to free passage for US government vessels, but the Panama Canal Authority denied any tariff changes. Trump and US officials raised concerns over Chinese investments in the canal. Panama is the first Latin American country to exit the BRI, which operates in over 100 countries.

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India and the USA launched the Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance (ASIA) initiative for Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) during the Indian Prime Minister’s recent visit to the USA. UDA involves using technology and strategies to monitor underwater activities. India is the first country to collaborate with the U.S. on UDA technologies. The initiative strengthens regional security by detecting threats like piracy and terrorism. It also supports economic interests in the blue economy and environmental management, while enhancing India’s regional diplomacy and maritime cooperation.

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The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has decided not to invest in a proposed $40 million loan for waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration projects in Gujarat. IFC is the private lending arm of the World Bank, established in 1956 to support economic development. It provides financing and advisory services to private enterprises in developing countries. IFC mobilizes capital from other lenders through loan participations and parallel loans. It is owned and governed by member countries, with the World Bank Group President also serving as its President. Its headquarters is in Washington, D.C.

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China has deployed a Large Phased Array Radar (LPAR) in Yunnan province, near the China-Myanmar border. It has a surveillance range of over 5,000 km, enabling China to monitor the Indian Ocean and deep into Indian territory. It can detect and track ballistic missile launches in real-time. Unlike traditional radars, LPARs use electronically controlled antennas for instant scanning. It can track multiple targets, including ballistic missiles, with high precision. LPARs are vital for early warning systems and air defense networks.

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Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to a peace deal to end nearly 40 years of conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh, also called Artsakh by Armenians, is a landlocked, mountainous region in the South Caucasus. It has a diverse landscape with steppe, forests, and alpine meadows. The region was part of Azerbaijan but was governed by the unrecognized Republic of Artsakh, with a majority ethnic Armenian population. The conflict began in 1917 after the Russian Empire’s collapse, with both Armenia and Azerbaijan claiming the area.