International Current Affairs MCQs

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Burkina Faso’s military junta appointed Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo as the new Prime Minister after dissolving the government without explanation. The junta, led by Ibrahim Traore, dismissed former Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela via a presidential decree. The junta seized power in September 2022, ousting Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who had removed President Roch Marc Kaboré earlier. Burkina Faso faces severe security challenges, with extremist attacks displacing over 2 million people and leaving half the territory outside government control.

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Tata Power has started building the ₹6,900 crore Khorlochhu Hydropower Project in Bhutan, aiming for completion by September 2029. Located on the Kholongchhu River in Trashiyangtse, Bhutan, the 600 MW project supports Bhutan’s electricity needs and India’s renewable energy goals. It is the first joint energy project between India and Bhutan, executed by Khorlochhu Hydro Power Limited (KHPL), a partnership of Bhutan’s Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) and Tata Power.

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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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The Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC) reduces shipping time and costs, boosting India-Russia trade in oil, food, and machinery. EMC connects South India with Russia’s Far East, cutting transit time by 16 days and distance by 40%. The traditional Mumbai-St. Petersburg route is 8,675 nautical miles, taking 40+ days, while EMC spans 5,647 nautical miles, taking only 24 days, saving 5,608 km. The route passes through major waterways like the Sea of Japan, South China Sea, Malacca Straits, and Bay of Bengal.

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Nepal and China recently launched the “Phewa Dialogue” series, named after the renowned Phewa Lake in Nepal’s Pokhara Valley. Phewa Lake, one of Nepal’s largest, receives inflows from Harpan Khola and Seti Khola springs. The dialogue focuses on addressing South Asia’s industrial shift and related needs. It is Nepal’s first official think tank forum dedicated to fostering South Asia Regional Economic Integration.

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US President-elect Donald Trump has suggested that his administration may consider efforts to regain control of the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal is a 40-mile-long man-made waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across the Isthmus of Panama. Built by the United States, it was completed in August 1914 and is one of the world’s two most strategic artificial waterways, alongside the Suez Canal. The U.S. controlled the canal solely from 1914 to 1979, after which control transitioned to the Panama Canal Commission, and full control passed to Panama on December 31, 1999. The canal uses a sophisticated lock system to manage elevation differences between the two oceans, acting as water elevators to lift or lower ships. It has three sets of locks, serviced by artificial lakes and channels.

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Aisake Valu Eke was elected as the Prime Minister of Tonga and will replace Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, who resigned on December 9. Eke will officially take office in February and serve until the next election in November 2025. Tonga’s Parliament has 17 elected members, nine nobles, and two members who couldn’t vote in this election. Eke, a former Finance Minister (2014–2017), was first elected to Parliament in 2010 as an independent. He earned a PhD from the University of Southern Queensland, focusing on public sector service quality in Tonga. In 2011, he opposed increased allowances for MPs during Tonga’s economic challenges.

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The bald eagle, symbolizing U.S. power and strength for over 240 years, is now officially the national bird. President Joe Biden signed legislation amending the U.S. Code to make the designation official. The bald eagle, with its white head, yellow beak, and brown body, has been on the Great Seal of the United States since 1782. The Great Seal includes the eagle, an olive branch, arrows, a shield, the motto E Pluribus Unum, and a constellation of stars. The eagle was already the national emblem, appearing on documents, flags, military insignia, and currency. It is indigenous to North America.

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Zimbabwe abolished the death penalty, sparing around 60 prisoners on death row. The country last executed someone in 2005 due to a lack of willing executioners. President Emmerson Mnangagwa, once sentenced to death during the independence war, approved the law after Parliament’s bill. Mnangagwa has consistently opposed capital punishment and commuted death sentences to life in prison through amnesties. Amnesty International praised Zimbabwe’s move as a positive step for abolition in the region. Globally, 113 countries, including 24 in Africa, have abolished the death penalty. In 2023, Amnesty recorded 1,153 executions, with most in Iran and Saudi Arabia.

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Indonesia officially joined BRICS as a full member, announced by Brazil. Indonesia called its membership a strategic step for partnerships with developing nations. As the fourth most populous country, Indonesia aimed to strengthen Global South alliances. BRICS focuses on strengthening cooperation among nations in the Global South. BRICS has recently expanded its membership. New members include Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE. This expansion showcases BRICS’ increasing influence among developing nations.