International Current Affairs MCQs

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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi won reelection to a third six-year term with 89.6% of the vote in a landslide victory, though the election was criticized over Egypt’s human rights record. El-Sisi has ruled Egypt for the past nine years. He faced three little-known opponents in an election overshadowed by conflict in Gaza and Egypt’s economic crisis, with high inflation and poverty. A key Western ally, former army officer El-Sisi led the 2013 overthrow of an elected Islamist president. Constitutional amendments in 2019 added two years to his second term and allowed him to run again. Turnout was 66.8% in the largely foregone conclusion election. In the months prior, El-Sisi vowed to address Egypt’s struggling economy.

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United States announced a 10-nation military force to protect shipping in the Red Sea after attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on vessels with alleged Israel links forced companies to suspend operations. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Seychelles, the UK would join the “multinational security initiative” against the “challenge posed by this non-state actor.” The US and UK navies shot down 15 Houthi drones over the weekend. At least 12 shipping firms including Maersk have paused Red Sea transit over safety concerns. The attacks have rerouted global trade around Africa, imposing higher costs and delays. About 12% of world trade including 30% of containers passes through the Red Sea, which connects to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal.

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King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan recently unveiled plans for the Gelephu Special Administration Region (SAR), a 1,000 sq km mega city project near the Indian border. The $4.5 billion project aims to transform the southern border town of Gelephu into an economic hub and signals Bhutan’s ambitions to leverage connectivity with India to spur trade and investments. Positioned as a gateway between South Asia and Southeast Asia, the SAR would have its own laws and systems to attract foreign investments. During his recent visit to India, the King discussed the project with PM Modi, as India is expected to be a key partner in the endeavor through rail and road connectivity.

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Russia is the world’s biggest producer of rough diamonds that the G7 nations have announced a ban on imports from starting January 1st. This is part of the bloc’s broader measures to limit Moscow’s revenues that aid its invasion of Ukraine. The G7 also plans to introduce a system to trace the origin of diamonds by September to prevent circumvention of the ban.
India, which is home to 90% of the world’s diamond cutting and polishing industry centered in Gujarat, is critical for implementation of the G7’s ban on Russian diamond imports. India has urged the G7 to delay the ban citing lack of clarity around rules to trace origins of gems and possible sensitive data sharing requirements that Indian businesses are uncomfortable with.

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The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and India’s Ministry of External Affairs have jointly launched a new initiative called Project Prayas. This project aims to promote safe and orderly migration for Indian youth and skilled professionals looking to study or work abroad.

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Iran’s navy recently added two domestically produced sophisticated cruise missiles named Talaeieh and Nasir to its arsenal. As part of boosting its defence capabilities, Iran announced addition of advanced Talaeieh and Nasir cruise missiles, with ranges over 1000 km and 100 km respectively, to its naval forces. This came amidst growing tensions between Iran and Western powers.

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The 2024 BRICS Summit will be held in Kazan, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on April 3, 2023 to hold the summit in the city. As per recent statement of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, BRICS summit is set to take place in Kazan in October 2024. He said about 30 countries wish to have partner ties with BRICS.

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Guyana, a country in South America, has recently gained significant prominence in the oil and gas sector, becoming the world’s newest oil producer. This development is highlighted by its recent cooperation with India in the hydrocarbon sector. The discovery of substantial oil reserves and the subsequent increase in production have placed Guyana at the forefront of global energy discussions. The country’s strategic partnership with India, including the signing of a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in areas like crude oil sourcing and exploration, marks a significant step in its emerging role as a key player in the global oil and gas industry.

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Amid escalating tensions with Hezbollah militants along the Lebanese border, Israel recently deployed “Sky Dew,” a surveillance blimp developed jointly with US company TCOM. Shaped like an aircraft, this state-of-the-art detection system features powerful radars and sensors capable of tracking multiple airborne threats simultaneously from up to 250km away. Operating at a high altitude without need for refueling, Sky Dew significantly boosts Israel’s aerial threat detection abilities and intelligence gathering versus Hezbollah and other adversaries. The timing of its deployment points to Israel bolstering its defenses against potential attacks.

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The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Denmark recently launched “green rooms” in Ukraine. The “green rooms” are specially equipped spaces that facilitate interactions between police officers and child survivors and witnesses of crime. The goal is to build trust in law enforcement among children and youth.