International Current Affairs MCQs

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The Prime Minister of Nepal marked the completion of the final blast of the Head Race Tunnel for the Arun-3 Hydro Electric Project. This 900 MW run-of-the-river hydropower initiative, situated on the Arun River in Eastern Nepal, utilizes flowing water for electricity generation without a large dam. Developed by SJVN Arun-III Power Development Company, a subsidiary of India’s Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, it operates on a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer basis, benefitting both countries.

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Recently, four medical students from Maharashtra studying in Russia drowned in the Volkhov River near St. Petersburg. The Volkhov River, in northwestern Russia, flows from Lake Ilmen to Lake Ladoga and is historically significant for trade. It hosts the first Soviet hydroelectric station built in 1926. In 2022, nearly 16,500 Indian students were studying in Russia, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an e-medical visa facility for Bangladeshi nationals and the opening of a new consulate in Rangpur, Bangladesh. This occurred during Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina’s two-day state visit to India, marking her as the first state guest of Modi’s third term. The leaders highlighted the importance of their frequent meetings over the past year.

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The UN has introduced ‘Global Principles’ to combat online misinformation amid rising concerns about digital platforms’ role in spreading falsehoods. Technologies like AI escalate misinformation’s volume, velocity, and virality, impacting global stability. The principles aim to safeguard information integrity by promoting transparency, privacy, and responsible content practices among stakeholders. Recommendations include integrating safety measures in tech design, promoting transparency in news media, and enhancing political transparency and access to information.

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Sierra Leone’s president signed a law banning marriage for children under 18. In 2020, UNICEF reported about 800,000 girls under 18 in Sierra Leone were married, roughly a third of the country’s girls. Globally, at least 12 million girls marry before 18 each year, particularly in conflict zones. In India, despite the legal marriage age being 18 for girls, around 1.5 million underage marriages occur annually.

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Reformist leader Masoud Pezeshkian has been elected Iran’s new president, winning a run-off against Saeed Jalili on July 6, 2024. The election followed President Ebrahim Raisi’s death in a helicopter crash. Pezeshkian secured 53.7% of the votes in the run-off. Only 40% of the 61 million eligible voters participated, the lowest turnout since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The Iranian president’s term is four years.

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India and Russia agreed to increase bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030 and use national currencies to bypass Western sanctions during the 22nd Annual Summit. Prime Minister Modi urged an end to civilian deaths in Ukraine. Russia will expedite the discharge of Indian recruits in its military. The joint statement emphasized peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict and included MoUs on climate change, polar research, legal arbitration, and pharmaceutical certification.

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Ivory Coast recently became the 10th African nation to join the United Nations Water Convention. Adopted in Helsinki in 1992 and effective since 1996, this legally binding instrument promotes sustainable management of shared water resources and supports the Sustainable Development Goals. Initially for the pan-European region, the convention has expanded globally since 2016. Notable members include Chad, Senegal, Iraq, Namibia, and Panama, emphasizing conflict prevention and regional integration.

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India and Japan are planning to establish a Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) for carbon trading and credit adjustment through a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC). The JCM will be created under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement and will aim to reduce emissions, promote low-carbon technologies, and encourage economic growth. The JCM will also facilitate the sharing of emission reduction credits, the spread of decarbonizing technologies, and the implementation of mitigation actions.

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Singapore and the United States have signed a 30-year civil nuclear cooperation agreement, called the 123 Agreement. This deal will allow Singapore to access detailed information and expertise on U.S. nuclear energy technologies, which are typically under export control. The agreement aims to enhance Singapore’s capabilities in nuclear energy and strengthen ties between the two countries in this field.