International Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Tokyo’s Edogawa ward, emphasizing Gandhi’s global legacy of peace and non-violence. The ceremony, part of Jaishankar’s visit for a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting, was attended by Edogawa ward’s mayor and Japan’s parliamentary vice minister of foreign affairs. The event highlights the continued relevance of Gandhi’s teachings in the modern world.

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India has been elected Vice-Chair of the Supply Chain Council under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Agreement, focused on Supply Chain Resilience. The IPEF, with 14 member countries, also elected chairs and vice-chairs for the Crisis Response Network and Labor Rights Advisory Board. The Supply Chain Council’s Chair is the USA. IPEF, led by the USA, was launched by President Joe Biden on 23 May 2022 in Tokyo.

Notes:
Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico will face continued water cuts from the Colorado River next year due to ongoing challenges.
The Colorado River is crucial for the U.S. West, supplying water to 40 million people, cities, farms, and producing hydropower. Overuse, rising temperatures, and drought have reduced water flow in the river. Arizona will lose 18% of its water allocation, Mexico 5%, and Nevada 7%. The Colorado River is a major river of North America. It originates in the Rocky Mountains and flows through several U.S. states and into Mexico, draining into the Gulf of California. The river’s most famous landmark is the Grand Canyon, and it includes the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead.

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Israel and Egypt are making progress in resolving their differences over the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah crossing point. The Philadelphi Corridor is a narrow strip along the Gaza-Egypt border, established as a demilitarized buffer zone by the 1979 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. This area is crucial for controlling movement and preventing smuggling between Gaza and Egypt. It has been central in ceasefire talks and conflicts involving Israel, Hamas, and Egypt.

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Australia has introduced a “Right to Disconnect” rule to help employees avoid work-related communications outside of their regular hours. This law allows workers to ignore calls and messages from employers after work without facing punishment. While employers can still contact employees after hours, the law ensures that employees are not obligated to respond unless their refusal is deemed unreasonable. India does not have similar laws, leaving employees there more exposed to pressure to work beyond their regular hours.

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Experts believe Iran could attack Israel using its ‘axis of resistance’ coalition. The ‘axis of resistance’ is a network of autonomous militant Islamist groups led by Iran, originating from the Iranian Revolution of 1979. It includes Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia militant organization; Hamas, a Palestinian Sunni militant group; Palestinian Islamic Jihad; and the Houthis, a militant group from Yemen. Hezbollah, meaning ‘Party of God,’ founded in Lebanon in the early 1980s, is the largest and most capable member of this coalition.

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The rescue of Qaid Farhan Alkadi, a Bedouin hostage from Gaza, has highlighted the Bedouin community in Israel. The Bedouins are part of Israel’s Arab minority, making up about 20% of the population. Though they hold Israeli citizenship, Bedouins face unique socio-economic challenges. Traditionally nomadic, modern pressures and state policies have affected their way of life, leading to marginalization. The Bedouin community primarily resides in the Negev Desert, which has harsh living conditions and is a center of land and resource conflicts.

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The Hakwata community in Chipinge, Zimbabwe, has benefited from a 200 kW solar mini-grid, providing electricity to nearly 80 households, schools, and businesses. The project, funded by the UNDP and the UK’s FCDO, demonstrates significant development in an area previously reliant on expensive generators and lacking access to the national grid.

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Iran unveiled its latest ballistic missile, named “Jihad,” in a military parade in Tehran. The missile was developed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Aerospace Force. This marks the introduction of a new liquid-fuel missile platform in Iran’s defense technology. The Jihad missile highlights Iran’s ongoing military advancements despite international sanctions. Iran’s missile development has raised concerns among Western nations about its potential destabilizing effects in the region.

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NATO will set up a new land command in Finland near the Russian border in 2025 to oversee land operations in northern Europe during conflicts. This move follows Finland’s recent NATO membership after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The new command will work alongside Finland’s existing land force command in Mikkeli.