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Current Affairs · Topic 2

World current affairs

Major conflicts, elections, summits and climate conferences.

Explanation 240 MCQs Free timed quizzes
Current Affairs

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Explanation

Learn the big international stories by region, with the year each began.

Conflicts

  • Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
  • The war in Gaza began in October 2023; a ceasefire was agreed in October 2025.

Leaders and elections

  • Donald Trump took office as the 47th President of the United States on 20 January 2025.
  • Pope Leo XIV (Robert Prevost) was elected in May 2025, the first pope from the United States.
  • The term of UN Secretary-General António Guterres ends on 31 December 2026.

Climate

  • COP28 was held in Dubai (2023), COP29 in Baku (2024) and COP30 in Belém, Brazil (2025).
  • The Paris Agreement (2015) aims to keep warming well below 2 °C.

Practise

World current affairs MCQs

Try each question, then open the answer. MCQs 1–50 of 240.

1.Who was sworn in as President of the United States in January 2025?

  1. A. Joe Biden
  2. B. JD Vance
  3. C. Donald Trump
  4. D. Kamala Harris
Show answer

Answer: C. Donald Trump

Trump took office on 20 January 2025 as the 47th president.

2.Donald Trump is the which-numbered President of the United States in his second term?

  1. A. 47th
  2. B. 46th
  3. C. 45th
  4. D. 48th
Show answer

Answer: A. 47th

He was the 45th president (2017–2021) and became the 47th in 2025.

3.Who became Vice-President of the United States in January 2025?

  1. A. Marco Rubio
  2. B. Kamala Harris
  3. C. JD Vance
  4. D. Mike Pence
Show answer

Answer: C. JD Vance

JD Vance was sworn in on 20 January 2025.

4.Whom did Donald Trump defeat in the US presidential election of November 2024?

  1. A. Joe Biden
  2. B. Kamala Harris
  3. C. Hillary Clinton
  4. D. Bernie Sanders
Show answer

Answer: B. Kamala Harris

Trump defeated Vice-President Kamala Harris.

5.Who was elected Pope in May 2025?

  1. A. Leo XIV
  2. B. Benedict XVII
  3. C. Francis II
  4. D. John Paul III
Show answer

Answer: A. Leo XIV

Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected and took the name Leo XIV.

6.Pope Leo XIV is the first pope from which country?

  1. A. Argentina
  2. B. United States
  3. C. Philippines
  4. D. Brazil
Show answer

Answer: B. United States

Robert Prevost was born in Chicago.

7.Pope Francis, who died in April 2025, was from which country?

  1. A. Italy
  2. B. Argentina
  3. C. Spain
  4. D. Brazil
Show answer

Answer: B. Argentina

Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) led the Church from 2013 to 2025.

8.Who became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in July 2024?

  1. A. Boris Johnson
  2. B. Rishi Sunak
  3. C. Keir Starmer
  4. D. Liz Truss
Show answer

Answer: C. Keir Starmer

Labour won the general election of 4 July 2024.

9.Who became Prime Minister of Canada in March 2025?

  1. A. Justin Trudeau
  2. B. Mark Carney
  3. C. Pierre Poilievre
  4. D. Chrystia Freeland
Show answer

Answer: B. Mark Carney

Mark Carney succeeded Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader and PM.

10.Who became Chancellor of Germany in May 2025?

  1. A. Olaf Scholz
  2. B. Annalena Baerbock
  3. C. Angela Merkel
  4. D. Friedrich Merz
Show answer

Answer: D. Friedrich Merz

Friedrich Merz of the CDU became Chancellor on 6 May 2025.

11.Who became the first woman President of Mexico in 2024?

  1. A. Xóchitl Gálvez
  2. B. Claudia Sheinbaum
  3. C. Andrés Manuel López Obrador
  4. D. Beatriz Paredes
Show answer

Answer: B. Claudia Sheinbaum

Claudia Sheinbaum took office on 1 October 2024.

12.Who became Prime Minister of Japan in October 2025, the first woman in the post?

  1. A. Sanae Takaichi
  2. B. Fumio Kishida
  3. C. Yuriko Koike
  4. D. Shigeru Ishiba
Show answer

Answer: A. Sanae Takaichi

Sanae Takaichi became Japan's first woman prime minister.

13.Narendra Modi began his third term as India's Prime Minister in which year?

  1. A. 2023
  2. B. 2025
  3. C. 2019
  4. D. 2024
Show answer

Answer: D. 2024

Modi was sworn in for a third term on 9 June 2024.

14.Sheikh Hasina left Bangladesh after mass protests in which month?

  1. A. March 2025
  2. B. August 2023
  3. C. January 2024
  4. D. August 2024
Show answer

Answer: D. August 2024

She resigned and fled to India on 5 August 2024.

15.Who became head of Bangladesh's interim government in August 2024?

  1. A. Tarique Rahman
  2. B. Abdul Hamid
  3. C. Khaleda Zia
  4. D. Muhammad Yunus
Show answer

Answer: D. Muhammad Yunus

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus became Chief Adviser.

16.The government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria fell in which month?

  1. A. December 2024
  2. B. June 2025
  3. C. March 2024
  4. D. December 2023
Show answer

Answer: A. December 2024

Rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took Damascus on 8 December 2024.

17.Who became Syria's leader after Assad's fall?

  1. A. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
  2. B. Hassan Nasrallah
  3. C. Ahmed al-Sharaa
  4. D. Bashar al-Assad
Show answer

Answer: C. Ahmed al-Sharaa

Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, became interim president.

18.Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in which year?

  1. A. 2014
  2. B. 2020
  3. C. 2023
  4. D. 2022
Show answer

Answer: D. 2022

The invasion began on 24 February 2022.

19.Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in which year?

  1. A. 2022
  2. B. 2008
  3. C. 2018
  4. D. 2014
Show answer

Answer: D. 2014

Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014.

20.The war in Gaza began after the Hamas attack on Israel on which date?

  1. A. 11 September 2023
  2. B. 7 October 2023
  3. C. 1 January 2024
  4. D. 7 October 2022
Show answer

Answer: B. 7 October 2023

The attack of 7 October 2023 was followed by Israel's war on Gaza.

21.A ceasefire in Gaza under a US-brokered plan was agreed in which month?

  1. A. May 2025
  2. B. March 2026
  3. C. January 2024
  4. D. October 2025
Show answer

Answer: D. October 2025

The ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange began in October 2025.

22.The International Court of Justice case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza was brought by which country?

  1. A. Pakistan
  2. B. Malaysia
  3. C. South Africa
  4. D. Türkiye
Show answer

Answer: C. South Africa

South Africa filed the case in December 2023.

23.The ICC issued an arrest warrant for which Israeli leader in November 2024?

  1. A. Yair Lapid
  2. B. Benjamin Netanyahu
  3. C. Naftali Bennett
  4. D. Isaac Herzog
Show answer

Answer: B. Benjamin Netanyahu

Warrants were issued for Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant.

24.Israel and the United States struck Iran's nuclear sites in which month?

  1. A. April 2024
  2. B. October 2024
  3. C. January 2026
  4. D. June 2025
Show answer

Answer: D. June 2025

The 12-day war between Israel and Iran ended with a ceasefire on 24 June 2025.

25.Which Iranian nuclear site, built deep inside a mountain, was hit by US bombs in June 2025?

  1. A. Fordow
  2. B. Arak
  3. C. Isfahan only
  4. D. Bushehr
Show answer

Answer: A. Fordow

US B-2 bombers struck Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.

26.Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash in which month?

  1. A. May 2023
  2. B. January 2025
  3. C. May 2024
  4. D. July 2024
Show answer

Answer: C. May 2024

Raisi died on 19 May 2024.

27.Who was elected President of Iran in July 2024?

  1. A. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf
  2. B. Saeed Jalili
  3. C. Masoud Pezeshkian
  4. D. Hassan Rouhani
Show answer

Answer: C. Masoud Pezeshkian

Masoud Pezeshkian won the run-off on 5 July 2024.

28.Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike in which month?

  1. A. September 2024
  2. B. October 2023
  3. C. July 2024
  4. D. January 2025
Show answer

Answer: A. September 2024

He was killed in Beirut on 27 September 2024.

29.Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in which city in July 2024?

  1. A. Doha
  2. B. Gaza
  3. C. Tehran
  4. D. Beirut
Show answer

Answer: C. Tehran

Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran on 31 July 2024.

30.Which group in Yemen attacked ships in the Red Sea from late 2023?

  1. A. Hezbollah
  2. B. The Houthis (Ansar Allah)
  3. C. Al-Shabaab
  4. D. Islamic State
Show answer

Answer: B. The Houthis (Ansar Allah)

The Houthis targeted shipping in protest at the war in Gaza.

31.The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in which month?

  1. A. August 2022
  2. B. August 2021
  3. C. September 2020
  4. D. May 2021
Show answer

Answer: B. August 2021

The Taliban took Kabul on 15 August 2021.

32.Which was the first country to formally recognise the Taliban government, in July 2025?

  1. A. China
  2. B. Pakistan
  3. C. Iran
  4. D. Russia
Show answer

Answer: D. Russia

Russia formally recognised the Taliban government on 3 July 2025.

33.Which countries joined BRICS as full members in January 2024?

  1. A. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE
  2. B. Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Indonesia
  3. C. Nigeria, Mexico, Iran and Malaysia
  4. D. Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Iran and Egypt
Show answer

Answer: A. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE

Argentina declined to join; Saudi Arabia's status stayed unclear.

34.Which Southeast Asian country joined BRICS in January 2025?

  1. A. Indonesia
  2. B. Malaysia
  3. C. Vietnam
  4. D. Thailand
Show answer

Answer: A. Indonesia

Indonesia became a full member on 6 January 2025.

35.The 2024 BRICS summit was held in which Russian city?

  1. A. Sochi
  2. B. St Petersburg
  3. C. Moscow
  4. D. Kazan
Show answer

Answer: D. Kazan

Russia hosted the summit in Kazan in October 2024.

36.The 2025 BRICS summit was hosted by which country?

  1. A. South Africa
  2. B. Brazil
  3. C. India
  4. D. China
Show answer

Answer: B. Brazil

Brazil hosted the summit in Rio de Janeiro in July 2025.

37.The 2025 SCO summit was held in which Chinese city?

  1. A. Tianjin
  2. B. Beijing
  3. C. Shanghai
  4. D. Qingdao
Show answer

Answer: A. Tianjin

Leaders met in Tianjin in August–September 2025.

38.Which country joined the SCO as a full member in 2023?

  1. A. Türkiye
  2. B. Iran
  3. C. Saudi Arabia
  4. D. Belarus
Show answer

Answer: B. Iran

Iran joined in July 2023 and Belarus in July 2024.

39.Which country joined the SCO as a full member in 2024?

  1. A. Afghanistan
  2. B. Belarus
  3. C. Mongolia
  4. D. Iran
Show answer

Answer: B. Belarus

Belarus joined at the Astana summit in July 2024.

40.Finland joined NATO in which year?

  1. A. 2022
  2. B. 2021
  3. C. 2023
  4. D. 2024
Show answer

Answer: C. 2023

Finland joined on 4 April 2023.

41.Sweden joined NATO in which year?

  1. A. 2024
  2. B. 2022
  3. C. 2023
  4. D. 2025
Show answer

Answer: A. 2024

Sweden became the 32nd member on 7 March 2024.

42.COP28, the UN climate conference, was held in which city?

  1. A. Dubai
  2. B. Glasgow
  3. C. Baku
  4. D. Sharm el-Sheikh
Show answer

Answer: A. Dubai

COP28 was held in Dubai in late 2023.

43.COP29 was held in which city?

  1. A. Belém
  2. B. Dubai
  3. C. Baku
  4. D. Bonn
Show answer

Answer: C. Baku

Azerbaijan hosted COP29 in November 2024.

44.COP30 was held in which city?

  1. A. Belém
  2. B. Baku
  3. C. Nairobi
  4. D. Rio de Janeiro
Show answer

Answer: A. Belém

Brazil hosted COP30 in Belém, in the Amazon, in November 2025.

45.COP29 in Baku agreed a new climate finance goal of at least how much a year by 2035?

  1. A. 50 billion dollars
  2. B. 1 trillion dollars
  3. C. 300 billion dollars
  4. D. 100 billion dollars
Show answer

Answer: C. 300 billion dollars

Developed countries are to provide at least $300 billion a year by 2035.

46.The "loss and damage" fund for climate-hit countries was agreed at which COP?

  1. A. COP29 (Baku)
  2. B. COP21 (Paris)
  3. C. COP26 (Glasgow)
  4. D. COP27 (Sharm el-Sheikh)
Show answer

Answer: D. COP27 (Sharm el-Sheikh)

The fund was agreed in 2022 and launched at COP28.

47.The 2024 Summer Olympics were held in which city?

  1. A. Paris
  2. B. London
  3. C. Tokyo
  4. D. Los Angeles
Show answer

Answer: A. Paris

Paris hosted the Games from 26 July to 11 August 2024.

48.The 2028 Summer Olympics will be held in which city?

  1. A. Madrid
  2. B. Paris
  3. C. Brisbane
  4. D. Los Angeles
Show answer

Answer: D. Los Angeles

Los Angeles will host in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032.

49.The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being hosted by which countries?

  1. A. Saudi Arabia
  2. B. Qatar
  3. C. Morocco, Spain and Portugal
  4. D. USA, Canada and Mexico
Show answer

Answer: D. USA, Canada and Mexico

It is the first World Cup with 48 teams.

50.Which country will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup?

  1. A. Qatar
  2. B. Saudi Arabia
  3. C. Australia
  4. D. Morocco
Show answer

Answer: B. Saudi Arabia

FIFA confirmed Saudi Arabia as host in December 2024.

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