UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on ASEAN member countries, United Nations and more (Week 133)

QUESTION 1

Which of the following country/countries has/have been recently formally admitted to ASEAN?

1. East Timor

2. Maldives

3. Bhutan

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Explanation

— East Timor’s prime minister pledged that his country would be a productive member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as it was formally admitted to the bloc in its first expansion since the 1990s.

— The flag of East Timor, also known as Timor Leste, was added to the other 10 on the stage at a formal ceremony in Kuala Lumpur. For the people of Timor Leste, this is not only a dream realised, but a powerful affirmation of our journey.

— The integration of the region’s youngest and poorest nation — with just 1.4 million people — demonstrates ASEAN’s “inclusivity and adaptability, especially at a time of geopolitical flux,” said Angeline Tan, an analyst with Malaysia’s Institute of Strategic & International Studies:

— East Timor, wedged between Indonesia and Australia, was a Portuguese colony for over four centuries before declaring independence in 1975.

— Its major source of government revenues comes from the oil and gas industry, but with resources quickly becoming depleted it is looking to diversify.

— ASEAN membership gives East Timor access to the bloc’s free trade deals, investment opportunities and a broader regional market.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

Which of the following countries’ space agencies successfully launched its most powerful flagship H3 rocket, carrying a newly developed unmanned cargo spacecraft for its first mission to deliver supplies to the International Space Station?

(a) Japan

(b) South Korea

(c) China

(d) France

Explanation

— Japan’s space agency successfully launched its most powerful flagship H3 rocket, carrying a newly developed unmanned cargo spacecraft for its first mission to deliver supplies to the International Space Station.

— The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said the HTV-X1 spacecraft successfully lifted off atop the No. 7 H3 rocket from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center in the country’s south and confirmed it entered the targeted orbit 14 minutes after liftoff.

— The spacecraft was separated and placed into a planned orbit, JAXA said. If everything goes smoothly, it is expected to arrive at the ISS in a few days to deliver supplies.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

With reference to the United Nations, consider the following statements:

1. United Nations Day is annually observed on October 25.

2. The United Nations Charter entered into force in 1944.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— The United Nations is an international organisation dedicated to promoting peace, human rights, and social progress, enhancing the quality of life and raising living standards for individuals worldwide.

— The United Nations Day marks the founding of the United Nations in 1945 with the UN Charter, signed by major signatories and five permanent members of the UN Security Council on 26 June and coming into force on 24 October. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— United Nations Day is annually observed on October 24; this year, falling on October 24, 2025, i.e., Friday, it celebrates 80 years of establishment and its shared goal and reaffirms the principles of the UN Charter. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

With reference to the places in the news and countries associated, consider the following pairs:

1. Celebi Island – Egypt

2. Kyiv – Ukraine

Which of the pairs given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

The Louvre, or the Louvre Museum, was recently in the news. It is located in:

(a) Spain

(b) Portugal

(c) Germany

(d) France

Explanation

— The Louvre has moved some of its most valuable treasures to the Bank of France following last week’s daring daylight heist that exposed major security flaws at the world-famous museum, French radio RTL reported.

— The Louvre, sometimes known as the Louvre Museum, is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most well-known in the world.

— The suspects — dressed in bright yellow jackets — broke into the gallery on motorbikes, using a cherry picker to access the museum’s upper windows.

— Among the stolen items were Empress Eugenie’s wedding crown, set with nearly 2,000 diamonds and 200 pearls, and a sapphire-and-diamond diadem worn by Queen Marie-Amelie. Also missing is an emerald-and-diamond necklace gifted by Napoleon Bonaparte to his second wife Marie-Louise of Austria in 1810, along with matching earrings, a reliquary brooch, and a large diamond-studded bodice bow.

— A ninth piece — another of Eugenie’s crowns — was dropped and damaged during the robbers’ escape.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 128)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 133)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 133)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 133)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 133)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 132)

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