UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on Rwanda Bill, Sudan and more (Week 55)

(a) Saudi Arabia

(b) Kuwait

(c) Lebanon

(d) United Arab Emirates

QUESTION 2

Rwanda Bill was recently in news due to the deportation of undocumented immigrants to the East African nation of Rwanda. It is associated with:

(a) United States

(b) Germany

(c) France

(d) United Kingdom

QUESTION 3

With reference to the Sahara desert, consider the following statements:

1. It is a trade wind desert.

2. The desert is completely located in eastern Africa.

3. Recently, Greece witnessed an orange sky due to strong winds carrying dust from the Sahara Desert.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 4

Consider the following countries:

1. Libya

2. Egypt

3. Nigeria

4. Ghana

How many of the countries given above border Sudan?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

QUESTION 5

Which of the following countries have provided long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine to aid its war effort against Russia?

(a) India

(b) Israel

(c) United States

(d) China

ANSWERS TO THE MCQs

1. (d)

FYI:

— The UAE cabinet allocated 2 billion dirhams ($544.6 million) to repair residential damage caused by rain and storm, which submerged buildings and made roads and highways impassable.

— Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai, announced the aid to help the country’s citizens deal with the consequences of the UAE’s biggest rainfall in 75 years.

— Flooding caused havoc, destroying infrastructure, causing power outages, and disrupting daily life. Dubai Airport, the world’s busiest international airport, had substantial delays and cancellations owing to flooded runways.

— According to the health ministry, a limited number of persons in the UAE have had symptoms related to contaminated water following severe rains and floods.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

2. (d)

FYI:

— The United Kingdom’s upper chamber of parliament approved a bill as part of the government’s strategy to deport unauthorised immigrants to Rwanda.

— UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has repeatedly stressed the importance of halting the influx of tiny boats bringing migrants fleeing conflict, persecution, and instability in a variety of nations.

— However, the idea to transfer migrants to Rwanda has sparked controversy, with the UK Supreme Court determining that the scheme was unconstitutional in November 2023.

— Under the plan, unauthorised stowaways arriving in Britain via trucks or boats would be airlifted 6,400 km to Rwanda. Once there, individuals would be evaluated for future relocation.

— The UK government paid its Rwandan counterpart millions of pounds to house and integrate refugees as part of the pilot initiative, which was set to last five years.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

3. (b)

FYI:

— Strong winds carrying dust from the Sahara Desert turned the sky “orange” over large parts of Greece, including the capital city of Athens. It deteriorated the air quality and spiked temperatures. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— The Sahara of North Africa, the world’s biggest desert, is a trade wind desert, with temperatures reaching 57°C. Hence, statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is not correct.

— The trade winds in two belts on the equatorial flanks of the Horse Latitudes intensify as they approach the Equator.

— These dry winds disperse cloud cover, allowing more sunshine to heat the ground. Most of the world’s main deserts are located in areas crossed by trade winds.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: pubs.usgs.gov)

4. (b)

FYI:

— The United States called on all armed forces in Sudan to immediately cease attacks in al-Fashir, North Darfur, as Sudan’s army battles the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for control of the vast north African country.

— The leaders of the SAF and RSF, as well as their affiliated militias, face a choice: escalate the violence and perpetuate their people’s suffering while risking the disintegration of their country, or cease attacks, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and prepare in good faith for negotiations to end the war and restore power to the Sudanese people.

— Attacks on al-Fashir have destroyed a truce that had shielded the city from a year-long battle, raising fears of a new wave of intercommunal bloodshed and humanitarian dangers for the 1.6 million people jammed into the North Darfur capital.

— The region is bounded to the southwest by the Central African Republic, to the west by Chad, to the north by Egypt, to the northeast by Eritrea, to the southeast by Ethiopia, to the northwest by Libya, to the south by South Sudan, and to the west by the Red Sea.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

5. (c)

FYI:

— The United States has confirmed providing long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine to aid its war effort against Russia.

— According to manufacturer Lockheed Martin, “The ATACMS is a conventional surface-to-surface artillery weapon system capable of striking targets well beyond the range of existing Army cannons, rockets and other missiles.”

— ATACMS missiles are fired from the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) M270 platforms, which have the US and the United Kingdom earlier provided to Ukraine.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 55)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 55)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 55)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 55)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 54)

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