Current affairs & General knowledge

Here’s a refined and up-to-date overview of current heads of state (mainly presidents), focusing on major countries and selected regions as of mid‑2025:

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🌍 Major Countries – Presidents

United States: Joe Biden

China: Xi Jinping

Russia: Vladimir Putin (re‑elected Jan 20, 2025)

India: President Droupadi Murmu

Brazil: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

France: Emmanuel Macron

Germany: Frank‑Walter Steinmeier

UK: King Charles III (ceremonial head)

Japan: Emperor Naruhito (ceremonial head)

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🏛️ Selected Regional Highlights

Asia

South Korea: Lee Jae‑myung (since June 4, 2025)

Pakistan: Arif Alvi

Indonesia: Joko Widodo

Iran: Ebrahim Raisi

Africa

Victor Mochere’s list (current as of 2025) shows:

Nigeria: Bola Tinubu

Kenya: William Ruto (since September 2022)

South Africa: Cyril Ramaphosa

Egypt: Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi
(Full list spans all 54 countries; notable names include Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Algeria), Paul Biya (Cameroon), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), and Salva Kiir (South Sudan) among others.)

Europe

Latvia: Edgars Rinkēvičs (since July 8, 2023)

Hungary: Tamás Sulyok

Slovakia: Peter Pellegrini

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📊 Summary Overview (Selected Countries)

Country Head of State Since

United States Joe Biden 2021
China Xi Jinping 2013
Russia Vladimir Putin 2025 term
India Droupadi Murmu 2022
Brazil Lula da Silva 2023
France Emmanuel Macron 2017
Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier 2017
South Korea Lee Jae‑myung June 2025
Pakistan Arif Alvi 2018
Nigeria Bola Tinubu 2023
Kenya William Ruto 2022
South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa 2018
Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi 2014
Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs 2023

Here is a list of countries that have nuclear (atomic) bombs, officially and unofficially:

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✅ Recognized Nuclear-Weapon States (NPT Official)

These 5 countries are recognized under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as nuclear powers:

Country First Test Year Approximate Warheads

🇺🇸 United States 1945 (Trinity) ~5,200
🇷🇺 Russia 1949 (RDS-1) ~5,580
🇬🇧 United Kingdom 1952 ~225
🇫🇷 France 1960 ~290
🇨🇳 China 1964 ~410

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❗ Non-NPT Nuclear States (Unrecognized or Outside NPT)

These countries have developed nuclear weapons outside the NPT framework:

Country First Test Year Status

🇮🇳 India 1974 Active program (non-NPT)
🇵🇰 Pakistan 1998 Active program (non-NPT)
🇮🇱 Israel Unknown (likely 1979) Undeclared but widely believed to have ~90–200 warheads
🇰🇵 North Korea 2006 Conducted 6 tests; active nuclear arsenal

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🧪 Suspected / Former Programs (No Active Weapons)

🇮🇷 Iran – Has enriched uranium and nuclear capabilities but no confirmed bombs.

🇿🇦 South Africa – Built 6 nuclear bombs in the 1980s but dismantled them in the 1990s.

🇱🇾 Libya and 🇮🇶 Iraq – Had nuclear programs but never built bombs.

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🌍 Summary

| Total countries with nuclear bombs | 9 | | NPT recognized nuclear powers | 5 | | Non-NPT nuclear powers | 4 (India, Pakistan, Israel, North Korea) |

Here are 10 up-to-date general knowledge points (great for tests) covering global affairs, geopolitics, science, and world events:

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🌍 Current Affairs

U.S.–Iran escalation: On June 22, 2025, the U.S. conducted airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites (Fordow, Natanz, Isfahan), following Israeli strikes. Gulf states are on high alert amid potential wider conflict .

Israel–Iran war updates: Israel continues targeting Iranian military infrastructure. Iran's official stance is that its enriched materials remain intact, while Germany supports preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons .

NATO Summit in The Hague (June 24–25, 2025): Expect pledges to increase defense spending to around 5% of GDP (incl. infrastructure & cyber). It's a landmark meeting under new Secretary‑General Mark Rutte .

Global oil alert: Brent crude has surged past $75/barrel amid Middle East uncertainty. Threats include potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz .

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🕊️ Diplomacy & Security

Ukraine & Zelensky in UK: On June 23, President Zelensky visited the UK to discuss defense support. Concurrently, Russia launched missile/drone strikes on Kyiv, prompting calls for stronger European defense .

UN Security Council elections: Bahrain, Colombia, DRC, Latvia, and Liberia were elected as non-permanent members for 2026–27 .

Pakistan in UN leadership: Pakistan has been named Chair of the Taliban Sanctions Committee and Vice‑Chair of the UN Counter‑Terrorism Committee .

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🌱 Environment & Culture

World Environment Day (June 5, 2025): Focused on “Beat Plastic Pollution.” South Korea hosted the official observance in Jeju, urging circular economy actions .

International Yoga Day (June 21, 2025): Theme “Yoga for One Earth, One Health,” promoting wellness and ecological health globally .

International Olympic Day (June 23, 2025): Celebrations under “Let’s Move – together for more motivation, community and joy” ahead of Paris 2024 Summer Games .

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🔬 Science & Technology

Rubin Observatory first light: On June 23, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory released its first images of the cosmos—marking a milestone in astronomy .

Solar south pole view: On June 11, the ESA’s Solar Orbiter revealed the first-ever images of the Sun’s south pole .

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📝 Quick Recap for Test Prep

1. U.S.–Iran airstrikes and Gulf tensions

2. Military escalation Israel–Iran

3. NATO Summit in The Hague (June 24–25)

4. Rising global oil prices

5. Zelensky’s UK visit + Kyiv strikes

6. UNSC non-permanent elections

7. Pakistan’s UN committee roles

8. Environment & Yoga Day observances

9. Olympic Day celebrations

10. Scientific milestones (Rubin Observatory & Solar Orbiter)

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Here is a list of 100 countries with their capitals for your test:

No. Country Capital

1 Afghanistan Kabul
2 Albania Tirana
3 Algeria Algiers
4 Andorra Andorra la Vella
5 Angola Luanda
6 Argentina Buenos Aires
7 Armenia Yerevan
8 Australia Canberra
9 Austria Vienna
10 Azerbaijan Baku
11 Bahamas Nassau
12 Bahrain Manama
13 Bangladesh Dhaka
14 Barbados Bridgetown
15 Belarus Minsk
16 Belgium Brussels
17 Belize Belmopan
18 Benin Porto-Novo
19 Bhutan Thimphu
20 Bolivia Sucre (official), La Paz (seat of government)
21 Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo
22 Botswana Gaborone
23 Brazil Brasília
24 Brunei Bandar Seri Begawan
25 Bulgaria Sofia
26 Burkina Faso Ouagadougou
27 Burundi Gitega
28 Cambodia Phnom Penh
29 Cameroon Yaoundé
30 Canada Ottawa
31 Cape Verde Praia
32 Central African Republic Bangui
33 Chad N'Djamena
34 Chile Santiago
35 China Beijing
36 Colombia Bogotá
37 Comoros Moroni
38 Costa Rica San José
39 Croatia Zagreb
40 Cuba Havana
41 Cyprus Nicosia
42 Czech Republic Prague
43 Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa
44 Denmark Copenhagen
45 Djibouti Djibouti
46 Dominica Roseau
47 Dominican Republic Santo Domingo
48 East Timor (Timor-Leste) Dili
49 Ecuador Quito
50 Egypt Cairo
51 El Salvador San Salvador
52 Equatorial Guinea Malabo
53 Eritrea Asmara
54 Estonia Tallinn
55 Eswatini (Swaziland) Mbabane (admin), Lobamba (royal/legislative)
56 Ethiopia Addis Ababa
57 Fiji Suva
58 Finland Helsinki
59 France Paris
60 Gabon Libreville
61 Gambia Banjul
62 Georgia Tbilisi
63 Germany Berlin
64 Ghana Accra
65 Greece Athens
66 Grenada St. George's
67 Guatemala Guatemala City
68 Guinea Conakry
69 Guinea-Bissau Bissau
70 Guyana Georgetown
71 Haiti Port-au-Prince
72 Honduras Tegucigalpa
73 Hungary Budapest
74 Iceland Reykjavik
75 India New Delhi
76 Indonesia Jakarta
77 Iran Tehran
78 Iraq Baghdad
79 Ireland Dublin
80 Israel Jerusalem
81 Italy Rome
82 Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) Yamoussoukro
83 Jamaica Kingston

Daily Vocabulary Series from Dawn Editorial: 13-12-2021
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