Which country celebrated the 50th anniversary of the communist revolution in 2009?
- (A) China
- (B) Cuba
- (C) North Korea
- (D) Vietnam
- (B) Cuba
Cuba celebrated the 50th anniversary of its revolution on January 1, 2009. The event commemorated the victory of the rebel forces led by Fidel Castro, who overthrew the U.S.-supported dictator Fulgencio Batista on January 1, 1959. President Raúl Castro headed the major event in the city of Santiago de Cuba, where he addressed the nation from the same balcony where his brother had first announced the triumph of the revolution five decades ago.
Which of the following Central Asian states closed down the American air base at “Manas”?
- (A) Tajikistan
- (B) Kazakhstan
- (C) Azerbaijan
- (D) Kyrgyzstan
- (D) Kyrgyzstan
The Manas Air Base, renamed the Transit Center at Manas, was located in Kyrgyzstan from 2001 until 2014. It served as an important logistical and refueling point for U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. Following several years of internal politics and international pressure from regional powers like Russia, the Kyrgyz government decided not to renew the lease. The U.S. military completed its withdrawal and transferred the base back to Kyrgyzstan in June 2014.
‘Seattle’ is the seaport of:
- (A) Russia
- (B) Iceland
- (C) USA
- (D) Germany
- (C) USA
The Port of Seattle is located on the coast of the state of Washington, a busy seaport that serves as one of the main gateways for trade on the West Coast of the United States.
If the Kerry-Lugar bill were to pass, how much aid would Pakistan get from the USA?
- (A) $ 1.5 Billion over 5 years
- (B) $ 3.5 Billion over 10 years
- (C) $ 5.5 Billion over 5 years
- (D) $ 7.5 Billion over 5 years
- (D) $ 7.5 Billion over 5 years
The Kerry-Lugar bill, also known as the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009, allocated non-military aid to Pakistan at $1.5 billion for five years (2010-2014), which totaled $7.5 billion.
Klaus Schwab was the founder of:
- (A) Red Cross Fund
- (B) Scout Movement
- (C) World Economic Forum
- (D) Amnesty International
- (C) World Economic Forum
Klaus Schwab established the World Economic Forum. In 1971, he founded the organization, which was named the European Management Forum. Later, it was renamed the World Economic Forum in 1987. He served as the executive chairman from the time of its founding until his resignation in 2025. Klaus Schwab established the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and the Forum of Young Global Leaders.
The Nobel Peace Prize 2008 was given to “Martti Ahtisaari”. He is the former President of:
- (A) Iceland
- (B) Finland
- (C) Poland
- (D) Sweden
- (B) Finland
Martti Ahtisaari (1937-2023) was a Finnish statesman and diplomat who served as the 10th president of Finland from 1994 to 2000. In 2008, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless work in resolving international conflicts for many years, including his contributions to Namibia’s independence, the status of Kosovo, and peace negotiations in Aceh, Indonesia.
Chronometer is used for measuring:
- (A) Current
- (B) Temperature
- (C) Velocity
- (D) Longitude
- (D) Longitude
Chronometer is a very precise timepiece used to calculate the longitude of a place by coordinating the local time with the standard time, like GMT. It actually works as a tool for navigation to determine the east-west location of a ship to resolve the “longitude problem.”
Why is the Black Sea called so?
- (A) Large amount of black rocks
- (B) Due to sewage water
- (C) The dense fog that prevails in winter
- (D) The water of sea naturally black
- (C) The dense fog that prevails in winter
There are quite a few theories about the origin of the name of the Black Sea, but among the most popular is the one that refers to the weather itself. In winter, the sea is covered with thick fog and strong storms, and this darkness gives the sea its characteristic name. The intense fogs that develop over the Black Sea absorb light, causing the water to take on a dark, “black” appearance to those navigating its surface.
The Muslims of Mindanao Island are struggling for their political rights in:
- (A) Japan
- (B) Myanmar (Burma)
- (C) Philippines
- (D) South Africa
- (C) Philippines
The Muslims of Mindanao, also known as the Moro people or Bangsamoro, have been struggling for political rights and self-determination in the Philippines for a long time. Mindanao is the second-largest island in the Philippine archipelago and is where the Muslim minority of the Philippines resides. The struggle began as a resistance to colonialism, first Spanish and then American, and as a result of being marginalized by the Manila-based government. The important events in this struggle are the establishment of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which ultimately led to the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in 2019 to achieve their dream of autonomy.
Likud and Kadima are the famous political parties of:
- (A) Lebanon
- (B) Iran
- (C) Israel
- (D) Syria
(C) Israel
- Likud is a large right-wing party in Israel, established in 1973. For a long time, it has influenced the political arena, resulting in the emergence of several prime ministers, including Menachem Begin and Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Kadima, on the other hand, was a centrist liberal faction formed in 2005 by Ariel Sharon after he and a number of his colleagues broke away from Likud to promote a more moderate approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.