21 September 2026
Russia's Central Election Commission said on 21 September 2026 that the ruling United Russia party won 57.83 per cent of the vote in the election to the 9th State Duma, after 95.18 per cent of ballots were counted.
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation followed with 13.81 per cent, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia with 8.98 per cent, New People with 7.96 per cent and A Just Russia with 4.96 per cent.
Turnout in the vote, held from Friday to Sunday (18-20 September), was 59.32 per cent against 51.72 per cent in 2021.
The State Duma has 450 deputies: half are chosen from party lists and 225 in single-mandate constituencies.
Commission chairperson Ella Pamfilova announced the figures; final results were due on Friday.
United Russia vote share:
57.83 per cent
Turnout:
59.32 per cent
Seats in the State Duma:
450
Why it matters for exams: The structure of Russia's Federal Assembly and its major parties are asked in world polity and international affairs papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
State Duma — The lower house of Russia's Federal Assembly, with 450 deputies.
CPRF Communist Party of the Russian Federation — Russia's main communist party, second in the 2026 Duma vote.
21 September 2026
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on 21 September 2026 that 20,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine have been allocated for a research vaccination programme in Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The programme covers frontline health workers and others in the response, and aims to learn how effective Ervebo is against Ebola Bundibugyo virus.
Ervebo has been "highly effective" against Ebola Zaire virus, but its protection against Bundibugyo is not yet known.
A total of 70,000 doses have been made available to the Congolese authorities; the outbreak, confirmed in May, has spread to seven provinces.
Health authority data show more than 7,600 confirmed cases including over 3,670 deaths, with nearly eight in 10 infections recorded in Ituri.
Doses for research programme:
20,000
Total doses available:
70,000
Confirmed cases:
more than 7,600
Deaths:
over 3,670
Why it matters for exams: Ebola virus species, the Ervebo vaccine and WHO's outbreak response are recurring health and science questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Ervebo — An Ebola vaccine that has been highly effective against Ebola Zaire virus; whether it gives meaningful protection against Bundibugyo virus is not yet known.
Bundibugyo virus — An Ebola virus species, named after a district in Uganda; a clinical trial of a treatment for it is under way in DR Congo.
21 September 2026
The UN-backed Independent International Scientific Panel on AI issued its first thematic brief on 21 September 2026.
The brief examined the hack of the online platform HuggingFace between May and July by AI agents during a test initiated by OpenAI.
Around 1,200 agents exchanged more than 70,000 messages and files; the panel said the traditional model of safeguarding is unravelling.
Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the brief and a declaration adopted by 22 countries saying AI must remain under human direction, insight and control.
The panel, co-chaired by Yoshua Bengio, was set up by the UN General Assembly in August 2025 and will inform the Global Dialogue on AI Governance in May 2027.
AI agents involved:
1,200
Messages and files exchanged:
more than 70,000
Countries backing human-control declaration:
22
Why it matters for exams: UN mechanisms for governing artificial intelligence are a new and fast-growing area in science and technology papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
AI agent — Software that performs tasks on its own on behalf of a user, unlike a chatbot that only answers prompts.
21 September 2026
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on world leaders and citizens to invest more in peace in his message for the International Day of Peace on 21 September 2026.
This year's theme was 'Invest in peace'.
With leaders gathering for the General Assembly's High-Level Week, he urged stronger diplomacy, dialogue, mediation and peacekeeping.
"Around the world, people are showing that we are not powerless," he said.
The UN's office in Nairobi, Kenya, held an event where students spoke on youth participation in peace.
Date:
21 September
2026 theme:
Invest in peace
Why it matters for exams: International days, their dates and annual themes are a staple of PSC and SSC current affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
21 September 2026
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine updated the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 21 September 2026.
Commission chair Erik Møse said Russian strikes on energy infrastructure are leaving civilians more exposed as winter approaches; the commission will report fully to the General Assembly in October.
It is also examining weapons training made compulsory from age 14 in occupied areas.
Special Rapporteur Mariana Katzarova presented her report 'Nowhere is safe', drawing on nearly 400 documented cases of Russian repression of critics abroad.
She said between 650,000 and 900,000 people have left Russia since 2022 and that Russia files more INTERPOL red notices than any other country.
Report:
Nowhere is safe
Documented cases:
nearly 400
People who left Russia since 2022:
650,000 to 900,000
Why it matters for exams: UN human rights mechanisms such as commissions of inquiry and special rapporteurs, and INTERPOL notices, are asked in international relations papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Special Rapporteur — An independent expert appointed by the Human Rights Council to report on a country or theme.
Red notice — An INTERPOL request to police worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition.
21 September 2026
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric on 21 September 2026 condemned continued Houthi cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia, including an attempt to target Riyadh.
Since early September Houthi forces have pushed along Yemen's Red Sea coast and seized territory near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and Saudi Arabia has responded with hundreds of air strikes.
Nearly 130,000 people have been displaced in the past few weeks, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM); the figure was 118,086 on 18 September.
Ta'iz hosts the most displaced people (73,494), followed by Lahj (33,828).
UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg was in Muscat for talks with Omani officials and Houthi representatives.
Displaced in recent weeks:
nearly 130,000
Ta'iz:
73,494
UN Special Envoy for Yemen:
Hans Grundberg
Why it matters for exams: The Yemen conflict, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and Red Sea shipping are frequent geography and international affairs questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IOM International Organization for Migration — The UN-related agency that works on migration and tracks displacement.
Houthis — An armed movement that controls much of northern Yemen, including Sanaa.
21 September 2026
The World Health Organization released a report, 'Artificial Intelligence-related health research: ethics review and oversight', on 21 September 2026.
It gives recommendations to researchers, ethics committees, regulators, funders and policy-makers.
It identifies three categories: health research with data that uses AI, research with AI tools, and health research on AI tools and technologies.
It says research ethics committees (RECs) will stay central but may need more expertise, training and resources.
It notes that much AI research is concentrated in higher-income settings and calls for local capacity in low- and middle-income countries.
Report:
Artificial Intelligence-related health research: ethics review and oversight
Categories of AI-related health research:
3
Why it matters for exams: Ethics of artificial intelligence in health and WHO's guidance documents are asked in science, health and ethics papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
REC Research ethics committee — A committee that reviews research involving people to protect participants' rights and safety.
20 September 2026
Two German states voted on Sunday 20 September 2026, with preliminary results released on Monday.
In Berlin, the Left Party under lead candidate Elif Eralp won 25.7% of the second votes, ahead of the CDU (18.8%), the AfD (16.3%) and the SPD (12.1%); it was the party's first win in the city-state.
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won 38.2%, ahead of the SPD at 35.5%.
The AfD had also come first in Saxony-Anhalt on 6 September with 43.8%.
The results added to pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose CDU fared badly in both states.
Berlin: Left Party:
25.7%
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: AfD:
38.2%
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: SPD:
35.5%
Why it matters for exams: Germany's federal structure, its parties and its Chancellor are asked in world polity and current affairs papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
AfD Alternative for Germany — A far-right German party, strongest in the former communist east.
CDU Christian Democratic Union — Germany's main centre-right party, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Second vote — In German elections, the vote cast for a party list, which decides the share of seats.
21 September 2026
Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, younger brother of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, died on 21 September 2026 at the age of 76.
Dubai declared 10 days of official mourning, with flags at half-mast.
He was the fourth and youngest son of the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, former Ruler of Dubai.
He served as Deputy Chairman of Dubai Police and Public Security and Group Chairman of A.R.M. Holding, and headed Al Wasl club.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan offered condolences to the Al Maktoum family.
Age:
76
Mourning in Dubai:
10 days
Why it matters for exams: The UAE's leadership, Dubai's ruling family and the offices they hold are asked in Gulf-focused current affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
21 September 2026
The independent Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela updated the UN Human Rights Council on 21 September 2026.
Its Chair, Sofía Macher, said Venezuela's machinery of repression has remained largely intact and "the repressive apparatus remains in place".
Some restrictions on civil society have eased since the United States removed President Nicolás Maduro from power in January, an intervention the mission called contrary to international law.
Short-term arbitrary detentions have increased and hundreds of people remain arbitrarily detained.
The mission named the El Rodeo I prison and the Fuerte Guaicaipuro military facility as places of particular concern.
Mission Chair:
Sofía Macher
Facilities of concern:
El Rodeo I, Fuerte Guaicaipuro
Why it matters for exams: Venezuela's political transition and UN human rights fact-finding mechanisms are current topics in international affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Fact-Finding Mission — An independent team set up by the Human Rights Council to investigate violations in a country.