7 October 2026
Ethiopia ordered its embassy in Eritrea closed and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata, with 48 hours to leave.
Eritrea responded by severing all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia.
Ethiopia says Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt back the opposition alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front; all three deny it.
Ethiopian forces have taken Mekelle, the regional capital of Tigray.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was sworn in for another five-year term and has said landlocked Ethiopia must have access to the Red Sea.
Witnesses told Reuters they saw dozens of Eritrean soldiers in Adigrat, about 25 km from the Eritrean border; Reuters could not verify this.
Eritrea's information minister did not deny that troops had crossed.
Eritrean diplomats expelled:
10
Time given to leave:
48 hours
Adigrat to Eritrean border:
about 25 km
Why it matters for exams: Horn of Africa border and Red Sea access disputes, and the term persona non grata, are staple world-affairs material.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Persona non grata Persona non grata — A diplomat the host country declares unwelcome, who must leave or lose immunity.
TPLF Tigray People's Liberation Front — The group leading the opposition alliance fighting Ethiopian forces.
8 October 2026
WHO published 'Universal social protection inclusive of people with tuberculosis: monitoring and evaluation framework' on 8 October 2026, with the International Labour Organization.
It helps countries track progress toward the End TB Strategy target that no TB-affected household faces catastrophic total costs.
It also tracks the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting commitment to cover 100% of people with TB with a health and social benefits package by 2027.
It offers core, proxy and expanded indicators.
Countries can start with existing data and gradually link TB, health and social protection information systems.
It also assesses the timeliness, adequacy and comprehensiveness of benefits.
Coverage commitment:
100% of people with TB by 2027
Length of framework:
47 pages
Why it matters for exams: End TB Strategy targets and the 2027 UN commitment are common global-health questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
End TB Strategy End TB Strategy — WHO's strategy to end the tuberculosis epidemic, including zero catastrophic costs for affected households.
8 October 2026
The Swedish Academy announced on 8 October 2026 that Canadian writer Anne Carson is the Nobel laureate in Literature.
She was born in Toronto in 1950 and is 76.
Her works include Autobiography of Red (1998), The Beauty of the Husband (2001), Nox (2010), Antigonick (2012) and Wrong Norma (2024).
Her writing blends classical scholarship with contemporary literary forms.
The 2025 laureate was the Hungarian novelist Laszlo Krasznahorkai.
Laureate:
Anne Carson
Country:
Canada
Awarding body:
Swedish Academy
Why it matters for exams: Nobel laureates, their countries and the awarding bodies are a fixed question area every October.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Swedish Academy Swedish Academy — The Stockholm body that selects the Nobel laureate in Literature.
Background
The Human Development Index is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and having a decent standard of living.
The Index is the geometric mean of normalized indices for each of the three dimensions.
The health dimension is assessed by life expectancy at birth.
The education dimension is measured by mean years of schooling for adults aged 25 years and more, together with expected years of schooling for children of school entering age.
The standard of living dimension is measured by gross national income per capita, and the Index uses the logarithm of income to reflect the diminishing importance of income as gross national income rises.
Three dimensions are therefore captured by four indicators: the two education indicators are averaged first, and the three dimension indices are then combined as a geometric mean.
The Index is published by the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programme.
It can be used to question national policy choices by asking how two countries with the same level of gross national income per capita can end up with different human development outcomes.
Dimensions:
3
Indicators:
4
Aggregation:
Geometric mean
Standard of living indicator:
Gross national income per capita
Why it matters for exams: The composition of the Human Development Index is asked every year: the three dimensions, the four indicators, and the fact that the dimensions are combined as a geometric mean rather than a simple average.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
Geometric mean The nth root of the product of n numbers — Using it means a very low score in one dimension cannot be hidden by a high score in another.
Expected years of schooling The schooling a child of school entering age can expect to receive — It is one of the two education indicators, the other being mean years of schooling for adults aged 25 and over.
Background
The Convention on Biological Diversity has three main objectives: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of the components of biological diversity, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.
The negotiations culminated on 22 May 1992 with the Nairobi Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The Convention was opened for signature on 5 June 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, the Rio Earth Summit.
It remained open for signature until 4 June 1993, by which time it had received 168 signatures.
The Convention entered into force on 29 December 1993, which was 90 days after the thirtieth ratification.
The first session of the Conference of the Parties was scheduled for 28 November to 9 December 1994 in the Bahamas.
The Convention is supplemented by the Cartagena Protocol and the Nagoya Protocol.
Main objectives:
3
Agreed text adopted:
22 May 1992, Nairobi
Opened for signature:
5 June 1992, Rio Earth Summit
Signatures received:
168
Entry into force:
29 December 1993
Why it matters for exams: The three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the summit at which it opened for signature and its two protocols are among the most frequently set environment questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Nagoya Protocol The protocol on access to genetic resources and benefit sharing — It gives practical effect to the Convention's third objective, the fair and equitable sharing of benefits.
Cartagena Protocol The protocol on biosafety under the Convention — It is one of the two protocols that supplement the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Background
UNICEF was established in the aftermath of World War II.
Its purpose was to help children whose lives and futures were at risk.
That help was for every child in need, no matter what role their country had played in the war.
Since 1946, its mandate has not wavered.
Today UNICEF operates the world's largest humanitarian warehouse and oversees a logistics network.
Established:
1946
Context:
aftermath of World War II
Why it matters for exams: The origin and purpose of UN agencies such as UNICEF are standard institution questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
WHO is an organization of 194 Member States.
The Member States elect the Director-General, who leads the organization in achieving its global health goals.
WHO's Secretariat includes experts, staff and field workers.
They are based at the Geneva headquarters, 6 Regional Offices and other stations located in 150+ countries.
Staff in countries advise ministries of health and other sectors on public health issues.
Member States:
194
Regional Offices:
6
Headquarters:
Geneva
Why it matters for exams: WHO's headquarters, membership and structure are staple questions on UN agencies.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Secretariat The WHO's staff body — It includes experts, staff and field workers based at headquarters, regional offices and country stations.