13 October 2026
Ülle Madise took the oath of office as President of the Republic before the Riigikogu, Estonia's parliament, on 12 October 2026.
Her oath includes the pledge to steadfastly defend the Constitution and the laws of the Republic of Estonia.
Outgoing President Alar Karis placed the presidential chain of office, featuring the national coat of arms, around her neck.
Afterwards the two presidents signed the Riigikogu guestbook in the White Hall of Toompea Castle.
The Riigikogu had elected Madise on 2 September 2026 in the first round of voting, with 71 votes in favour.
Oath taken:
12 October 2026
Elected on:
2 September 2026
Votes in favour (first round):
71
Predecessor:
Alar Karis
Why it matters for exams: Changes of head of state and how presidents are chosen and sworn in are routine world-affairs questions; Estonia is an EU and NATO member.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Riigikogu Parliament of Estonia — The Estonian parliament, which elected Madise and received her oath.
Toompea Castle Seat of the Riigikogu in Tallinn — The castle where the presidents signed the Riigikogu guestbook after the ceremony.
13 October 2026
Authorities in Pakistan announced a state of emergency in the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday 11 October 2026.
It was invoked on Sunday under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution, which deal with security, and effectively suspends the provincial government run by Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
President Asif Ali Zardari approved the recommendations of the cabinet, which met under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The Prime Minister's office cited the provincial government's "deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism".
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the provincial governor will take charge with an advisory council, initially for six months.
PTI lawmaker Junaid Akbar said Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was arrested along with the party's president in the province; PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari called the move "more of a coup disguised as emergency".
Date announced:
Sunday 11 October 2026
Province:
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Initial duration:
six months
Province administered by:
Governor with an advisory council
Why it matters for exams: Exams ask about changes of government and emergency provisions in neighbouring and world countries, and how a federal state treats a provincial government.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PTI Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf — The party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, which runs the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.
State of emergency Constitutional emergency provisions — Here invoked under Articles 232 and 234 of Pakistan's Constitution, which deal with security.
13 October 2026
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday 11 October 2026 that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop attacks on each other's energy infrastructure.
His social media post read: "Effective immediately, there is an energy ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it."
He provided no details on its duration, how it would be enforced or which sites would be covered.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Axios he was not aware of any ceasefire and that the announcement was news to him, but that if Russia agrees to an energy ceasefire, Ukraine will agree.
On 12 October Trump repeated that both sides had agreed. Zelenskyy said Ukraine supports an energy ceasefire and that Russian forces had struck at least six Ukrainian energy facilities since the announcement.
Al Jazeera reported that Russia has rejected any pause in fighting; Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said of Zelenskyy: "I do not think he deserves a respite."
Zelenskyy also offered to organise elections if Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a 60-day halt in fighting.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen backed Zelenskyy's call for a ceasefire that would protect global food supplies and energy infrastructure in Ukraine and Russia.
Announced:
Sunday 11 October 2026
Announced by:
US President Donald Trump
Zelenskyy's election offer:
against a 60-day halt in fighting
Duration and enforcement:
not specified
Russia's response:
Rejected any pause in fighting, per Al Jazeera (13 October)
Why it matters for exams: Ceasefire announcements in the Russia-Ukraine war, and who announced and who confirmed them, are recurring world-affairs questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Energy ceasefire Halt on attacks on energy infrastructure — A limited truce covering power and fuel facilities rather than the whole front.
Axios US news outlet — The outlet that interviewed Zelenskyy about the announcement.
13 October 2026
On 12 October 2026 the Foreign Ministers of 34 countries - Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States - and the High Representative of the European Union issued a joint statement on Iran, published by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office as regarding RAF Fairford and Iran state threats.
They condemn in the strongest terms Iran's use of violent attacks, including acts of lethal plotting, arson, sabotage, cyber-attacks and other hybrid activities.
They recognise the United Kingdom's attribution of Iran's involvement in the incident at RAF Fairford on 27 September.
The UK has also concluded the incident demonstrates the IRGC's continued willingness to project hostile activity beyond its borders through covert networks and proxy actors.
The statement follows a recent campaign of attacks across Europe targeting Jewish communities, Iranian journalists and U.S. interests, claimed by Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI).
Iran has denied any responsibility for the Fairford incident; its ambassador to the UK told UK officials on 12 October that Tehran "categorically rejected" the allegations and is willing to cooperate with the investigation, according to Al Jazeera.
Statement date:
12 October 2026
Incident cited:
RAF Fairford, 27 September
Group claiming recent attacks:
HAYI
Published by:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Why it matters for exams: Joint statements by groups of states, and names such as the IRGC, are typical world-affairs and security questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IRGC Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — An Iranian force the UK says projects hostile activity abroad through covert networks and proxy actors.
HAYI Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya — The group that claimed the recent campaign of attacks across Europe named in the statement.
13 October 2026
WHO published the second edition of "Funding a tuberculosis-free future: an investment case for screening and preventive treatment" on 12 October 2026.
The modelling study examines the costs and benefits of tuberculosis (TB) screening plus TB preventive treatment (TPT) in four countries: Brazil, Georgia, Kenya and South Africa, which WHO says may serve as examples for other settings with a similar epidemiological context.
It finds that relatively modest investments in screening plus TPT can achieve significant health and economic benefits in all four countries and provide a return of up to US$ 54 for each dollar invested. "Up to" is a ceiling; the WHO page does not give the figure country by country.
The goal is to help countries advocate for and allocate more resources to scale up screening and TPT, towards new targets committed by Heads of State at the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on TB.
It is a 17-page technical document produced by WHO's HIV, TB, Hepatitis and STIs team.
Return on investment:
up to US$ 54 for each dollar invested
Countries modelled:
Brazil, Georgia, Kenya and South Africa
Edition:
second edition, 12 October 2026
Length:
17 pages
Why it matters for exams: WHO reports, TB control targets and the UN High-Level Meeting on TB are regular health and world-affairs topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
TPT TB preventive treatment — Treatment given to people at risk to stop TB infection from becoming active disease.
Investment case Costs and benefits assessment — A study that weighs the money needed against the health and economic returns.
13 October 2026
The UN Security Council met on Colombia on 12 October 2026, where the UK Permanent Representative, Dame Sarah MacIntosh, delivered a statement.
She said thirteen peace signatories have been killed so far in 2026.
She said more than 11,000 former combatants remain demobilized, enrolled in reintegration programs and committed to the Peace Agreement.
As the Agreement approaches its 10th anniversary, she said the next five years, the final five years, will be critical.
She called the UN Verification Mission an essential tool for sustaining peace in Colombia.
The UK said it looks forward to presenting a draft resolution to the Council which would renew the mandate of the Mission.
Meeting date:
12 October 2026
Peace signatories killed in 2026:
thirteen
Former combatants still committed:
more than 11,000
Peace Agreement:
approaching its 10th anniversary
Why it matters for exams: UN Security Council meetings, UN missions and peace agreements such as Colombia's are standard world-affairs topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UN Verification Mission UN Verification Mission in Colombia — The UN mission whose mandate the UK plans to renew through a draft resolution.
Demobilization Disarming and standing down armed fighters — Here, former combatants who have left armed groups and joined reintegration programs.
13 October 2026
The Council of the EU adopted additional restrictive measures on 12 October 2026 against 1569 individuals and entities in Russia's military and industrial complex.
The agreed listings include 826 Russian companies and 743 individuals serving as CEOs of these companies.
The package brings the total number of listings under the sanctions regime supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity to close to 4600.
The listed companies generate an annual turnover of at least €20 billion and employ more than 250 000 people.
Listed persons face an asset freeze, and listed individuals also face an EU travel ban.
High Representative Kaja Kallas said over half of the listings address the production chain for the ballistic missiles Russia uses against Ukrainian civilians.
New listings:
1569
Russian companies listed:
826
CEOs listed:
743
Total listings under the regime:
close to 4600
Why it matters for exams: Exams ask which EU body adopts sanctions, what an asset freeze and a travel ban are, and how large the Ukraine sanctions regime has grown.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Asset freeze Freezing of funds and economic resources — Funds of listed persons are frozen and nobody may make funds or economic resources available to them.
CFSP Common Foreign and Security Policy — The EU foreign-policy framework under which Council Decisions on sanctions are adopted.
13 October 2026
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said in a statement on Monday 12 October 2026 that conflict and drought are increasing the risk of famine across Sudan's Darfur and Kordofan regions.
"An El Nino-induced drought, affecting roughly half of the country, is compounding the impacts of conflict and displacement," the IPC said, as the war continues.
Poor vegetation growth affects nearly two-thirds of cropland in North Darfur and about half in South Darfur, West Kordofan and South Kordofan.
In Nyala, the proportion of children accessing nutrition services who were admitted for severe acute malnutrition doubled from approximately 5% to 11% between January and August. Two displacement camps in South Darfur also recorded global acute malnutrition above famine thresholds.
In May, nearly 19.5 million people, over 40% of the population, faced high levels of acute food insecurity, according to an IPC assessment; 135,000 of them were in Phase 5, the most severe classification.
The IPC said healthcare is extremely limited, often entirely inaccessible, while clean water is becoming increasingly scarce.
IPC statement:
Monday 12 October 2026
People in acute food insecurity (May):
nearly 19.5 million
People in Phase 5 (May):
135,000
Severe acute malnutrition admissions in Nyala:
from approximately 5% to 11%
Why it matters for exams: Famine monitoring, the IPC scale and the humanitarian crisis in Sudan are standard questions on reports and world affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IPC Integrated Food Security Phase Classification — A 21-member initiative that classifies the severity of food insecurity in phases, with Phase 5 the most severe.
El Nino Periodic warming of the central and eastern Pacific — A climate pattern that can cause drought in some regions, here linked to the drought in Sudan.
12 October 2026
The United Nations General Assembly on Monday, 12 October 2026, adopted a political declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response by 153 votes in favour to three against, with two abstentions.
Argentina, Israel and the United States voted against; New Zealand and Paraguay abstained.
The text was due to have been approved by consensus at a high-level meeting on 25 September, but objections pushed the issue back to the Assembly.
The declaration is political and non-binding, calls for stronger national, regional and international cooperation guided by science, equity and respect for human rights, and welcomes the World Health Organization Pandemic Agreement adopted last year.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to finalise negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing annex so the Pandemic Agreement can be opened for signature and enter into force.
The Pandemic Agreement cannot be opened for signature until member states complete that annex, under which countries would share samples and genetic data in return for a share of resulting vaccines, treatments and diagnostics.
The World Health Assembly, comprising the WHO's 194 members, is due to return to the annex next May.
The General Assembly has 193 members.
Vote:
153 in favour, 3 against, 2 abstentions
Voted against:
Argentina, Israel, United States
Abstained:
New Zealand, Paraguay
Date of adoption:
12 October 2026
Pending step:
Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing annex
Why it matters for exams: The recorded vote, the three states that opposed it and the unfinished pathogen access annex are the three facts examiners ask about the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
PABS Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing — The system under which countries would share pathogen samples and genetic data in return for a share of the vaccines and treatments that result.
Political declaration — A negotiated statement of intent adopted by states that creates no legal obligation.
World Health Assembly — The supreme decision-making body of the WHO, made up of its 194 member states.
Abstention — A member present at a vote that chooses neither to support nor to oppose the text.
12 October 2026
The 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, a statistical update published on 12 October 2026 by the United Nations Development Programme with the University of Oxford, covers 108 countries.
Of the 6.3 billion people living in those countries, 1.2 billion, or 18.9 per cent, live in acute multidimensional poverty.
The number of people in multidimensional poverty has risen for the first time since the index was launched in 2010.
More than half of all multidimensionally poor people are children, 617 million in all, and more than 8 in 10 live in rural areas.
Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate of any world region, with 616 million people, 51.4 per cent of its population, multidimensionally poor.
This year's update adds new surveys from 13 countries and gives subnational estimates for 1,360 regions across 100 countries.
Among the 89 countries with trend data, 33 have halved their MPI value in fewer than 15 years, six of them in sub-Saharan Africa.
UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo called the rise in poverty "a wake-up call for the world", adding that progress is possible.
People in acute multidimensional poverty:
1.2 billion
Share of population covered:
18.9 per cent of 6.3 billion
Countries covered:
108
Poor children:
617 million
Sub-Saharan Africa:
616 million, 51.4 per cent of its population
Why it matters for exams: The global MPI's three dimensions, ten indicators and the one-third deprivation cut-off are standard questions, and this update reverses the index's long downward trend.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
MPI Multidimensional Poverty Index — A measure of poverty that counts overlapping deprivations in health, education and standard of living rather than income alone.
Acute multidimensional poverty — A person counts as poor on this index if deprived in at least one-third of its weighted indicators.
UNDP United Nations Development Programme — The UN's development agency, which publishes the Human Development Report and the global MPI.
Subnational estimate — A poverty figure worked out for a region or province inside a country rather than for the country as a whole.
12 October 2026
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification issued an alert on Monday, 12 October 2026, saying an El Nino-induced drought affecting roughly half of Sudan is compounding the effects of conflict and displacement in Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan.
In two camps for displaced people in Eastern Jebel Marra, South Darfur, acute malnutrition among children stood at 38 and 30.8 per cent, above the threshold for famine.
Of the 17 nutrition surveys carried out across Greater Darfur since January, 13 found critical levels of acute malnutrition.
In Nyala the share of children seeking nutrition services who were admitted for severe acute malnutrition more than doubled between January and August, from about 5 to 11 per cent.
In North Darfur 64 per cent of cropland shows poor plant growth, and Western Kordofan is in one of its worst droughts since 2004.
More than 300,000 people have been driven from their homes in Greater Kordofan since October 2025, and markets there have been hit by more than 170 airstrikes, looting incidents or armed clashes this year.
The IPC Famine Review Committee said there is not enough survey data for a full analysis but that "we are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe, already of historic proportions".
As of 8 October less than half of the humanitarian appeal for Sudan had been funded; the IPC is a partnership of 21 organisations, among them UNICEF, the World Bank, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization.
Alert issued:
12 October 2026
Drought coverage:
roughly half of Sudan
Nyala severe acute malnutrition admissions:
from about 5 to 11 per cent, January to August
Displaced in Greater Kordofan since October 2025:
more than 300,000
IPC partners:
21 organisations
Why it matters for exams: The IPC's five-phase scale, its famine thresholds and the El Nino link make this the standard template for a food-security question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IPC Integrated Food Security Phase Classification — A partnership of 21 agencies that grades food crises on a five-phase scale, with Phase 5 the most severe.
El Nino — A warming of the central and eastern tropical Pacific that shifts rainfall patterns worldwide and can bring drought to eastern Africa's drylands.
Severe acute malnutrition — The most dangerous form of undernutrition in children, needing therapeutic feeding and often medical care.
Famine Review Committee — The independent panel of experts within the IPC that must sign off before famine is declared.
12 October 2026
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih told UNHCR's Executive Committee in Geneva on Monday, 12 October 2026, in his first keynote address to it, that the global protection system for asylum seekers risks buckling under funding cuts.
Some 117 million men, women and children are now forced from their homes.
UNHCR has received 3 billion dollars of the 8.5 billion dollars it needs this year, less than a third of its requirement.
Salih called it an exceptionally difficult year for the agency, marked by the departure of 8,000 staff since 2024.
So far in 2026 UNHCR has responded to 22 emergencies in 18 countries, from Yemen to the Horn of Africa and from Sudan to the Sahel.
He said funding gaps in Sudan threaten specialised medical care, legal assistance and psychological support for more than 50,000 survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, and that in Ethiopia refugee registration has been halted for tens of thousands arriving from South Sudan and Eritrea.
Nearly 14.5 million refugees in low- and middle-income countries depend on aid for their basic needs, and an initiative launched this year aims to halve the number in protracted displacement and dependent on aid by 2035.
"Efficiency has limits," Salih said. He is a former President of Iraq.
Forcibly displaced:
117 million
Funding received:
$3 billion of $8.5 billion needed
Staff lost since 2024:
8,000
Emergencies in 2026:
22 emergencies in 18 countries
High Commissioner:
Barham Salih
Why it matters for exams: UNHCR's mandate rests on non-refoulement, and the High Commissioner's Executive Committee address is where the agency's displacement total and funding gap are stated for the year.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees — The UN refugee agency, created after the Second World War to protect people fleeing persecution.
Non-refoulement — The rule that a person fleeing persecution must not be sent back to a place where they would be in danger.
Executive Committee — The body of states that approves UNHCR's programmes and budget and meets in Geneva each October.
Protracted displacement — A situation in which refugees remain away from home for years with no settled solution.