22 October 2026
Bangladesh is facing the worst measles outbreak in the world this year, going by World Health Organization data.
Since mid-March there have been over 2.02 lakh suspected cases and 1,147 deaths.
Children under five account for 94 per cent of the reported deaths.
About 22,000 cases have been laboratory-confirmed.
World Health Organization and UNICEF estimates put 2025 vaccination coverage at 90 per cent for the first dose and 86 per cent for the second, both below the 95 per cent threshold recommended to prevent outbreaks.
Health experts have urged the government to strengthen routine immunisation and extend vaccination drives to children above five.
Deaths:
1,147
Suspected cases:
over 2.02 lakh
Share of deaths under five:
94 per cent
Coverage threshold:
95 per cent
Why it matters for exams: Vaccination coverage thresholds and outbreak figures are standard health questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Measles Measles — A highly contagious viral disease prevented by two doses of vaccine.
22 October 2026
Romania's Parliament approved a new government led by independent Prime Minister Luca Niculescu on 21 October 2026.
The Cabinet secured 280 votes in favour and 58 against.
The approval ended nearly six months of political deadlock.
President Nicusor Dan nominated Niculescu, a 55-year-old diplomat and former journalist, earlier in October, after three unsuccessful attempts to form a government.
The crisis began in May 2026 when former Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan was ousted in a no-confidence motion.
The new minority government must reduce the budget deficit while supporting the economy.
Votes in favour:
280
Votes against:
58
President:
Nicusor Dan
Deadlock:
nearly six months
Why it matters for exams: Changes of government in European states and the vote margins are asked in international affairs.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
Minority government Minority government — A government whose parties hold fewer than half the seats in the legislature.
22 October 2026
The World Health Organization published on 22 October 2026 a comprehensive integrated review of malaria, leishmaniasis, filariasis and dengue control programmes in Sri Lanka.
The review was organised by the World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia with the Country Office and the Ministry of Health.
It is a mission report covering 13 to 20 May 2024.
The report notes that Sri Lanka has eliminated several diseases as public health problems, including polio, malaria, measles and leprosy, and has been certified for hepatitis B control.
It records that dengue remains a persistent challenge with recurring outbreaks across all districts.
It notes that malaria imports pose a re-introduction risk, lymphatic filariasis persists in some localised areas and cutaneous leishmaniasis is an emerging concern.
Diseases reviewed:
malaria, leishmaniasis, filariasis and dengue
Country:
Sri Lanka
Mission dates:
13-20 May 2024
Why it matters for exams: Disease elimination certifications and the WHO South-East Asia Region are recurring health questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Cutaneous leishmaniasis Cutaneous leishmaniasis — A skin disease spread by the bite of infected sandflies.
22 October 2026
United States President Donald Trump called stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons one of the major achievements of his administration.
He told reporters that Tehran would already have used such weapons if Washington had not stepped in.
He said the decision took courage and that no earlier United States president had been willing to take comparable action.
His remarks came a day after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Washington was using Iran's nuclear programme as a cover for opposing Tehran's regional policies.
The statement was reported on 22 October 2026.
Iranian Foreign Minister:
Abbas Araghchi
Why it matters for exams: The Iran nuclear question and the officials who speak for each side are asked in international affairs.
UPSCSSC
22 October 2026
At least 10 people were killed and 44 others injured when a speeding bus overturned after colliding with a road divider on the Indus Highway in Pakistan's Punjab province.
The crash happened at about 5.45 am local time in the Bangla Hidayat area of Rojhan tehsil in Rajanpur district.
The dead included seven men, two women and a girl.
More than 38 injured passengers were being treated at the Rajanpur District Headquarters Hospital.
Six seriously injured people were moved to hospitals in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rahim Yar Khan.
The crash was reported on 21 October 2026.
Killed:
at least 10
Injured:
44
Place:
Bangla Hidayat, Rojhan tehsil, Rajanpur district
Road:
Indus Highway
Why it matters for exams: The Indus Highway and the districts of southern Punjab are useful place-name anchors.
Kerala PSCSSC
In plain words
Tehsil Tehsil — An administrative sub-division of a district in Pakistan and India.
22 October 2026
The European Parliament has awarded its 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought collectively to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its officials. Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced the laureate in the hemicycle on Thursday. The ICC, governed by the Rome Statute, is the world's first permanent international criminal court and tries individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. MEPs have voiced concern at sanctions imposed on the court since 2025, notably by the USA. The other two finalists were Tanzanian lawyer Tundu Lissu and the Iranian sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi. The prize was established in 1988, and the award ceremony is scheduled for December in Strasbourg.
Prize established:
1988
Finalists:
3
Ceremony:
December, Strasbourg
Why it matters for exams: Sakharov Prize laureates and the ICC's mandate and founding treaty are standard world-affairs questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
ICC International Criminal Court — Permanent court at The Hague that tries individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and aggression.
Sakharov Prize Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought — Human rights prize awarded annually by the European Parliament since 1988.
22 October 2026
French authorities have confirmed that a patient who died at a Lyon hospital in early October was infected with Shamonda virus, the first documented human case. Officials called it an exceptional case in a severely immunocompromised patient and said there was no risk to the public. Shamonda is an orthobunyavirus that mainly affects cattle and is spread by biting midges of the genus Culicoides. It was first detected in Nigeria in the 1960s and later reported in East and Southern Africa and in Japan. The leading hypothesis is that the patient was infected by a midge bite in eastern France. The virus was first confirmed in Europe in late July; the World Health Organization and the ECDC said they were monitoring the situation.
Vector:
Culicoides midges
First detected:
Nigeria, 1960s
Hospital:
Lyon
Why it matters for exams: Zoonotic spillover, disease vectors and first-detection facts are frequent science and health questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
Zoonosis Zoonotic disease — An infection that passes from animals to humans.
ECDC European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control — The European Union agency that monitors infectious disease threats.
22 October 2026
The first global coral reef assessment under the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems finds that nearly every shallow-water coral reef ecosystem faces an extremely high risk of collapse by 2075, with 96% classified as Critically Endangered. It covers 127 tropical and subtropical ecoregions and 188,362 km2 of reefs. The Great Barrier Reef, the Coral Triangle, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System and the Red Sea reefs are all Critically Endangered. Heat stress from climate change is the most consistent threat, and the assessment uses an IPCC scenario of 2.7°C of warming by the end of the century. The Western Galápagos Islands are already classified as Collapsed since the 1982-83 El Niño. IUCN Director General Grethel Aguilar said it is not too late for reefs to recover with decisive climate action.
Critically Endangered:
96%
Ecoregions assessed:
127
Reef area covered:
188,362 km2
Why it matters for exams: IUCN categories, coral bleaching and famous reef systems are standard environment questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature — Global conservation body headquartered in Gland, Switzerland, which keeps the Red Lists.
Red List of Ecosystems IUCN Red List of Ecosystems — IUCN standard that rates the risk of collapse of whole ecosystems.
22 October 2026
Two European women held captive in Niger for more than a year have been freed and handed over to authorities in the Libyan city of Benghazi. Austrian national Eva Gretzmacher, 76, and Swiss national Claudia Abbt, 69, had been kidnapped separately in the northern Nigerien city of Agadez. The Austrian and Swiss governments confirmed the release; the circumstances were not disclosed. Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said Gretzmacher was free after more than 21 months, and Swiss Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis thanked those involved. In a video the women thanked Khalifa Haftar, military commander of eastern Libya, and his son Saddam Haftar.
Freed:
2
Kidnapped in:
Agadez, Niger
Handed over in:
Benghazi, Libya
Why it matters for exams: Sahel insecurity, Niger's geography and Libya's divided authority are recurring world-affairs topics.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
Sahel Sahel region — Semi-arid belt south of the Sahara stretching across Africa, including Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.
21 October 2026
Ireland's Dáil passed the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2026 at second stage by 79 votes to 71. The bill removes the requirement for UN approval from the 'triple lock', under which deploying more than 12 members of the Defence Forces overseas needs the approval of the Government, the Dáil and the UN. Minister for Defence Helen McEntee said the current law gives permanent members of the UN Security Council a veto over where Ireland sends its peacekeepers. The united Opposition said the change erodes the country's military neutrality, and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald called for a referendum. The bill now moves to Committee Stage for further scrutiny.
Votes for:
79
Votes against:
71
Troop threshold:
more than 12
Why it matters for exams: Neutral states, UN peacekeeping mandates and the Security Council veto are core world-polity topics.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
Triple lock Ireland's triple lock on troop deployment — Rule requiring Government, Dáil and UN approval before more than 12 Irish troops are sent overseas.
Dáil Dáil Éireann — The lower house of Ireland's parliament, the Oireachtas.