24 October 2026
The United Nations said on 23 October 2026 that it was extremely alarmed by intensifying violence in the occupied West Bank as Israel moved to seal off the territory.
Two Israeli soldiers were killed and at least five injured when gunmen opened fire near a military checkpoint outside Hebron; the two Palestinian attackers were also killed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Hebron sealed and pledged house-to-house raids and home demolitions.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Secretary-General António Guterres was deeply concerned by the closures and by reports of home demolitions and possible displacement.
It is the fourth time in a month that Israel has imposed restrictions across the territory.
Israeli soldiers killed:
Two
Restrictions in a month:
Fourth time
Why it matters for exams: West Asia developments and the role of the UN Secretary-General's spokesperson appear regularly in international affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
24 October 2026
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on 23 October 2026 condemned an escalation of drone strikes across Sudan.
The strikes killed at least 306 people and injured hundreds more in the first three weeks of October alone.
They are attributed to both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.
The strikes hit homes, markets, hospitals, displacement sites, power stations and water sources in Kordofan, Darfur, Blue Nile, Khartoum and other states, according to the UN human rights office.
Türk said drones already account for the majority of conflict-related civilian deaths in Sudan this year.
Killed in three weeks:
at least 306
Parties blamed:
Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces
Why it matters for exams: OHCHR, the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the parties to the Sudan conflict are frequently asked.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
OHCHR Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights — The UN office that monitors and reports on human rights worldwide.
24 October 2026
UN aid agencies warned on 23 October 2026 of a fast-developing humanitarian emergency inside Taiz City in Yemen.
The city has been encircled by de facto Houthi forces fighting government troops along the country's west coast.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN aid coordination office OCHA, said it was 20 days and counting since Taiz was cut off.
He said access roads have been cut off so very little fuel, food or other supplies have reached the city.
The World Food Programme reported that more than 800,000 people in Taiz have been cut off from assistance, including 600,000 who depend on humanitarian aid.
Days cut off:
20
People cut off from assistance:
more than 800,000
Why it matters for exams: OCHA, WFP and the geography of the Yemen conflict are standard international affairs questions.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs — The UN office that coordinates international humanitarian response to crises.
24 October 2026
International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi on 23 October 2026 called for a swift return of inspectors to Iran, warning of growing fragility in the global nuclear non-proliferation regime.
Speaking to the UN General Assembly, he said the technical groundwork has been done and the bases on which a diplomatic agreement could be concluded exist.
He said the inspectors' return requires a return to the negotiating table.
The IAEA estimated in March that just over 200 kilogrammes of uranium enriched to 60 per cent remained at Isfahan, with more at Natanz.
Grossi noted that the IAEA has brokered eight localised ceasefires to repair power lines at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and deployed 287 missions since 2022.
Enriched uranium at Isfahan:
just over 200 kilogrammes at 60 per cent
IAEA missions since 2022:
287
Localised ceasefires brokered:
Eight
Why it matters for exams: The IAEA, its Director General and enrichment figures are recurring questions on nuclear non-proliferation.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency — The UN-family body that inspects nuclear facilities and promotes peaceful nuclear use.
24 October 2026
Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church in Jordan on 23 October 2026, killing seven people and wounding 40 others, authorities said.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the attack on a church in Hmoud, Jordan.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the attack on a funeral service left seven people dead and many more injured.
Guterres said an attack not only on a place of worship but during a funeral procession is especially heinous.
He called for all those responsible to be found and held accountable, and said places of worship must be safe for all.
Killed:
Seven
Wounded:
40
Why it matters for exams: Attacks that draw a statement from the UN Secretary-General are commonly asked in international current affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
24 October 2026
UN agencies said on 23 October 2026 that more resources are needed to fight Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to feed patients and families.
The country remains the epicentre of an outbreak of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease that was officially declared in mid-May.
It began in the volatile eastern region and has now spread to eight provinces, the latest being Nord-Ubangi.
Dr. Catherine Smallwood, the World Health Organization incident manager in the DRC, warned that if pressure is eased the virus will resurge very quickly.
She said it would continue to spread to newly affected areas and pose a threat for the country, the region and the world at large.
Provinces affected:
Eight
Latest province:
Nord-Ubangi
Outbreak declared:
mid-May
Why it matters for exams: Ebola virus species, the affected provinces and WHO's role in outbreak response are frequently asked in health current affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
24 October 2026
The United Nations reported on 23 October 2026 on a Kenyan initiative helping farmers understand their soils amid intensifying climate shocks.
The Soil Mapping for Resilient Agrifood systems, or SoilFER, programme supports farmers to develop reliable soil information to guide decisions such as which fertilizer to use and how much.
More than 3,600 soil samples have been collected and mapped across 45 counties, contributing to a digital soil map with location-specific information.
Selected farmers are trained to diagnose and fix soil degradation, earning the title of soil doctor, and then teach their peers.
SoilFER was launched by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization at Kabete, with financial support from the United States Department of State and Japan.
Soil samples mapped:
more than 3,600
Counties covered:
45
Why it matters for exams: FAO partnerships and soil health programmes are asked in agriculture and international organisation sections.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
SoilFER Soil Mapping for Resilient Agrifood systems — An FAO programme that builds digital soil maps to guide farmers' fertilizer decisions.
24 October 2026
Kenya announced its second Ebola death on 23 October 2026 as the virus outbreak spreads from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to several parts of Africa.
The Kenyan Ministry of Health said the latest death was that of a 65-year-old woman.
She had developed symptoms during quarantine and was a close relative of a Kenyan man who died of Ebola earlier in October 2026.
The Ministry said there is no evidence of community spread of the virus in Kenya.
Kenya Red Cross personnel in protective equipment have been running evacuation drills for the remains of Ebola victims in Nairobi.
Deaths in Kenya:
Second
Age of the patient:
65
Why it matters for exams: Country-wise spread of the Ebola outbreak and the responses of health ministries are current affairs staples.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
24 October 2026
Typhoon Champi swept past Taiwan on 24 October 2026, killing one person and injuring more than 500.
The storm uprooted trees and severed power as it weakened and headed north towards the Chinese coast.
It passed the island's northeast, triggering brief flooding and disrupting power lines.
More than 5,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes.
Large parts of Taiwan, including Taipei, remained mostly closed and flights were cancelled, with authorities warning of destructive winds.
Deaths:
One
Injured:
more than 500
Evacuated:
more than 5,000
Why it matters for exams: Named tropical cyclones, their tracks and their human toll are regularly asked in geography and disaster sections.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
24 October 2026
France is deploying about 70,000 police around the country on Saturday 24 October 2026 to prevent further civil unrest.
The deployment follows some of the worst street violence in years, which erupted on the fringes of demonstrations.
The security forces include elite units usually used for counter-terrorism.
Paris is shutting major museums ahead of the new protests, and hundreds of protests are expected across the country.
French authorities have tightened restrictions and banned specific protests.
Police deployed:
about 70,000
Date of deployment:
Saturday 24 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: Large-scale internal security deployments in a G7 country are commonly asked in international affairs.
UPSCSSC
24 October 2026
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned racism in French society on 23 October 2026 after a shooting near Paris.
A gunman opened fire from a car in Trappes and Verriere, killing one person and injuring five others, including a 12-year-old girl.
Over about 15 minutes the gunman fired at a petrol station, a medical centre and a children's playground.
Macron described the attack as a racist terrorist attack and travelled to Trappes.
A suspect was arrested and French prosecutors are investigating the shooting as a terror attack.
Killed:
One
Injured:
Five, including a 12-year-old girl
Towns affected:
Trappes and Verriere
Why it matters for exams: Statements by heads of state on terror attacks and the places involved are asked in international current affairs.
UPSCSSC
24 October 2026
A criminal investigation into Argentine President Javier Milei and his sister Karina Milei over links to a cryptocurrency scandal was dropped on 23 October 2026.
The case was dismissed by federal judge Marcelo Martinez de Giorgi at the request of prosecutors, according to court records.
The case concerned the cryptocoin $Libra, which collapsed shortly after the President mentioned it in a social media post in February 2025.
Milei had denied promoting the coin and said he had acted in good faith.
The coin had risen in value before crashing and causing large losses for most of its investors.
Cryptocoin:
$Libra
Judge:
Marcelo Martinez de Giorgi
Why it matters for exams: Court decisions involving heads of state and cryptocurrency regulation feature in international and banking current affairs.
UPSCSSCBank