#421

In 2024, Egypt has been gradually shifting government offices to its 'New Administrative Capital', located east of:

(a) Alexandria

(b) Cairo

(c) Luxor

(d) Aswan

Explanation: The New Administrative Capital (NAC) is a large-scale project located approximately 45km east of Cairo.

#422

John Swinney became the First Minister of which UK nation in May 2024?

(a) Wales

(b) Scotland

(c) Northern Ireland

(d) Cornwall

Explanation: John Swinney became the leader of the SNP and First Minister of Scotland in May 2024, succeeding Humza Yousaf.

#423

Eluned Morgan became the first female First Minister of which region in August 2024?

(a) Scotland

(b) Wales

(c) Northern Ireland

(d) Gibraltar

Explanation: Eluned Morgan was appointed as the First Minister of Wales in August 2024, succeeding Vaughan Gething.

#424

Who was sworn in as the President of Tunisia for a second term in October 2024?

(a) Beji Caid Essebsi

(b) Kais Saied

(c) Rached Ghannouchi

(d) Moncef Marzouki

Explanation: Kais Saied was re-elected as President of Tunisia with a landslide victory in the October 2024 election.

#425

Daniel Chapo was declared the winner of the presidential election in which African country in October 2024?

(a) Angola

(b) Mozambique

(c) Zimbabwe

(d) Namibia

Explanation: Daniel Chapo of the ruling Frelimo party was declared the winner of Mozambique's presidential election in October 2024.

#426

Which ruling party won the parliamentary elections in Georgia (country) in October 2024?

(a) United National Movement

(b) Georgian Dream

(c) For Georgia

(d) Lelo for Georgia

Explanation: The ruling Georgian Dream party secured a majority in the disputed parliamentary elections held in October 2024.

#427

To Lam served briefly as President before becoming the General Secretary of the Communist Party of which country in 2024?

(a) Laos

(b) Vietnam

(c) China

(d) Cuba

Explanation: To Lam served as President of Vietnam from May to October 2024, but his primary role became General Secretary of the Communist Party following the death of Nguyen Phu Trong.

#428

Who is the current President of the European Commission, re-elected for a second term in 2024?

(a) Charles Michel

(b) Ursula von der Leyen

(c) Roberta Metsola

(d) Antonio Tajani

Explanation: Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected by the European Parliament for a second five-year term as President of the European Commission in July 2024.

#429

Tamás Sulyok became the President of which country in March 2024?

(a) Poland

(b) Hungary

(c) Austria

(d) Romania

Explanation: Tamás Sulyok was elected President of Hungary in 2024 following the resignation of Katalin Novák.

#430

Which country officially joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in December 2024, becoming its first European member?

(a) France

(b) Germany

(c) United Kingdom

(d) Italy

Explanation: The United Kingdom formally joined the CPTPP on December 15, 2024, making it the first new member since the bloc's creation and the first from Europe.

#431

According to the IMF's late 2024/2025 projections, global GDP growth for 2025 is forecast to be approximately:

(a) 2.1%

(b) 3.2%

(c) 4.5%

(d) 1.5%

Explanation: The IMF projected global growth to stabilize at around 3.2% in 2025, maintaining a steady but slow pace similar to 2024.

#432

Project 'mBridge', which reached Minimum Viable Product (MVP) status in mid-2024, is a platform for:

(a) Global carbon credit trading

(b) Cross-border CBDC payments

(c) AI regulation compliance

(d) Satellite internet coordination

Explanation: Project mBridge is a multi-central bank digital currency (CBDC) platform designed to facilitate instant, low-cost cross-border payments and foreign exchange.

#433

The European Union reached a political agreement in December 2024 to finalize a long-delayed trade deal with which bloc?

(a) ASEAN

(b) Mercosur

(c) GCC

(d) EAC

Explanation: The EU and Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay) reached a political agreement in late 2024 to finalize their trade deal after 25 years of negotiations.

#434

Global investment in renewable energy technologies reached approximately what record figure in 2024?

(a) $300 billion

(b) $500 billion

(c) $807 billion

(d) $1.2 trillion

Explanation: According to IRENA, global renewable energy investment hit a record $807 billion in 2024, though it remains concentrated in major economies.

#435

Which specific sector saw the largest share of energy transition investment in 2024?

(a) Hydrogen

(b) Electrified Transport (EVs)

(c) Nuclear Power

(d) Carbon Capture

Explanation: Electrified transport (primarily electric vehicles and infrastructure) was the largest sector for energy transition investment, surpassing renewable energy generation.

#436

Which country officially joined Project mBridge in 2024, adding significant weight to the platform's potential for non-dollar commodity settlements?

(a) India

(b) Saudi Arabia

(c) Russia

(d) South Africa

Explanation: The Saudi Central Bank joined Project mBridge in 2024, a move seen as strategically important for potential cross-border commodity settlements.

#437

The expiry of the 'Black Sea Grain Initiative' led to increased volatility in which global commodity market in 2024-2025?

(a) Crude Oil

(b) Wheat and Food Grains

(c) Semiconductors

(d) Rare Earth Metals

Explanation: The collapse of the grain deal affected global food security and prices, particularly for wheat and corn exports from Ukraine.

#438

Which Asian nation enacted a Free Trade Agreement with the Maldives that entered into force on January 1, 2025?

(a) India

(b) China

(c) Japan

(d) South Korea

Explanation: The China-Maldives Free Trade Agreement officially entered into force on January 1, 2025, boosting Chinese exports to the island nation.

#439

In 2024-2025, the 'Magnificent Seven' stocks continued to drive market performance, primarily fueled by hype in:

(a) Green Hydrogen

(b) Artificial Intelligence (AI)

(c) Blockchain

(d) Virtual Reality

Explanation: The massive valuation growth of US tech giants (Magnificent Seven) was largely driven by the boom in Generative AI technologies and infrastructure.

#440

Which country withdrew from China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2024, signaling a shift in G7 economic policy?