Uttar Pradesh police warn of growing hybrid cybercrime threat, stress public awareness

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is expanding internationally, but only a few countries currently support international merchant payments under UPI. ✅ I. United Arab Emirates – Correct
* UPI is accepted at select merchants in the UAE via NPCI partnerships. ✅ II. France – Correct
* France allows UPI merchant payments at select tourist locations, like the Eiffel Tower. ❌ III. Germany – Incorrect
* No official rollout of UPI for merchant payments in Germany as of now. ✅ IV. Singapore – Correct
* UPI is live for both P2P remittances and merchant payments in Singapore. ❌ V. Bangladesh – Incorrect
* UPI is not yet operational for merchant payments in Bangladesh. International merchant payments are accepted under UPI in seven countries outside of India: Bhutan, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the UAE.

✅ Statement I: Correct
The inaugural Kho Kho World Cup was held in New Delhi, India, from January 13-19, 2025. ❌ Statement II: Incorrect
India defeated Nepal 54-36 (not 78-40) to win the men’s final. ❌ Statement III: Incorrect
India beat Nepal 78-40 (not 54-36) in the women’s final. Additional Context:
24 countries participated, and the event was organized by the Kho Kho Federation of India with the International Kho Kho Federation. Therefore, only Statement I is correct.

* Both statements about the G-20 are correct  * Statement 1 is correct: The G-20 originated as a forum for Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to address global economic and financial issues. It has since expanded its focus to other areas of international cooperation.  * Statement 2 is correct: India, as the chair of the G-20 in 2023, prioritised digital public infrastructure as one of its key areas of focus. This included discussions on promoting responsible use of artificial intelligence, bridging the digital divide, and fostering inclusive growth through digitalization.

* The Donbas is a historical, cultural, and economic region in eastern Ukraine. It has two heavily industrialised regions of Donetsk and Luhansk which were occupied by Russian forces last year. Hence, pair 1 is not correctly matched. * Kachin State is the northernmost state of Myanmar. In 2022, Myanmar military air * strikes reportedly killed dozens of people including civilians at a concert in Kachin State. Hence, pair 2 is not correctly matched. * Tigray is Ethiopia's northernmost region. The region is at the centre of an ongoing civil conflict involving ethno-regional militias, the federal government, and the Eritrean military that has attracted the concern of humanitarian groups and external actors since November 2020. In October 2022, the first formal African Union-led peace talks between an Ethiopian government team and Tigray forces happened in South Africa. Hence, pair 3 is not correctly matched.

❌ I. Austria - Not a NATO member (maintains neutrality). ✅ II.Bulgaria - NATO member (joined in 2004). ✅ III. Croatia - NATO member (joined in 2009). ❌ IV.Serbia - Not a NATO member (participates in Partnership for Peace, but not a full member). ✅ V. Sweden - NATO member (officially joined in March 2024). ✅ VI. North Macedonia - NATO member (joined in 2020). So, four of the listed countries are members of NATO: Bulgaria, Croatia, Sweden, and North Macedonia.

None of the pairs (1, 2, or 3) are correctly matched. Let's break it down:  1. North Kivu and Ituri: This region in the Democratic Republic of Congo experiences conflict, but is not related to the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.  2. Nagorno-Karabakh: This enclave is disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but the insurgency is happening in Mozambique.  3. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia: These are currently under heavy fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war, not a dispute between Israel and Lebanon.

The term "Levant" refers to the geographical region located along the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. This region typically includes the countries of Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Turkey (the southern/southeastern region). The Levant connects Anatolia, the Caucasus, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. It encompasses the eastern Mediterranean coastline and the hinterlands that stretch inland from that coast. The Levant has faced prolonged unrest, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Syrian Civil War, and ethnic and religious tensions.

✅ Pair I: International Year of the Woman Farmer : 2026 — Correct
*The UN designated 2026 to honor the vital role of women in agriculture and to address gender inequalities in farming globally.* ✅ Pair II: International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism : 2027 — Correct
*2027 is proclaimed to promote tourism that supports sustainable development and resilience against climate and health challenges.* ✅ Pair III: International Year of Peace and Trust : 2025 — Correct
*The year 2025 focuses on fostering global peace, trust, and cooperation among nations and communities.* ✅ Pair IV: International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence : 2029 — Correct
*2029 marks the UN’s focus on asteroid awareness and planetary defense, coinciding with asteroid Apophis’s close approach.* Therefore, all four pairs are correctly matched.

* Statement 1 is incorrect: Exercise MITRA SHAKTI-2023 was a joint military exercise between India and Sri Lanka. * Statement 2 is correct: The ninth edition of Joint Military exercise “Exercise MITRA SHAKTI-2023” commenced in Aundh (Pune). * Statement 3 is correct: The Scope of the exercise includes synergizing joint responses during counter-terrorist operations. * Statement 4 is correct: 15 personnel from Indian Air Force and five personnel from Sri Lankan Air Force participated in the exercise.

* Somalia has been experiencing civil war and instability since the early 1990s. This ongoing conflict has severely disrupted agricultural production, trade, and basic services, leading to food insecurity. * Somalia is one of the countries most vulnerable to food insecurity due to a combination of factors like drought, conflict, and poverty. * Somalia has faced several severe famines in recent decades, with the most recent one occurring in 2020-2021. The UN warned it was on the brink of "famine of unparalleled proportions" due to a perfect storm of drought, locust infestations, and economic hardship.