All 10 International Relations updates published in April 2026, grouped into 5 subtopics. Each one carries the exam-relevant facts and its GK Bytes; open an update for the complete note with static GK.
A Bahrain-proposed UN Security Council resolution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz got 11 votes in favour but was vetoed by Russia and China, underscoring great-power divisions over the West Asia crisis.
This was the first bilateral visit by an Indian Vice President to Sri Lanka. He met President Dissanayake and PM Harini Amarasuriya, and India and Sri Lanka signed six MoUs under India's grant-assistance framework.
President Lee Jae-myung made a state visit to New Delhi, with India and South Korea signing 15 MoUs and a joint declaration to resume CEPA-upgrade negotiations; Korea joined the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and the International Solar Alliance.
The Austrian Chancellor visited India, with agreements on film co-production, food safety, road-infrastructure cooperation and a space-industry seminar, plus letters of intent on military cooperation and counter-terrorism.
The deal gives 100% duty-free access for India's exports, with India reducing tariffs on ~95% of NZ goods. India excluded sensitive sectors - dairy, onions, sugar, honey and gems & jewellery - and secured a framework for up to $20 billion NZ investment over 15 years.
India and New Zealand signed an FTA in New Delhi - concluded in roughly nine months, one of India's fastest. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and NZ Trade Minister Todd McClay signed the pact.
During the Sri Lanka visit, the VP announced extension of the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) scheme from the fourth to the sixth generation for Indian-origin (Malaiyaha) Tamils, with simplified documentation.
During the April 2026 engagements, Sri Lanka agreed to join the India-led International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), expanding regional cooperation on wildlife and big-cat conservation.
Turkey enacted legislation restricting social-media access for children under 15, requiring strict age verification and parental controls on major platforms - part of a global trend on child online safety.
The UK Parliament passed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, barring anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 from ever legally buying cigarettes - effectively raising the smoking age by one year every year.