Current Affairs - International

California banned child marriage by establishing 18 as the minimum age for marriage and domestic partnership with no exceptions. Governor Gavin Newsom approved Assembly Bill 1267 (AB 1267), which repeals earlier provisions that permitted minors to marry with parental consent or judicial approval. The law takes effect on January 1, 2027. Before this legislation, California had no statutory minimum marriage age, and around 35,000 minors were married in the state between 2000 and 2021. With this reform, California became the 18th US state to completely ban child marriage without exceptions, strengthening legal protection for minors.

The United Nations adopted its first Political Declaration on sea-level rise through a high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly held in New York on September 24, 2026. The declaration addresses the legal, environmental, economic and humanitarian consequences of rising sea levels, with particular attention to Small Island Developing States and low-lying countries. It affirms a presumption of continuity of statehood and sovereignty for vulnerable island nations and recognises the stability of maritime zones under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It also calls for stronger climate adaptation, resilient infrastructure, early warning systems and improved access to climate finance.

Fatima Zahra El Mansouri was appointed as Morocco’s first woman Prime Minister by King Mohammed VI on 29 September 2026, following the parliamentary election held on 23 September 2026. She is a senior member of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), which emerged as the leading party with 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives. Before becoming Prime Minister, El Mansouri served as Morocco’s Minister of National Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy and was also the mayor of Marrakech. Her appointment marked an important development in women’s political representation in Morocco and the wider Arab world.

The Netherlands collaborated with India through two Tripartite Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to advance Gujarat’s Kalpasar Project. The agreements involve the Central Water Commission, the Kalpasar Department of the Government of Gujarat, and Netherlands-based organisations Deltares and TU Delft. The cooperation covers hydraulic and hydrological modelling, coastal and structural engineering, climate-resilient infrastructure, salinity management, water management, and capacity building. The Kalpasar Project, also known as the Gulf of Khambhat Project, aims to create a large freshwater lake to improve water availability, particularly in the Saurashtra region. Dutch expertise from projects such as Afsluitdijk is relevant to the project’s technical requirements.

The United Kingdom launched the No. III Space Effects Squadron in September 2026 as its first specialised military unit dedicated to countering hostile activities in outer space. The squadron operates under UK Space Command and includes specialist personnel from different branches of the British military. Its responsibilities include protecting critical satellite infrastructure, responding to hostile activities in orbit, using electronic warfare capabilities, and supporting defensive and offensive space operations. The unit works alongside other RAF space squadrons responsible for space operations and warning. The UK has also invested significantly in space-based intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and Space Control capabilities.