Correct Answer: C. Barbados

The Queen has been Barbados’s head of state since it became independent in 1966 but Dame Sandra Mason will be sworn in as its first president. Barbados, a former British colony, has become the world’s newest republic. The country removed Queen Elizabeth as head of state overnight, breaking its last remaining imperial bonds with Britain nearly 400 years since the first English ship arrived at the Caribbean island. Barbados will remain a republic within the Commonwealth, a grouping of 54 countries across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific that has always been a priority for Elizabeth, who heads it.

Correct Answer: A. Sweden

Magdalena Andersson, who resigned seven hours after being chosen as Sweden’s first female prime minister last week, has again been selected for the top job. She emerged triumphant after another vote in the Swedish parliament on Monday 29 November 2021. It was a narrow affair. There were 173 votes against her, two more and she would have lost.

Correct Answer: D. India

As per a recent air quality report by IQAir, India has the most number of cities in the top 100 polluted cities across the globe. India has 46 of the world’s 100 most polluted cities followed by China with 42 cities and Pakistan with 6 cities. Hotan, in China’s Xinjiang, had the worst air quality in 2020.  Among the top 10 most polluted cities of the world, 9 are located in India

Correct Answer: D. South Africa

Former South Africa international AB de Villiers says he has decided to retire from all forms of cricket, having lost his hunger for the game, ending a 17-year career where he established himself as one of his country’s greats. Often referred to as “Mr 360” for his wide range of shots which found all corners of the boundary, de Villiers played 114 Tests, 228 ODIs, and 78 T20 internationals for South Africa, scoring more than 20,000 runs across the three formats.