Daily Current Affairs Quiz December 25 2025

1. Ukraine War: On Christmas Day, Ukraine reported that Russia launched 131 combat drones overnight (Dec 24–25) toward Ukrainian targets. Ukraine’s air force said 106 were shot down and at least 25 impacts occurred; at least one civilian in Odesa was killed and others injured. This was among the largest recent drone offensives by Russia.

2. Yemen Conflict: Saudi Arabia on Dec 25 publicly demanded that UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council fighters withdraw from two Yemeni provinces, seeking to restore unity in the anti-Houthi coalition. The Saudi Foreign Ministry statement underscored Riyadh’s concern at infighting, calling on factions to refrain from undermining efforts against the Houthis.

3. North Korea: State media on Dec 24–25 showed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting the nearly completed hull of an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered submarine. Kim sharply criticized South Korea’s plans (with US help) to build nuclear subs, calling them an “offensive act” that violates North Korea’s security.

4. Mass Kidnap in Nigeria: Nigerian authorities freed 182 schoolchildren on Dec 23 who had been kidnapped in a mass abduction weeks earlier. The rescued pupils were reunited with their families near Kagara, Niger State, in one of Nigeria’s largest school kidnappings. This development brought relief after prolonged negotiations with the abductors.

5. Australia – Bondi Beach: Sydney’s Christmas celebrations were subdued after a Dec 14 terror attack at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah gathering that killed 15 people. Australians held solemn tributes and authorities increased security at Jewish sites. Prime Minister Albanese also publicly reiterated support for Palestine alongside criticism of Israel, citing concerns over anti-Semitism and security after the attack.

6. Honduras Election: In Honduras’ presidential runoff (Nov 2025), conservative former Tegucigalpa mayor Nasry “Tito” Asfura – backed by former U.S. President Donald Trump – was declared the winner. His victory continues the trend of right-wing leaders gaining power in Latin America.

1. Currency Weakness: The Indian rupee hit fresh lows in mid-Dec 2025 (as weak as ₹90.74 against the dollar) amid deadlocked US-India trade talks and foreign fund outflows. The RBI intervened in foreign exchange markets to support the rupee as importers and exporters grappled with volatility.

2. Monetary Policy Easing: In its Dec 19 minutes, the RBI indicated that slowing growth and low inflation could allow more rate cuts. The RBI had on Dec 7 cut the repo rate by 25 bps to 5.25% (total easing of 125 bps in 2025) – the most aggressive easing cycle since 2019. Growth forecasts were raised to ~7.3%, while year-end inflation was projected near 2.0%, well below the 4% upper target.

3. Liquidity Injection (Santa Rally): The RBI on Dec 24 announced it will inject ₹2.9 trillion into the banking system at end-Dec via open-market bond purchases and forex swaps. This “SLRR injections” program aims to absorb most of the government’s large borrowing and keep bond yields low. Indeed, the 10-year government yield immediately fell from ~6.70% toward 6.55% after the announcement.

4. Low Inflation: India’s Nov 2025 CPI inflation edged up to 0.71% year-on-year (from an all-time low 0.25% in Oct). Food prices were soft and core inflation (~4.2%) remained subdued, giving the RBI confidence to ease policy. Economists note that persistently low inflation (annual average likely ~2.0%) could allow one more rate cut next year.

5. Trade Agreement: India and New Zealand in late Dec announced a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), reflecting “strong political will” to deepen economic ties. The deal (currently in negotiation) is expected to boost bilateral trade in goods and services by reducing tariffs and opening markets. It also includes labour mobility provisions (NZ will issue up to ~1,667 work visas annually to Indian professionals).

1. Gaganyaan Parachute Test: ISRO on Dec 20 announced the successful test of drogue parachutes for the Gaganyaan crew module. Two rounds of high-altitude drogue parachute trials were completed at the Terminal Ballistic Range (TBRL) in Chandigarh on Dec 18–19, proving the deceleration system for India’s first human space mission.

2. PFAS Removal Breakthrough: Researchers at Rice University reported a novel copper-aluminum material that can capture and destroy toxic PFAS (“forever chemicals”) in water hundreds to thousands of times faster than current filters. The December 25 study highlights a scalable, eco-friendly approach to degrading these persistent pollutants, with implications for clean water treatment.

3. Quantum Computing Milestone: Australian firm Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC) unveiled an “atomic-scale” quantum chip with record performance. Their qubit device, built from phosphorus atoms in silicon, achieved 99.99% single-gate fidelity, the highest reported for any silicon quantum system. This 2025 breakthrough paves the way for more reliable, scalable quantum computers.

1. UN Global Environment Report: A major UN environment assessment (GEO-7, Dec 9, 2025) warned that climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are costing the global economy trillions of dollars and causing millions of deaths annually. The report urged rapid shifts (to clean energy, sustainable agriculture, pollution control, etc.) that could yield up to US$20 trillion per year by 2070 and save millions of lives. Without action, up to one million species face extinction, and billions of people will suffer worsening health impacts.

2. Flooding in Asia: The World Meteorological Organization reported that unusually heavy monsoon rains and cyclones in late 2025 caused catastrophic flooding across South and Southeast Asia. In November–December, parts of Sri Lanka, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand were inundated, displacing hundreds of thousands and killing at least several hundred people. These extreme events underscore the growing climate risk to vulnerable regions.

3. Freshwater Biodiversity: A December 2025 study warned that about 25% of the world’s freshwater species are threatened by extinction, a faster loss rate than in land or marine environments. Key drivers include pollution, dam-building, water extraction and climate change. The findings call for urgent protection of rivers, lakes and wetlands to preserve aquatic biodiversity.

1. Major Arms Purchases: India’s Defence Acquisition Council approved ~₹790 billion (~US$9 billion) of new equipment orders. These proposals include procurement of missiles, artillery guns, ammunition and other systems to modernize the Army, Navy and Air Force. (If approved by the Cabinet, these buys would bolster India’s military capabilities.)

2. “Cold Start” Drone Exercise: The Indian military conducted “Cold Start” in October 2025 – its largest-ever domestic drone warfare exercise. As reported by Reuters, the four-day exercise (led by Air Marshal Rakesh Sinha) tested indigenous unmanned aerial systems and counter-drone defenses, simulating the drones and counter-UAS tactics used in recent India-Pakistan clashes. This signals India’s push to strengthen air-defense against aerial threats.

Nasry Asfura: Former Tegucigalpa mayor Nasry “Tito” Asfura (a conservative, Trump-backed candidate) was declared president-elect of Honduras after the November vote. His rise underscores the influence of U.S.-style populist politics in Latin America.

1. United Cup (Tennis): The U.S. announced its team for the mixed-gender United Cup (Melbourne, Jan 2026). American stars Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz will co-captain the defending champions, with Gauff set to play the women’s singles and Fritz the men’s.

2. Women’s Rugby World Cup: England won the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand (final in October) in front of a record 81,885 crowd. The triumph marked England’s second consecutive title and third overall, cementing their dominance in women’s rugby.

3. Cricket – Women’s World Cup: In July 2025, India’s women’s cricket team won their first ICC World Cup, defeating Australia in the final. The victory sparked massive celebrations across India and was hailed as a landmark achievement for Indian sport.

4. Chess League: The Alpine SG Pipers (a Singapore team) clinched the 2025 Global Chess League championship. This professional rapid chess tournament features teams of grandmasters from around the world, highlighting chess’s growing global profile. (India’s Ramita Jindal won a 10m air rifle gold at a recent ISSF World Cup, reflecting continued strength in shooting.)

Nobel Prizes 2025: The 2025 Nobel Prizes (announced Oct 2025) went to John Clarke, Michel Devoret and John M. Martinis “for discovery of macroscopic quantum tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit” (Physics)nobelprize.org. In Literature, the prize was awarded to Hungarian novelist László Krasznahorkai “for his compelling and visionary oeuvre”. (Other laureates included Chemistry: Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, Omar Yaghi for metal–organic frameworks; Medicine: Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, Shimon Sakaguchi for immune tolerance research.)

1. Christmas Day (Dec 25): A major Christian holiday celebrated worldwide. In India (and some other countries), Dec 25 is also observed as Good Governance Day, commemorating former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary. The day’s theme emphasizes transparent, accountable and citizen-centric governance.

2. Good Governance Day (India): This annual observance highlights the Good Governance Index, which measures district-by-district performance on governance parameters. The 2025 theme focused on “Accountable, Inclusive, and Efficient Governance,” urging all levels of government to improve service delivery and public trust.

1. LIC MD: The government appointed Ramakrishnan Chander as Managing Director of Life Insurance Corporation of India, effective Dec 1, 2025. Chander (a career bureaucrat) takes over LIC’s MD role to help oversee its growth and reforms.

2. Airtel Leadership: Bharti Airtel named Shashwat Sharma as Managing Director & CEO of Airtel India from Jan 1, 2026. Concurrently, long-time Airtel boss Gopal Vittal will assume the newly created role of Group Executive Vice Chairman (also Jan 1) to steer group strategy. These moves mark a major leadership transition at India’s largest telecom operator.

No major international summit or conference specifically occurred on Dec 25. (Recent major gatherings included COP30 in Brazil in Nov 2025, but no summit events were reported on Dec 25.)

1. Nicobar Islands: Indigenous leaders flagged fresh grievances from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands before the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes. They raised questions about large-scale development projects and alleged that tribal concerns remain unaddressed.

2. Goa Local Elections: The results of the Goa Zilla Panchayat (rural local government) elections were declared. These local polls are seen as a test of grassroots support and a prelude to the state assembly elections in 2026.

3. Chhattisgarh Scandal: In Chhattisgarh, it was reported that Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s son, Chaitanya Baghel, allegedly received ₹200–250 crore in proceeds from a state liquor policy scam. This has become a major political controversy in the state.

(Notable figures who died in 2025, as reported by Reuters and other sources) – Pope Francis (age 88) – Leader of the Catholic Church (died April 2025).

Aga Khan IV (Karim Al Husseini, 88) – Spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims (died Feb 2025).

Jane Goodall (91) – British primatologist and conservationist (died Oct 2025).

James Watson (97) – American molecular biologist, co-discoverer of DNA structure (died Nov 2025).

Robert Redford (89) – Oscar-winning American actor/director (died Nov 2025).

Hulk Hogan (Terry Bollea, 71) – US professional wrestling icon (died Nov 2025).

(Others included astronaut Jim Lovell, authors Frederick Forsyth, Mario Vargas Llosa, etc., but these were earlier in the year and less directly tied to Dec events.)

Global Rankings: The World Intellectual Property Organization reported that India climbed to 38th place in the 2025 Global Innovation Inde, topping the list among Central/Southern Asian economies. (The country led in Knowledge & Technology outputs (rank 22) but lagged in Business Sophistication and Infrastructure.)

New Releases (India): HarperCollins India highlights included: “The Last Avatar: Age of Kalki” by Vishwas Mudagal – a dystopian thriller released Dec 2025, and “What’s Good About Falling” by Prajwal Hegde – a sports romance novel (tennis/cricket) also published in December. (Both titles were among the top Indian fiction releases of the month.)

Astronomy: NASA noted that Comet 3I/ATLAS (an interstellar object) made its closest approach to Earth on Dec 19, 2025. Though still ~700 lunar distances away at closest approach, skywatchers were advised that it was the best chance to observe this rare visitor in the pre-dawn sky. Also, the Geminid meteor shower peaked on Dec 13–14, offering a bright display visible in mid-northern latitudes.