Current Affairs: First Half of 2025 Date: June 6, 2025 I.

Major Global Events & Summits The first half of 2025 has been marked by several
significant international gatherings and events, reflecting ongoing global challenges and efforts towards cooperation: * **World Economic
Forum, Davos (January 20–24): Leaders from politics, business, and civil society convened to discuss geoeconomic shifts, technology's role in
fostering inclusivity, and the annual Global Risks Report. Key focus areas included sustainable economies, human capital development, and
equitable global order. * UN Ocean Conference, Nice, France (June 9–13): This critical conference is addressing biodiversity loss and ocean
sustainability, leveraging the 2022 High Seas Treaty. Panels are expected to culminate in the adoption of the Nice Ocean Action Plan to combat
rising sea levels and protect marine ecosystems. * G7 Summit, Canada (June): The summit in Alberta is prioritizing inclusive economies,
climate action, and AI regulation. Building on 2024's Italian commitments, topics may expand to Middle East stability and migration challenges
under new leadership. * NATO Summit, Netherlands (June 24–26): Amid ongoing conflict in Ukraine, NATO leaders are reviewing defense
spending and refining transatlantic relations. Key topics include defense production, Middle East stability, and commitments to military
readiness. * FIFA Club World Cup 2025 (June 15 – July 13, USA): This expanded tournament featuring 32 professional teams has been a major
sports highlight, with matches held across 12 venues in the United States. * The Jubilee (Rome, Italy): A major religious event for Catholics and
Christians, this jubilee, held once every 25 years, has drawn pilgrims and visitors to Rome, offering a unique perspective on the religion. II.
Economic Trends The global economy in the first half of 2025 has seen a mix of resilience and ongoing challenges: * Global Growth and
Inflation: Global growth has stabilized, though the pace remains underwhelming amidst policy shifts and new uncertainties. Global headline
inflation is expected to decline further, although some countries have seen upward revisions. * Trade Tensions and Protectionism: Escalating
trade tensions and elevated policy-induced uncertainty continue to pose downside risks to the economic outlook. Countries are increasingly
adopting protectionist measures to safeguard and diversify their supply chains, particularly in energy, food, and critical minerals. * Fiscal and
Monetary Policy: Divergent and swiftly changing policy positions by central banks and governments could lead to tighter global financial
conditions and capital outflows, particularly impacting emerging markets. * India's Economic Performance: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
projected India's GDP growth at 6.5% for 2025-26. Domestic economic activity has shown resilience, supported by a strong agricultural sector,
picking up industrial activity, and a sustained momentum in the services sector. Private consumption remains healthy, and investment activity is
reviving. * Market Dynamics: The first quarter of 2025 saw a shift in market performance, with initial strong bull market momentum giving way
to some volatility as signs of a trade war emerged and growth stocks began to roll over. Diversification has proved to be a key strategy for
investors. III. Significant Political Developments Political landscapes across the globe have been shaped by evolving power dynamics,
regulatory shifts, and ongoing geopolitical tensions: * Geopolitical Shifts: Tectonic shifts in power, economic centers, and trade continue to
redefine global power dynamics. New trade alliances and investment hubs are emerging outside of traditional centers. * Fragmented Regulatory
Environment: Regulations and tax policies are evolving at different speeds across geographies. The adoption of a minimum global tax is
progressing in many countries, while others are withdrawing from multilateral tax policies. * Technology Landscape: The technology landscape
remains fast-moving and politicized. Shifting alliances based on national security concerns and fragmented regulations add complexity,
particularly with the emergence of new Generative AI (Gen AI) players challenging existing dominance. Regulators are grappling with how to
keep pace with these advancements. Geopolitical competition in AI and quantum computing is creating technological blocs. * Supply Chain
Vulnerabilities: Geopolitical rivalries, trade protectionism, conflict, competition for resources, cyberattacks, and climate events are placing
severe strains on globally exposed businesses and their supply chains. * India's Political Landscape: India entered 2025 with a new coalition
government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who secured his third term after the 2024 general election. While the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) largely maintained its national vote share, it lost its parliamentary majority, necessitating reliance on regional parties in the National
Democratic Alliance (NDA) to form the government. This shift has implications for policy and governance. * US Politics: The evolving stance of
the U.S. under its current leadership, particularly regarding trade policies and international agreements, continues to be a focal point. * Middle
East and North Africa: The region continues to navigate a strategic balancing act amidst various challenges, including the future of AI and
access to critical chips. IV. Scientific Breakthroughs The scientific community has continued to make significant strides in the first half of 2025:
* Medical Innovations: * Cancer Vaccines: An mRNA-based vaccine for cancer has shown promising results in human trials, directing immune
responses to identify and destroy cancer cells, potentially reducing recurrence in lung, breast, and pancreatic cancers. * Artificial Organs: Organ
researchers are now able to bioprint fully functioning artificial human organs like kidneys and livers using stem cell technology, offering a
potential solution to organ transplant waiting lists. * AI for Disease Detection: New AI blood tests can now detect over 50 different cancers in
their earlier stages, significantly increasing survival rates. AI algorithms are also being developed to predict and prevent heart attacks in
asymptomatic stages. * Gene Therapy: Advancements in gene therapy for genetic disorders like sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, and muscular
dystrophy are being made possible by new gene-editing technologies, including CRISPR 3.0, leading to potential permanent cures. * Epilepsy
Treatment: A gene therapy for drug-resistant focal epilepsy has been developed, using an adeno-associated virus vector to deliver the LGI1 gene
to the brain, which regulates brain cell excitability. * Space and Astronomy: * Most Distant Galaxy: MoM-z14, discovered using the James Webb
Space Telescope, has been confirmed as the most distant galaxy ever detected, with a redshift of 14.44, placing its formation within 280 million
years of the Big Bang. * Kosmos 482 Crash: Kosmos 482, an attempted Soviet Venus probe that failed to escape low Earth orbit, crashed back
to Earth after more than 53 years. * Artificial Intelligence: * Drug Discovery: New AI models like the Conditional Randomized Transformer (CRT)
are improving drug discovery by enabling faster and more diverse generation of target molecules. * Video Generation and Language Models:
Google DeepMind announced Veo 3, a new state-of-the-art video generation model, and boosted the performance of Gemini 2.5 Pro, its flagship
AI model. * Other Discoveries: * OCD Genes: Genes linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have been discovered for the first time,
identifying 250 genes linked to the condition through a study of over 2 million people. * Gonorrhea Vaccine: The world's first gonorrhea vaccine
was launched by NHS England, showing an efficacy of 30-40%. * Vitamin D and Aging: A major clinical trial revealed that vitamin D supplements
can reduce biological aging, preserving telomeres and potentially adding three years to lifespan. V. Environmental News Environmental
concerns continue to be a top global priority, with efforts focusing on plastic pollution, deforestation, and climate change: * World Environment
Day 2025 (#BeatPlasticPollution): Hosted by the Republic of Korea, the theme for World Environment Day on June 5th was
#BeatPlasticPollution. The global initiative aims to rally communities worldwide to adopt impactful solutions to plastic pollution, which has
infiltrated water, food, and bodies. There is a strong emphasis on actions to "refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rethink the use of plastics." *
Deforestation Efforts: Colombia reported a 33% drop in deforestation in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year, with
significant progress in Amazon parks. This decline is attributed to stronger community coordination and a crackdown on environmental crime,
despite continued pressure from illegal coca cultivation and mining in protected areas. * Climate Tipping Points: The need for better
observational systems and integrated modeling to detect early warning signals of climate tipping points has become paramount as the year
progresses. Critical elements requiring enhanced monitoring include the Greenland and West Antarctic Ice Sheets, the Atlantic Meridional
Overturning Circulation (AMOC), Amazon Rainforest Dieback, and Boreal Permafrost Thaw. * Plastic Waste Crisis: Around 11 million tons of
plastic waste are pouring into water ecosystems each year, and microplastics are loading into ground soil from sewage and landfills, amplifying
the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature loss, and pollution. VI. Major Cultural Events The first half of 2025 has seen a vibrant array of
cultural and religious celebrations worldwide: * Carnival (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - February 28 – March 4): The world's largest party, featuring
samba parades and extravagant costumes, celebrated the pre-Lenten spectacle. * Holi (India - March 13–14): The "Festival of Colours" brought
joy and vibrant celebrations across India, marking the triumph of good over evil and the arrival of spring. * Songkran (Thailand - April 13–15):
The Thai New Year and Water Festival was celebrated with nationwide water fights, symbolizing purity and the banishing of ill fortune. * Venice
Biennale (Venice, Italy - April 20 – November 24): This renowned exhibition of contemporary art and architecture commenced in April, attracting
art enthusiasts and transforming Venice into a living canvas. * Various Religious and Cultural Festivals: Throughout the first half of the year,
numerous other festivals were observed globally, including: * New Year's Day (January 1) * Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti (January 6) * Orthodox
Christmas (January 7) * Makar Sankranti (January 14) * International Day of Education (January 24) * Vasant Panchami (Saraswati Puja) *
International Day of Women and Girls in Science (February 11) * Ramadan (started around February 28) * World Wildlife Day (March 3) *
International Women's Day (March 8) * Kha b-Nisan (Assyrian and Chaldean New Year) (April 1) * Qingming (Tomb Sweeping Day) (April 4) *
Hung Vuong Festival (Vietnam) (April 7) * Hana Matsuri (Flower Festival/Buddha's Birthday in Japan) (April 8) * Hanuman Jayanti (April 12) *
Passover (April 12-20) * Palm Sunday (April 13) * May Day (May 1) * World Environment Day (June 5) * World Oceans Day (June 8) * Father's
Day (June 15) * World Refugee Day (June 20) This summary provides a comprehensive overview of the key events and trends that have shaped
the first half of 2025.