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Current Affairs 29th December 2025
1. Surya CharishmaTamiri wins at 87th Senior National Badminton Championships
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Maiden Title & Home Glory: The 19-year-old local favorite clinched her first-ever Senior National Women’s Singles title on December 28, 2025, at the ChennupatiRamakotaiah Municipal Corporation Indoor Stadium in her hometown, Vijayawada.
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A Resilient Comeback: Tamiri secured the championship by defeating TanviPatri in a thrilling three-game final with a score of $17\text{--}21, 21\text{--}12, 21\text{--}14$. After losing the opening set, she showcased immense mental strength to dominate the next two.
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Giant-Killer Run: Her path to the title was formidable; she pulled off major upsets by defeating top seed UnnatiHooda in the quarter-finals and world No. 45 RakshitaSree in the semi-finals.
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Endorsement from Icons: Her performance caught the attention of two-time Olympic medalist P.V. Sindhu, who praised Charishma's composure and talent on social media, further solidifying her status as a rising star in the sport.
2. India Emerges as World’s Third-Largest Fuel Retail Market
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Crossing the 100,000 Milestone: In late 2025, India's petrol pump network officially crossed the 100,000 outlet mark (specifically reaching 100,266). This represents a near doubling of the network since 2015, when there were approximately 50,451 stations.
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Global Standing: India now ranks third globally in the number of fuel retail outlets. It trails only the United States (~196,000 stations) and China (~115,000 stations). Notably, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) alone operates over 41,000 stations, which is more than China’s largest individual retailer, Sinopec.
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PSU Dominance & Rural Reach: State-owned Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs)—IOCL, BPCL, and HPCL—own over 90% of the network. A key driver of this expansion has been the focus on rural areas, which now account for 29% of all outlets, up from 22% a decade ago.
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Evolution to "Energy Stations": The modern Indian petrol pump has transitioned into a multi-fuel hub. Over one-third of these outlets now offer alternative energy options, including CNG and EV charging facilities, alongside traditional petrol and diesel.
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Surge in Consumption: This infrastructure growth mirrors a massive spike in demand; India’s petrol consumption has risen by 110% and diesel by 32% over the last decade, driven by a surge in vehicle ownership and massive highway development.
3. World’s Largest Open-Air Theatre DhanuYatra Inaugurated in Bargarh
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World’s Largest Open-Air Theatre: Recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records, the DhanuYatra spans a radius of nearly 8 km. During the festival, the entire town of Bargarh transforms into the mythological city of Mathura, while the nearby village of Ambapali becomes Gopapura.
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78th Edition Inauguration: The 2025-26 edition (the 78th year) was officially inaugurated on December 24, 2025. This 11-day cultural extravaganza is scheduled to conclude on January 3, 2026, with the symbolic death of King Kansa.
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National Festival Status: Highlighting its cultural significance, the Central Government has officially accorded National Festival status to DhanuYatra. President DroupadiMurmu also extended her greetings, noting its role in fostering spiritual consciousness and cultural pride.
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Historical Symbolism: Established in 1947-48 to celebrate India's independence, the festival carries deep symbolism; the tyrannical King Kansa represents the outgoing British Raj, while Lord Krishna symbolizes the nationalistic aspirations of a free India.
4. Israel Recognizes Somaliland as an Independent State
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First Global Recognition: While Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has functioned as a de facto state for over 30 years, Israel is the first nation to grant it official de jure recognition. This breaks a decades-long global stalemate regarding the region's status.
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Abraham Accords Expansion: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the move as being "in the spirit of the Abraham Accords." In response, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi announced that his country would officially join the Accords framework to promote regional peace and stability.
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Strategic Red Sea Access: The move is highly strategic for Israel, providing a friendly foothold in the Horn of Africa. Somaliland’s proximity to the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandab strait offers a vantage point to counter threats from Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
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Economic & Security Cooperation: The two nations signed a joint declaration to establish full diplomatic ties, including the opening of embassies. Future cooperation will focus on agriculture, health, technology, and maritime security, aiming to boost Somaliland’s access to international markets.
5. Former Cricketer Doug Bracewell retires from International Cricket
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Retirement Catalyst: Bracewell cited a persistent rib injury as the primary reason for his decision. The injury sidelined him for the entire 2024–25 domestic season with Central Districts, leading him to conclude his 18-year professional journey.
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The Hobart Heroics: He is most famously remembered for his match-winning performance in just his third Test in 2011 at Hobart. He took career-best figures of $6/40$ in the second innings to secure a 7-run victory over Australia—New Zealand’s first Test win on Australian soil in 26 years.
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International Record: Since his debut in 2011, Bracewell represented the Black Caps in 28 Tests, 21 ODIs, and 20 T20Is. He finished his international career with 120 wickets and 915 runs across all formats, with his final appearance being a Test match against Sri Lanka in March 2023.
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Domestic Legend: A cornerstone for Central Districts, he is one of the few modern New Zealand cricketers to achieve the "first-class double" of 4,000 runs and 400 wickets. He also played globally in the IPL (Delhi Daredevils), the SA20 (Joburg Super Kings), and English County Cricket (Essex and Northamptonshire).
6. ArjunErigaisi&Koneru Humpy Win Bronze at FIDE World Rapid Championships 2025
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Podium Finishes for India: ArjunErigaisi finished third in the Open section, while the legendary Koneru Humpy secured third in the Women’s section. This dual podium finish underscored India's status as a rising global superpower in chess.
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Arjun’s Historic Milestone: By winning the bronze, ArjunErigaisi became only the second Indian male player in history to achieve a podium finish at the World Rapid Championship, following in the footsteps of Grandmaster ViswanathanAnand.
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Path to Bronze: Arjun secured his medal by defeating AleksandrShimanov in a must-win final round, finishing with 9.5 points out of 13. He finished just one point behind winner Magnus Carlsen, who claimed his record-extending sixth World Rapid title.
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Strong Team Performance: Beyond the medalists, India showed immense depth. 18-year-old SavithaShri B finished a remarkable fourth in the women's category, while VaishaliRameshbabu took fifth place, highlighting the next generation of Indian talent.
7. NTH signs MoU with DRDO’s DMSRDE for research and testing
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Strategic Inter-Ministerial Synergy: The MoU brings together NTH (under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs) and DMSRDE (a premier DRDO laboratory under the Ministry of Defence). This collaboration aims to bridge the gap between civilian testing standards and specialized defense requirements.
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Focus on Advanced Materials: DMSRDE, based in Kanpur, specializes in non-metallic materials. The partnership will focus on the research, testing, and evaluation of critical defense components, including polymers, composites, elastomers, technical textiles, and specialty lubricants.
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Shared Infrastructure & Expertise: Both institutions have agreed to share their state-of-the-art laboratory and instrumentation facilities. This is particularly vital for high-end testing where specialized equipment may not be available in-house at one institution, optimizing the use of public resources.
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Capacity Building & Skill Development: A core pillar of the agreement is the "Exchange of Scientific and Technical Expertise." The two bodies will conduct joint seminars, workshops, and training programs to upskill scientific personnel in modern testing methodologies and quality assurance protocols.
8. Dr.Siba Prasad Mohanty honoured with the 12th RashtriyaGauravSamman 2025
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Exemplary Leadership Recognition: The award recognizes Dr.Mohanty’s "transformational leadership" and his role in shaping the growth trajectory of HURL. He was specifically cited for blending vision, integrity, and impactful decision-making to strengthen India’s industrial landscape.
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Strengthening the Fertilizer Ecosystem: Under his stewardship, HURL has emerged as a major force in India’s energy and agriculture sectors. His leadership was instrumental in the successful operation and performance of state-of-the-art urea plants in Gorakhpur, Sindri, and Barauni, significantly reducing India's dependence on fertilizer imports.
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A "Turnaround Specialist":Dr.Mohanty is widely regarded as a turnaround expert in the Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) space. Before HURL, he led the revival of the Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited (BVFCL) and served as the CMD of HIL (India) Limited, where he achieved record-breaking turnovers.
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Dual Responsibility in 2025: Beyond his role at HURL, in August 2025, Dr.Mohanty was also appointed as the first Managing Director of the Assam Valley Fertilizer and Chemical Company Limited (AVFCCL), a joint venture focused on developing the Namrup IV Ammonia-Urea Complex.
9. Singapore Changi Airport Awarded Best International Airport in 2025
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Record-Breaking 13th Skytrax Win: On April 9, 2025, Changi was crowned the "World’s Best Airport" at the Skytrax World Airport Awards in Madrid. This marked a historic 13th time the airport has received this accolade, a record in the history of the awards.
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Dual Recognition by Travel+ Leisure: In December 2025, Changi was also named the "Best International Airport" at the 14th edition of Travel + Leisure India’s Best Awards. This ranking was determined by global online reader votes, reflecting its consistent popularity among high-end travelers.
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A Destination Beyond Transit: The 2025 awards highlighted Changi’s unique "Jewel" complex, which features the HSBC Rain Vortex—the world’s tallest indoor waterfall (40 meters)—as well as butterfly gardens, canopy parks, and an art-filled terminal design that makes the airport a tourist attraction in its own right.
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Multiple Category Excellence: Beyond the top title, Changi swept specialized categories in 2025, winning the World’s Best Airport Dining and the inaugural World’s Best Airport Washrooms award, underscoring its attention to even the smallest details of passenger comfort.
10. Former England cricketer Hugh Morris passed away
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Prolific Playing Career: A stalwart for Glamorgan, Morris was a technically gifted left-handed opening batter. He amassed nearly 20,000 first-class runs (specifically 19,785) at an average of 40.29. He remains the youngest captain in Glamorgan's history, having taken the role at age 22, and led them to their first major trophy in 24 years—the 1993 Sunday League title.
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International Presence: Morris earned three Test caps for England in 1991, debuting against a formidable West Indies pace attack. While his international playing career was brief, he was a highly respected leader, captaining England A tours to the West Indies, South Africa, and Sri Lanka.
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Architect of England’s Success: After retiring from play in 1997, he transitioned into administration and served as the Managing Director of the England Men's Team (2007–2013). During his tenure, England achieved the World No. 1 Test ranking, won three consecutive Ashes series, and secured the 2010 T20 World Cup.
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Legacy at Glamorgan: Returning to his home county in 2013 as Chief Executive, he is credited with saving the club from near-bankruptcy. He was instrumental in transforming Sophia Gardens into a world-class international stadium and ensuring the survival of the Welsh Fire franchise in "The Hundred."
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