Current Affairs & General Knowledge Hub

In the last quarter, the geopolitical landscape has seen several decisive shifts. The renewed talks between the United States and the European Union on trade tariffs aim to reduce the average duty on agricultural products from 12% to 5% by 2025, potentially increasing market access for millions of farmers.

Meanwhile, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution on climate finance, committing developed nations to mobilise $100billion annually for climateresilient projects in vulnerable countries. The agreement also introduced a transparent reporting mechanism to track the flow of funds.

In Asia, the ASEAN summit concluded with a pledge to create a digital economy corridor linking Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Jakarta. The corridor will focus on crossborder data flows, ecommerce standards, and joint cybersecurity initiatives.

Indias economy recorded a 6.8% growth in the third quarter, driven largely by strong manufacturing output and a rebound in consumer spending. The government's Make in India 2.0 policy, rolled out last month, offers tax incentives for green technology firms setting up production units across the country.

On the political front, the Election Commission announced that electronic voting machines will be upgraded with blockchainbased audit trails for the upcoming state elections, enhancing transparency and reducing the scope for tampering.

In sports, the Indian cricket team clinched the World Twenty20 title, defeating England by 7 wickets in a thrilling final at Melbourne. Star allrounder Rohit Sharma was named Player of the Tournament for his unbeaten 118 in the semifinal.

NASAs ArtemisII mission successfully completed a lunar flyby, marking the first crewed mission to the Moon since 1972. Astronauts tested new lifesupport systems that could be used for future longduration stays on the lunar surface.

In the field of renewable energy, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mumbai announced a 30% efficiency gain in perovskite solar cells using a novel nanostructured interface. The technology promises cheaper and more flexible solar panels for residential use.

Artificial intelligence saw a major leap with the release of GPT5, which can generate contextaware video scripts and code snippets with a 92% accuracy rate in benchmark tests. Tech companies are already integrating the model into customerservice bots and educational platforms.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers are in full swing. Brazil secured their spot with a decisive 40 victory over Argentina, while a surprise upset saw Uzbekistan defeat Saudi Arabia 21, clinching a historic berth.

In the Olympic arena, the Asian Games in Hangzhou showcased remarkable performances. Chinese swimmer Li Na broke the 100meter freestyle world record with a time of 51.92 seconds, edging out her closest rival by 0.08 seconds.

Marathon enthusiasts should note the upcoming Berlin Marathon on September 24, where elite runners are expected to challenge the current world record of 2:01:39. Registration opens next week, with a limited number of slots for amateur participants.

UNESCO announced the inscription of the historic city of Varanasi, India, as a World Heritage Site for its living traditions of music, dance, and spiritual practices that span over 3,000 years.

Literature lovers can look forward to the International Book Fair in Frankfurt, scheduled for October 1015, where Nobel laureate ChimamandaAdichie will present her latest novel exploring postcolonial identity.

Did you know? The Great Wall of China, stretching over 21,000km, was originally built using locally sourced earth, wood, and stone, and only later reinforced with bricks during the Ming dynasty.