Daily Current Affairs News: 6th December, 2025

International News

India–Russia 2025 State Visit: Major Agreements, Strategic Roadmap, and Key Outcomes

• India and Russia’s 2025 State Visit strengthened their Special & Privileged Strategic Partnership, with leaders signing multiple agreements across labour mobility, healthcare, maritime & polar cooperation, trade & fertilizers, academia, and media, while unveiling a 2030 Economic Cooperation Roadmap.
• Key highlights include Russia joining the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), launch of a free 30-day e-tourist visa for Russians, expanded Arctic navigation training, and reinforced ties in defence, energy, and customs modernization — signalling a deeper, multi-sectoral collaboration.

Banking News

Fino Payments Bank Becomes First to Receive RBI Nod to Transition into SFB

• Fino Payments Bank has become the first payments bank in India to receive RBI’s in-principle approval to convert into a Small Finance Bank (SFB), announced on 5 December 2025.
• Starting operations in 2017, Fino now moves beyond the limitations of payments banks—such as deposit caps and inability to lend—allowing it to accept larger deposits, offer credit, and expand services to underserved segments.
• The transition under the RBI’s ‘on tap’ SFB licensing guidelines strengthens Fino’s financial inclusion mandate, particularly in rural areas, and sets a precedent for other payments banks seeking full-service banking operations.

Retail CBDC in India Crosses 120 Million Transactions, ₹28,000 Crore in Value: RBI

• India’s retail CBDC has crossed 120 million transactions with a cumulative value exceeding ₹28,000 crore, marking rapid adoption since its pilot launch on 1 December 2022, according to RBI Deputy Governor T Rabi Sankar.
• With over 8 million active users, the digital rupee (e₹) is gaining traction through government integration, programmable features for specific schemes, and fintech participation via a dedicated CBDC sandbox.
• The RBI is also exploring cross-border applications to enable faster remittances and global interoperability, signaling a major step in India’s digital payment innovation.

Business News

Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros Discovery Studios and Streaming Business for $72 Billion

Appointments News

Dr Renuka Iyer Appointed Chief Medical Officer of NCCN

• Dr Renuka Iyer has been appointed as the new Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), effective 26 February 2026, marking a key leadership transition at the globally recognised authority on cancer treatment guidelines.
• A distinguished oncologist with over 20 years of experience in gastrointestinal cancers, research, and medical education, Dr Iyer has contributed extensively to oncology guidelines, immunotherapy, and quality-of-life studies.

Roman Gofman Appointed as Next Mossad Chief

• Major General Roman Gofman has been appointed as the next director of Mossad, set to assume office in June 2026, marking a rare shift as a career military officer without a traditional intelligence background takes the helm of Israel’s spy agency.
• Born in Belarus in 1976, Gofman immigrated to Israel in 1990, rising through the IDF Armoured Corps and serving as military secretary to Prime Minister Netanyahu.
• His appointment, a break from Mossad’s usual intelligence-led leadership, comes amid regional security challenges, including tensions with Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas, as Israel seeks to strengthen its strategic and operational intelligence capabilities.

Cristiano Ronaldo Joins Perplexity AI as Investor and Brand Ambassador

• Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Perplexity as an investor and brand ambassador, announcing the partnership on 4 December 2025.
• The collaboration introduces the Ronaldo Hub, a custom AI assistant that lets fans explore his personal archives, relive iconic moments, and interactively engage with his career.
• Ronaldo’s involvement aligns with Perplexity’s mission to make knowledge accessible through conversational AI, while providing the company with global visibility, especially in emerging markets.
• This partnership marks a pioneering blend of celebrity influence and AI personalisation, enhancing fan engagement and expanding Perplexity’s reach in the competitive AI landscape.

Awards News

Microsoft Store Awards 2025: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Notion Among Top App Winners

• Microsoft Store Awards 2025 recognized top apps across AI, business, creativity, gaming, and education, highlighting tools that enhance productivity and user experience on Windows.
• AI Assistants winners included Perplexity and ChatGPT, offering features like voice dictation, multimodal search, and Windows-specific integrations.
• In business, Invoice Maker & Estimate Creator streamlined billing for SMEs, while Manus won in Computer-Using Agents, providing secure automation and multi-agent workflow management.
• The awards celebrate apps with technical quality, user satisfaction, and impact on the Windows ecosystem.

Donald Trump Awarded First FIFA Peace Prize at 2026 World Cup Draw Ceremony

• Donald Trump received the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize on 5 December 2025 during the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw in Washington, D.C., sparking global controversy.
• Presented by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the award claimed to honour Trump’s alleged efforts in easing global conflicts, though many of these claims were disputed or exaggerated.
• Critics questioned FIFA’s political alignment with Trump, pointing to his polarising diplomatic record and growing ties between FIFA and his network.
• While supporters celebrated the recognition, the move drew backlash from peace activists and diplomats, raising concerns about the politicisation of sport ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Defense News

DRDO Transfers Seven Indigenous Technologies to Armed Forces

• DRDO’s handover of seven indigenous defence technologies on 2 December 2025 marks a major boost to India’s defence self-reliance, showcasing innovations developed under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme, which supports MSMEs and startups with funding up to ₹50 crore.
• The transferred systems — including airborne jammer power supplies, VLF/HF communication systems, indigenous waterjet propulsion, and seawater battery systems — strengthen critical capabilities across naval, aerospace, and EW domains.
• Alongside this, the approval of 12 new TDF projects in strategic and emerging tech areas underscores India’s accelerating push toward Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence.

India–Malaysia Launch 5th Edition of Exercise Harimau Shakti in Rajasthan

• India and Malaysia have launched the fifth edition of Exercise Harimau Shakti from 5–18 December 2025 at the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan, focusing on sub-conventional operations under UN Chapter VII mandates.
• The exercise, featuring India’s Dogra Regiment and Malaysia’s 25th Battalion, emphasizes interoperability, heliborne operations, cordon-and-search drills, combat reflex shooting, and physical endurance training through AMAR and yoga, marking a strategic shift to semi-arid and desert warfare from the jungle operations of previous editions.

Summits & Conferences News

India To Hosts 20th UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Session at Red Fort

• India will host the 20th UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Committee Session from 8–13 December at the Red Fort, New Delhi, where Diwali has been nominated as India’s entry for the UNESCO ICH list.
• Announced by Culture & Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the session will review global nominations, assess existing heritage elements, and discuss international support for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, with India expressing confidence in a positive outcome for Diwali.

Amit Shah Inaugurates EARTH Summit 2025 in Gandhinagar

• Amit Shah inaugurated the EARTH Summit 2025 on 5 December 2025 in Gandhinagar, launching Sahakar Sarathi, a major digital push for India’s cooperative and rural banking sector.
• Over 13 new services were unveiled, including Digi KCC, ePACS, the Cooperative Governance Index, and the world’s largest grain-storage application, all aimed at modernising cooperative banks with internet banking, UPI, AEPS, e-KYC, core banking, and real-time tracking.
• The summit also introduced Sahakar Taxi, a cooperative taxi network with 51,000+ drivers, and a comprehensive Cooperative Insurance scheme to expand rural social security.
• These initiatives reinforce India’s goal of empowering 50+ crore cooperative members through tech-driven rural development.

Science  & Technology News

Google Rolls Out Gemini 3 Deep Think Mode for Ultra Users with Enhanced AI Reasoning

• Google’s Gemini 3 Deep Think mode is now available for AI Ultra subscribers, offering advanced reasoning and problem-solving within the Gemini app.
• Designed for complex mathematics, scientific reasoning, and multi-step logic, it uses advanced parallel reasoning to evaluate multiple solutions simultaneously.
• Benchmarks show strong performance, including 41% on Humanity’s Last Exam and 45.1% on ARC-AGI-2.
• Accessible via the Deep Think option in the app, the feature enhances Gemini 3’s capabilities in multimodal understanding, longer context processing, and task planning, providing context-rich answers for STEM, research, and professional workflows while reducing follow-up prompts.

Important Days News

Mahaparinirvan Diwas 2025: Remembering Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s Legacy of Justice, Equality and Reform

• Mahaparinirvan Diwas is observed in India every year on 6 December to honour Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, marking his 68th death anniversary in 2025.
• The day commemorates his passing and spiritual transition after embracing Buddhism on 14 October 1956, symbolizing liberation from social oppression.
• Dr. Ambedkar, born 14 April 1891, was the architect of the Indian Constitution, a champion of social justice, and a leader for Dalit empowerment. Major tributes take place at Chaitya Bhoomi, Mumbai, featuring Constitution readings, Buddhist prayers, and seminars.

National Microwave Oven Day 2025: Date, History and Significance

• National Microwave Oven Day 2025 is observed on 6 December to celebrate the invention and impact of the microwave oven, first developed accidentally by Percy Spencer in 1945.
• Spencer’s experiments with microwave radiation led to rapid cooking, and Raytheon filed a patent on 8 October 1945, with the first domestic model appearing in 1955.
• The day highlights the microwave’s time-saving, energy-efficient, and versatile capabilities, from reheating leftovers to preparing festive treats.

Obituaries News

Simone Tata: The Visionary Behind Lakmé and Westside Passes Away at 95

• Simone Tata, a pioneering figure in India’s beauty and retail sectors and step-mother of Ratan Tata, passed away at 95. Born in Geneva, she moved to India in 1955 after marrying Naval Tata.
• Simone played a transformative role in Lakmé, turning it into India’s leading cosmetics brand, and later founded Trent Ltd., launching the successful Westside retail chain.
• She also served on the Tata Industries board, contributing to modernizing the Tata Group’s consumer businesses. She passed away at Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai, after battling Parkinson’s disease.