NEWS 31-12-2025. News For 2nd-Jan (Friday) *International News* 1. On 26 Dec 2025, the US carried out airstrikes on ISIS militants in northwest Nigeria over attacks on civilians, including Christians. 2. Israel recognised Somaliland as an independent state, drawing condemnation from Somalia, the African Union, and regional powers. 3. China launched island-wide customs reforms to fully operationalise the Hainan Free Trade Port with zero tariffs and liberal trade policies. *National news* 1. India became the world’s 4th largest economy, surpassing Japan in nominal GDP. 2. Parliament passed the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, replacing MGNREGA and raising rural job guarantee days to 125. 3. India’s PARAM Rudra supercomputer was recently launched at IIT-Patna under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), marking the first PARAM Rudra system in Bihar and boosting high-performance computing for research in science, health, weather, and technology. *Defence News* 1. Indian Army is set to procure 850 indigenous kamikaze (loitering munition) drones worth ~?2,000 crore to boost precision strike and counter-terror capabilities. 2. DRDO and Rashtriya Raksha University signed an MoU to boost joint research, training and technology for defence and internal security. 3. DRDO successfully test-fired two Pralay quasi-ballistic missiles off the Odisha coast in late Dec 2025, enhancing tactical strike capability. *Sports news* 1. India beat Sri Lanka 5-0 in the Women’s T20I series, completing a clean sweep. 2. Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi won Bronze at the World Blitz Chess Championship in Doha. < < Back