🌋 1) Iran’s Taftan Volcano Shows Signs of Activity After 7 Lakh Years of Dormancy

• Location: The Taftan Volcano, situated in southeastern Iran, has shown renewed signs of volcanic activity after an estimated 700,000 years of dormancy.
• Significance: This is the first recorded activity from the volcano in human history, raising concerns over regional seismic and environmental risks.
• Background: Taftan is a stratovolcano near the Pakistan border and one of Iran’s few potentially active volcanoes, known for its sulfur vents and geothermal features.
• Scientific Monitoring: Iranian seismologists have begun close observation for possible eruptions or gas emissions.

🪖 2) Indian Defence Forces to Begin Large-Scale ‘Trishul’ Exercise on the Western Border

• Event: The Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force will jointly conduct a large-scale integrated exercise named “Trishul” along the Western border.
• Objective: To enhance joint operational readiness, inter-service coordination, and rapid response to multi-domain threats.
• Context: This exercise aligns with India’s increasing focus on theatre-level integration and modernization under the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) framework.
• Significance: It will test real-time coordination among the three forces and assess combat preparedness in desert and border terrains.

🌆 3) Historic Asia Pacific Cities Summit Inaugurated in Dubai

• About: The Asia Pacific Cities Summit (APCS) 2025 was inaugurated in Dubai, bringing together mayors, policymakers, business leaders, and innovators from across the Asia-Pacific region.
• Theme: “Resilient, Smart, and Sustainable Cities for the Future.”
• Objective: To promote collaboration on urban innovation, sustainable infrastructure, and digital governance.
• India’s Participation: Several Indian cities including Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad showcased their smart city initiatives and green mobility projects.

💴 4) Japan Launches World’s First Yen-Backed Blockchain-Based Stablecoin ‘JPYC’

• Launch: Japan has officially launched the world’s first yen-backed blockchain-based stablecoin called JPYC (Japanese Yen Coin).
• Issued By: JPYC Co. Ltd., in collaboration with licensed Japanese banks under new digital asset regulations.
• Purpose: To facilitate secure digital payments, cross-border transactions, and decentralized finance (DeFi) applications.
• Significance: Marks Japan’s entry into regulated digital currencies and strengthens its Web3 and fintech innovation ecosystem.

♟️ 5) Indian Grandmasters Gukesh and Divya Deshmukh Win Gold at European Chess Club Cup 2025

• Achievement: Indian chess prodigies D. Gukesh and Divya Deshmukh clinched gold medals at the European Chess Club Cup 2025.
• Event Details: The tournament featured leading global clubs and grandmasters competing across Europe.
• Significance: Their victories underscore India’s growing dominance in global chess, with young talents following in the footsteps of Viswanathan Anand.
• Note: Gukesh also recently became World No. 1 in the FIDE live junior rankings, marking a new milestone for Indian chess.

✈️ 6) Odisha Government Approves ‘B-Man’ Scheme to Promote Aviation Sector

• Initiative: The Odisha Government approved the B-Man Scheme to boost regional air connectivity and aviation infrastructure.
• Objective: To support airstrip development, pilot training, and maintenance facilities while attracting private investment in aviation.
• Name Meaning: B-Man stands for “Build, Maintain, and Manage”, emphasizing sustainable aviation growth through public-private partnership (PPP) models.
• Significance: The scheme aligns with India’s national UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) mission to enhance affordable regional air travel.