International Relations & Politics:

• The European Union (EU) has moved to indefinitely freeze €210 billion in Russian assets. This significant financial measure comes amid continued geopolitical strain and aims to remove obstacles to using these funds for Ukraine.
• Tensions have heightened between the United States and Venezuela after US forces seized an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast. Venezuela condemned the action, describing it as an "act of international piracy," while the US also expanded sanctions against the South American nation.
• A ceasefire, brokered by the United States, is expected to restart between Thailand and Cambodia following recent deadly border clashes that displaced approximately half a million people.
• Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi was arrested in Iran.
• In Pakistan, former Inter-Services Intelligence director general Faiz Hameed has been sentenced to 14 years in prison on charges related to political activities and violations of the Official Secrets Act.

Economy:

• A recent report on global wealth inequality revealed that a mere 0.001% of the world's population possesses three times the wealth held by the poorest half of humanity, underscoring significant economic disparities worldwide.
• The Federal Reserve implemented its third key interest rate cut of the year, although it indicated a potential pause in further reductions in the coming months.
• The EU and US are set to resume trade talks concerning a July tariff deal.

Science & Technology:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) has made a significant breakthrough in health, identifying a surprising weak spot in monkeypox that could lead to the development of new vaccines.
• Scientists have developed night-vision contact lenses that allow users to perceive beyond the visible light spectrum, potentially offering an alternative to traditional night-vision goggles.
• Fossils discovered in Qatar have led to the identification of a new species of sea cow that inhabited the Arabian Gulf over 20 million years ago.
• A new ultra-thin neural implant, BISC, has been developed to create a high-bandwidth wireless connection between the brain and computers.
• A novel 'DNA cassette tape' technology promises to store up to 1.5 million times more data than a smartphone, with data integrity potentially lasting 20,000 years if frozen.

Social Welfare:

• Australia's House of Representatives has passed a new Online Safety Amendment Bill, 2024, mandating social media platforms to prevent children under 16 from creating accounts to address concerns about online safety and mental health.
• A "Child Marriage Free Nepal" campaign has been launched in Nepal by over 100 child rights activists from Nepal and India to combat child marriage.

Awards:

• The laureates of the 2025 Nobel Prizes were formally presented with their awards at a grand ceremony held in Stockholm.
• DBS was recognized as the Global Bank of the Year 2025 by The Banker, and A'ja Wilson was named TIME's 2025 Athlete of the Year.

Sports:

• In non-cricket sports, Germany emerged victorious over Spain to win the FIH Men's Junior Hockey World Cup 2025.
• Brazil secured the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup title by defeating Portugal 3-0.
• Lando Norris claimed his first Formula One World Drivers' Championship.
• A 70-foot iron statue honoring football legend Lionel Messi was unveiled in Kolkata, India.