IUCN World Heritage Outlook 4 report assessing the conservation status of natural and mixed heritage sites was released by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Key Findings

• Globally, percentage of sites with a positive conservation outlook has, for the first time, decreased significantly. 
• India Related Findings: 
  • Only the Khangchendzonga National Park remained ‘Good’ in Conservation Outlook Rating.
  • Sundarbans National Park: Witnessed Deterioration in its conservation outlook status from ‘Good with Some Concerns’ to ‘Significant Concerns’ from 2020-2025. 
    • Manas National Park and Western Ghats too are in ‘Significant Concern’ category.

Five Maharashtra Beaches Receive Prestigious International Blue Flag Certification. 

• The beaches are Shrivardhan, Nagaon, Parnaka, Guhagar and Ladghar. 

About Blue Flag Certification:

• Awarded by: Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) of Denmark since 1985. 
• Criteria:  Awarded to beaches that meet 33 criteria related to cleanliness, beauty, and environmental sustainability. 
• Significance:  
  • It is a globally recognized eco-label awarded to beaches, marinas, and tourism boats that meet high environmental and safety standards.
  • Certification programme based on rigorous requirements in the areas of accessibility, education, environmental performance, responsible behavior, safety, services, stakeholder engagement and water quality.

The fourth edition of India-Australia joint military Exercise AUSTRAHIND 2025 began in Australia

• It is an annual exercise aimed at enhancing military cooperation, improving interoperability, etc.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for the first time evaluated Indian Wolf separately as potential distinct species within the Canis genus. 

• The genus currently has seven species recognized by the IUCN. With the inclusion of the Indian wolf, this will be the eighth recognized species of the genus.

About Indian Wolf

• Habitat: Thorn forests, scrublands, arid and semi-arid grassland habitats in India (few found in Pakistan).
  •  It is one of the common large carnivores found in the agro-pastoral regions of semi-arid India.
• Threats: habitat loss, conflict with humans, and diseases.
• Conservation Status: Vulnerable (IUCN). 

Kaziranga Director becomes first Indian to receive IUCN’s Kenton R. Miller Award for innovation in national parks. 

About Kenton R. Miller Award

• It is constituted by the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA).
  • The WCPA is one of six technical commissions of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• Established in 2006, the Kenton R. Miller Award for Innovation in National Parks and Protected Area Sustainability. 
• It honors individuals who show innovation and leadership in conserving national parks and protected areas.
• It is presented every two years by the IUCN-WCPA. 

A Chinese ship and a Philippine vessel collided near Thitu Island, which is controlled by the Philippines.

About Thitu Island

• Thitu Island (Pag-asa Island) is the largest Philippine-occupied Island in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea.
• Thitu Island has been at the center of territorial disputes between the Philippines and China. 

Border clashes erupted between Pakistan and Afghanistan along the disputed Durand Line.

About Durand Line

• The Durand Line is the 2,640-kilometer international land border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• The line was established in 1893 by an agreement between Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, the Foreign Secretary of British India, and Amir Abdur Rahman Khan, the Emir of Afghanistan.

UNESCO launches the World’s First Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects at MONDIACULT 2025.

• MONDIACULT is the world's largest conference on cultural policies.

About Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects: 

• It is a global digital platform using advanced technology to highlight the illicit trafficking of cultural heritage.
• It displays around 240 stolen objects from 46 countries, including sculptures, idols, fossils, and paintings.
• Notable Indian artifacts: Two 9th-century sandstone sculptures from Mahadev Temple, Pali, Chhattisgarh:
• Nataraja – Lord Shiva in his cosmic dance.

Brahma – Seated in lalitasana, representing wisdom and creation.

Leading 6G alliances and research institutions have issued the New Delhi Declaration, during the International Bharat 6G Symposium 2025, held alongside the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi.

Key Highlights

• The declaration emphasizes that 6G should be developed as a global public good.
• It articulates a shared vision for 6G that prioritizes openness, inclusivity, and sustainability.

About 6G

• 6G (sixth-generation wireless) is the successor to 5G cellular technology
• The advantages of 6G over 5G, among others, include higher data speeds and reduced latency, integration of communication and sensing capabilities etc.