Daily Current Affairs and GK | 21 and 22 December 2025

Topic: Important Days

1. December 21 has been declared as a “Day of Reflection” by Australia.

• This has been done to honor the victims of the Sydney Bondi Beach terror attack.
• The day has also been announced to express solidarity with the Jewish community.
• In the attack on 14 December, 15 people were killed and 41 others were injured.
• The police killed one of the attackers, Sajid Akram, but his son, Naveed Akram, was injured during the shootout.
• The Day of Reflection falls on the final day of Chanukah, a time associated with light, faith, and resilience.
• Flags on government buildings will be flown at half-mast to honor the victims.
• Australians hav been asked to light a candle at 6.47 p.m. on 21 December and observe a minute of silence.
• Yellow lighting on buildings and a light projection from Bondi Pavilion are also parts of commemoration.
• Hanukkah (or Chanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an important festival in Judaism.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

2. An MoU signed between India and Netherlands to strengthen trade and investment cooperation.

• On 19 December, an MoU was signed between India and the Netherlands to enhance bilateral trade, investment, and overall economic cooperation between the two countries.
• Under the MoU, the India–Netherlands Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC) has been established as a formal institutional mechanism for regular engagement.
• The agreement was signed between India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
• The development was announced during the visit of Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel to India and his bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.
• The Joint Trade and Investment Committee has been mandated to review bilateral trade relations and promote two-way investment flows between the two nations.
• Identification and resolution of trade and investment barriers have been included among the core objectives of the committee.
• It has been decided that the JTIC will meet annually, with meetings to be held alternately in India and the Netherlands to ensure continuous dialogue.
• The committee will be co-chaired by the Additional Secretary of India’s Department of Commerce and the Director General for Foreign Economic Relations from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• The committee's objectives include identifying and eliminating trade and investment barriers, facilitating trade and investment measures, promoting dialogue between chambers of commerce and industry – especially for MSMEs – and enhancing cooperation in priority sectors.