{"id":62078,"date":"2025-12-18T18:46:58","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T13:16:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=62078"},"modified":"2025-12-18T18:47:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T13:17:22","slug":"news-in-short-18-12-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/18-12-2025\/news-in-short-18-12-2025","title":{"rendered":"News In Short 18-12-2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Pamir Mountains\/ Pamir-Karakoram Anomaly<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/ Geography<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ice cores from the Pamir Mountains are being studied to understand why its glaciers have resisted melting despite global warming.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is the Pamir\u2013Karakoram Anomaly?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It refers to the<strong> unusual behaviour of glaciers<\/strong> in parts of the <strong>Pamir and Karakoram ranges.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"b0c4bb\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"935\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-108-935x1024.png\" alt=\"pamir\u2013karakoram anomaly\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-62087\" style=\"--dominant-color: #b0c4bb; aspect-ratio:0.9130900011889193;width:342px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-108-935x1024.png 935w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-108-274x300.png 274w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-108-768x841.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-108.png 1056w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 935px) 100vw, 935px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Unlike most glaciers worldwide, these glaciers have:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Shown resistance to melting, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Experienced slight mass gain in recent decades.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This makes the region scientifically significant for understanding glacier\u2013climate interactions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About Pamir Mountains<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Geology: <\/strong>Formed by the collision of the <strong>Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates,<\/strong> making it a seismically active zone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Location: <\/strong>Spans parts of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, China, and Kyrgyzstan.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Pamir Mountains, also known as the <strong>&#8220;Roof of the World,&#8221;<\/strong> form a massive convergence zone (<strong>Pamir Knot)<\/strong> with the <strong>Himalayas, Karakoram, Hindu Kush, Kunlun, and Tian Shan ranges.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ancient Routes: <\/strong>Historically part of the Silk Road, with Marco Polo referencing the area.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Major Peaks &amp; Features: <\/strong>Ismoil Somoni Peak (Tajikistan), Kongur Tagh (China), Muztagh Ata (China) etc.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tajik National Park:<\/strong> A large protected area encompassing much of the Pamirs, a <strong>UNESCO<\/strong> World Heritage site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Drainage System:\u00a0 <\/strong>The Pamirs are heavily glaciated, with the <strong>Fedchenko Glacier<\/strong> being the largest glacier in Central Asia.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Meltwater from glaciers feeds major rivers such as, <strong>Panj River and Vakhsh River. <\/strong>These rivers are part of the<strong> Amu Darya river system,<\/strong> crucial for Central Asia.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/energy-and-environment\/extremely-exciting-the-ice-cores-that-could-help-save-glaciers\/article70406916.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Dark Matter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Space<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A study published recently in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, claims to have finally detected the elusive <strong>\u2018dark matter\u2019.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Universe is composed of <strong>three major components<\/strong>: normal (baryonic) matter, dark matter, and dark energy. Observations show that <strong>dark energy forms about 68%<\/strong>, <strong>dark matter about 27%<\/strong>, and <strong>ordinary matter less than 5%<\/strong> of the total cosmic content.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dark matter<\/strong> does not interact with electromagnetic radiation, meaning it neither emits, absorbs, nor reflects light, making it invisible to direct observation. Its existence is inferred from its <strong>gravitational effects<\/strong> on stars, galaxies, and galaxy clusters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dark matter provides the <strong>gravitational framework<\/strong> for the universe by holding galaxies together and enabling large-scale structure formation. Evidence includes <strong>galaxy rotation curves, gravitational lensing, and cluster dynamics<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dark energy<\/strong> is responsible for the <strong>accelerated expansion of the universe<\/strong>, discovered through observations of distant Type-Ia supernovae. It behaves as a <strong>repulsive effect at cosmological scales<\/strong>, often linked to the cosmological constant.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>While dark matter dominates <strong>galactic and cluster-level dynamics<\/strong>, <strong>dark energy dominates the universe at the largest scales<\/strong>, shaping its long-term expansion and future evolution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Both dark matter and dark energy are known <strong>indirectly<\/strong>, highlighting major unresolved questions in modern cosmology and fundamental physics.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/science\/why-has-the-claimed-dark-matter-discovery-sparked-debate-caution\/article70406893.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>China Tests World-First Wireless Rail Convoy\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Science and Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>China has successfully tested a <strong>wireless rail convoy system<\/strong> by operating<strong> seven heavy freight trains<\/strong> (each carrying around 5,000 tonnes) as a single coordinated unit without any physical coupling.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The trial was conducted on the <strong>Baoshen Railway in the Inner Mongolia <\/strong>Autonomous Region.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Significance<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In conventional rail operations, heavier and faster trains must maintain longer distances to ensure safe braking.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>This innovation enables;<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Higher freight throughput on existing tracks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reduced need for building new railway infrastructure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Better utilisation of existing rail corridors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How Does the Wireless Rail Convoy System Work?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The technology uses continuous <strong>train-to-train and train-to-ground<\/strong> wireless communication. Acceleration, cruising speed, and braking of all trains are synchronised in real time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The system employs a <strong>two-dimensional control mechanism <\/strong>that integrates relative speed between trains maintaining absolute distance between them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The technology is conceptually similar to <strong>ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems)<\/strong> used in automobiles.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Like adaptive cruise control in cars, the trains can dynamically adjust speed and braking based on the movement of the lead train.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-global\/china-freight-trains-wireless-10423210\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Exercise Desert Cyclone 2025<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3 Defence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India-UAE Joint Military Exercise Desert Cyclone is going to begin in UAE.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the exercise<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The<strong> first edition<\/strong> of Exercise Desert Cyclone was held in <strong>2024<\/strong> in Rajasthan, India.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The aim of the exercise is to enhance interoperability and foster defence cooperation between the Indian Army and the UAE Land Forces through joint training in an <strong>urban environment<\/strong>, with a focus on sub-conventional operations under a <strong>United Nations mandate<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2205132&amp;reg=3&amp;lang=2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PIB<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Navy Inducts Second Seahawks Squadron<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Defence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Indian Navy commissioned its <strong>second MH 60R helicopter squadron<\/strong>, <strong>INAS <\/strong>335, at INS Hansa in Goa.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Twenty-four of these submarine-hunting helicopters have been acquired by India <strong>from the US.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These are <strong>US-origin Seahawks,<\/strong> maritime versions of the Black Hawk.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The squadron has been nicknamed <strong>\u2018Ospreys\u2019 <\/strong>after the fish-hunting bird of prey.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The helicopter is designed for a wide range of operations: <\/strong>anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), search and rescue (SAR) missions, and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>These helicopters are replacing<\/strong> the ageing <strong>British-origin Sea King helicopters, <\/strong>which have been in service for long.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/navy-seahawks-squadron-10425441\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Param Vir Chakra (PVC)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: Miscellaneous<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Portraits of all 21 Param Vir Chakra (PVC) awardees have been installed at Rashtrapati Bhavan, replacing the portraits of 96 British Aide-de-Camps (ADCs).\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This move is part of the government\u2019s broader effort to dismantle colonial legacies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the Param Vir Chakra<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It was instituted on <strong>26 January 1950 (Republic Day)<\/strong> by <strong>Dr. Rajendra Prasad<\/strong>, the first President of India, with retrospective effect from 15 August 1947.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The name <em>Param Vir Chakra<\/em> translates to <strong>\u201cWheel of the Ultimate Brave.\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The medal was designed by <strong>Savitri Khanolkar<\/strong>, who drew inspiration from <strong>Sage Dadhichi<\/strong>, the Vedic rishi who sacrificed his body so that the gods could forge the <strong>Vajra (thunderbolt)<\/strong> from his spine.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The medal is cast in bronze. In the centre, on a raised circle, is the <strong>state emblem<\/strong>, surrounded by<strong> four replicas of Indra&#8217;s Vajra<\/strong>, flanked by the sword of <strong>Shivaji<\/strong>. It is suspended from a swivelling bar and worn with a <strong>32 mm purple ribbon<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"d0c1bc\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"538\" height=\"350\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-109.png\" alt=\"param vir chakra\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-62088\" style=\"--dominant-color: #d0c1bc; width:258px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-109.png 538w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-109-300x195.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 538px) 100vw, 538px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Do You Know<\/strong><strong>?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An <strong>Aide-de-Camp (ADC)<\/strong> is a senior military or police officer appointed as a personal assistant to high constitutional or military authorities such as the <strong>President, Governors, or Service Chiefs<\/strong>, handling protocol, logistics, and official coordination.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2204485&amp;reg=3&amp;lang=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>PIB<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Context<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Ice cores from the Pamir Mountains are being studied to understand why its glaciers have resisted melting despite global warming.\n<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the Pamir\u2013Karakoram Anomaly?<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">It refers to the unusual behaviour of glaciers in parts of the Pamir and Karakoram ranges.\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Unlike most glaciers worldwide, these glaciers have:\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Shown resistance to melting, and\n<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/18-12-2025\/news-in-short-18-12-2025\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62078"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62078\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62090,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62078\/revisions\/62090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}