THE HEADLINES :-
- Prime Minister Modi to embark on a four-day visit to Japan and China from 29th of this month.
- Two-day meeting of GST Council to begin on 3rd of next month in New Delhi.
- President Donald Trump names close aide Sergio Gor as next US ambassador to India.
- National Space Day being celebrated today, marking successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on Moon’s south pole.
- In Under-20 World Wrestling Championships, India’s Kajal Dochak clinches gold while Shruti and Sarika bag bronze in women’s event in Bulgaria.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a four-day visit to Japan and China from 29th of this month. Mr Modi will visit Japan from 29th to 30th of August to participate in the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit. This will be Prime Minister Modi’s eighth visit to Japan, and the first Summit with Prime Minister of Japan Shigeru Ishiba. During Mr Modi’s visit, the two Prime Ministers will review the special strategic and global partnership between India and Japan, including defense, security, trade and economy, technology and innovation. They will also discuss issues of regional and global importance.
In the second leg of his visit, Prime Minister Modi will travel to China from 31st August to 1st next month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation organization Summit in Tianjin. On the sidelines of the Summit, Prime Minister Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with several global leaders. India has been a member of SCO since 2017. It held the presidency of the Council of Heads of State of SCO during 2022-23.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the fourth edition of Semicon India 2025 in New Delhi on 2nd of next month. The three-day event aims to showcase the country’s growing capabilities and ambitions in the microelectronics and semiconductor value chain. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi yesterday, Secretary of Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology, S Krishnan said, for the first time, the exhibition will feature four International Pavilions from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia. He added that 350 exhibiting companies from 18 countries and regions will showcase their products. Mr. Krishnan also mentioned that nine states will participate in the event.
SEMICON India 2025 aims to catalyse global collaboration, support domestic innovation, and strengthen India’s role as a trusted, scalable, and competitive electronics manufacturing hub.
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The 56th Meeting of the GST Council will be held on 3rd and 4th of next month in New Delhi. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will chair the meeting.
The last GST Council meeting was held at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, in December last year, during which several decisions related to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) were taken, including a rate cut on fortified rice kernels to 5 per cent and a recommendation to amend the definition of pre-packaged and labelled items.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the country is marching towards the direction of building Fifth Generation fighter aircraft and manufacturing the aircraft’s engine. He said, engine manufacturing is going to start in the country with the French company Safran. Speaking during an event in New Delhi yesterday, Mr Singh said, India is building a robust defence ecosystem by promoting innovation and technology development and creating a suitable growth environment for domestic companies.
The Minister said, the government has approved a new order with HAL to manufacture 97 Tejas fighter planes with the cost of 66 thousand crore rupees. He said HAL had earlier been given an order to build 83 aircraft at acost of 48 thousand crore rupees.
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The government has said that fertiliser availability is comfortable across states during the ongoing Kharif season. According to the Chemicals and Fertilizers Ministry, total Urea availability is 183 lakh metric tonnes against the pro-rata requirement of 143 lakh metric tonnes, and 155 lakh metric tonnes is already sold. The Ministry said, Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) availability is 49 lakh metric tonnes against a pro-rata requirement of 45 lakh metric tonnes and sale of 33 lakh metric tonnes has taken place. According to the Ministry, over 306 lakh metric tonnes urea production was recorded in the year 2024-25.
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Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Dr. Rajiv Bahl has emphasised that South-South collaboration is essential for advancing research in the health sector. He highlighted the need to invest in strengthening research infrastructure and funding within the country.Dr. Bahl made these remarks while addressing the ‘Way Forward Session’ of the International Meeting on Health Research and Innovations in Public Health held in New Delhi yesterday.
The two-day regional meeting, hosted by the Department of Health Research (DHR) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), concluded yesterday. The conference deliberated on strengthening health research systems, facilitating the exchange of good practices, and promoting cross-border collaboration in South and Southeast Asia.
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US President Donald Trump has announced the appointment of his close aide Sergio Gor as next US ambassador to India and special envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs. Making the announcement through a post on Truth Social, President Trump said, for the most populous region of the world, he needs someone whom he can fully trust to deliver on his agenda and help make America great again. Gor will succeed Eric Garcetti, who served as ambassador from 11th of May 2023, to 20th of January this year.
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US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has indicated that a potential rate reduction could occur during September’s central bank meeting. However, he maintained a balanced stance, refraining from making definitive commitments about interest rate cuts. His comments acknowledged mounting concerns about employment conditions whilst emphasising that inflation risks continue to persist. Delivering a speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium, Powell said, risks to inflation are tilted to the upside and risks to employment to the downside.
The Federal Reserve, scheduled to convene its next policy meeting in mid September, has maintained interest rates between 4.25 percent and 4.50 percent since their last decrease in December.
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Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been remanded in custody till 26th of this month over allegations of misusing public funds during a private trip to the UK in 2023. Our correspondent has the details:
“Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been remanded until August 26 on charges of misusing public funds. The 76-year-old was arrested after questioning by the Criminal Investigation Department and produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court yesterday. His bail plea, citing health issues and his wife’s cancer treatment, was rejected. The case relates to a 2023 London trip for his wife’s PhD graduation, where investigators allege nearly 50,000 dollars in state funds were spent without official purpose. Wickremesinghe has been moved to Welikada Prison, while heavy security was deployed around the court amid protests by his supporters.Ahmed Muyeen Farooqi/Colombo.”
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The second National Space Day is being celebrated across the country today. The day commemorates the successful soft landing of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission’s Vikram Lander and the deployment of the Pragyan Rover on the Moon on 23rd of August 2023.
“On this day in 2023, the Chandrayaan-3 mission accomplished the safe and soft landing of the Vikram Lander on the lunar surface. With this, India became the fourth country to land on the moon and the first to land near the southern polar region of the moon. The soft landing was followed by a successful deployment of the Pragyaan Rover. The landing site was named Shiv Shakti Point. To honour this achievement, the Government of India officially declared August 23rd as “National Space Day.” The Day recognizes significant achievements in space exploration and highlights advancements in space technology. National Space Day is dedicated to inspiring future generations by generating interest in space science and technology among students and providing them with role models. The theme for this year’s celebration is Aryabhatta to Gaganyaan: Ancient Wisdom to Infinite Possibilities. Priya Mondal, Akashvani News, Delhi.”
As part of the celebrations, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) hosted the National Space Meet 2.0 in New Delhi yesterday. Speaking on the occasion, ISRO Chairman,V. Narayanan highlighted India’s remarkable space journey from the rocket launches at Thumba in 1963 to today’s global recognition of India’s leadership in space.
Speaking at the concluding session of the event, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister P.K. Mishra hailed India’s space journey and emphasized that the meet comprised the whole-of-government approach, from agriculture and health to disaster management and climate resilience.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall over East Rajasthan today. The Met department has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Delhi, Haryana, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Chandigarh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, West Madhya Pradesh, West Rajasthan and Northern region for next 2 to 3 days.
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In Uttarakhand, heavy rainfall in Chamoli district overnight has caused widespread damage in Tharali tehsil, with debris sweeping into residential buildings, shops, and government premises, including the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) residence and tehsil office. A young woman is feared trapped under the rubble. Police and administrative teams are actively engaged in rescue and relief operations, while SDRF teams have been dispatched to the site. Several vehicles have also damaged by debris. In response, the district administration has declared a holiday for all schools and anganwadi centers up to Class 12th in Tharali tehsil.
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In Wrestling, India’s Kajal Dochak won a gold medal at the Under 20 World Championships while Shruti and Sarika grabbed bronze medals in the women’s event at Samokov in Bulgaria yesterday. In the men’s Greco-Roman 60 kg category, Suraj clinched bronze by overcoming France’s Lucas Go Grasso. So far, Indian wrestlers have won nine medals – two gold, four silver and three bronze – at the ongoing championships.
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NOW, FOR A LOOK AT TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS,
- “Prime Minister echoes SIR to prevent infiltrators as voters” writes The Pioneer. While The Asian Age quotes him as saying “Will drive out all infiltrators won’t let them get jobs”.
- “President gives assent to online gaming bill 2025” states The Hindu Business Line.
- The Tribune quotes Defence Minister Rajnath Singh as saying “Will build engines of fifth-generation jets with France’s Safran”.
- “U.S. says all visa holders under watch for acts that break law” reports Hindustan Times.
- “Lord Swraj Paul- A bridge between India and United Kingdom passes away at the age of 94 in London” informs Business Standard.
- “Cambridge Dictionary adds ‘skibidi’ and ‘tradwife’ among 6,000 new words” writes The Statesman.
- And finally, The Times of India reports “Facing a ‘reading crisis,’ Denmark to make books cheaper”.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN
- Prime Minister Modi to embark on a four-day visit to Japan and China from 29th of this month.
- Two-day meeting of GST Council to begin on 3rd of next month in New Delhi.
- President Donald Trump names close aide Sergio Gor as next US ambassador to India.
- National Space Day being celebrated today, marking successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on Moon’s south pole.
- In Under-20 World Wrestling Championships, India’s Kajal Dochak clinches gold while Shruti and Sarika bag bronze in women’s event in Bulgaria.
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