🇮🇳 National News
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the legendary film Sholay, the Maharashtra Postal Circle introduced a series of exclusive items on Independence Day 2025.
The release included:
- Specially designed picture postcards
- A collector’s presentation pack
- A golden cancellation stamp
The unveiling was carried out by Amitabh Singh, Chief Postmaster General, and presented to the film’s director, Ramesh Sippy.
From 15th August 2025, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) launched a new FASTag Annual Pass across 1,150 toll plazas nationwide.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Applicable For | Non-commercial vehicles |
| Fee | ₹3,000 (one-time) |
| Validity | 1 year OR 200 toll crossings |
| Day 1 Activation | 1.4 lakh+ users |
| FASTag Penetration | 98% nationwide |
Pass activation is available via the Rajmargyatra App, and a strengthened 1033 helpline has been set up for assistance and grievance redressal.
💼 Business & Economy
The government unveiled a simplified two-rate GST system:
| GST Category | Rate |
|---|---|
| Essential/Daily-use items | 5% |
| Standard goods | 18% |
| Sin goods (tobacco, pan masala) | 40% |
Major changes:
- Daily-use items shifted from 12% to 5%
- Aspirational goods (e.g., TVs) moved from 28% to 18%
- Correction of inverted duty structures
- Streamlined product classifications
- Faster GST registrations
- Automated refund systems
Expected rollout: Q3 FY 2025-26
India’s foreign exchange reserves rose by $4.74 billion, reaching $693.62 billion as of August 8, 2025.
| Component | Change |
|---|---|
| Foreign Currency Assets | + $2.37 billion |
| Gold Reserves | + $2.16 billion |
| Special Drawing Rights | + $169 million |
| IMF Reserve Position | + $45 million |
| Total Reserves | $693.62 billion |
Despite being lower than the record $704.885 billion in Sept 2024, the RBI continues to manage reserves to ensure rupee stability.
At the 19th China Brand Festival (Shenzhen), the TopBrand 500 Global Brands list (2025) was revealed.
| Rank | Brand | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft | $1,062.5 billion |
| 2 | NVIDIA | $1,046.8 billion |
| 3 | Apple | $997.7 billion |
Other companies in the top 10: Amazon, Alphabet (Google), Saudi Aramco, Walmart, Meta (Facebook), Berkshire Hathaway, and Broadcom.
Among Chinese brands, PetroChina ranked highest at 14th place.
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) signed an MoU with IIT-Guwahati to phase out conventional plastics and introduce eco-friendly alternatives.
Pilot initiative: Eco-friendly green bed-roll bags introduced on trains, replacing plastic linen packaging.
The bio-plastics developed by IIT-Guwahati’s R&D team are compostable and degrade quickly, marking a major step toward reducing plastic waste in Indian Railways.
🌐 International News
A high-profile meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump took place at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base, Alaska.
The summit lasted nearly three hours but failed to produce an agreement on the Ukraine conflict.
- Putin: Emphasized the need to resolve the war by addressing root causes and warned against sabotage
- Trump: Expressed optimism for future dialogue but noted that final resolution depends on Ukraine and NATO
The brief joint press conference suggested cautious optimism but no immediate resolution.
India’s crude oil imports from Russia rose to 2 million barrels per day (bpd) in August, constituting 38% of its total imports (5.2 million bpd).
| Country | July 2025 | August 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | 1.6 million bpd | 2 million bpd |
| Iraq | 907,000 bpd | 730,000 bpd |
| Saudi Arabia | 700,000 bpd | 526,000 bpd |
The surge reflects India’s economic prioritization in sourcing oil.
🛡️ Defence News
Indian Navy’s INS Rana and INS Jyoti arrived in Colombo for the 12th edition of SLINEX-25 (14–18 August 2025).
Aim: Strengthen interoperability, maritime cooperation, and knowledge-sharing between India and Sri Lanka.
- Harbour phase: Professional exchanges and cultural programs
- Sea phase: Joint operations including Visit Board Search & Seizure (VBSS), gunnery firing, and at-sea refueling
Participation: Sri Lankan Navy’s SLNS Gajabahu, SLNS Vijayabahu, and Special Forces.
The exercise aligns with India’s MAHASAGAR policy to enhance regional maritime ties.
🔬 Science & Technology
ISRO inaugurated a modern space science laboratory at Mechuka Government Higher Secondary School in Shi-Yomi district, Arunachal Pradesh.
The facility was opened by State Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona in collaboration with ISRO and Muskaan Foundation.
Named the Pasang Wangchuk Sona ISRO Space Laboratory (after the minister’s father).
Encourage hands-on learning and foster interest in space sciences among rural students in one of India’s most remote regions.
🏆 Awards News
At the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2025, director Neeraj Ghaywan’s film Homebound bagged the Best Film and Best Director awards.
The film features Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jetwa, and Janhvi Kapoor in lead roles.
Theme: Explores belonging, displacement, and the emotional complexity of returning home.
It has also been selected as the closing film of the festival on August 24, 2025.
🏅 Sports News
According to Brand Finance Football 50 (2025), Real Madrid retained the title of the world’s most valuable football club.
| Rank | Club | Brand Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Madrid | €1.921 billion |
| 2 | FC Barcelona | €1.7 billion |
| 3 | Manchester City | €1.4 billion |
| 4 | Liverpool | €1.4 billion |
| 5 | PSG | €1.4 billion |
- Brand strength score: 94.9 (near-perfect)
- Fourth consecutive year at the top
- Won their 15th UEFA Champions League title
🕊️ Obituaries
Nagaland Governor La Ganesan died at age 80 on August 15, 2025, in Chennai after collapsing on August 8.
- Former Governor of Manipur
- Served as a Rajya Sabha MP
- Remembered for integrity, public service, and promotion of Tamil culture
Tributes: Leaders including PM Narendra Modi, Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio, and Deputy CM Yanthungo Patton expressed condolences, praising him as a principled leader and nationalist.
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