India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out two consecutive flight trials of the Pralay quasi‑ballistic tactical missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast on July 28–29, 2025 . Designed for 150–500 km range strikes, Pralay demonstrated high precision, adherence to trajectory, and accurate target impact during user evaluation trials validating its guidance, mission algorithms, and range capabilities . Weighing approximately 5 tonnes, it can avoid enemy detection with its radar‑evading, manoeuvring MaRV, and be rapidly deployed via truck-mounted launchers. Authorities confirmed the success paves the way for its induction into India’s armed forces.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir was involved in a heated exchange with Oval curator Lee Fortis during a training session ahead of the deciding fifth Test against England. The dispute arose when Fortis asked the team to stand 2.5 metres from the wicket and reprimanded staff for wheel­ing an ice box onto the square | “It’s a pitch, not an antique,” batting coach Sitanshu Kotak retorted . Gambhir was seen telling Fortis, “You’re just a groundsman… you don’t tell us what to do” . Kotak confirmed India will not file any formal complaint . Fortis later downplayed the incident, calling Gambhir “touchy” but insisting there was “nothing to hide”.

  Divya Deshmukh (19), a rising chess star from Nagpur, has etched her name in history by becoming the first Indian woman to win the FIDE Women’s World Cup. In an impressive performance, she defeated top seed Koneru Humpy in rapid tiebreaks and claimed the Grandmaster (GM) title directly—without the usual three GM norms or a 2500 rating. With this, she becomes India’s 88th Grandmaster, the fourth Indian woman GM, and the 13th GM from Maharashtra. Her path to victory included triumphs over elite players like Tan Zhongyi, Zhu Jiner, and Harika Dronavalli, solidifying her place in global chess.  

An extremely powerful earthquake—initially measured at magnitude 8.7 and later upgraded to 8.8—struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on July 30, 2025, at a shallow depth of ~19 km, about 120–130 km east of Petropavlovsk‑Kamchatsky. The quake generated tsunami waves of 3–4 m (10–13 ft) along the Kamchatka coast, damaging buildings and prompting evacuations including in Severo‑Kurilsk and a kindergarten. Tsunami warnings and advisories were issued across Japan, Hawaii, Alaska, the U.S. West Coast, and parts of the Pacific. In Japan, officials warned of up to 3 m waves and ordered coastal residents to evacuate. Several minor injuries reported; this is considered the region's strongest quake in decades. (PC: BBC)

Indian security officials have revealed that the terrorists behind the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam massacre—all Pakistani nationals linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba—entered India approximately three years ago and integrated into local networks before carrying out the attack that killed 26 tourists in Baisaran Valley . Investigators traced communication back to Pakistan and collected digital, forensic, and intelligence evidence tying the attackers’ origin to safe houses in Muzaffarabad and Karachi . The incident triggered the Indian military’s Operation Sindoor, and officials now confirm the attackers had infiltrated long before the attack, heightening concerns over border security and sleeper cell activity. (PC: ANI)

Former U.S. President Donald Trump warned on July 29, 2025, that India may face tariffs between 20% to 25%, though no final decision has been made and negotiations are still in progress . The comment came just two days before his self-imposed August 1 tariff deadline, underlining the pressure on countries without bilateral trade agreements . Indian officials are bracing for the potential temporary increase while awaiting a U.S. delegation’s visit in mid‑August to resume broader trade talks, aiming to finalize a comprehensive deal by September or October. (PC: Bloomberg)

Project CIMON (Crew Interactive Mobile Companion) is an AI-powered floating robot currently being tested aboard the International Space Station. Designed to assist astronauts hands‑free, Cimon can retrieve documents, guide procedures, or record experiments via voice control, reducing reliance on manuals and saving time . It also serves as a mobile camera and personal training aid. Jointly developed by Airbus, IBM (Watson AI), and Germany’s DLR, Cimon’s objectives include minimizing stress, improving efficiency, and testing human‑AI interaction for long-duration missions . Observations from the pilot deployment will help shape future AI companions for space and Earth applications. (PC: NASA)

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has commenced the ~27.5‑hour countdown ahead of the July 30, 2025 launch of the NASA–ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite. The launch aboard the GSLV‑F16 rocket from Sriharikota is scheduled for 5:40 PM IST, following countdown start at around 2:10 PM on July 29 . NISAR is a $1.5 billion joint mission, featuring dual-frequency (L‑band and S‑band) radar that will scan Earth every 12 days, day or night, through cloud cover . Its data will aid climate science, disaster response, and monitoring of land deformation, ice sheets, and ecosystems. (PC: ISRO)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told Lok Sabha that Operation Sindoor exposed Pakistan’s "nuclear bluff" and destroyed key terror hubs. He said India launched precision strikes on May 7 despite nuclear threats from Pakistan. “Pakistan couldn’t do anything,” he said, adding terror bases in Bahawalpur and Muridke were razed. Modi said India struck deeper than ever before and “proved Pakistan’s nuclear threat to be a lie.” He praised Aatmanirbhar Bharat for supplying drones and missiles and noted Pakistan’s airbases remain crippled. The five-pronged success showed India’s military strength, tech readiness, and joint forces coordination across Army, Navy and Air Force. (PC: India Today)

A U.S. trade delegation will visit India on August 25 for the sixth round of talks on a bilateral trade agreement, officials confirmed. The visit comes days before the August 1 deadline, when suspended Trump-era tariffs (up to 26%) on India could be reinstated. Both sides are pushing for an interim pact, with India seeking tariff relief on steel, aluminium, and textiles, while the U.S. demands concessions on agri, dairy, electric vehicles, and industrial goods. India has resisted dairy concessions and asserted its WTO rights. The goal is to finalize an interim deal before a full pact by fall 2025. (PC: The Hindu)