Blitz Bureau
Diplomacy : Sitharaman Opens the Canada Leg
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed the Indian business community in Toronto on 26 August, on the first stop of a nine-day visit to Canada and the United States running to 2 September. She pitched collaboration with Canadian banks, fintech firms and regulators, and cited the June 2025 Modi–Carney understanding at the G7 as the reset point.
Markets : Crude Falls, and the Index Opens Up
The Sensex opened at 77,892.10 on 26 August, up 236.01 points, and the Nifty 50 at 24,341.95, up 7.40, after Brent eased to about $85.5 a barrel from near $94 last week. The previous close was 77,656.09 and 24,334.55. FIIs bought equities worth ₹1,593.53 crore on 25 August; DIIs bought ₹230.26 crore.
Welfare : Delhi Hands Over 4,000 Letters
The Delhi government handed approval letters to 4,000 women under the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana on 26 August; ₹2,500 a month reaches bank accounts from 1 September. Over 9.13 lakh women have registered but only about 6.52 lakh applications are finally submitted — 2.61 lakh registrations are still incomplete.
Trade : Two Hundred Executives Land in Tokyo
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is in Japan from 24 to 27 August with India’s largest-ever business delegation — more than 200 representatives across manufacturing, semiconductors, clean energy, steel, automotive, financial services, healthcare and start-ups. Dedicated roundtables with Keidanren covered semiconductors and artificial intelligence.
Multilateral : India Speaks on Food Under Fire
India told the UN Security Council on 26 August that its immediate priority must be mitigating the humanitarian consequences of ongoing hostilities. The intervention came in an open debate titled “Food Under Fire”, on the Council’s role in protecting food systems in conflict — a debate that matters to a country that is among the world’s largest exporters of rice and wheat products.
Health : ICMR: This Is a Normal Flu Season
Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary of the Department of Health Research and Director General of the ICMR, told a briefing in New Delhi on 26 August that circulating influenza viruses match the seasonal pattern of recent years and do not indicate a new threat. The caution is targeted: the elderly, children and those with underlying conditions.
Sports : The PM Takes Khelo India to Every District
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the Khelo India Dialogue by video conference on 27 August, ahead of National Sports Day. Organised by Mera Yuva Bharat, the programme runs at two colleges in every district across states and union territories — the reach, not the address, is the news.
Cricket : Rain Takes the Colombo Test to Day Four
India declared their first innings at 503 for 9 in the second Test at Colombo on 24 August. Sri Lanka batted through a rain- and light-interrupted third day on 26 August, with the match scheduled to close on 27 August. Blitz India carries no innings total for day three: available accounts of the follow-on differ, and a disputed score does not run.
Chess : Praggnanandhaa Into the Final
R Praggnanandhaa reached the final of the last leg of the Grand Chess Tour on 26 August, beating Germany’s Vincent Keymer. It is the second consecutive season in which Indian players have gone deep into the Tour’s closing event — the measure of a system, not a streak.
Science : A Prehistoric Gallery Opens in Delhi
The newly developed Prehistoric Life Gallery at the National Science Centre, Delhi — a unit of the National Council of Science Museums under the Ministry of Culture — is inaugurated at 4 pm on 26 August. Science museums are the cheapest scientific infrastructure a country can build, and the only kind a nine-year-old can walk into.
States : Punjab Says Sugar Stocks Are Adequate
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on 26 August that there is no shortage of sugar in Punjab and that the state government is keeping watch on stocks. Separately, earthquake tremors were felt in Shimla the same morning, and Mumbai Police deployed over 10,000 personnel for Eid-e-Milad.
Festivals : Onam and Milad-un-Nabi, Same Day
Keralites across the world marked Thiru Onam, the most auspicious day of the Onam festival, on 26 August, while Eid Milad-un-Nabi was observed across the country with Milad processions and Seerat conferences. The Prime Minister extended greetings on the occasion of Milad-un-Nabi.
