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Venkata Narsamamba Vasamsetty got detained by US immigration authorities on August 11 despite holding a valid Green Card since 2013. The grandmother lived in the US for 27 years. Officials said she abandoned her residency after staying in India during 2022. Her lawyer said, "She wasn't packing up her life."
Defence shares rose up to 8% on August 18 after the Ministry of Defence notified the sixth Positive Indigenisation List of 405 items. This move aims to boost local manufacturing under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Companies like Paras Defence and Zen Technologies saw gains as the government pushed for self-reliance.
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale asked CJP convenor Abhijeet Dipke to join the Republican Party of India on Monday, 17 August. Athawale said, “I think Abhijeet Dipke is an Ambedkarite.” He believes Dipke should join to help fulfil Dr Ambedkar’s dream. Dipke recently said his group will remain a pressure group for now.
Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman has no plans to visit India soon and will skip the BRICS summit. Political sources said the government wants better relations but expects a gesture from New Delhi. “Any outreach now will have to happen from India’s side,” a source in Dhaka said about the ties.
The PM CARES Fund spent only 0.1% of its 2024-25 donations, according to audited statements released on August 18, 2026. While the fund received nearly ₹480 crore, it kept most money idle. Anjali Bhardwaj of the NCPRI asked, “Why is the PM CARES Fund keeping such large sums of money idle?”
The Congress on Tuesday took a jab at the government for using only 0.01% of the PM CARES Fund. Pawan Khera said, "₹8,452 crore sitting idle while people suffer. PM CARES? Hardly." The fund’s corpus reached ₹8,452 crore, yet many people still need relief as natural calamities hit the country.
The BJP on Monday overhauled its national team under President Nitin Nabin, featuring 51 new faces. On Tuesday, these newly appointed office-bearers pledged to strengthen the party organisation. Harish Dwivedi said, "I will continue to work with complete dedication, devotion and commitment to further strengthen the organisation and 'Viksit Bharat'."
Eight Israeli airstrikes hit the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northwestern Syria early Tuesday, damaging its runway and storage facilities. US envoy Tom Barrack said, "We are deeply concerned that the confirmed Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur Airbase constitute an unnecessary escalation." Syria condemned the attack as an act of aggression.
Anil Antony was retained as a national secretary in BJP president Nitin Nabin’s new team. He said the party under Rahul Gandhi had "gone to another tangent" and was "completely cut off" from India. Antony now plans to work towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s long-term vision for a developed India.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Tuesday that Iran’s resilience in the recent conflict dispelled the global perception of the country being weak. Araqchi claimed Tehran won both the war and diplomacy. "The perception of Iran as weak has been completely eliminated," he said, noting that America now seeks negotiations.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham vowed to support Ukraine 100% after Russia warned Britain of consequences over British-made drones used in strikes. Burnham said, "We are not fair-weather friends, we will be there in Ukraine's hour of need." Britain continues to provide military aid to help Kyiv defend itself against Russia.
The Karnataka BJP formed a fact-finding team after three suspected poachers died in a forest firing. The party said, "A fact-finding team has been constituted by the Karnataka State BJP to ascertain the truth." Members will visit the Shaagya site to inspect the 15 August 2026 incident and submit reports.