1. New cancer vaccine trials show promise
Scientists in the US and UK are testing personalized mRNA cancer vaccines. Early trials for skin cancer and lung cancer show the immune system can be trained to find and attack tumor cells. More results are expected by end of 2026.
*2. India’s biogas mission gets ₹2.37 Lakh Cr push*
The government approved a big plan to turn farm waste and garbage into clean fuel. This will cut pollution and help farmers earn extra money. 5000 new biogas plants will be set up across India.
*3. Ocean robot finds “dark oxygen” 4000m underwater*
A robot exploring the Pacific ocean floor found that rocks there are making oxygen without sunlight. Scientists think this could change how we understand life in deep sea and even on other planets.
*4. 10-minute phone charging battery*
A new type of lithium battery was tested in labs. It can charge from 0 to 80% in 10 minutes and last longer. Phone and EV companies may start using it by 2027.
*5. AI helps find new antibiotics*
Researchers used AI to scan millions of molecules and found 2 new antibiotics that can kill drug-resistant bacteria. This is a big step in fighting “superbugs”.
*6. Mars rover finds signs of ancient river*
NASA’s rover sent back photos of dried river channels and clay on Mars. It suggests water flowed there for a very long time, making Mars more likely to have had life in the past.
*7. Brain-computer chip trial*
A small chip implanted in a patient’s brain helped them control a computer just by thinking. The goal is to help people with paralysis type and move things without hands.
*DID YOU KNOW?* 
1. *Your body makes enough heat in 30 minutes* to boil half a liter of water. That’s why we sweat to cool down.
2. *There are more possible games of chess* than atoms in the known universe. Number is 10^120.
3. *Bananas are radioactive*. They have potassium-40, but you’d need to eat 10 million bananas at once for it to harm you.
4. *Dark oxygen* was found 4000m under the ocean with no sunlight or plants. Rocks there split water to make oxygen.
5. *A day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus*. It takes 243 Earth days to spin once, but only 225 days to orbit the Sun.
MONEY MATTERS
*1. SENSEX AND NIFTY RALLY*
Indian stock market had a strong week. Sensex crossed 81,500 and Nifty hit 24,900. IT and banking stocks led the gains after good quarterly results.
*2. UPI HITS NEW RECORD*
UPI crossed 18.5 billion transactions in July 2026. That’s the highest ever. Digital payments are now used by over 400 million Indians every month.
*3. PETROL AND DIESEL PRICES STABLE*
Fuel prices remained unchanged this week across major cities. In Zira, Punjab, petrol is around ₹96 per litre and diesel around ₹89 per litre.
*4. GOLD AND SILVER UPDATE*
Gold price went up slightly to ₹74,200 for 10 grams. Silver also rose to ₹92,000 per kg due to global demand.
*5. STARTUP NEWS*
Bengaluru fintech startup “Finly” raised ₹300 Cr funding. It builds savings apps for teens and college students. More young founders are entering the market this year.
*6. RBI UPDATE*
RBI kept the repo rate unchanged at 6.5%. EMIs for home and car loans will stay the same for now.
*Save before you spend*
Got pocket money or birthday cash? Put 20% in savings first. Use apps like Jupiter or Fi to track where your money goes. Small savings now = big goals later.
DID YOU KNOW?
1. India has over 110 unicorns – startups valued at over $1 billion.
2. The ₹500 note is the most used currency note in India.
3. A 15-year-old in 2026 who invests ₹1000 every month can have over ₹20 lakh by age 30, if invested smartly.
68 Indian Airports Now Let You Fly With A Free Book.
Flybrary was conceptualised by Sujit Mahapatra, founder of the Bakul Foundation, in partnership with the Airports Authority of India.
Airport waiting time just got a little more interesting for book lovers. The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Authority of India’s Flybrary initiative lets passengers pick up a book for free, read it while waiting for their flight or during the journey, and return it at a Flybrary at their destination airport.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu recently highlighted the initiative after reposting a video by @travelermohit. He wrote, “Delighted to see passengers welcoming Flybrary!” He added that Flybrary is now available at 68 airports across the country.
HEAL THE WORLD
About 2.4 million girls in Afghanistan are barred from secondary school, the United Nations cultural agency has said, renewing its call on the Taliban government to lift restrictions on female education. UNESCO said that the number of girls deprived of secondary school in the country has grown by 200,000 since last year’s count, and could approach four million by 2030. It is the only country in the world to stop girls and women attending secondary schools and universities, among multiple restrictions on women that have led the UN to accuse the country of “gender apartheid”.
Girls were shut out of secondary schools in March 2022, while women were barred from universities in December that year, months after the Taliban returned to power as the US and allied troops ended their 20-year occupation of the country.
The Taliban administration also banned women from teaching boys, a measure which the UN says stripped qualified staff from the system and left boys with untrained male teachers. The agency projects a shortfall of more than 11,000 qualified female teachers by 2030. The UN notes that the ban adds to a number of compounding issues weighing on Afghanistan’s education system and economy.
Many schools face overcrowding and are poorly equipped. Nearly half of schools lack water, sanitation or heating, and natural disasters have forced about a thousand schools to close in five years. At the primary school level, more than two million children are out of class. Ninety percent of 10-year-olds cannot read a simple text, bringing national literacy down to 37 percent.
The Taliban government has rejected global calls, including from several Muslim-majority governments, to lift its ban on girls’ education, describing the policy as an internal matter.
OP-ED -WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH….
The story has already been told in that ‘Well, not entirely….’
In Asterix and the Missing Scroll (2015), written by Jean-Yves Ferri and illustrated by Conrad, Julius Caesar is preparing the official history of his conquest of Gaul, when an awkward detail appears: one stubborn village has never been conquered. It’s the story of repeated Roman failures against one impudent little village. The answer is wonderfully simple. Don’t rewrite history. Just delete the embarrassing chapter. No bonfires. No dramatic censorship.
The Magic of the Lost Earrings– A pair of earrings, countless memories, one unforgettable journey….
When a pair of antique earrings lands in Nooni’s hands, her quiet holiday with Ajja and Ajji turns into the adventure of a lifetime. From the sacred ghats of Ujjain to the buzzing streets of Amritsar, the storied lanes of Delhi and all the way to London, Nooni follows a trail shimmering with mystery and history! Also Available in Marathi, Hindi, Telugu
CRICKET
Manav Suthar takes 10-wicket haul as India beat Sri Lanka in 600th Test. India take a 1-0 lead with a 165-run win against the hosts in Galle to begin the two-Test series.Suthar, playing only his second Test, impressed with his line and length to ensure India a memorable win on Wednesday in their 600th Test match.
BASKETBALL
Kelsey Mitchell ties WNBA scoring record in Fever win over Tempo. The three-time All-Star made history when she registered 20 or more points in a Women’s National Basketball Association game for the 20th straight time. She tied a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) record when she finished with 29 points before sitting out the fourth, while Caitlin Clark added 24 points for the Indiana Fever to beat the Toronto Tempo 101-95 for their fifth straight victory. Clark and Mitchell have each scored 20 or more in the same game 16 times this season, a WNBA record. Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter did it 15 times with Phoenix in 2008.
TENNIS
Carlos Alcaraz will return to competitive tennis at the US Open, ending a more than four-month absence caused by a wrist injury, in a bid to defend his title in New York. The seven-time Grand Slam champion confirmed that he will play the August 30-September 13 tournament after withdrawing from the Barcelona Open in April and missing the French Open, Wimbledon and the North American hard-court events in Toronto and Cincinnati.