PM Modi lands in China after seven years; to meet Xi, Putin

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tianjin on Saturday (August 30, 2025), for his first visit to China since 2018. He is set to hold bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and several other leaders before attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit on Monday (September 1, 2025). The Prime Minister’s much-anticipated meeting with Mr. Xi on Sunday (August 31, 2025) afternoon comes amidst a marked improvement in bilateral ties against the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff war. This is the second meeting between the two leaders in less than a year, after their talks on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan last October.

What awaits PM Modi at SCO Summit?

Even without the overhang of the rift with the U.S., Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tianjin for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit is replete with symbolism, some awkward encounters and many significant firsts. Mr. Modi will come face to face with Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for the first time since the Pahalgam terror attacks and Operation Sindoor. This will be his first in-person attendance at the SCO Summit in three years, a grouping that he appeared to have put on the backburner since his last appearance at the Samarkand Summit in 2022.

Election Commission gets close to 2 lakh requests to remove names from Bihar voters’ list

The Election Commission of India (ECI) said on Saturday (August 30, 2025) that it had received more than 1.97 lakh requests from individuals to exclude names from the voters’ list in Bihar under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the State. The poll body said that while 1,97,764 requests were for exclusion, as many as 29,872 requests were made for inclusion in the electoral rolls. It said that 33,771 requests filed for claims and objections were disposed of after seven days.

PM Modi likely to visit Manipur in second week of September, first since ethnic violence erupted in 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Manipur in the second week of September, the first time since ethnic violence erupted in the State more than two years ago, government sources told The Hindu. The Prime Minister is likely to visit Imphal and Churachandpur districts in the violence-hit State where he is expected to meet people displaced from their homes due to the ethnic strife. During his visit, he is also likely to announce key infrastructure projects for the region and inaugurate few projects, sources said.

Centre overruled industry demands on safeguards for phone, internet tapping: RTI response

The Union government did not incorporate industry demands for greater accountability and judicial scrutiny in its phone and internet tapping rules, according to a review of submissions to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) obtained by The Hindu. In India, lawful interception — the technical term for tapping phone connections for calls, and internet connections for data — is authorised by senior officials in the Union and State governments, without any judicial oversight.

Jagdeep Dhankhar seeks pension from Rajasthan Assembly as former MLA

Former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar has sought resumption of his pension from the Rajasthan Assembly as an erstwhile legislator, when he represented Ajmer district’s Kishangarh constituency between 1993 and 1998. Mr. Dhankhar’s pension was discontinued in 2019 after he was appointed the Governor of West Bengal.

Modi reassures Ukraine of India’s support during call with Zelenskyy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (August 30, 2025) conveyed to Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that India supports all efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine. In a phone conversation initiated by Mr. Zelenskyy, PM Modi reaffirmed India’s steadfast and consistent position for peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Mamata, Abhishek to skip Patna Opposition rally; Trinamool Congress nominates Yusuf and Lalitesh

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee are likely to miss the concluding leg of the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar on September 1. The party has instead nominated Baharampur MP Yusuf Pathan and Uttar Pradesh-based leader Lalitesh Tripathi to represent the party in Patna.

WBSSC publishes lists of tainted candidates barred from fresh recruitment in schools

The West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) on Saturday (August 30, 2025) published lists of “tainted ineligible” candidates, who were recruited during the recruitment process carried out by the Commission in 2016. While the List 1 contained 1,804 names with roll numbers of “tainted ineligible”, candidates, the List 2 contained the names of tainted candidates, who have applied for the ongoing recruitment process in the State-run schools and have been issued admit cards. The List 2 contained 1,020 names though there can be multiple applications by the same person, the Commission stated.

Israeli airstrike kills Houthi rebel Prime Minister in Sanaa

The Iranian-backed Houthis said on Saturday (August 30, 2025) that an Israeli airstrike killed the Prime Minister of the rebel-controlled government in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Ahmed al-Rahawi was killed in a Thursday strike in Sanaa along with a number of ministers, the rebels said in a statement. The Israeli military said that it “precisely struck a Houthi terrorist regime military target in the area of Sanaa in Yemen.”

Pakistan evacuates half a million people stranded by floods

Nearly half a million people have been displaced by flooding in eastern Pakistan after days of heavy rain swelled rivers, relief officials said on Saturday (August 30, 2025), as they carried out a massive rescue operation. Three transboundary rivers that cut through Punjab province, which borders India, have swollen to exceptionally high levels, affecting more than 2,300 villages.

Indian economy to sustain high growth momentum in coming quarters: CEA Nageswaran

Speaking virtually at an event organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) V. Anantha Nageswaran on Saturday (August 30, 2025) said the high growth momentum exhibited in the first quarter of the current fiscal is expected to continue in the coming quarter as well, with a downward bias emanating from high U.S. tariffs. The Indian economy reported a stronger-than-expected 7.8% growth in April-June, its fastest pace in five quarters.

RCB announces ₹25 lakh financial aid to families of stampede victims

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) announced a compensation of ₹25 lakh each to the eleven people who died in the franchise’s IPL victory celebrations. In a post on ‘X’, RCB stated, “We lost eleven members of the RCB family. They were part of us. Part of what makes our city, our community & our team unique. Their absence will echo in the memories of each one of us. No amount of support can ever fill the space they’ve left behind. But as a first step, and with the deepest respect, RCB has extended ₹25 lakh each to their families. Not just as financial aid, but as a promise of compassion, unity, and ongoing care.”

Published – August 31, 2025 06:25 am IST