Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a forensic investigation into a controversial audio clip released by activist Manoj Jarange, which purportedly claims Rs 500 crore was delivered to him through Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, amid escalating political accusations.
Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke claims Delhi Police may detain him ahead of the party's 'Lehra Do Tiranga' march in Central Park, Connaught Place, on Friday. The march is a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities. Dipke criticised the closure of Central Park and the alleged arrests of CJP members for waving the national flag, accusing the Prime Minister of hating the Tiranga and alleging an undeclared "Emergency".
Tamil Nadu police detained Assistant Professor A Kalaiyarasan for an alleged abusive Instagram comment targeting TVK MLA J Kamatchi. He was later released after police confirmed his photo was used for a fake account. The incident drew strong criticism from DMK president M K Stalin, who termed it "peak of fascism" and demanded an apology, while Kalaiyarasan detailed his "harassment and humiliation".
The GST Council has approved a proposal allowing pharmaceutical companies to claim Input Tax Credit (ITC) on free samples and goods destroyed or written off due to expiry, effective from the next fiscal year. This move aims to support manufacturing, liquidity, and exports within the sector.
Europe is reeling under a fresh wave of protests as people march over the rising cost of living, pensions, housing, education, corruption and opposition to war. Groups across France, Albania, Italy, Spain and Portugal have held demonstrations in multiple cities, leading to clashes between protesters and the police.
'Once this entire AI and tech driven euphoria in the Western markets sees a correction there will be a re-evaluation of the Indian equity market and inflows will resume.'
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has publicly supported India's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. He stated that any reform of the UNSC should not grant additional seats to Western countries like Germany and Japan, citing their "militarism and revanchism." Instead, Russia advocates for increased representation from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, specifically backing India and Brazil, while also emphasizing the need to address African interests.
The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has officially approved the renaming of the Noida International Airport at Jewar to 'Narendra Modi International Airport, Noida-Jewar', a move Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described as a "major gift" to the state.
Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi will not attend the Asian Games 2026 gold medal cricket match between India and Pakistan due to prior commitments. His absence helps avoid a potential protocol conflict given the ongoing tensions with the BCCI regarding trophy presentations.
The BJP has accused Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut of creating a fake audio clip using AI, alleging a Rs 500 crore payout to Maratha quota leader Manoj Jarange. The BJP claims Raut orchestrated the conspiracy to push Rahul Gandhi's agenda and create rifts among ruling allies. Raut, however, claims a BJP MLC leaked the clip due to internal party competition. Maharashtra CM Fadnavis has ordered a forensic probe into the audio clip.
'India needs to create eight-nine million jobs annually to absorb the growth in the working-age population.' 'Failure to create productive jobs could squander the demographic advantage that we enjoy right now.'
India has strongly rejected a report by a UN human rights expert, Gina Romero, which claimed that young people in India face retaliation or stigmatisation for discussing mental health or gender justice. India's First Secretary Anuj Swarup labelled the report as "hearsay" based on "anonymous and unverified claims," asserting that it does a disservice to the expert's mandate. Swarup highlighted India's constitutional freedoms, independent judiciary, and government's proactive engagement with youth, citing examples like the amendment to the Public Examinations Act and the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue.
NITI Aayog has called for a fundamental overhaul of urban governance in India, advocating for empowered city governments, directly elected mayors with five-year terms, and greater financial autonomy for urban local bodies to manage the country's rapidly growing urban population.
JD(U) MLA Anant Kumar Singh openly defied his party by supporting a rival candidate, Anuj Singh of the Jan Suraaj Party, for the Bihar legislative council elections. This move is seen as a direct challenge to JD(U)'s official candidate, Neeraj Kumar, with whom Singh has a long-standing rivalry. The JD(U) leadership is reportedly considering action against Singh.
JD-U MLA Anant Singh, a prominent 'strongman' in Bihar politics, has openly defied his party by campaigning for Jan Suraaj Party candidate Anuj Singh in the Patna Graduate constituency legislative council polls.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif repeatedly refused to answer reporters' questions regarding Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed during his visit to the United Nations headquarters for the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
India's Next-Gen GST reforms are proving instrumental in driving robust economic growth, simplifying tax compliance, and fostering a more inclusive business environment across the nation, aligning with the vision of a 'Viksit Bharat', writes Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Five southern states are stepping up coordination on delimitation, tax devolution and language issues, reviving calls for a stronger collective South platform.
BJP legislators in Karnataka protested during a special legislative session by reciting the full version of Vande Mataram after the official recording played in the Assembly and Council ended after only two stanzas. The Congress government in the state has a standing order to play only the first two stanzas at its programmes, except for high-profile events.
Rahul Gandhi has written to President Droupadi Murmu, urging her to ask the government to reconsider the appointment of Dushyant Gautam as Governor of Sikkim. Gandhi argues that Gautam's appointment, while a CBI probe into the Ankita Bhandari murder case is ongoing, places him beyond the reach of investigation due to gubernatorial immunity. Ankita's parents allege Gautam's involvement and have protested the appointment.
JD(U) MLA Anant Kumar Singh has publicly declared his intention to support and campaign for Jan Suraaj Party candidate Anuj Singh against his own party's MLC, Neeraj Kumar, in the upcoming Bihar legislative council polls. Singh cited personal scores and past conspiracies involving Neeraj Kumar and RCP Singh as reasons for his rebellion.
The Chintan Shivir is expected to discuss the progress of government schemes, policy implementation, time management, inter-ministerial coordination, and public service delivery, among others.
Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the opposition amidst ongoing protests for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and scrapping of SIR. Shah predicted a "crushing defeat" for the Congress in the 2029 general elections, citing the BJP's and NDA's strong public support and the Congress's dismal performance in recent bypolls and local body elections across several states, including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tripura. He urged the Congress to introspect instead of engaging in "negative politics" and "fabricated media events."
75% of India's 60 million digital-payment merchants have never recorded a transaction above 2,000.
India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is actively courting Sri Lanka's Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a Marxist party with strong Sinhalese nationalist roots, marking a significant shift in bilateral relations despite ideological differences. This engagement, highlighted by a recent high-profile visit by JVP leader Tilvin Silva, aims to foster cooperation on economic projects and address New Delhi's concerns over slow progress in India-aided initiatives in the island nation.
Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka assembly R Ashoka on Sunday announced that the Bharatiya Janata Party and its ally Janata Dal-Secular would lay siege to Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on August 24 seeking the removal of planning and statistics minister B Nagendra from the cabinet.
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games have officially concluded, with India finishing a commendable fourth in the medal standings.
Given the current friction in ties, such a visit looks unlikely at this juncture.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya met World Aquatics president Husain Al-Musallam to discuss strengthening cooperation, developing aquatic sports in India, and exploring India's readiness to host Asian-level championships. India is also targeting to host the 2038 Asian Games and 2036 Olympics.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced a series of significant educational reforms, including a proposed ban on face coverings like burqas and niqabs in schools, a legal cap on the number of foreign students per classroom, and a requirement for parents of foreign students with integration issues to learn Italian. Meloni stated these measures aim to ensure immigrants learn Italian language and culture, and respect national rules, emphasising gender equality as non-negotiable. Additionally, she revealed plans to scrap the multiple-choice entrance test for medical school admissions.
JD(U) president Nitish Kumar and his son Nishant Kumar made a joint appearance at a party orientation programme, sparking speculation about Nishant's political future and potential leadership roles within the party. The event, aimed at training parliamentarians and legislators, also saw Nishant urging attendees to uphold his father's principles of "zero tolerance for crime, corruption and communalism."
Karnataka's two-month-old government saw its first cabinet expansion with 19 MLAs sworn in as ministers, leading to immediate discontent and the resignation of one Congress legislator over his exclusion.
The Indian Sports Ministry has sought assistance from the Indian diaspora in Nagoya to help with athlete accommodation at the Asian Games, as several Indian and other athletes have faced delays and issues with their designated lodging due to a lack of a dedicated athletes' village.
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games concluded with a spectacular closing ceremony featuring a dazzling light and musical show, celebrating Japan's culture and hospitality. The event saw over 350 records broken, including 50 world records, and marked the official handover to Doha for the 2030 Games. India finished fourth in the medal tally with 85 medals.
The Supreme Court has agreed to urgently hear a 2016 Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the speedy disposal of criminal cases against lawmakers across India. This decision comes amidst concerns raised by amicus curiae Vijay Hansaria about the high number of legislators facing criminal charges, including chief ministers. The court had previously issued directions in November 2023 to fast-track such trials.
Mixed Martial Arts fighter Varun Sanyal, son of PM's Economic Advisory Council member Sanjiv Sanyal, was briefly hospitalised in Nagoya after passing out in a sauna while cutting weight for a competition. He has since recovered and is stable.
A Supreme Court bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma has given split opinions on whether pleas challenging the 2023 law for appointing the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners should be referred to a larger Constitution bench, citing a difference in views on the law's constitutional validity and the executive's role in selections.
South African jurist Navanethem 'Navi' Pillay, of Indian origin, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her lifelong dedication to advancing human rights, peace, and international law, including her significant contributions to shaping international law on genocide and sexual violence.
India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs to secure the gold medal in the Asian Games cricket final, a match that passed without any major controversy despite the ongoing diplomatic tensions and the conspicuous absence of customary handshakes between the teams.
Recent BJP organisational moves and Rajya Sabha nominations have sparked speculation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may soon undertake a ministerial reshuffle.
