The Election Commission of India on Thursday announced Phase 3 of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across 16 states and three Union Territories, including Delhi and Maharashtra. The exercise will cover nearly 36.73 crore voters, with over 3.94 lakh Booth Level Officers conducting door-to-door verification between May 30 and October 14. The EC said the revision aims to remove duplicate, bogus and ineligible entries from voter lists. After Phase 3, the entire country will be covered under SIR except Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. (PC: HT)

The West Bengal government has issued fresh rules making fitness certificates mandatory before the slaughter of cows, bulls, buffaloes and related animals. Authorities said slaughter will only be allowed if the animal is over 14 years old or permanently unfit due to injury, disease or age. The order also bans slaughter in public places and directs that certified animals be taken only to authorised slaughterhouses ahead of Bakrid later this month. Officials have been empowered to inspect premises without obstruction. Violators can face up to six months in jail, a fine of ₹1,000, or both under the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950. (PC: X)

The BJP-led governments in Bihar and West Bengal have begun linking welfare benefits with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, aiming to remove duplicate, deceased and ineligible beneficiaries. Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said people deleted from voter lists would lose access to ration and welfare schemes, while West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced stricter verification for social benefits. The move has triggered political controversy, with opposition leaders questioning whether deletion from electoral rolls should determine access to government welfare schemes and citizenship-linked entitlements. (PC: India Today)

At least 89 people were killed and 53 injured after powerful storms, heavy rain and hailstorms swept across several districts of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. The worst-hit areas included Prayagraj, Bhadohi, Fatehpur and Badaun, where houses collapsed, trees and electric poles were uprooted, and lightning strikes claimed multiple lives. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to provide relief and compensation to affected families within 24 hours. Authorities have also ordered surveys to assess crop and property damage caused by the unseasonal weather across the state. 

A 30-year-old factory worker was allegedly abducted and gang-raped inside a moving sleeper bus in northwest Delhi’s Rani Bagh area, police said on Thursday. According to investigators, the woman was returning home on May 11 when a sleeper bus stopped near Saraswati Vihar. She alleged that after asking a man near the bus for the time, she was pulled inside and sexually assaulted by two men as the bus travelled towards Nangloi. Police later rescued the woman near Nangloi Metro station. The Bihar-registered bus has been seized, CCTV footage is being examined, and the accused driver Umesh and conductor Ramendra have been arrested. (PC: HT)

Mamata Banerjee on Thursday arrived at the Calcutta High Court wearing a lawyer’s gown, likely to appear in connection with a post-poll violence case filed by the Trinamool Congress. She was accompanied by TMC MP and advocate Kalyan Banerjee, his son Shirshanya Bandopadhyay and lawyer Baiswanor Chatterjee. Visuals of Banerjee in legal attire outside the court quickly drew attention amid heightened political tensions in West Bengal following the Assembly election results. Sources said the matter relates to alleged incidents of post-poll violence involving Trinamool Congress supporters.

V. D. Satheesan was on Thursday elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party, clearing the way for him to become Kerala’s next Chief Minister after the Congress-led UDF’s sweeping election victory. The decision followed days of lobbying and high-level discussions in New Delhi involving Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. Satheesan’s appointment ends uncertainty within the party after the UDF won 102 of Kerala’s 140 Assembly seats. Supporters celebrated outside his Aluva residence as the Congress now moves towards government formation and cabinet discussions with alliance partners. (PC: X)

Donald Trump called talks with Xi Jinping “great” after receiving a grand state welcome in Beijing during a high-stakes visit focused on trade, technology and security tensions. Xi urged China and the United States to be “partners, not rivals” as both leaders held nearly two hours of discussions. Chinese state media also highlighted Xi’s warning against possible conflict over Taiwan. Trump, joined by Tesla chief Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, said he would push China to open its markets further to American businesses. The visit comes as Beijing projects itself as a stronger and more assertive global power. (PC: BBC)

A 30-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped inside a stationary sleeper bus in Delhi’s Rani Bagh area, with police arresting the driver and conductor in the case. The survivor, who works at a factory in Mangolpuri, was returning home on the night of May 11 when the bus stopped near Saraswati Vihar. According to police, she approached a man near the bus door to ask the time before being allegedly forced inside. The accused then allegedly drove the bus towards Nangloi, where the assault took place. Police have seized the bus, registered an FIR and launched further investigation. The incident has triggered political outrage, with AAP leaders comparing it to the 2012 Nirbhaya case. (PC: NDTV)

Diljit Dosanjh has reportedly been travelling on a United States passport since acquiring US citizenship in 2022, according to a report by The Indian Express. The disclosure has sparked widespread discussion because the globally popular Punjabi singer-actor remains closely associated with Punjab’s cultural identity and recently rejected calls to enter state politics. The report claimed Dosanjh has been entering India on an e-visa since September 2022, indicating he may no longer hold Indian citizenship or an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. It further stated that he used his US passport during his latest India visit. The development has intensified debate online over nationality, identity, diaspora influence, and celebrity politics in Punjab. (PC: Instagram/ Diljit Dosanjh)