Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused Congress leader Sonia Gandhi of asking party leaders to stop the rendition of Vande Mataram during the Congress’ Independence Day programme. Addressing a gathering in Chittorgarh, Shah said the alleged act had hurt public sentiment and demanded an apology from Gandhi and the Congress. BJP leaders claimed Gandhi objected to the song being sung in full, while the Congress rejected the allegations. The party said Gandhi was only ensuring that the correct arrangements were made for the rendition. Shah also accused Congress of forgetting Vande Mataram due to “vote-bank politics”. (PC: India Today)

At least 3 people have been killed and more than 10 injured in the latest Russian aerial attacks across Ukraine, officials said. Russian missiles and drones struck several areas, including a book market in Kyiv, where firefighters battled a major overnight fire. Ukraine said it had shot down 3 Russian missiles and nearly 100 drones. In Zaporizhzhia, 2 people were killed after a guided bomb destroyed a house, while Dnipropetrovsk reported 1 death and 14 injuries. Meanwhile, Moscow said around 600 Ukrainian drones targeted the capital overnight, injuring 3 people and hitting a Wildberries warehouse. (PC: BBC)

India’s long-delayed Project 75(I) submarine programme could see progress soon, with the proposal likely to go before the Cabinet Committee on Security. The project involves building 6 advanced conventional submarines for the Indian Navy at an estimated cost of Rs 70,000 crore. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders will build the submarines in India in partnership with Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. The submarines are expected to feature air-independent propulsion, modern sensors, missiles, torpedoes and electronic warfare systems. The deal aims to strengthen India’s submarine fleet while expanding domestic shipbuilding, technology transfer and underwater warfare capabilities. (PC: NDTV)

India’s 80th Independence Day celebrations in the New York tri-state area featured a Guinness World Record in New Jersey and a parade attended by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. At Veterans Memorial Park in Parsippany, more than 1,300 US flags were arranged to form “250”, marking America’s 250th anniversary, with Indian tricolours surrounding the display. The event was organised by the Indian Consulate in New York and the Federation of Indian Associations. Mamdani attended the Queens India Day Parade in Floral Park, calling it an experience he would never forget and praising the Indian diaspora’s contribution to New York City and its diverse communities. (PC: HT, X)

Former Trinamool Congress MLA and West Bengal Assembly Deputy Speaker Asish Banerjee was found hanging inside a TMC office near his home in Birbhum's Rampurhat on Sunday. Banerjee was a 5-time MLA who represented Rampurhat for 25 years from 2001 to 2026, but lost the seat to BJP's Dhruba Saha in the 2026 Assembly polls. Police recovered a purported note in which Banerjee denied corruption allegations and said he had no role in tender decisions or approvals linked to the Tarapith Rampurhat Development Authority. He also alleged attempts to malign him. Police are investigating, and his body has been sent for postmortem. (PC: India Today)

Bangladesh created history on Sunday by defeating Australia by 9 wickets in Darwin to secure their first-ever Test victory on Australian soil. Australia were bowled out for 198 in the first innings, with Hasan Mahmud taking 6 wickets. Bangladesh then posted 426, gaining a huge 228-run lead, with Tanzid Hasan Tamim scoring a historic 101. Australia fought back through Cameron Green’s 104 but were dismissed for 284 in their second innings. Mehidy Hasan Miraz took 5 wickets to help Bangladesh restrict Australia. Chasing 57 for victory, Bangladesh reached the target with one wicket down, taking a 1-0 lead in the series. (PC: NDTV)

At least 47 people have died after a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Indonesia’s Flores island early Saturday, with rescue teams searching for survivors trapped under rubble. The quake struck shortly before 05:00 local time at a depth of 15km, according to Indonesia’s meteorology agency. More than 900 homes and hundreds of other buildings were severely damaged, while 341 aftershocks were recorded. More than 5,000 people have moved to evacuation shelters, and thousands of aid packages have been sent to affected areas. A tsunami warning was issued after the quake but was lifted about 3 hours later after no significant sea-level rise. (PC: BBC)

Two people were injured after a pistol carried by an Air India passenger accidentally went off during a weapons check at Varanasi airport on Sunday. The passenger, from Azamgarh, was travelling with his wife to Mumbai on Air India flight IX-1810. He had declared the pistol and magazine before boarding. At around 9:30 am, the weapon fired during the security check, with the bullet first hitting the ground before striking a woman and a boy nearby. The woman suffered a gunshot injury to her thigh, while the boy was injured in his hand. Both were taken to a private hospital. Police are investigating. (PC: India Today)

Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued show-cause notices to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their appearance in an advertisement for Vimal Elaichi. The FDA said the campaign could amount to surrogate or indirect promotion of pan masala or tobacco-related products prohibited in Maharashtra. The notice, dated August 11, gives the actors 15 days from receiving it to submit written explanations. The FDA warned that further action could follow if their responses are not received or found unsatisfactory. The action comes during a wider FDA drive against food safety violations at chain restaurants across Maharashtra. (PC: X)

Eleven-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan has emerged as one of Britain’s brightest chess talents after becoming the country’s youngest women’s champion. The Indian-origin prodigy secured the title with a spectacular knight sacrifice and is now England’s highest-rated female player. She began playing chess at five during the 2020 lockdown and quickly rose through international competitions. Sivanandan has defeated experienced grandmasters, including Peter Wells and Marc’Andria Maurizzi, and earlier in 2026 earned the FIDE Master title. She also became the youngest girl to achieve an international master qualification standard, surpassing a record associated with Judit Polgar. She now aims to become a grandmaster. (PC: Reuters)