Seventeen-year-old Madhura Kar from Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, won four gold medals and the world champion title at the IPF World Sub-Junior & Junior Classic Powerlifting Championships in Sun City, South Africa. Competing in the Sub-Junior Women’s 52kg category at a body weight of 49.35kg, she recorded a 292.5kg total. Madhura won gold in the squat with 107.5kg, bench press with 60kg, deadlift with 125kg and overall total. A Class XII student, she won the National Powerlifting Championship in 2024 and defended her title in 2025, besides winning national bench press gold earlier this year. She also won silver at the Asian Powerlifting Championship in China. Her achievement marks a remarkable rise.

ISRO has clarified that it will neither be privatised nor lose its importance, while indicating that its role will increasingly focus on research, development and advanced space missions. Its priorities will further shift towards R&D, human spaceflight, next-generation launch systems, deep-space exploration, planetary missions and strategic national requirements. The clarification comes amid concerns over the future role of India’s premier space agency as private participation in the country’s space sector expands. ISRO’s stated direction indicates that the organisation will continue to remain significant, with greater emphasis on complex technologies, scientific research, human spaceflight and missions of strategic importance to the nation. However, the provided excerpt does not include further details about the specific policy or announcement. (PC: Reuters)

Iran is reportedly planning a coordinated, multi-front attack on Israel resembling the October 7, 2023 assault, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing intelligence sources. Tehran is allegedly seeking to coordinate Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas, the Houthis in Yemen and pro-Iranian militias in Iraq in one campaign. Reports cited by the publication suggest Iran is rebuilding its “Axis of Resistance” and renewing coordination. Hamas’ new leader Khalil al-Hayya is reportedly considered close to Iran, while Hamas and Hezbollah have increased coordination with Iran’s assistance. Purported Hamas documents seized after October 7 allegedly showed Yahya Sinwar sought to expand the confrontation, though Iran and Hezbollah were reportedly not informed of the attack’s details beforehand. (PC: AFP)

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, in London, said Hindu civilisational identity is rooted in the coexistence of diversity and unity. He said differences should be seen as varied expressions of an underlying oneness and urged people to move away from viewing others as enemies to address conflicts effectively. Bhagwat described ‘Hindu’ as a cultural and civilisational identity, rather than merely a religion or geographical category. He rejected the idea that unity requires uniformity, saying Hindu thought accommodates different traditions and paths and does not seek to convert others. His remarks came during the RSS centenary year, as he visits London until September 7 for overseas programmes marking the organisation’s 100 years.

A five-storey building in Delhi’s Satya Niketan collapsed on Sunday afternoon, killing three people and leaving several others feared trapped under the debris. Known as ‘Hostel Daze’, the building housed students as paying guests, many studying at Delhi University’s South Campus. Rescue teams from the NDRF, Delhi Fire Service, police and other agencies continued search operations. Local resident Rajen Chhetri told PTI that basement construction was underway when the collapse occurred, with water accumulating inside. He also claimed the building’s foundation was “extremely weak”. According to Chhetri, many residents were from Kerala, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, studying at nearby colleges and paying around Rs 12,000 per bed for accommodation.

Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov said New Delhi buys Russian oil for its own energy security and national development, not to help Moscow fund the Ukraine war. His comments come amid intensifying Western sanctions and possible secondary tariffs targeting countries importing Russian oil. The US is considering legislation allowing tariffs of up to 100 per cent on imports from major Russian crude or gas buyers. Alipov accused sanctioning countries of choosing “pressure tactics” over cooperation and said Russia is willing to supply India with as much oil as required. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said cutting Russian oil purchases would not end the Ukraine conflict, which, he stressed, requires dialogue, diplomacy and negotiation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed grief over the loss of lives in the Satya Niketan building collapse in Delhi, calling the incident distressing and extending condolences to the families of those who died. In a post on X, Modi prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured and said authorities were working at the site to assist those affected. The latest update said 4 people had died and 9 had been rescued following the collapse at Satya Niketan Market. Rescue operations remained underway as authorities continued efforts at the site. News18 also reported that ongoing repair and construction work in the basement of the five-storey boys’ PG hostel was believed to have caused the sudden collapse.

At least four people have died and several others were injured after a five-storey student PG building collapsed in southwest Delhi’s Satya Niketan on Sunday afternoon. The collapse turned the congested neighbourhood near Delhi University’s South Campus into a frantic rescue zone, with fears that dozens could still be trapped beneath tonnes of rubble. Rescue teams are racing against time to reach those inside the debris. Locals said the building, known as “Hostel Daze”, was nearly 50 years old, while construction work was underway in its basement when it collapsed. The area has congested lanes lined with student hostels, PG accommodations and eateries. Six people have been rescued, while several students remain trapped.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake an official three-day visit to Sri Lanka from September 8 to 10, marking the first visit by an Indian Defence Minister to the island nation in 38 years. During the visit, Mr. Singh is expected to meet Sri Lanka’s top leadership and hold consultations on bilateral, regional and defence-related issues. Discussions are likely to include defence cooperation, including possible collaboration in air-defence systems, and a review of ongoing security engagements between the two countries. The visit is expected to provide fresh momentum to the growing India-Sri Lanka defence partnership. Mr. Singh will also interact with members of the Indian diaspora during his stay in Colombo. (PC: ANI)

Singapore police are investigating a wave of racist and xenophobic online comments targeting people of Indian origin, Senior Minister K Shanmugam said. The abuse followed Nepal’s August 26 flash floods, which left nine Singaporeans missing, and reports that Air India sought about $1.5 billion from shareholders, including Singapore Airlines. Shanmugam called the remarks “shameful, nasty and totally unacceptable”, citing stereotypes involving snakes, curry, pratam and black magic. He said perpetrators should be unmasked and dealt with, while Singapore’s Ministry of Digital Development and Information will ask platforms to remove comments breaching guidelines. Authorities circulated 20 examples, including “CECA faces”. Shanmugam also condemned attacks on Temasek CEO Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara over his ethnicity and alleged Air India preference.