China has welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertion that India follows an independent foreign policy and that its engagement with Beijing is not influenced by any third country. Beijing described the message as significant for the future of China-India relations. The comments followed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting with Modi on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. It was Xi’s first bilateral visit to India in seven years and the leaders’ third interaction in three years. Beijing described the meeting as another important step towards improving bilateral ties. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the talks reaffirmed the direction of relations, from restarting engagement in Kazan to further progress in Tianjin and now New Delhi. (PC: Reuters)

Three Italian nationals flew from Delhi to Munich without undergoing immigration at Delhi airport on September 4, prompting the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to issue a show cause notice to Air India. The passengers had flown from Amritsar to Delhi on an Air India domestic service before boarding a Lufthansa flight to Munich. They were not eligible for Air India’s “Easy Connect” hub-and-spoke arrangement, which allows eligible passengers to complete immigration at their origin airport. Their boarding passes carried the D designator, requiring them to exit arrivals and undergo immigration at Delhi. MoCA issued the notice on September 12, seeking explanations over the incident, ground handling and passenger-data reconciliation. Air India has not responded. (PC: Zee Business)

India has approved early electricity exports to Nepal after devastating floods damaged hydropower facilities and killed more than 1,300 people. The Power Ministry said Nepal will be able to receive electricity for 18 hours a day from September 13 to December 31. The move will help Nepal meet its power needs during the crisis. It will also strengthen energy ties between the two countries, the ministry said. India will review the amount of power supplied from January next year in December. Nepal usually imports electricity from India during winter. In summer, it exports surplus hydropower to India when production is higher.  

Pakistan will take part in the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament in India next month, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann confirmed on Monday. The six-team competition will be held from October 27 to November 5 in Jalandhar and Mohali. India, Pakistan, China, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea will compete in the tournament. Mann said India’s policy allows the two countries to face each other in multinational sporting events, even though bilateral contests remain restricted. League-stage matches will be played in Jalandhar, while the semi-finals and final will be held in Mohali. India enter as defending champions. (PC: X)

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has dismissed social media claims that a deadly explosion took place in New Delhi shortly before the BRICS Summit concluded on Sunday. The claims, allegedly circulated by Pakistani propaganda accounts, said eight people were killed in the blast. PIB clarified that the video being shared is old and has no connection with the BRICS Summit. The footage relates to the November 2025 Red Fort blast in Delhi, in which several people were killed. India hosted the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13 without any reported untoward incident, according to the government’s fact-checking wing. (PC: HT)

Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed creating an open-source artificial intelligence community within BRICS, aiming to boost cooperation among member countries on AI development and deployment. The proposal includes collaboration on large language models, AI training and a shared digital cloud platform. The initiative could help BRICS nations reduce dependence on AI technologies dominated by US companies and strengthen technological self-reliance. For India, the plan offers an opportunity to shape shared AI infrastructure and promote its own digital capabilities. However, differences within BRICS over technology, geopolitics and China’s growing influence could pose challenges to deeper cooperation. (PC: X)

Bangladesh wants to “reset” its relationship with India and establish a new bilateral engagement based on mutual interests, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said on Sunday. He described Bangladesh-India ties during deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s tenure as “uncomfortable” and urged Dhaka to move beyond what he called “India fascination”. His remarks came two days after Bangladesh said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would not attend the BRICS Summit in India because he was not invited in his capacity as Bangladesh’s prime minister. India had invited Rahman as chair of BIMSTEC, while a separate bilateral invitation had been extended to him in February. The two-day BRICS Summit concluded on Sunday. (PC: The Telegraph)

The University of Cambridge has unveiled a portrait of late former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, drawing praise from academics including former Chief Economic Adviser Kaushik Basu. Basu said Singh was one of the world’s most respected leaders and stood out for his rare combination of intellect, modesty and integrity, which gave India a special place on the world stage. Cambridge rarely unveils portraits of its alumni, making the tribute an acknowledgment of Singh’s intellectual stature. Singh studied Economics at Cambridge, earning a First Class Honours degree in 1957 and later completing a DPhil at Oxford in 1962. Cambridge had described him as a distinguished alumnus after his death in 2024. Singh was also born in 1932. (PC: X)

India has condemned an attack on the merchant vessel MT El Gaia off Oman’s coast. The Ministry of External Affairs said 13 Indian crew members were rescued. One Indian national is still missing. Search and rescue operations are continuing. The Indian Embassy in Oman is working with local authorities on the case. India thanked Oman for helping rescue its citizens. The MEA called the attack on commercial ships and civilians “unacceptable”. It urged all sides to reduce tensions and choose dialogue and diplomacy. India also called for safe navigation and the free movement of goods through international waterways in the region.  

Russia has said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping offered their “good offices” to help facilitate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. The disclosure came during the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, where Modi and Xi met Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov welcomed the offer, indicating Moscow is open to diplomatic efforts. The development comes as US President Donald Trump faces difficulties in breaking the deadlock over a potential peace agreement. India has consistently advocated dialogue and diplomacy, while China has also presented itself as willing to support negotiations. (PC: India Today)