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.

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.

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.

India and China are holding their first-ever Corps Commander-level talks in Arunachal Pradesh at Wacha BMP along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The engagement comes ahead of the BRICS Summit and follows boundary talks between National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. During their meeting, both sides agreed to strengthen mechanisms aimed at preventing border tensions from escalating. The latest military-level engagement signals continued efforts by New Delhi and Beijing to maintain communication and manage differences along the disputed frontier. The talks in Arunachal Pradesh come amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to stabilise India-China relations and ensure that disagreements along the LAC do not develop into larger confrontations. (PC: X)

India and China held Corps Commander-level talks in Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday to address recent tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), particularly in the Taksing area of Upper Subansiri district. The meeting took place at the Wacha-Damai border meeting point in the Kibithoo sector, marking a significant military dialogue in the eastern sector. India was represented by Lt General Girish Kalia, commander of the Army’s III Corps (Spear Corps). The talks followed recent diplomatic discussions between Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and focused on reducing tensions, managing border differences and maintaining peace along the disputed frontier. 

The world map many people commonly use can make India and other countries near the Equator appear smaller than their actual size because of the Mercator projection’s distortion. The United Nations has backed a move toward the Equal Earth projection, which preserves the relative areas of countries more accurately. India therefore appears somewhat larger on the Equal Earth map, while countries closer to the poles appear less exaggerated. The change is intended to provide a fairer geographical representation, particularly for Africa and other Global South regions. However, no flat map can perfectly represent Earth’s three-dimensional surface without some distortion. (PC: NDTV)

An Indian woman who recently moved to Mumbai after working in the US for nearly a decade has challenged the idea that American workplaces typically follow a strict 5 pm logout culture. Parinaya, a consultant in the US for almost nine years, said she regularly received messages from her manager in the evening, including questions about unanswered emails. She argued that overwork is common across countries and depends on jobs and companies. Parinaya also recalled feeling scrutinised as the only brown person on some work calls. Her comments sparked discussion online, with users sharing experiences of workplace culture in the US, Canada and Europe. (PC: HT)

India has supported a United Nations resolution promoting the Equal Earth map projection, designed to provide a more accurate representation of global land areas, particularly Africa. However, New Delhi clarified that its vote does not endorse any specific map, projection or depiction of national boundaries. The Ministry of External Affairs raised concerns over how Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, which India considers sovereign territory, may be represented in maps. India stressed that cartographic representations should respect its territorial sovereignty and established position. The UN resolution passed overwhelmingly, with 164 countries supporting it, while the United States opposed it. (PC: AFP)

Singapore police are investigating racist and xenophobic online comments linked to the Nepal-Tibet disaster and Singapore Airlines’ investment in Air India, Senior Minister K Shanmugam said. He called the remarks “shameful” and “totally unacceptable,” particularly comments targeting missing Singaporeans and the Indian community. Authorities may ask social-media platforms to remove content violating guidelines. Shanmugam also warned that allowing racist rhetoric to become normalised could damage Singapore’s multiracial social harmony. The controversy has intensified amid scrutiny of SIA’s Air India investment, with some online users directing ethnic attacks at company executives. Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong also condemned the racist backlash and urged Singaporeans to stand together.