Indonesia is coordinating with Indian authorities and CITES to repatriate five baby orangutans rescued in Odisha’s Balasore on September 8. The primates, three males and two females aged six months to one year, were found in Bichitrapur forest and moved to Nandankanan Zoological Park, where they remain quarantined in a temperature-controlled facility. Preliminary observations suggest they may be Sumatran orangutans, with DNA testing needed for confirmation. Indonesian authorities are working with India’s CITES Management Authority, diplomatic missions and conservation bodies to expedite their return. Odisha Police’s Special Task Force and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau are investigating a suspected international trafficking network and how the animals reached India, including possible trafficking routes.

A 24-year-old Indian-origin woman, Malaika Chitre, and her Nepali-American friend, Navam Kaul, were killed after being struck by a subway train at Spring Street station in Lower Manhattan. According to The New York Post, citing the NYPD, the two were sitting on the roadbed when a southbound No. 4 train hit them at 3:15 am. Chitre was from Dayton, New Jersey, while Kaul was from Sayreville, New Jersey. Bystander video appears to show them sitting on the tracks before the train approached. Sources said the train operator saw them, activated emergency brakes, but could not stop in time. Operator reportedly said Chitre appeared to be laughing while pulling Kaul toward her.

A US judge blocked a Trump administration rule that would have limited how long international students and journalists could remain in the country without extensions. US District Judge F. Dennis Saylor in Boston issued the order a day before the Department of Homeland Security rule was due to take effect. The July rule sought to replace the nearly five-decade “duration of status” system, limiting F and J visas to four years and I visas for journalists to 240 days. Saylor said DHS relied on “exceptionally weak” rationales and failed to consider less burdensome alternatives. He warned the policy could reduce foreign students, professors and journalists, harming universities and the US economy. (PC: X)

China’s Embassy in India spokesperson shared a video highlighting China-India friendship and youth exchanges at the BRICS Bazaar in New Delhi. The clip features young participants from multiple BRICS countries exploring cultural exhibition stalls and celebrating the diversity of the grouping. Shared during India’s 2026 BRICS chairship, the post reflects Beijing’s public-diplomacy outreach and emphasis on people-to-people ties. It also spotlights cultural engagement between China and India at the multilateral gathering, presenting the BRICS Bazaar as a space for interaction among young participants from different member countries. The video’s “China! Namaste, India!” message underscores the embassy’s focus on friendship, cultural exchange and youth engagement during India’s BRICS chairship and multilateral gathering.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached the “most important consensus” that China and India should be partners during their meeting on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit. Summing up Xi’s September 12-13 visit to New Delhi, Wang said the leaders held candid, in-depth discussions on strategic, long-term and directional issues concerning bilateral relations. According to Wang, Xi said China and India could draw on each other’s strengths, support one another, help each other succeed and pursue common development. The leaders also agreed to jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in border areas and support each other as rotating BRICS chairs. Wang said their meeting attracted widespread international attention.

Beijing has praised India’s approach to China, highlighting New Delhi’s independent foreign policy and its position that relations with Beijing are not influenced by any third country. The remarks came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. China described Modi’s position as significant for the future of China-India relations. Xi’s visit marked his first trip to India in seven years and the third interaction between the two leaders in three years. Beijing said the meeting was an important step toward improving bilateral ties, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun describing the relationship as moving from a “restart” to further progress.

The Israel Embassy to Southern India extended warm wishes on Ganesh Chaturthi, celebrating the festival alongside the upcoming Jewish New Year. The message highlighted the friendship between Israel and India and expressed hopes for a year filled with wisdom, celebrations and togetherness. The embassy’s greeting sought to mark both occasions while emphasising the ties between the two countries. It concluded with the festive Hindu greeting, “Ganapati Bappa Morya.” The message comes as Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations coincide with preparations for the Jewish New Year, bringing together references to traditions. Through its greeting, the embassy underscored friendship, shared celebrations and goodwill between Israel and India while conveying wishes for wisdom, joy and unity.

An Indian-origin man has been declared a fugitive in the US over an alleged $93 million Medicare fraud. The US Department of Health and Human Services named him as Khadeer Khan Mohammed. Authorities said he used a company called American Premier to submit false claims for genetic tests. Medicare paid at least $65 million on these claims, officials said. In just 10 days in 2023, Medicare reportedly paid around $13 million in suspected fraudulent claims. Mohammed allegedly used doctors’ personal information without their knowledge to file claims. Authorities said the tests were not ordered by the doctors. He is believed to be in Hyderabad.  

India’s Ministry of Power approved expedited electricity exports to flood-hit Nepal, where devastating floods destroyed hydropower infrastructure and killed more than 1,300 people. The approval allows India to export power to Nepal for 18 hours a day from September 13 through December 31, 2026. The Power Ministry said the move would help Nepal meet its power requirements during the difficult period and further strengthen close, longstanding energy cooperation between the two countries. The decision comes as Nepal works to recover from the floods, which affected its power infrastructure. India’s approval is intended to support Nepal’s electricity needs while recovery efforts continue following the devastating flooding and its impact on hydropower infrastructure.

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)