Indian filmmaker Anuparna Roy made history at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, becoming the first Indian director to win Best Director in the Orizzonti section for her debut feature "Songs of Forgotten Trees." The film, starring Naaz Shaikh and Sumi Baghel, follows two women whose lives intertwine in Mumbai. Roy dedicated the award to "every woman who's ever been silenced, overlooked, or underestimated," calling it a tribute to women in cinema and beyond. The film was India's sole entry in the prestigious section and was presented by Anurag Kashyap. Producers Bibhanshu Rai, Romil Modi, and Ranjan Singh praised Roy's determination despite production challenges. The festival concluded with "Father Mother Sister Brother" winning the Golden Lion. (PC: Times Now)

Russia’s Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education, Konstantin Mogilevsky, has called for a significant expansion of Hindi language education across Russian universities, citing a growing student interest . Institutions such as MGIMO, RSUH, Moscow State University’s Institute of Asian and African Studies, and Moscow State Linguistic University are witnessing a two- to three-fold increase in Hindi course enrollments . Beyond Moscow, universities in St. Petersburg and Kazan are also seeing rising demand . The move reflects deeper cultural and educational alignment between India and Russia.    

Former Indian diplomat KP Fabian suggests Trump is softening his stance toward India after realizing aggressive trade tactics haven't worked. Trump's 50% tariffs on Indian goods, including additional 25% over Russian oil purchases, failed to produce desired outcomes. Despite calling US-India ties "very special" and affirming friendship with PM Modi, Fabian remains skeptical about ending what he calls "Triple T - Trumped-up Trump Tariff." He emphasizes India as a "civilisational state" that wants global friendship and business but "cannot take dictation." Modi reciprocated Trump's positive remarks about their "Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership." Trade talks remain stalled as India maintains red lines on US firm entry into agriculture and key sectors. Another diplomat, Jawed Ashraf, advocates India avoiding alignment with competing global power camps. (PC: Hindustan Times)

A 20-year-old woman from Haridevpur has accused two acquaintances, Chandan Mallick and Dwip (Deep) Biswas, of gang-raping her on the night of Friday, September 5, 2025, at a flat in the Regent’s Park area of Kolkata . The accused, who had lured her under the guise of celebrating her birthday and promised involvement in a Durga Puja committee, are currently absconding as police launched an investigation following the FIR filed at Haridevpur police station . The survivor managed to escape the next morning and reported the crime — authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward. (PC: India Today)  

Kolkata Municipal Corporation has issued a fresh mandate requiring all business and commercial establishments to display Bengali prominently at the top of signboards by September 30. This follows a similar December 30 circular that was largely ignored, with many establishments continuing to use English, Hindi, or other languages. The August 30 notification warns of punitive measures for non-compliance, stating Bengali must be displayed "in prominent size" above other languages to "promote linguistic authority and ensure inclusivity." The directive covers business, commercial, office, institutional, assembly, and other establishments across the city. This language policy push aligns with the Mamata Banerjee government's recent requirement for theaters to screen Bengali films during prime time slots between 3-9 PM.

Ukrainian President Zelensky firmly rejected Putin's invitation to Moscow for peace talks, calling Russia's capital a "terrorist's capital." Speaking to ABC News at a missile-damaged American manufacturing plant, Zelensky countered that Putin should come to Kyiv instead. Putin had earlier said he was "never against" meeting Zelensky and invited him to Moscow. Zelensky dismissed this as a stalling tactic, saying Putin is "playing games with the United States" and trying to postpone meetings. The exchange comes as Trump seeks to mediate a settlement, proposing trilateral summits. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha noted several countries including Austria, Switzerland, and Turkey are ready to host peace talks, while German Chancellor Merz called a Putin-Zelensky meeting unlikely. (PC: Wired)

India's men's hockey team faces Korea in the Asia Cup 2025 final on Sunday, with both a fourth title and World Cup 2026 qualification at stake. After a slow start with narrow wins over China (3-2) and Japan (3-2), India found form with a dominant 7-0 semifinal victory over China, featuring six different goalscorers and zero penalty corners conceded. Korea, the defending champions, struggled through pool stages but staged a dramatic comeback against Malaysia to reach the final. India holds a strong 10-2-10 head-to-head record against Korea, whose last victory came in 2021's Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final via shootout. Captain Harmanpreet Singh hasn't scored in three matches, but teammates have stepped up significantly.

US agents arrested 475 people, mostly South Koreans, in the largest single-site immigration raid in Homeland Security history at a Hyundai-LG electric vehicle battery plant under construction in Georgia. The "war zone"-like operation saw workers ordered against buses, shackled, and processed while some fled into sewage ponds or hid in air ducts. The raid stemmed from a multi-month criminal investigation into unlawful employment practices. South Korea expressed "concern and regret" to the US Embassy, citing infringement of legitimate rights. The operation occurs amid strained US-South Korea relations over Trump's tariffs and a disputed $350 billion trade agreement. Neither Hyundai nor LG directly employed the detained workers, according to company statements. (PC: The Telegraph & Yahoo)

A Canadian government report reveals at least two Khalistani extremist groups called, Babbar Khalsa International and International Sikh Youth Federation received financial support originating from Canada. The '2025 Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risks in Canada' identifies these groups under Politically Motivated Violent Extremism seeking to establish an independent Khalistan state within Punjab through violence. The report details funding methods including abuse of money services, cryptocurrencies, charitable organizations, and criminal activities. While these groups previously had extensive Canadian fundraising networks, they now appear as smaller individual pockets with allegiance to the cause. This follows a June intelligence report stating Canada-based Khalistani extremists continue posing national security threats since the mid-1980s. (PC: NDTV)

Indian-born entrepreneurs now dominate Forbes' immigrant billionaire list with 12 entries worth over $60 billion combined, surpassing Israel and Taiwan. Their influence was showcased when five Indian-origin CEOs attended Trump's White House tech dinner, representing a fifth of guests. New billionaires include Microsoft's Satya Nadella and Google's Sundar Pichai ($1.1 billion each), plus Palo Alto Networks' Nikesh Arora ($1.4 billion). Jay Chaudhry tops the Indian contingent at $17.9 billion through cloud security firm Zscaler. Investment manager Rajiv Jain made headlines with $4 billion Adani Group bets that grew to $11 billion. Of 125 immigrant billionaires worth $1.3 trillion total, two-thirds built fortunes in technology or finance, reshaping American corporate leadership. (PC: The Telegraph & The Wrap)