Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to meet US President Donald Trump in New York next month during the United Nations General Assembly to address escalating trade tensions. The meeting would be their second this year, following Modi’s February White House visit. Key issues include the stalled India-US trade deal, Trump’s 50% tariffs on Indian goods—imposed partly over Russian oil imports—and US pressure on New Delhi to reduce those purchases. Modi is also expected to meet Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. If talks go well, Modi may invite Trump to India for the October QUAD summit with Japan and Australia. (PC: India Today)

The Supreme Court on Wednesday cancelled the bail of two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar in the 2021 murder case of junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankar. A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra set aside the Delhi High Court’s March 4 order granting him bail, directing Kumar to surrender within a week. Kumar, along with others, is accused of assaulting Dhankar and two friends at Delhi’s Chhatrasal Stadium, leading to Dhankar’s death from blunt force trauma. The wrestler was earlier granted interim bail for knee surgery in 2023. He continues to face trial in the case. (PC: News18)

Chief Justice of India BR Gavai said he “will look into” the Supreme Court’s recent order to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR within 8 weeks and house them in newly created shelters. The directive, criticised by animal rights groups, clashes with a 2024 SC ruling that banned indiscriminate killings and mandated adherence to the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023. Delhi currently has only 20 temporary animal birth control centres, accommodating up to 5,000 dogs, far fewer than needed. The court also called the ABC Rules’ requirement to return sterilised dogs “unreasonable and absurd,” urging safer, stray-free public spaces. (PC: HT)

National Guard troops and federal agents have appeared across Washington DC after President Donald Trump ordered their deployment, citing violent crime concerns. Around 800 National Guard personnel and 500 federal agents will aid local police, erect barricades, and patrol urban centres. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, dismissed Trump’s move as an “authoritarian push,” urging residents to protect the city’s autonomy. Trump has threatened similar actions in New York and Chicago. The deployment follows DC’s 100th homicide this year, though official data shows crime rates fell in 2024. Critics accuse city officials of manipulating statistics to downplay crime levels. (PC: BBC)

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has informed a New York federal court that it remains unable to serve legal summons to Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and the Adani Group, citing delays by Indian authorities despite six months of attempts under the Hague Service Convention . The civil lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of New York in November 2024, accuses them of orchestrating a $265 million bribery scheme tied to solar power contracts, alleged securities fraud, and misleading U.S. investors . The delay in formal service has brought the legal proceedings to a standstill, prompting questions about cross-border legal cooperation and enforcement protocols. (PC: India Today)

The August 15 Independence Day “Maha Utsav” special of Kaun Banega Crorepati 17 airs at 9 PM on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV. Hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, the episode features three distinguished Indian Armed Forces women officers—Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, and Lieutenant Commander Prerna Deosthalee—who played pivotal roles in Operation Sindoor, a May 7 precision strike launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack . Promo clips reveal powerful insights: Colonel Qureshi said the operation was necessary because “Pakistan had been doing this,” Wing Commander Singh shared it concluded in just 25 minutes, and Commander Prerna noted civilians remained unharmed . The episode blends patriotic storytelling, inspiring reflections on mission strategy and teamwork, and extensive praise for India’s women in uniform. 

The Supreme Court’s August 11 directive to relocate all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR to shelters within eight weeks has drawn strong criticism from Bollywood. Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Dhawan shared a powerful petition on Instagram, calling the move a “death sentence” and urging humane solutions like mass sterilisation, vaccination, community feeding, and adoption—not confinement . Raveena Tandon labeled the judgment “ridiculous” and “inhumane,” blaming local bodies for failing to implement ABC (Animal Birth Control) programs . Meanwhile, John Abraham wrote to the Chief Justice, calling the order illegal, impractical and contrary to ABC Rules, and stressed that community dogs are integral to Delhi’s social fabric. (PC: Instagram)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to New York in September 2025 for the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), with his speaking slot scheduled for the morning of September 26 . On the sidelines, a bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump is anticipated, aimed at resolving escalating trade tensions, especially the newly imposed 50% U.S. tariffs on Indian goods tied to its Russian oil imports . High-level conversations may also include Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy, highlighting the diplomatic stakes amid strained India–U.S. relations . This visit follows Modi’s February 2025 White House meeting with Trump and represents a strategic effort to mend friction and advance a bilateral trade agreement before end-of-October targets. (PC: AFP)

India and China are poised to restart direct passenger flights as early as September 2025, ending a suspension that began with the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 . Indian carriers, including Air India and IndiGo, have been instructed to prepare for short-notice service launches . The decision is expected to be formally announced during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit at the end of August in Tianjin, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi may engage with President Xi Jinping . This move is seen as a significant diplomatic overture aimed at resetting relations between the two populous nations. (PC: AFP)

India’s Supreme Court has ordered the swift removal of all stray dogs from Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, and Ghaziabad, calling the situation “extremely grim” amid mounting rabies cases and attacks—especially involving children and the elderly . The court mandated establishment of shelters with sterilisation, immunisation, CCTV monitoring, and a rapid-response helpline, all within an eight-week deadline. Authorities must ensure no dogs are returned to the streets. However, animal welfare groups warn of chronic shelter shortages—Delhi’s municipal bodies currently operate only 20 shelters housing fewer than 5,000 dogs, while the estimated stray population nears one million—raising serious doubts about implementation. (PC: NDTV)