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RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday said the country stands to gain significantly if young people are guided in the right direction. He was speaking at an event in Nagpur. Bhagwat noted that youth form a major share of the population and warned that without proper guidance they could become a burden on society in the future. He also pointed out that today’s youth will themselves become senior citizens in about 30 years.
Indian Independence Day celebrations were held with enthusiasm across several countries around the world. Events saw participation from people of Indian origin, along with officials from Indian embassies in their respective host nations. Leaders and representatives from the host countries also took part in the celebrations, reflecting broad community involvement. The observances highlighted the global presence of the Indian diaspora and the role of diplomatic missions in bringing communities together.
Congress leaders stayed away from the Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort for the second consecutive year, citing what party sources described as protocol and other reasons. The report said Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge—both accorded the status of Union Cabinet ministers—did not attend the official ceremony, despite a convention that they participate in state functions. Among the reasons cited by Congress functionaries was Kharge’s age and difficulty in walking long distances or climbing steps. BJP leaders, however, questioned this explanation, pointing out that Kharge is seen regularly using stairways in Parliament.
A shooting incident in the US state of Michigan has left six people dead, including the suspected gunman, police said. Authorities received information about gunfire in a small county residential area known as Masawooki, located northwest of Detroit. When officers reached the spot, three people were found dead at the scene. During the investigation, police identified a 39-year-old man, Chad Hickman, as the suspect and said he had fled the area. After an extended search, officers surrounded him.
Heavy rain triggered flash floods and landslides across parts of Arunachal Pradesh, with the Army reporting that five personnel are missing after being swept away in floodwaters. Officials said the incident occurred in Dibang Valley district, where a sudden surge washed away two camps at the Pashu Pani Army base. Seven soldiers were carried away; two have been rescued and efforts are under way to trace the remaining five. In a separate incident in Upper Subansiri district, a landslide at a road-cutting site on the Kyojaring–Byaching road reportedly trapped several people under debris. Authorities fear that four people may have died in the incident.
Chennai: Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s long-term vision is motivating him and his team to work even harder. In a post, Vembu referred to Modi’s Independence Day message urging Indian companies to be counted among the world’s leading firms. He said the appeal is encouraging and signals the need for a strong, deep commitment to research and development at every level. Vembu said India should aim to be at the forefront of key technologies such as algorithms, artificial intelligence, robotics and rockets. He added that the country has the intellectual capability to achieve this.
What happened at the Congress headquarters Independence Day celebrations were held at the Congress party’s headquarters in Delhi, with senior leaders Sonia Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi in attendance. Song played in full, leaders react During the programme, the national song Vande Mataram was played. According to the report, it was played in full. As the song continued, Sonia Gandhi was seen gesturing for it to be stopped.
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address, calling it a major milestone in India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation. In a post, Shah said the Prime Minister presented a detailed action plan for building a “developed India” with a focus on a drug-free India, a safe India and the spirit of “nation first”, while reiterating commitments to swadeshi and self-reliance. Shah noted that the Prime Minister highlighted progress made over the past 12 years in sectors such as semiconductors, minerals, energy and railways. He added that Modi urged further transformation to achieve self-reliance across all sectors and outlined a “mantra of seven powers”, referring to seven key announcements.
Three people were killed in an encounter involving Karnataka Forest Department personnel in Chamarajanagar district, after they allegedly went for illegal hunting in a forest area. According to reports, the incident occurred on Thursday night near Shakya in the Hanur forest region, which falls under the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary. The group is said to have hunted a deer and was dividing the meat when forest staff on patrol reached the spot.
India’s tour of Sri Lanka began with the first Test of the two-match series getting underway at Galle on Friday. Captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to bat first. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul started India’s innings, but Jaiswal was run out for 32. Rahul then added runs steadily with Devdutt Padikkal as the visitors looked to build a strong platform. Both Rahul and Padikkal brought up their half-centuries, before Rahul, on 77, walked off retired hurt due to a leg injury. Gill then came in but was dismissed for 16, a setback for India.
New Delhi: BJP leaders have strongly criticised Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, alleging that he made vulgar remarks while attempting to attack the Union government’s foreign policy. At a Congress event in Delhi, Rahul questioned what he called the Prime Minister’s idea that “hugging foreign leaders” amounts to foreign policy, and said the government’s job is to protect national interests. To illustrate his point, he hugged Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on stage.
The Union government has begun preparatory work for a nationwide caste-wise census, scheduled to start from February next year. As part of the process, the first phase of house-listing is under way. Officials have also decided to begin the population census from next month, which will form the basis for the caste-wise enumeration. Compared with the 2011 census form that had 29 questions, the new questionnaire is expected to carry 40 questions.
Chennai: Complaints have surfaced that several government officials who were transferred are attempting to regain their previous postings, even after the change of government. Tamil Nadu has 41 government departments, where periodic transfers are typically carried out to move staff who have served in the same place for long periods. The report notes that in earlier DMK and AIADMK administrations, some transferred officials returned to the same stations through recommendations from ministers, MLAs and party functionaries.
New Delhi: Indian narcotics officials have arrested alleged international drug trafficking gang leader Virendra Singh Basoya in Dubai and brought him to Delhi in connection with a major mephedrone smuggling case. The case began in February 2024 after a suspect was caught in Pune, Maharashtra, with mephedrone. As the probe widened, authorities seized a total of 1,837 kg of the drug—867 kg from Pune and 970 kg from Delhi—valued at around ₹6,000 crore.
DMK president M.K. Stalin is said to be preparing a major organisational overhaul aimed at bringing younger leaders into key roles. The move has reportedly unsettled several senior district secretaries within the party. According to party sources, field-study and restructuring panels submitted reports to Stalin on the reasons behind the party’s Assembly election defeat, recommending wider opportunities for youth and a revamp of the organisation. Following this, a high-level meeting was held at Stalin’s Alwarpet residence in Chennai, chaired by him, and attended by senior leaders including Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, General Secretary Durai Murugan, Treasurer T.R. Baalu, former ministers Nehru and Velu, MPs Kanimozhi and A. Raja, and Sabareesan, among others.
Chennai: Annamalai of the We The Leaders movement has appealed to people to participate in gram sabha meetings scheduled across Tamil Nadu on August 15, marking the 80th Independence Day. He said citizens should ensure their voices are heard, present ideas and work towards solutions for village development. In a statement, he said gram sabhas are set to be held from 10 am in 12,525 villages. He stressed that participation by We The Leaders volunteers is important and urged them to bring local residents along, with special emphasis on women, youth, backward communities and Scheduled Castes.
New Delhi: Reliance and Rolls-Royce have entered into a partnership to produce engines in India for an advanced, domestically built fifth-generation fighter aircraft. The availability of spare engines has long been a major challenge for fighter aircraft manufacturing in the country, with India often having to rely on overseas sources. In a joint statement, the companies said they are exploring the creation of an aerospace gas-turbine hub in India. The proposed centre would cover design, development, manufacturing, testing and integration, with a focus on ensuring engine quality and long-term maintenance support.
A Class 12 student of a government higher secondary school in Tiruvottiyur, Chennai, was allegedly beaten to death by a group of students following a dispute linked to a “who is senior” argument, police said. According to the police, the student had stepped out after school and was speaking with friends near a bus stop when a 20-member gang allegedly assaulted him and dragged him to a vacant ground behind the bus stand. The group reportedly attacked him repeatedly and fled.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has asked the State to disclose how much was paid as fees to government lawyers from temple funds in the case linked to the Tiruparankundram hill ‘Deepathoon’ (lamp pillar) issue. The query came up during the hearing of a petition filed by Ramesh of Madurai seeking measurement of the Tiruparankundram hill. In an earlier order, a Division Bench had directed the district administration to carry out the measurement through Revenue Department officials in coordination with the Archaeological Survey of India, and to file a report after completion.
Washington has alleged that China is using more than 40 third countries, including India, to re-export goods to the United States in order to evade higher tariffs on Chinese products. According to a White House report, the practice has expanded after additional duties were imposed in 2018, with some shipments that would have gone directly from China now moving through lower-tariff jurisdictions before entering the US market. The report, titled “The Great Transshipment Scheme” and prepared by presidential trade adviser Peter Navarro, says the rerouting often involves minimal processing, label changes, invoice adjustments, or altered export documents to make Chinese-origin goods appear as if they were made elsewhere.
New Delhi: The Union government on Thursday said there is no change in India’s position on the Indus Waters issue, amid sharp reactions from Pakistan. Following the terror attack in Pahalgam, India had scrapped the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan. New Delhi has maintained that the arrangement will not come into operation until cross-border terrorism and support for it are stopped. Pakistan has objected to the move and issued warnings. In a statement from the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office, the treaty was described as having been halted “unilaterally” and “illegally”, while insisting there would be no compromise on water and threatening a response if India did not “return to the right path”.
Bengaluru’s civic administration has proposed charging residents an annual fee to park cars on public roads outside their homes, citing traffic congestion caused by roadside parking. The proposal is part of a draft plan released by the Greater Bengaluru Authority. Under the draft, roadside parking would no longer be free for most vehicles, with exemptions mentioned for two-wheelers and autorickshaws in designated contexts. City roads would be classified into three categories—A, B and C—with hourly parking fees set at Rs 80, Rs 60 and Rs 40 respectively.
The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up the Bar Council of India (BCI) for issuing a circular that sought to stop the enrolment of NALSAR University of Law’s 2026 graduating students as advocates. NALSAR, based in Hyderabad, Telangana, recently saw protests by students after reports said Chief Justice of India Suryakant would attend the university’s convocation. In the wake of the agitation, the BCI had directed state bar councils not to enrol any student graduating in 2026 until an inquiry into the protest was completed.
Kohima: The federation of Christian churches in Nagaland has objected to any directive that makes singing or playing the national song “Vande Mataram” compulsory, calling such compulsion unacceptable. The protest comes after the Centre, in February, issued an order stating that “Vande Mataram” must be played before the national anthem at government and school functions, marking 150 years since the song was composed. The report also notes that a Bill providing for up to three years’ imprisonment for those who insult the song has been passed in Parliament.
The Supreme Court has quashed the criminal defamation proceedings against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi linked to his remarks made at a public meeting in Maharashtra in 2022. During the speech, Gandhi criticised late freedom fighter and Hindu Mahasabha leader V.D. Savarkar, alleging that Savarkar wrote apology letters to the British and received a pension while acting in their service. Following the remarks, Lucknow-based advocate Nripendra Pandey filed a criminal defamation complaint in a magistrate court in Lucknow. The magistrate ordered registration of the case and issued summons to Gandhi.
Tata Steel has agreed to transfer its entire 100% stake in Jamshedpur FC to Goa-based Churchill Brothers Sports Club for a symbolic consideration of Rs 100, according to the report. The stake sale involves Tata Steel’s holding of 4.08 crore shares in Jamshedpur Football and Sporting Private Limited, the company under which the Indian Super League (ISL) team Jamshedpur FC operates. The club made its ISL debut in 2017. The company reported revenue of Rs 32.23 crore in the last financial year. However, as of March, its total liabilities were Rs 5.8 crore higher than the value of its assets, the report said.
A global survey covering 36 countries has found mixed perceptions of India on the international stage. Overall, 45% of respondents said they view India favourably, while 41% reported an unfavourable opinion. The study was conducted by the US-based non-profit research organisation Pew. It surveyed more than 42,000 people between February and May to assess how India is seen across different regions. Among neighbouring countries, Sri Lanka recorded one of the strongest positive views, with 79% expressing a favourable opinion. Positive perceptions were also high in the UK and Kenya (71% each), followed by Germany (63%), Italy (56%) and Sweden (55%).
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has assured that Tamil Thai Vazhthu will be part of the Independence Day celebrations held on the court premises. The assurance came after the Madurai Bench Bar Association (MMBA) raised concerns over a circular that outlined the programme as Vande Mataram, followed by the flag hoisting, and then the National Anthem—without mentioning Tamil Thai Vazhthu. In a letter to the Registrar General, MMBA general secretary Jesi Jeevapriya said the High Court has long followed the tradition of beginning official functions with Tamil Thai Vazhthu, describing it as a symbol of Tamil language and cultural pride, and sought its inclusion in the August 15 event.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Power Minister Nirmal Kumar has alleged that what he described as an earlier “indirect alliance” between the DMK and the BJP has now evolved into a direct alliance. Speaking to reporters, the minister said the Supreme Court will hear the Tamil Nadu government’s petition related to the Cauvery issue on Monday. He also questioned which AIADMK faction had staged protests over farmers’ issues. Nirmal Kumar referred to political statements made in recent days, including a remark attributed to former DMK minister Anita Radhakrishnan that DMK MP Siva would soon become a Union minister. He also cited BJP leader Vanathi’s comment that politics has no permanent enemies or friends.
Chennai: Zonal Inspector Generals (IGs) have issued instructions to take strict action against police personnel who ride two-wheelers without wearing helmets, as part of accident-prevention measures. The order notes that while the public is required to wear helmets, instances of police violating the rule have been reported. Such violations are often recorded by citizens and shared on social media, which officials said brings disrepute to the police department. Under the directions, if a police officer is found riding without a helmet, the two-wheeler must be seized. The vehicle should be released only after the individual produces a new helmet bearing the ISI mark.
