Morning Digest: India and China are victims of terrorism, PM Modi tells Xi; over 33,000 people apply for re-inclusion in Bihar electoral rolls, and more

India and China are victims of terrorism, PM Modi tells Xi, in a shift from recent positions

In what could be a shift in New Delhi’s recent positions on the issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Chinese President Xi Jinping that both countries are “victims” of terrorism and should work together to combat the “scourge” of cross-border terrorism. Responding to a number of questions from the media about whether Mr. Modi had raised the issue of terrorism and, in particular, the Pahalgam terror attacks that India has blamed Pakistan for, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the issue was discussed during Sunday’s (August 31, 2025) bilateral meeting.

India, China committed to cooperation, fair resolution of boundary issues, says Modi after meeting Xi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (August 31, 2025) underlined the importance of peace and tranquillity on the India-China border for the continued development of bilateral relations, at his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin, the two leaders agreed on the need to strengthen people-to-people ties through direct flights and visa facilitation, building on the resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra and tourist visas, amid an improving relationship between the neighbours. Mr. Xi said that the border issue should not define overall relations.

More than 33,000 people apply for re-inclusion in Bihar electoral rolls

With just a day left for filing claims and objections in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said on Sunday (August 31, 2025) that 33,326 people have applied for re-inclusion in the voter list. The draft electoral rolls published on August 1 included 7.24 crore people, 65 lakh fewer names from the voter list published before the SIR exercise began.

Telangana government orders CBI probe into Kaleshwaram project irregularities

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announced that the investigation into the alleged irregularities in the construction of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project will be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Mr. Reddy announced the Government’s decision in the Assembly on Sunday (August 31, 2025) midnight after a marathon discussion over 10 hours after placing the report by the Commission of Inquiry, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose on the table of the House.

Centre deputes teams to assess damage in disaster-hit States

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs) to assess damage in States affected by unprecedented rainfall, floods and other disasters over the past few days. An IMCT each has been formed for Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to assess the impact of heavy rainfall, flash floods, cloudbursts and landslides, the Ministry said in a statement.

‘Mini-cloudbursts’ are on the rise, says IMD chief

There is no “increasing trend” in ‘cloudbursts’ over India in recent years and they remain “impossible” to forecast. However, there has been an increase in ‘mini cloudbursts’, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director-General, India Meteorological Department (IMD), said at a press briefing on Sunday (August 31, 2025). Rainfall in September — the last official monsoon month — is like in previous months, expected to be ‘above normal’, or 9% more than the usual average of 16.7 cm. Except for the northeastern States and parts of “extreme” southern India, the rest of the country is expected to receive above-normal monsoon.

With tailwind from ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, Congress to seek a better seat-sharing deal in Bihar

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will formally complete his two-week-long ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar with a symbolic march from Patna’s Gandhi Maidan to B.R. Ambedkar Park, and subsequently, at a public rally. The Congress leader, accompanied by Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD); Dipankar Bhattacharya of the Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist (CPI-M-L); and Mukesh Sahani of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), has in the past two weeks covered more than 1,300 km, spanning 25 districts cutting across 110 Assembly constituencies.

Trinamool leaders, kin in list of tainted teachers published by WBSSC

Names of several Trinamool Congress leaders and their kin have surfaced in the list of ‘tainted/ineligible’ candidates published by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) as per the directions of the Supreme Court. The most notable names include Sampa Ghosh, daughter-in-law of Panihati MLA and chief whip of the Trinamool Congress Nirmal Ghosh. The Trinamool MLA told media persons that the matter was before the court and the law would take its own course.

Congress filed 89 lakh complaints on Bihar SIR with the ECI, but all were rejected, says Pawan Khera

The Congress on Sunday (August 31, 2025) said the party had filed 89 lakh complaints with the Election Commission of India (ECI), and possessed stamped receipts as evidence, contrary to the ECI’s claims that there were “zero complaints” against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar. “The party has asserted that all the deleted names would have to be verified again,” Pawan Khera, All India Congress Committee chairperson of the media and publicity department, said, addressing a press conference at the party’s State headquarters.

Australian government condemns campaigns against migration of Indians

The Australian government on Sunday (August 31, 2025) has disapproved the campaigns taking place across various cities against increasing migration of Indians, saying “brand of far-right activism grounded in racism and ethnocentrism” has no place in the country. ‘March for Australia’ rallies were held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, among others, were held against immigration, according to the right wing group’s website.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels detain at least 11 U.N. staff

The United Nations said Yemen’s Houthis detained at least 11 workers on Sunday (August 31, 2025) in raids on U.N. premises, after rebel authorities made numerous arrests following Israel’s killing of their Prime Minister. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for their “immediate and unconditional release”, confirming that 11 U.N. personnel had been subjected to “arbitrary detentions.. by the Houthi de facto authorities”. U.N. envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg said the detentions, carried out in Sanaa and Hodeida, came after “the forced entry into U.N. premises and seizure of U.N. property”.

At least nine killed as 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes eastern Afghanistan region

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck southeastern Afghanistan on Sunday (August 31, 2025), the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said. Nine people were killed and 25 others were injured in the eastern province of Nangahar, according to Ajmal Darwaish, spokesman for the province’s health department. The quake was at a depth of 10 km, GFZ said.

Neeraj Chopra to lead India in World Championships

India will have the most number of men’s javelin throwers among competing countries in next month’s World Championships in Tokyo, with Neeraj Chopra leading the pack of four, in a remarkable reflection of the ‘revolution’ brought by the two-time Olympic medallist’s exploits at the global stage. Besides Chopra, three other rising javelin throwers — Sachin Yadav, Yashvir Singh and Rohit Yadav — were also picked for the men’s javelin event as India named a 19-member team for the September 13-21 showpiece.

Alcaraz into U.S. Open quarter-finals as Pegula advances

Carlos Alcaraz marched into the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open on Sunday as women’s fourth seed Jessica Pegula shrugged off her recent run of poor form to advance to the last eight. Spanish second seed Alcaraz, the 2022 champion, stayed on course for a semi-final showdown against Novak Djokovic after overpowering France’s Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets. In the women’s draw, last year’s beaten finalist Pegula admitted she had surprised herself by extending her campaign into a second week. The 31-year-old American swatted aside compatriot Ann Li in an emphatic 6-1, 6-2 victory in just 54 minutes.

Published – September 01, 2025 06:38 am IST