ECI again asks Rahul Gandhi to submit evidence of irregularity in Karnataka Assembly election under oath
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday (August 9, 2025) again asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to submit under oath the allegations made by him on voter roll manipulation in a Karnataka Assembly Constituency. Either Mr. Gandhi should give a declaration/oath, or apologise to the country, sources in the ECI said. Mr. Gandhi had in a press conference claimed that 1,00,250 “fake votes” were created in the Mahadevapura Assembly seat under the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka, in order to ensure a win for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
No name will be deleted without notice, says ECI on Bihar SIR
The Election Commission of India (ECI) assured the Supreme Court on Saturday (August 9, 2025) that deletion of voters’ names in the Bihar draft electoral roll, published on August 1 as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, would be done only after issuing prior notice indicating the grounds for the action. The poll body said 2.5 lakh volunteers, mostly Bihar government officials, have been deployed to assist eligible voters obtain requisite documents from the various State departments to avoid exclusion from the final electoral roll.
India welcomes Donald Trump-Vladimir Putin summit in Alaska
India on Saturday (August 9, 2025) welcomed the summit between the United States and Russia to be held in Alaska on August 15. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the summit, which comes after more than three years of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as a move that holds the “promise” of ending the conflict. The meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was announced by Mr. Trump earlier on Saturday.
Under whose pressure did PM stop Operation Sindoor, asks Congress
Hours after Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh revealed on Saturday (August 9, 2025) that the Indian Air Force (IAF) had shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and a large aircraft during Operation Sindoor, the Congress asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi why India’s military action against Pakistan was “suddenly stopped” and under whose “pressure”. India launched the operation against a few terror bases in Pakistan on May 7 in retaliation for the Pahalagam terror attack on April 22. After three days of intense conflict, both countries reached an understanding on May 10 to end the hostilities. Though U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that he helped broker the ceasefire, the Centre has consistently denied it.
Not a single Pakistani aircraft was hit or destroyed by Indian armed forces, claims Khawaja Asif
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday (August 9, 2025) claimed that no aircraft of the military was hit or destroyed by Indian armed forces during the recent conflict. His comments came hours after Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh said the Indian Air Force (IAF) shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and a large aircraft during Operation Sindoor. He said the operation also resulted in a large number of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), drones and some of their missiles falling into the Indian territory.
Gaza civil defence says 18 killed across territory
Gaza’s civil defence agency said at least 18 people were killed across the Palestinian territory on Saturday (August 9, 2025), including civilians who were waiting to collect aid. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that at least six people were killed and 30 wounded after Israeli troops targeted civilians assembling near an aid point in central Gaza. The spokesman said strikes hit areas elsewhere in central Gaza, resulting in multiple casualties.
Thailand again accuses Cambodia of planting land mines as 3 soldiers are hurt by blast along border
Three Thai soldiers on patrol were wounded Saturday (August 9, 2025) when one stepped on a land mine in territory along the border with Cambodia, Thailand’s army announced. The incident came just two days after the two countries reaffirmed their adherence to a ceasefire to end a brief armed conflict. The Army’s statement said the incident took place in Thailand’s Sisaket province and “clearly demonstrates to both domestic and international society that the use of concealed weapons in border areas continues to exist, constituting a clear violation of the Ottawa Convention by the Cambodian side.”
In Gurez Valley, a lone man is archiving the Dard-Shin story
The Dard-Shin tribe, which once ruled large parts of Kashmir in the 16th Century and is now nestled in the Gurez valley with Pakistan border posts in the backyard, has found an archivist in Basheer Ahmad Teroo. For the past three years, Mr. Teroo, 48, has been travelling the length and breadth of what was once known as Dardistan, collecting vestiges of his community’s culture – items that he has begun storing and displaying at his home in Dawar town.
Political parties say they have filed many claims and objections after Bihar draft roll, though ECI lists zero complaints
Even as the Election Commission maintains that no claims and objections have been filed by political parties over names wrongfully included or excluded in the draft electoral list in Bihar, political workers — including Booth Level Agents (BLA) on the ground — claim that they have filed many such complaints. In fact, party workers say that when they flag the deletion of names of eligible voters through these complaints, Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) tell them to ask voters to instead file Form 6, which is meant for first-time voter registrations.
Restored Nagasaki bell rings in 80 years since A-bomb
Twin cathedral bells rang in unison on Saturday (August 9, 2025) in Japan’s Nagasaki for the first time since the atomic bombing of the city 80 years ago, commemorating the moment of horror. On August 9, 1945, at 11:02 a.m., three days after a nuclear attack on Hiroshima, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. After heavy downpours Saturday morning, the rain stopped shortly before a moment of silence and ceremony in which Nagasaki mayor Shiro Suzuki urged the world to “stop armed conflicts immediately”.
₹2,000 for a Coolie ticket: Bengalureans shocked at exorbitant rates for Rajinikanth’s film
The ₹200 price cap on movie tickets continues to be a dream for film lovers of Bengaluru. In July, the State government had issued a draft notification on capping cinema ticket prices. However, the ticket rates for the upcoming Rajinikanth biggie, Coolie, has left people surprised and shocked in equal measure. The movie will hit the screens worldwide on August 14, 2025.
