The Hindu Morning Digest: August 15, 2025
The Election Commission of India (ECI) told the Supreme Court on Thursday (August 14, 2025) that it got 'caught up' in the 'sharp contests' among political parties. Appearing before a Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, for the ECI, pointed to the allegations raised against it about EVMs, and now the portrayal of the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar as 'citizenship screening'.
India endorses Trump-Putin summit in Alaska
The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday (August 14, 2025) 'endorsed' the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which could also decide the course of the tariffs the U.S. has imposed on India. Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said India stood ready to support peace efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine, and stated India-U.S. relations will move ahead based on 'mutual respect and shared interests'.
Donald Trump thinks Vladimir Putin is ready to make a deal on Ukraine
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday (August 14, 2025) he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a deal about his war on Ukraine, and that the threat of sanctions against Russia likely played a role in Moscow's decision to seek a meeting. Mr. Trump is scheduled to meet with Mr. Putin in Alaska on Friday (August 15, 2025). The U.S. President said he is unsure whether an immediate ceasefire can be achieved, but expressed interest in brokering a peace agreement.
Rajnath hails Operation Sindoor as model of precision, self-reliance on eve of Independence Day
On the eve of India's 79th Independence Day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised Operation Sindoor as a 'precise and balanced' military response that highlighted India's 'new vision'. In his message to the armed forces on Thursday (August 14, 2025), he said the operation showcased India's new vision, technological advances, self-reliance, use of drones, layered air defence, electronic warfare, and network-centric operations. He said without crossing the Line of Control or harming civilians, the armed forces destroyed nine major terror camps, including those of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, within minutes.
Bihar SIR: Rationalisation of polling stations, change in BLOs spark confusion on ground
Amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has carried out rationalisation and reorganisation of polling stations in the entire State, a move which political parties claim has added to the confusion on the ground. The ECI has said that Bihar is the first State to implement this new ceiling of voters for each polling station.
Rahul Gandhi accused of making false statements in Savarkar defamation proceedings
A perjury application has been filed in the Special MP/MLA Court in Pune against Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of misleading the court in a defamation case over his remarks on Vinayak Damodar 'Veer' Savarkar, made in London. The application has been filed by Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of Veer Savarkar, through advocate Sangram Kolhatkar. It alleges that Mr. Gandhi falsely claimed in a 15-page pursis, or statement to the court, on July 29 that he had not received the defamatory video which forms the crux of the complaint. The plea states that Mr. Gandhi's advocate had acknowledged receipt of the documents, including a CD containing the speech, on May 9.
India and U.S. to hold joint military exercise in Alaska this month, says MEA
Amid trade uncertainties, India and United States will hold a joint military exercise in Alaska this month. According on Ministry of External Affairs, the India–U.S. defence partnership, underpinned by foundational defence agreements, is an important pillar of the bilateral partnership. This robust cooperation has strengthened across all domains.
Bombay High Court to hear plea alleging threats to north Indians by Raj Thackeray, MNS
A criminal writ petition has been filed on Thursday in the Bombay High Court against the Maharashtra government, the Mumbai Commissioner of Police, the Election Commission, and MNS chief Raj Thackeray. The petition filed by Sunil Shukla, national president of the Uttar Bhartiya Vikas Sena, a political party, alleges that he and the north Indian community in Maharashtra have been subjected to repeated incidents of hate speech, targeted violence, and serious threats to their lives and liberty.
11K security personnel, snipers on high-rises to keep Delhi safe on I-Day
A day before the country celebrates its 78th Independence Day, security measures in the Capital were stepped up with snipers being deployed at high-rise buildings and camera surveillance being increased across the city. 11,000 security personnel and 3,000 traffic police have been posted for security in and around the Red Fort, from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on Friday.
At least 40 dead in Sudan's worst cholera outbreak in years: Doctors Without Borders
Cholera has claimed at least 40 lives in Sudan's Darfur region over the last week as the country weathers its worst outbreak of the illness in years, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Thursday. The medical charity said the vast western region, which has been a major battleground over more than two years of fighting between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, had been hardest hit by the year-old outbreak.
BJP is stealing rights of tribals by 'erasing papers', says Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, on Thursday (August 14, 2025) said that the Bharatiya Janata Party had made 'Erase the papers, steal the rights' its new 'weapon to oppress Bahujans' in India, reacting to a report in The Hindu that showed several thousands of forest rights titles across three districts had seemingly disappeared from the Chhattisgarh government's records over the last 17 months.
Uncertainty looms over Devil release after actor Darshan's arrest
'Idre Nemdi Agirbek'(You should be at peace always), the first song from Kannada actor Darshan's upcoming film, Devil, was supposed to release on Independence Day. Ironically, on Thursday, Darshan's career hit the pause button again after he was arrested in connection with the Renukaswamy murder case, following the Supreme Court order cancelling the bail granted to him and the other accused.
Chennai Grandmasters | Keymer seals title with a miraculous draw
Vincent Keymer didn't appear to be at his serene best. His eighth-round game against Dutchman Jorden van Foreest was heading for an exciting finish and the German was close to suffering his first defeat in the Masters section of the Quantbox Chennai Grandmasters chess tournament.
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