Source: The Print media ( The Hindu, Indian Express and others )

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.

Supreme Court orders ECI to publish list of names excluded from Bihar draft roll

The Supreme Court on Thursday (August 14, 2025) ordered the Election Commission of India to publish the list of approximately 65 lakh names excluded from the draft roll that was published on August 1, 2025, after a Special Intensive Revision exercise in Bihar. In the interim order, the two-judge Bench comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Surya Kant ordered the poll body to publish a searchable list of the excluded names, booth-wise, along with the reasons for non-inclusion, on the district electoral officers’ websites, by 5 p.m. on August 19, 2025. Physical lists with reasons shall also be displayed on the notice boards of booth-level officers and block development/panchayat offices for manual access. The Bench posted the case for next hearing on August 22 at 2 p.m.

Supreme Court reserves order on plea challenging removal of stray dogs from streets of Delhi NCR

The Supreme Court of India on Thursday (August 14, 2025) reserved its order on an interim plea seeking a stay on its August 11, 2025, suo motu directive ordering the removal of stray dogs from the capital’s streets and their confinement in shelters within six to eight weeks. “Local authorities are not doing what they should be doing. They should be here taking responsibility,” a Bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath and also comprising Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria underscored. However, the top court declined to grant a stay on the directions issued to civic bodies by a Division Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan.

At least 30 dead in J&K’s Kishtwar cloudburst; more than 100 missing

At least 30 people, including two CISF jawans, have died and more than 100 are missing after a massive cloudburst struck Chositi village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Thursday (August 14, 2025), triggering flash floods and large-scale destruction. The cloudburst hit Chasoti, the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata shrine. “In the aftermath of a cloudburst at the Chisoti village in Kishtwar, troops of the White Knight swiftly mobilised for relief and rescue operations,” a Jammu-based PRO said. The efforts are centred on safeguarding lives and aiding survivors, he said, adding that the search for the missing continues.

Indian nurse on death row in Yemen: Supreme Court told negotiations going on, no immediate threat

The Supreme Court was informed on Thursday (August 14, 2025) that there was “no immediate threat” to Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who is on death row in Yemen for murder. It then listed the matter after eight weeks. The counsel for the petitioner organisation Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, which is extending legal support to Priya, requested a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta to adjourn the matter. “Negotiations are going on. As of now there is no immediate threat. Kindly adjourn it by four weeks. Hopefully, everything will be over by that time,” the counsel said.

16 BSF personnel get gallantry medals for Operation Sindoor

Sixteen Border Security Force (BSF) personnel have been awarded gallantry medals for displaying “conspicuous bravery” and “unmatched valour” during Operation Sindoor. “This Independence Day, 16 Brave Seema Praharis (border guards) are being awarded Gallantry Medals for their conspicuous bravery & unmatched valour for being resolute & steadfast during the Operation Sindoor. “The medals are a testament to the Nation’s faith & trust reposed in India’s First Line of Defence: The Border Security Force,” the BSF said in a social media post.

Got caught up in sharp contests among political parties: ECI to Supreme Court

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”.

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.

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.

Consider ground realities: Supreme Court tells petitioners seeking Jammu and Kashmir Statehood

The Supreme Court on Thursday (August 14, 2025) asked petitioners seeking direction to the Union Government to make good its promise to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s Statehood, to be aware of “ground realities” like the Pahalgam terror attack. Appearing before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, petitioners, represented by senior advocates Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Menaka Guruswamy, repeatedly drew the attention of the court to the assurance given by the Union Government to restore Jammu and Kashmir as a State. The Court sought a response from the Centre and posted the case for hearing after eight weeks.

Zelenskyy and Starmer meet in London on eve of Trump-Putin talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street on Thursday (August 14, 2025) morning, a day before the Presidents of Russia and the U.S. are to meet in Anchorage, Alaska, to discuss a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war. A Downing Street readout of the Zelenskyy-Starmer meeting said the two men looked at Friday’s meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “ viable chance to make progress as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious about peace”.“We also discussed in considerable detail the security guarantees that can make peace truly durable if the United States succeeds in pressing Russia to stop the killings and engage in genuine, substantive diplomacy,” Mr. Zelenskyy said on X.

Vece Paes, Olympic hockey medallist and father of Leander Paes, passes away

Dr. Vece Paes, a 1972 Munich Olympics bronze medal-winning hockey player and the father of 1996 Olympics bronze medallist tennis great Leander Paes, passed away following prolonged illness at a Kolkata hospital early on Thursday (August 14, 2025), according to Hockey Bengal (HB) sources. The sports icon was suffering from an advanced stage of Parkinson’s disease. He was 80 and is survived by his wife, son and daughter.