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

PM Modi, President Putin among 20 world leaders to attend SCO summit: China 

China on Friday (August 22, 2025) said the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit to be held in Tianjin later this month will be the largest in the bloc’s history, with 20 world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attending it. The Tianjin meeting of the 10-member grouping from August 31-September 1 is the fifth summit being hosted by China. It will be the largest in SCO history, China’s Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin told a media briefing in Beijing.

Supreme Court ropes in political parties to help ECI return Bihar’s excluded voters to electoral roll

The Supreme Court on Friday (August 22, 2025) directed political parties contesting the Bihar Assembly election to help the Election Commission of India (EC) bring back voters left out of the draft electoral roll published as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

U.N. declares famine in Gaza, first ever in West Asia

The United Nations on Friday (August 22, 2025) officially declared a famine in Gaza, the first in West Asia, with its experts saying 500,000 people were facing “catastrophic” hunger. U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher said the famine was entirely preventable, saying food could not get through to the Palestinian territory “because of systematic obstruction by Israel”.

PM Modi flags off three new metro routes in Kolkata

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (August 22, 2025) inaugurated three new metro routes in Kolkata, including the first-ever direct link to the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata. The Prime Minister waved a green flag to commence operations on the new routes. He was accompanied by West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar.

Sri Lanka’s former President Ranil Wickremesinghe arrested

Sri Lanka’s former President and six-time Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe was on Friday (August 22, 2025) arrested on charges of using state funds for a private trip abroad during his Presidency. “Mr. Wickremesinghe was arrested soon after he was questioned by Sri Lanka Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Friday morning (August 22, 2025), over a September 2023 visit to London,” a senior official told The Hindu. “He will be produced today before the Colombo Fort magistrate,” the official said.

Sergio Gor, Donald Trump’s close political aide, named next U.S. ambassador to India

President Donald Trump said on Friday (August 22, 2025) he would nominate Sergio Gor, one of his closest aides, to be the next U.S. ambassador to India, where he will oversee frosty relations that have worsened with the planned doubling of U.S. tariffs on India next week.

India to make advanced jet engines with France

In a major boost to India’s fifth-generation fighter aircraft programme, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday (August 22, 2025) announced that India will jointly manufacture advanced jet engines with French aerospace major Safran.

GST Council to meet on September 3 and 4, will decide on Centre’s two-rate GST proposal

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council will hold its 56th meeting on September 3-4 in New Delhi, the Council said in a memorandum issued on Friday (August 22, 2025) night. During this meeting, the GST Council is expected to discuss the recommendations of the various Groups of Ministers it has constituted, including the issue of reforming the GST system into a two-rate structure in line with the Central Government’s recommendations.

Draft UGC curriculum puts focus on ‘ancient wisdom’

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has released draft Learning Outcomes-based Curriculum Framework (LOCF) for anthropology, chemistry, commerce, economics, geography, home science, mathematics, physical education, and political science. The LOCF stresses on the inclusion of Indian Knowledge Systems in each subject.

Ladakh administration revokes allotment of land for Sonam Wangchuk’s institute

The Ladakh administration has cancelled the land allotment made in 2018 to climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s institute at Phyang village in Leh. Mr. Wangchuk, an education reformer, has been the face of protests in Ladakh for the past three years and had recently joined a three-day hunger strike in Kargil to demand constitutional safeguards for the region.

U.S. Justice Department issues transcripts of interviews with Jeffrey Epstein’s ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell

The Justice Department on Friday (August 22, 2025) released transcripts of interviews its No. 2 official did with Jeffrey Epstein’s imprisoned former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell as the Trump administration scrambles to present itself as transparent amid a fierce backlash over an earlier refusal to disclose a trove of records from the sex-trafficking case.

2026 World Cup draw to be held in Washington on December 5: Donald Trump

President Donald Trump said on Friday (August 22, 2025) that the draw for the 2026 World Cup will take place on Dec. 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington. He made the announcement with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Vice President J.D. Vance during an event in the Oval Office.

India-China border trade through Lipu Lekh ‘unexpected and unacceptable’ to Nepal, says former Nepali Foreign Minister

India and China’s agreement to restart border trade through the Lipu Lekh Pass in the contested Kalapani-Lipu Lekh- Limpiyadhura region is “unexpected and unacceptable” to Nepal but Kathmandu will not let this development disrupt dialogue with India, said a leading member of Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli’s CPN-UML party.

Ministry of External Affairs announces PM Modi’s visit to Japan, China

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a four-day visit of Japan and China on August 29, 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday (August 22, 2025). In the first leg of his trip, Mr. Modi will be in Japan on a two-day visit.

Women’s Cricket World Cup: Bengaluru matches moved to Navi Mumbai 

Navi Mumbai has replaced Bengaluru as a venue to host the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, to be played in India and Sri Lanka from September 30. The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Friday (August 22, 2025) that all the matches that were to be staged at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, including provisionally the final, will now be played at the Dr. D.Y. Patil Stadium.

Asian Shooting Championship: Elavenil Valarivan strikes 10m air rifle gold

Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan clinched the gold medal in women’s 10m air rifle competition of the 16th Asian Championships in Shymkent on Friday (August 22, 2025) with a characteristically composed performance in the final. The 26-year-old from Tamil Nadu, who has won multiple gold medals in World Cups, shot a score of 253.6 to finish on top in the final and claim her second gold in the continental showpiece, the first coming way back in 2019 in Taiwan when she was honing her skills under the tutelage of Olympic medallist shooter Gagan Narang at his Gun for Glory Academy.

Dream11, top gaming apps halt money-based games after ban

Some of the top mobile gaming apps have suspended real-money games after parliament passed a ban on Thursday (August 22, 2025), threatening the future of a sector once projected to hit $3.6 billion by 2029. The sudden ban on online real-money games, along with related ads and payment services, has jolted an industry backed by investors such as Tiger Global and Peak XV Partners.