Morning digest | India is the mother of all democracies, says PM Modi at U.N. General Assembly; Buzz over Congress revamp with entry of Kanhaiya Kumar, Jignesh Mevani, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, September, 25, 2021.

India is the mother of all democracies, says Modi at U.N. General Assembly

Terming India the “mother of all democracies”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a defence of the state of democracy in India at the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, referring to his own journey as a politician as an example in his speech.

Buzz over Congress revamp with entry of Kanhaiya Kumar, Jignesh Mevani

The possibility of prominent political activists like Kanhaiya Kumar and Jignesh Mevani joining the Congress on September 28 and the buzz around election strategist Prashant Kishor indicate that the grand old party may be trying to build a new team ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls through lateral entry.

Election Commission may continue to be in a bind over EVMs for crucial elections in 2022

The Election Commission may continue to be in a bind regarding the availability of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for use in crucial Assembly elections including in Uttar Pradesh in early 2022 though the Supreme Court has lifted its relaxation of the period of limitation for legal proceedings in courts due to the pandemic.

Alert sounded in Odisha over Cyclone Gulab

The Odisha government on Saturday sounded the warning for the cyclonic storm christened ‘Gulab’, which is expected to cross the coast between its southern districts and north Andhra Pradesh at wind speeds of 75-85 kmph on Sunday evening.

With Quad tech plan, India further closes door to China firms

Friday’s Quad summit of the leaders of India, Australia, Japan and the U.S. in Washington saw the four countries for the first time outline joint principles on technology, underlining their ambition to work more closely together in developing common standards in particularly critical technologies of the future.

China releases two Canadians after U.S. Huawei deal

For months, China's government had insisted that the more than 1,000 day-imprisonment of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor was not, as Canada had alleged, a case of "hostage diplomacy".

Indian Premier League 2021 | Punjab Kings edges SRH in thriller

A certain Murphy S. Law has spent rather more time around David Warner and Sunrisers Hyderabad this season than they would have liked. On Saturday, SRH crashed out of contention for a playoffs spot with a five-run defeat against Punjab Kings in Sharjah.

BKU will remain apolitical, says Tikait

The poll pundits are watching which way the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) would tilt during the upcoming Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. In an interview with  The Hindu , Rakesh Tikait, BKU national spokesperson, said the union would remain apolitical and that he had no political ambitions. “We are farmers and not into politics. Those who will work for their interests, farmers will elect them on their own,” he said.

PM Modi to bring back 157 antiquities handed over by U.S.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will bring home 157 artefacts and antiquities, which were handed over to India by the US during his visit, with both he and President Joe Biden expressing commitment to strengthening efforts to combat theft, illicit trade and trafficking of cultural objects.

PM Modi spoke like statesman, made country proud: J.P. Nadda

Lauding Prime Minister  Narendra Modi's address at the United Nations General Assembly  on Saturday, the BJP said he spoke like a statesman and his speech has made the country proud.