Tempers flare as HM Amit Shah introduces three Bills for removal of Ministers facing serious criminal chargesThe Lok Sabha witnessed a face-off and sharp exchanges between Congress member K.C. Venugopal and Home Minister Amit Shah during the introduction of a Constitutional Amendment Bill on Wednesday. Mr. Shah had moved three Bills that allow the removal of elected representatives, including the Prime Minister and Chief Minister, upon being arrested or detained on serious criminal charges. Opposing the Bills, Mr. Venugopal questioned the BJP’s claim that the Bills had been brought in to ensure morality and pointed out that Mr, Shah too had been arrested when he was Gujarat Home Minister.Delhi Police register attempt to murder case in assault on CM Rekha GuptaDelhi Police has registered an FIR of attempt to murder in connection with the attack on Chief Minister Rekha Gupta at her camp office in north Delhi’s Civil Lines area on Wednesday, an official said. A case under section 109(1) [attempt to murder] of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been lodged at Civil Lines police station, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia said in a statement. The officer said that the accused, identified as Sakriya Rajeshbhai Khimjibhai, has been taken into custody and is being interrogated. Sources said that the Delhi Police’s Special Cell is probing the attack on the Chief Minister. Lok Sabha passes bill to ban online games played with moneyThe Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed legislation to ban online games played with money as it looks to check rising instances of addiction, money laundering and financial fraud through such applications. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, also seeks to prohibit advertisements related to online money games as well as bars banks and financial institutions from facilitating or transferring funds for any of such games.Parliament passes bill to set up IIM in GuwahatiThe Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill to set up an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Guwahati with the Union government providing a capital support of ₹550 crore. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The Opposition staged a walkout after the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha. Replying to the discussion on the bill, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said this will be the 9th IIM to be established under the Narendra Modi-led government in the last 10 years.Governor’s office will be reduced to a postman without discretionary powers: CentreThe Supreme Court’s five-Judge Constitution Bench, for the second consecutive day, heard a Presidential Reference seeking clarity on whether fixed timelines could be imposed on Governors and the President while dealing with bills passed by the State legislatures. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, argued in favour of the discretionary powers of the Governor and fixing timelines for considering Bills could lead to reducing the constitutional power of the post. His arguments cited the Consitutional debates and draft consititution as well. Class 10 student killed by junior in Ahmedabad; mob ransacks schoolA class 10 student of a private school in Ahmedabad was stabbed to death allegedly by his junior after a minor scuffle, following which a mob vandalised the school on Wednesday, police said. The student was stabbed on Tuesday and died during treatment later at night. On Wednesday, a mob ransacked the Seventh Day Adventist School premises and thrashed its staff. Gujarat Education Minister Praful Pansheriya said a class 9 student of the school murdered a class 10 student. The minor accused has been detained, the minister said and appealed to the people to maintain peace.8th accused held in Army jawan assault case at Meerut toll plazaThe Uttar Pradesh Police has arrested the eighth accused in connection with the brutal assault of an Army jawan and his companions by toll plaza employees in the Meerut district, officials said on Wednesday. The accused, identified as Ravi (19), a resident of Karnawal, was arrested late Tuesday evening from the Karnawal outpost area on a tip-off, Sarurpur police said. He is being produced before a court. On August 17, Army jawan Kapil, posted in Srinagar and hailing from Gotka village in Meerut, was on his way to Delhi airport to rejoin duty after vacation when his car was caught in a long queue at the Bhuni toll plaza under Sarurpur police station.Assam cab unions threaten stir after CM Himanta’s ‘stranger’ barbThree associations of cabbies in Assam have threatened to suspend services if Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma does not withdraw his comment associating ride-share services with “unknown elements”. On Independence Day, the Chief Minister said many cab drivers associated with Ola and Uber were “strangers”, a term construed to mean people not belonging to Assam. Three organisations – the All-Assam Cab Operators’ Union, the Sadou Asom Cab Mazdoor Sangha, and the All-Guwahati Cab Drivers’ Union – responded by asking the Chief Minister to retract his statement by the end of August or face an intense stir.PM Modi to visit Gayaji to launch projects, address rally on August 22 ahead of Bihar Assembly pollsAhead of the Bihar Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gayaji district in Bihar on August 22 to launch several projects and address a public rally, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said on Wednesday. In a post on X, Mr. Choudhary, who also holds the portfolio of the Finance Department, wrote, “Bringing the gift of development, Modi ji is coming to Bihar again. The PM is arriving on August 22 in Gayaji.”Mr. Choudhary recently visited Gayaji to oversee the preparation for the Prime Minister’s function.Gaurav Gogoi slams police summons to journalists Siddharth Varadarajan, Karan ThaparCongress leader Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday slammed the summoning of two senior journalists by Assam Police in connection with a case registered on sedition charges, saying the state is “again in the news for all the wrong reasons” and it has been engulfed by “greed, corruption, incompetency, lawlessness”. Reacting to Assam Police’s summons to senior journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar of The Wire, in connection with a case registered on sedition charges, Mr. Gogoi said this was not the “Assam way” and the people of the state want a leadership that will build an “Assam of their dreams”.Extreme rainfall intensified by climate change and multiple weather systems, warn scientists, climate experts on Mumbai rainsIncessant rains have battered Mumbai and its suburbs for four consecutive days, disrupting normal life across the city. Experts have warned that climate change is intensifying extreme rainfall events and stressed the urgent need for early warning systems and adaptation strategies. The India Meteorology Department (IMD) has predicted that heavy rains will continue for the next 24 hours, after which the intensity is expected to decline, though moderate showers will persist. Microsoft workers and activists protest against company’s Israel ties, occupy part of campusMicrosoft employees, ex-employees, activists, and local supporters took over the software giant’s east campus in Redmond, Washington, on Tuesday to protest against Microsoft’s ties with Israel and raise awareness about the thousands of Palestinian civilians killed by Israel’s army. The protest was coordinated by the No Azure for Apartheid organisation that runs campaigns against Microsoft’s business partnerships with the Israeli administration.Unjustified, says Russia on U.S. pressure on India for buying Russian crude oilThe U.S. pressure on India for its procurement of Russian crude oil is “unjustified”, a senior Russian diplomat said on Wednesday. We are confident that India-Russia energy cooperation will continue notwithstanding the external pressure, Russian Deputy Chief of Mission Roman Babushkin said. It is a “challenging” situation for India, he said at a media briefing and added that we have “trust” in our ties with New Delhi.Bus crash in Afghanistan kills more than 70 Afghans returning from Iran“A bus crash in northwestern Afghanistan killed at least 79 people returning from Iran, including 19 children,” an official said. Two people were also injured in the crash, Ministry of Interior spokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani told The Associated Press. Tolo News, citing the official, said the accident happened on Tuesday (August 19, 2025) at around 8:30 p.m. local time in Herat province. “The bus collided with a truck and a motorbike, causing a massive fire that killed many on the spot,” the outlet reported. Israel approves settlement project that could divide West BankIsrael gave final approval for a controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank that would effectively cut the territory in two, and that Palestinians and rights groups say could destroy plans for a future Palestinian state. Settlement development in E1, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem, has been under consideration for more than two decades, but was frozen due to U.S. pressure during previous administrations.Netanyahu brands Australia’s Albanese ‘weak’ over Palestinian state recognitionPrime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday brushed off accusations from his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu that the Australian leader is a “weak politician who had betrayed Israel” by recognising a Palestinian state. Mr. Netanyahu’s extraordinary public rebuke came after an August 11 announcement by Mr. Albanese that his government’s recognition of a Palestinian state will be formalised at the United Nations General Assembly in September. The announcement was followed by tit-for-tat cancellations of Australian and Israeli visas.Indian team for Asia Cup hockey announcedHarmanpreet Singh will continue to lead the Indian charge as it hopes to win the upcoming Asia Cup and qualify for the World Cup next year, with Hardik Singh as his deputy in the 18-member side named by Hockey India on Wednesday. Coach Craig Fulton has preferred to keep the juniors away and stick to a tried and tested group high on experience for the Asia Cup. The Indian team, currently on a four-match tour of Australia, has been largely retained.