U.S. asked us to buy energy from Russia to stabilise global energy market: Jaishankar in MoscowThe United States asked India to do “everything to stabilise” the global energy market, “including buying oil from Russia”, said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Moscow on Thursday (August 21, 2025), defending New Delhi’s energy policy as India deals with the aftermath of penalty tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.Supreme Court to pronounce verdict on plea challenging removal of stray dogs from streets of Delhi NCRThe Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce on Friday (August 22, 2025) its ruling on a batch of interim pleas seeking a stay on its contentious August 11, 2025, suo motu directive requiring civic authorities in Delhi and four adjoining districts to capture all stray dogs and confine them in shelters within six to eight weeks.Indian Council of Social Science Research issues show cause notice to CSDS for ‘maligning ECI’, alleges ‘administrative, financial irregularities’After the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) issued a show cause notice to the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) for “deliberately scandalising and maligning the reputation and image of Election Commission of India (ECI)“, senior officials at CSDS said that they had received the notice, were “studying it in detail” and had been given a week’s time to reply.Silence will only embolden the bully: Chinese Ambassador on U.S. tariffsChina will “firmly stand” with India to uphold World Trade Organisation principles, said Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong, taking direct aim at the U.S. for imposing 50% tariffs on Indian goods. In a speech about the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, Ambassador Xu was particularly sharp on the “trade and tariff wars” that he said had disrupted the multilateral trading system, and referred to the U.S. as a “bully”.Trump administration reviewing all 55 million people with U.S. visas for potential deportable violationsThe State Department said on Thursday (August 21, 2025) that it’s reviewing the records of more than 55 million foreigners who hold valid U.S. visas for potential revocation or deportable violations of immigration rules. The department said it was looking for indicators of ineligibility including visa overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, engaging in any form of terrorist activity, or providing support to a terrorist organisation.Bihar SIR: Notices issued informing voters that Aadhaar can be submitted with claims, Election Commission of India informs Supreme CourtThe Election Commission of India (ECI) informed the Supreme Court on Thursday (August 21, 2025) that its public notices have expressly mentioned that copies of Aadhaar cards can be submitted along with their claims by voters aggrieved by non-inclusion in the draft Bihar electoral roll.Ensure universal registration of births and deaths, RGI tells StatesThe Registrar General of India (RGI) on Thursday (August 21, 2025) asked States to take steps towards achieving universal registration of births and deaths. Officials were told that following the directives of the Supreme Court, all government hospitals have been declared ‘registrars’ of births and deaths.Birla, Harivansh flag poor productivity, slam Opposition for disruptions as Monsoon Session endsThe stormy Monsoon Session of Parliament ended on Thursday (August 21, 2025) with the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh blaming the Opposition for repeated disruptions. Mr. Birla said that “as public representatives, the entire country watches our conduct and functioning”. “The public has great expectations from us that we have serious and meaningful discussions on their problems and issues of wider public interest, on important Bills, in accordance with the decorum of Parliament,” he said.Child rights panel seeks report after class 10 student stabbed in AhmedabadThe Gujarat State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has sought a report from an Ahmedabad-based private school after a Class 10 student was allegedly stabbed to death by a fellow student. The incident occurred on Tuesday (August 19, 2025) near the main gate of the Seventh Day Adventist School in the Khokhra area. The victim succumbed to his injuries later that night while undergoing treatment.SpaceX took oxygen leak before Axiom-4 launch ‘lightly’: ISRO ChairmanThe Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman, V. Narayanan, on Thursday (August 21, 2025), said the Falcon 9 rocket team that launched Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS) took the pre-launch leak in the oxidiser line to one of the engines “lightly”. He said that had it not been for the ISRO’s insistence on a full-fledged test, the leak could have caused a “catastrophic failure” of the Axiom-4 mission that successfully ferried four astronauts to the ISS and brought them back.Donald Trump signs executive order creating role of chief design officerU.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday (August 21, 2025) signed an executive order to establish a National Design Studio and create the role of a chief design officer to help improve the “usability and aesthetics” of Federal digital and physical services. The studio will advise agencies on how to reduce duplicative design costs and use standardised design on sites where people interact with the government, according to the order.