CEC is protecting the people who are destroying Indian democracy: Rahul GandhiMounting a scathing attack on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (September 18, 2025) alleged the CEC is protecting those who are “destroying” Indian democracy. Mr. Gandhi claimed that 6,018 votes were sought to be deleted in the Aland constituency of Karnataka, using centralised software and phones outside of Karnataka. In the same pattern, 6,850 applications were aubmitted online for addition of names in Rajura constituency of Maharashtra. “Same Vote Chori factory,” he claimed.Rahul Gandhi’s allegations on vote theft baseless: Election Commission of IndiaThe Election Commission of India on Thursday (September 18, 2025) termed the allegations made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi against CEC Gyanesh Kumar as “baseless“. No deletion of any voter can be done online by any member of public, as “misconceived” by Mr Gandhi, a senior ECI official said.BJP terms Rahul’s charges against ECI baseless, accuses Congress of running “infiltrators first politics” agendaBJP on Thursday (September 18, 2025) accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of making baseless charges against the Election Commission of India (ECI) over “vote chori” (stealing votes), alleging that the Opposition demonstrated an agenda of “infiltrators first politics” by doing so. Former Union Minister and BJP leader Anurag Thakur, addressing a presser at the BJP’s national headquarters in New Delhi on Thursday (September 18, 2025) said that Mr Gandhi’s repeated accusations against the ECI showed his lack of faith in Indian democracy.Delhi court stays order asking journalists to take down content against Adani enterprisesA Delhi court on Thursday (September 18, 2025) granted an interim stay on an ex parte injunction that had restrained journalists and media portals from publishing or circulating “unverified, unsubstantiated and ex facie defamatory” reports about Gautam Adani’s Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL). District Judge Ashish Aggarwal of the Rohini court passed the order in an appeal filed by journalists Ravi Nair, Abir Dasgupta, Ayaskant Das, and Ayush Joshi, challenging the September 6 injunction issued by Special Civil Judge Anuj Kumar Singh.PM Modi speaks to Nepal PM Sushila Karki, supports efforts to restore peaceMarking a fresh beginning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (September 18, 2025) spoke with Sushila Karki, the newly-appointed Prime Minister of the interim administration of Nepal and condoled the loss of lives in last week’s protests. “Had a warm conversation with Mrs. Sushila Karki, Prime Minister of the Interim Government of Nepal. Conveyed heartfelt condolences on the recent tragic loss of lives and reaffirmed India’s steadfast support for her efforts to restore peace and stability. Also, I extended warm greetings to her and the people of Nepal on their National Day tomorrow,” Prime Minister Modi said in a message after the telephone conversation with Mrs. Karki.Bombay High Court issues notice to acquitted and NIA in Malegaon blast victims’ appealThe Bombay High Court on Thursday (September 18, 2025) issued notices to seven persons acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, acting on an appeal filed by family members of the victims who died in the explosion. A Division Bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad also issued notices to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Maharashtra government, directing that they be served within two weeks. The appeal is posted for further hearing after six weeks.India to study Saudi-Pakistan mutual defence pact: MEAHours after Pakistan signed a mutual defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, India has said that it was aware of the development and reiterated its commitment to “comprehensive national security”. The Indian response came after Saudi Arabia and Pakistan issued a joint statement during the visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Riyadh that said, “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both”.Mehbooba, Sajjad Lone claim they are placed under house arrest in J&KPeoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday (September 18, 2025) claimed she was put under house arrest to prevent her from visiting Sopore to offer condolences on the demise of former Hurriyat Conference chairman Abdul Gani Bhat. “The decision to place the political leadership under house arrest today, simply to stop us from visiting Sopore to offer condolences on the demise of Professor Abdul Gani Bhat, lays bare the harsh and undemocratic reality in Jammu and Kashmir,” she said in a post on X.‘Entirely baseless’: Vantara says cleared of water resource misuse, carbon credits allegations after Supreme Court-appointed SIT clean chitThe Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) has found that allegations of misuse of water resources and carbon credits against Vantara are “entirely baseless”, the zoological rescue and rehabilitation centre said in a statement. A Supreme Court Bench comprising Justices Pankaj Mithal and P.B. Varale on Monday (September 15, 2025) accepted the SIT’s report, which found no legal violations in Vantara’s operations in Jamnagar, Gujarat.Assam Congress files FIR over BJP’s ‘communal’ videoThe Assam unit of Congress on Thursday (September 18, 2025) filed an FIR with the Dispur police station in Guwahati against the State Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) IT Cell for “criminal conspiracy, abetment, promoting enmity between religious groups and violation of model code of conduct for the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) election.” The FIR, signed by Congress spokesperson Bedabrata Bora, stated that the State BJP posted the communally sensitive video on its official X handle on Monday (September 15) handle to depict a hypothetical scenario of Assam under non-BJP rule.Keir Starmer and Trump to discuss foreign affairs, investment after pomp-filled royal welcome to U.K.Donald Trump meets British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday (September 18) for talks designed to focus the U.S. leader’s unprecedented second State visit firmly on global affairs rather than domestic political problems. After a day of pomp and ceremony in which Mr. Trump rode in a carriage with King Charles and feasted at a state banquet, the U.S. president and Mr. Starmer will celebrate the unveiling of a £150 billion ($205 billion) package of U.S. investment into Britain.Pope Leo talks Trump, sex abuse scandals, LGBTQIA+ welcome, China in his first interviewPope Leo XIV said in his first interview as history’s first American pope that he has no intention of getting involved in U.S. politics but will raise his voice on issues of concern to the Catholic Church, including on immigration. The Pope spoke on a range of topics — from the Trump administration to the clergy sexual abuse crisis, welcoming LGBTQIA+ Catholics and Vatican-China relations — in the interview, published Thursday (September 18, 2025).Trump designates Antifa movement as a ‘major terrorist organisation’U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday (September 17, 2025) said he was designating the left-wing, anti-fascist Antifa movement as a terrorist organisation, in a move following the assassination of right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk. Antifa, short for short for “anti-fascists,” is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups and is not a singular entity. They consist of groups that resist fascists and neo-Nazis, especially at demonstrations.Asia Cup | Why Pakistan did not go ahead with the pullout threatWhen Pakistan stayed put in its team hotel until an hour before the scheduled start of the Asia Cup contest against the United Arab Emirates at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, it seemed plausible that Salman Agha’s men would go ahead with their threat of pulling out of the tournament over its demand for match referee Andy Pycroft to be removed. Eventually, however, Pakistan’s players and support staff did make their way to the stadium despite the Zimbabwean staying on in his officiating role.