Good evening. Sunday, August 31 was a busy news day dominated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin, China ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders’ summit. But much more has happened around the world of politics, business, technology, sport, and entertainment. Don’t worry, Express Catch-up is here to bring you up to speed.
- 01
TMC MP Mahua Moitra booked for ‘objectionable’ remarks against Amit Shah
An FIR has been filed against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, for allegedly making “objectionable” remarks about Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The case was lodged following a complaint by local resident Gopal Samanto, and Moitra, has been booked under Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for promoting enmity between groups and making statements prejudicial to national integration.
The remarks, made in Bengali during a media interaction on Thursday, reportedly accused Shah of shirking his duties on border security. Read more
- 02
Canara Bank staff in Kochi stage beef fest to defy office ban
Employees of Canara Bank in Kochi staged a “beef fest” on Thursday, openly defying an internal directive that banned the dish at their office canteen. Organised by the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), the protest came after regional officer Ashwini Kumar from Bihar allegedly ordered that beef not be served, however employees defied the directive by conducting a beef festival at the office itself. Along with beef, they served Malabar paratha, also known as porotta. Read more
- 03
Chennai hit by severe cloudburst, city’s Manali records 270mm rainfall in hours
Chennai experienced a severe cloudburst on Saturday night, with Manali recording 270mm of rainfall, New Manali Town 260mm, and Wimco Nagar 230mm, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Multiple areas in the Chennai district saw very heavy rainfall, with three locations exceeding 200mm in just a few hours, meeting the IMD and World Meteorological Organisation’s benchmark for a cloudburst, defined as 100mm of rain in one hour over 2,030 sq km. Despite the intense downpour, no weather warnings had been issued for Sunday. Read more
- 04
Nearly 30,000 deleted electors in Bihar seek inclusion: Election Commission
With just two days remaining before the September 1 deadline, Election Commission data revealed that 29,872 out of the 65 lakh electors whose names were removed during the draft stage of Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls have applied for inclusion in the final list, while 13.33 lakh new voters who have turned 18 have also submitted enrolment forms.
According to the EC’s SIR order issued on June 24, all 7.89 crore registered electors in Bihar were required to submit enumeration forms by July 25 to be included in the draft roll. Read more
- 05
Pakistan’s Punjab hit by record floods affecting two million people
Pakistan’s eastern Punjab is facing its largest flood in history, with rivers reaching unprecedented levels and affecting an estimated two million people, senior minister Maryam Aurangzeb said Sunday. The disaster comes amid intensified monsoon rains worsened by global warming, triggering flash floods and landslides across northern and northwestern Pakistan. Residents have also been impacted by cross-border flooding, while the Sutlej, Chenab, and Ravi rivers recorded record-high water levels, compounding the humanitarian crisis. Read more
