In Congress organisational reshuffle, Sachin Pilot gets poll-bound Punjab, Surjewala for Gujarat, Baghel moved to Assam

In a major reshuffle of organisational responsibilities, the Congress on Saturday (September 5, 2026) appointed Sachin Pilot as the new All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of poll-bound Punjab, while Randeep Singh Surjewala will handle Gujarat in addition to Karnataka.

U.S. military strikes oil tankers as Iran vows tougher reprisals

The United States said it destroyed three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday (September 5, 2026) in response to attempted missile attacks on naval vessels, with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards saying they targeted U.S.-linked ships in response.

Voter lists shrink by more than 15% since 2024 in States where SIR phase-3 draft lists are out

Since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, voter lists of 17 States/Union Territories, where Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is under way in its third phase, have shrunk by 15.7% as per the draft rolls published by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Eight years after chargesheets filed, trials in Gauri Lankesh and Kalburgi cases drag on

It has been nine and 11 years, respectively, since journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh and scholar M.M. Kalburgi were killed. This week marked the death anniversaries of both. Even as all the accused in both the cases are out on bail, the trials in their cases are nowhere near completion. The families and close associates of the two have been demanding speedy trials for years now.

China to proceed with Brahmaputra mega dam despite new concerns

Fresh concerns triggered by the devastating glacial collapse along the Nepal-China border are unlikely to sway Beijing’s plans to go ahead with the construction of a mega dam on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo, or the Brahmaputra River, in a seismically active region in Tibet near the border with India

‘Marked shifted, forms not collected’: Delhi residents contest SIR deletions

In a public hearing organised by Jan Sarokar, Voter Adhikar Manch, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) and the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW), aggrieved residents lined up since morning amid rain carrying all documents, including “uncollected” enumeration forms.

U.S. envoys outlined ‘number of ideas’ on ending Ukraine war to Putin: Kremlin

The Kremlin said on Saturday (September 5, 2026) President Vladimir Putin had held “extremely frank” talks with U.S. envoys on how to end the Ukraine war, with the Americans proposing a “number of ideas”.

Citizens protest near Kaziranga, seek release of land rights activist detained under NSA

A group of citizens in Bokakhat town of Assam’s Golaghat district on Saturday (September 5, 2026) demanded the release of land rights activist Pranab Doley, who was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) for opposing the government’s alleged move to evict indigenous farmers near Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve and hand over their land for a luxury hotel and other projects.

Census advanced in four poll-bound States, deferred in Manipur

The Union government on Saturday (September 5, 2026) advanced the Population Enumeration phase of Census 2027 in the poll-bound States of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa, scheduling the exercise from November 16, 2026, to January 4, 2027, ahead of the nationwide enumeration planned for February 2027. The government also formally deferred the Census exercise in Manipur “till further declaration.”

INDIA bloc must take unified stand on SIR, says CPI(ML) Liberation leader

Calling for a unified response to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said the INDIA bloc must move beyond the State-specific positions adopted by Opposition parties so far. He also voiced concern over the delay in convening the INDIA bloc meeting that had been announced for August 8.