Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday outlined a series of welfare and public service programmes being held across the national capital to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 76th birthday. Addressing the media, Gupta said a 108-Kundiya Hawan was organised at the Khatu Shyam Temple on GT Karnal Road, where prayers were offered for the Prime Minister’s health and long life.

“Today is the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We have completed a 108-Kundiya Hawan here and, after seeking blessings at the feet of Baba Khatu Shyam, prayed for the Prime Minister’s long and healthy life and for his continued service to the nation,” Gupta said. Among the initiatives announced on the occasion, the Delhi government launched its first official organ donation portal and platform. Gupta said she became the first person to register as an organ donor through the new government initiative.

A large-scale blood donation drive was also organised across Delhi, with thousands of residents expected to participate. Gupta said the programmes were inspired by PM Modi’s repeated emphasis on public service. “Inspired by his constant message of serving the people, we have organised several programmes through the government today,” she said, adding that the mega blood donation campaign was one of the major initiatives.

The Delhi government also introduced the NaMo Shramik Kendra, aimed at helping workers and labourers access government welfare programmes more easily. According to Gupta, the centre will provide direct connectivity to various schemes and make it simpler for eligible workers to receive government assistance. Another programme to be launched on the occasion is a song prepared by school students, Gupta said.

She added that people across Delhi would participate in an evening lamp-lighting initiative, described as “Aashirwad ka Diya”, as a gesture of goodwill and prayers for the Prime Minister. BJP MP Yogender Chandolia said a large 108-kund Mahayagya was also held to mark Modi’s birthday. He said a nationwide Sankalp Abhiyan would be observed from September 17 to October 17, focusing on beneficiaries of government welfare programmes.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma extended birthday wishes to Modi on behalf of the people of Rajasthan. He said September 17 provided an opportunity to recognise a political leader whose public life, in his view, has been centred on service to the people and the country. Sharma said the nationwide celebrations were being held under a “Seva Sankalp Abhiyan” and described Modi’s political journey as one that began with his tenure as Gujarat chief minister and later expanded to national public service.

He also credited the Prime Minister’s leadership with accelerating development across both urban and rural areas. Sharma said government welfare measures had benefited large numbers of families and argued that India’s confidence on the international stage had grown in recent years. Referring to the “double-engine government” model, Sharma said policies aimed at young people had strengthened their confidence in the government and created new opportunities for empowerment. He further said that national security had become stronger under Modi’s leadership and that welfare and development programmes were reaching a wider section of society.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.

Meta has announced that it will begin reporting matters involving child safety directly to the cybercrime portal operated by India’s Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C). The move is aimed at improving coordination with authorities and strengthening efforts to address online exploitation and other crimes targeting children.

A Meta spokesperson said the safety of children on its platforms remains a key priority for the company. Meta also said it is committed to cooperating with government agencies and helping ensure that individuals involved in such offences are held accountable. The company said the decision to report child safety-related cases directly through the I4C portal is intended to support a more coordinated response to online harms involving children. Meta operates several widely used platforms in India, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, and has systems in place to identify and restrict content that poses risks to children.

The I4C, which functions under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, plays a central role in India's efforts to combat cybercrime. It works with law enforcement agencies and uses technology, training and coordinated mechanisms to improve the country's response to online offences. The latest development comes amid increased scrutiny of social media companies over their responsibilities in protecting children online. Government sources have stressed that child safety must be treated as an essential requirement by digital platforms operating in India, describing it as a non-negotiable issue.

The development also follows recent action by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). On September 9, representatives of Meta India appeared before the child rights body after its senior leadership was summoned over allegations involving advertisements linked to Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM).

The NCPCR had initiated the matter on its own after a BBC Eye report raised allegations concerning advertisements appearing on Meta-owned platforms. On July 3, 2026, the Commission issued a notice to Meta Platforms, Inc., seeking an explanation regarding the reported content. Meta subsequently submitted its response to the Commission.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had also asked the Delhi Police to carry out a detailed investigation into allegations that paid advertisements on Instagram were being used to promote Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) in India. The NHRC further asked authorities to determine whether Meta and other entities involved had fulfilled their legal reporting responsibilities under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Meta's decision to directly report child safety concerns through the I4C portal is therefore being viewed in the broader context of growing government and regulatory efforts to make online platforms more accountable for preventing and reporting serious crimes involving children.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday stressed the need for the infrastructure sector to move beyond “retrospective justice” and adopt a model of “preventive justice”. He said contracts and institutional systems should be structured in a way that helps resolve potential disagreements before they develop into full-fledged disputes.

Speaking at the FIDIC Global Infrastructure Conference 2026, Justice Kant said the Rule of Law should not be limited to correcting problems after a project has already been affected. Instead, it should ensure that contractual obligations are clearly defined, decision-making powers are understood, risks are distributed fairly and dispute-resolution mechanisms are reliable and timely.

He noted that an effective dispute-resolution system should ideally prevent disputes from arising in the first place. According to him, the real measure of success is not the number of disputes a mechanism settles, but how rarely a project needs to rely on it. The CJI also highlighted the importance of creating a common understanding among parties about how unexpected situations will be handled during infrastructure projects. He said early action, transparent communication and quick decisions can stop disagreements from escalating into formal claims.

Justice Kant pointed out that major infrastructure projects cannot simply stop while legal proceedings continue. Construction of bridges and highways, as well as power projects, depends on timely decisions, making prolonged arbitration or appeals potentially disruptive to both schedules and economic objectives.

Calling for greater standardisation in infrastructure contracting, the CJI said key provisions covering payments, project changes, extensions of time, unforeseen circumstances and dispute resolution should follow broadly consistent frameworks rather than being drafted from scratch for every project. However, he stressed that such standardisation must remain flexible enough to account for local laws, institutional capacity and project-specific conditions.

Justice Kant said India’s infrastructure expansion is occurring at an unprecedented scale and pace. He said the country’s objective should be to develop projects more quickly while making them more resilient, sustainable and productive. He urged policymakers, developers and other stakeholders to give greater attention to clearly defined responsibilities, equitable risk-sharing, sensible standardisation, early dispute prevention and speedy, independent resolution when disagreements do arise. These measures, he said, should be viewed as essential tools of good governance rather than simply technical legal requirements.

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for greater use of local currencies in international trade, saying closer financial cooperation among emerging economies could help countries reduce the impact of sanctions and strengthen economic integration. Pezeshkian made the remarks while discussing economic cooperation among BRICS countries, where reducing dependence on traditional international financial channels has become an increasingly important issue.

Iran has faced extensive US sanctions that have restricted its access to international banking and financial networks. Tehran has consequently been seeking alternative mechanisms to maintain trade with countries that remain willing to conduct business with it. Pezeshkian's proposal focuses on increasing settlements in national currencies instead of relying predominantly on the US dollar for cross-border transactions. Such arrangements could reduce exposure to sanctions-related restrictions and provide countries with additional options for conducting bilateral trade.

The Iranian president also stressed the importance of strengthening economic ties among BRICS members. Greater cooperation in trade, investment, banking and infrastructure, he argued, could help create a more integrated economic network among emerging economies. The issue has particular relevance for India-Iran economic relations. The two countries have maintained strategic and commercial ties despite the challenges created by international sanctions. India has also continued its engagement with Iran through projects such as the development of Chabahar Port, which is important for regional connectivity.

Bilateral trade has faced significant difficulties in recent years. Sanctions, payment restrictions and complications surrounding financial transactions have made it harder for companies in both countries to conduct business through conventional channels. The push for local-currency settlements is part of a wider discussion within BRICS about developing alternative financial mechanisms. Several member countries have expressed interest in expanding trade conducted in their national currencies and improving cross-border payment systems.

Analysts, however, note that wider adoption of local currencies would require practical arrangements involving banks, businesses and governments. Exchange-rate fluctuations, currency convertibility and differences in financial regulations could present challenges. For Iran, expanding local-currency trade could provide additional options for maintaining international commerce despite sanctions. For other BRICS members, it could offer greater flexibility in cross-border transactions and reduce reliance on a single dominant currency. Pezeshkian's remarks come as BRICS continues to explore ways to deepen economic cooperation among its members. The push for stronger financial links could become an important part of the group's broader efforts to increase trade and investment among emerging economies.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Hindustan Times.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has announced a broad set of initiatives covering family support, housing, technology and Singapore’s national resilience. Hairianto Diman and Justine Moss speak to SMU School of Law Associate Professor Eugene Tan about the major measures, their significance for Singaporeans and what they reveal about the Government’s priorities for the country’s next stage of growth.
Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from CNA.

Myanmar's military government has released rare images of detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi meeting a Red Cross official, marking her first known contact with the outside world since the 2021 coup. The photos were released just ahead of junta chief Min Aung Hlaing's first official visit to Thailand, prompting speculation about their political significance.

Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from CNA.

In a conversation with political editor Tom McIlroy and chief political correspondent Dan Jervis-Bardy during the 50th Labor conference in Adelaide, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas discussed his state’s political battle with One Nation. He said progressive groups should avoid dismissing or talking down to Pauline Hanson’s supporters, arguing that their concerns need to be understood rather than ignored. Addressing the ongoing debate over the AUKUS submarine deal, Malinauskas acknowledged concerns after the US revealed that Virginia-class submarine production rates had not improved. However, he maintained that walking away from the agreement would create greater strategic risks than the challenges surrounding the controversial defence partnership.

Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from The Guardian.

On Made in SG, Melanie Oliveiro chats with Singaporean singer-songwriter Frances Tan, who recently competed in the Commonwealth Song Contest — an international music competition featuring participants from all 56 Commonwealth countries. Tan shares her experience of being chosen as a Grand Finalist, representing Singapore alongside six other finalist nations. She also discusses her original track, Just Me, which she submitted as her contest entry.

Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from CNA.