British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confronted China's Premier Li Keqiang at the G20 summit over the recent arrests of two people in the UK for alleged spying. Sunak expressed "significant concerns about Chinese interference in the UK's parliamentary democracy", calling it unacceptable. The arrests came just before the leaders' meeting. While not commenting on details, Sunak said he raised multiple disagreements with Li as part of aligning with allies like the US and Canada. Sunak aims to protect British values and interests while engaging China where beneficial. Downing Street confirmed Sunak relayed worries about China undermining UK democracy. The arrests resulted from a Metropolitan Police investigation with the Sunday Times. (Image courtesy: Rishi Sunak on X)

A complete business shutdown occurred in Sindh Province's Shikarpur and Kashmore districts in Pakistan as a protest against the increasing kidnappings of Hindu businessmen and their families. Muslim businessmen also joined the shutdown in solidarity. Hindu and Muslim business owners organized a significant protest rally in Kashmore to condemn these abductions and the authorities' failure to apprehend the culprits. JeI Chief Sirajul Haq also protested against such kidnappings of minority community members and called for immediate action. Hindu Panchayat and Youth Alliance of Kashmore also demanded increased security presence to tackle the bandit problem. [photo: ANI]

Two construction workers have been detained in China for allegedly damaging a portion of the iconic Great Wall in Shanxi province. Local media reports say the workers used an excavator to severely damage a segment of the 32nd Great Wall in an attempt to create a shortcut. Police say the 38-year-old man and 55-year-old woman dug a big gap in the Ming dynasty-era wall to reduce their travel distance. Police stressed that they caused irreversible damage to the cultural heritage site. The suspects were arrested on August 24 and the case is under investigation. Much of the over 2000-year-old Great Wall has been damaged over time, with only 8% considered well-preserved currently. The detained workers' actions have drawn criticism for harming the iconic monument. (Image courtesy: Youyu Public Security Bureau)

A Khalistan referendum event at a Canadian school was cancelled after authorities objected to weapons images on the poster. Surrey School District cancelled the September 10 event at Tamanawis Secondary as organizers failed to remove the concerning images. The poster featured a dagger, AK-47, and banned group SFJ's name alongside pictures of slain Khalistani leader Nijjar and 1985 Air India bombing mastermind Parmar. The development comes amidst recent appearances of pro-Khalistani posters threatening Indian diplomats and installations in Canada. SFJ leader, Pannun has called to “lockdown” India's Consulate in Vancouver on September 8. [photo: Tribune India]

China confirmed on Monday that Premier Li Qiang will attend the New Delhi G20 summit which officially indicates President Xi Jinping will not be participating. As per protocol, both Xi and Li are unlikely to be abroad at the same time, especially together. This scuttles prospects of any Xi-Modi meeting anticipated at the Sept 9-10 event. Mr Jinping is the second world leader to skip the summit in India after Vladimir Putin. Xi's absence follows strained India-China ties over border tensions. Biden earlier said he was disappointed Xi wasn't attending.

Priyadarshini Patil, a 40-year-old Indian-origin woman living in Australia, died by suicide last week amid a prolonged custody dispute over her two children. Patil took her life after learning an online hearing for the case was deferred to November. Her tragedy highlights the struggles faced by Indian parents engaging in custody battles with foreign governments, similar to recent cases in Norway and Germany. As an NRI, Patil was fighting Australian authorities to regain custody of her children. Her case serves as a sobering reminder of the devastating human toll of such cross-border custody disputes. (Image Courtesy: News18)

Indian-American presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has minimized his policy differences with fellow Republican contender Donald Trump. In an interview, Ramaswamy stated he and Trump were the two "America first" options in the 2024 race. He said they align on policy "90-plus percent of the way," with only "very small differences." Ramaswamy outlined some slightly more hardline stances he would take on issues like affirmative action and education. But overall he emphasized building on the "very good foundation" laid by Trump's agenda. Despite competing for the nomination, Ramaswamy framed himself and Trump as united by a shared patriotic vision for America.

A recent study by the Cato Institute reveals that a staggering 1.07 million Indians are caught in the Green Card backlog for employment-based categories (EB-2 and EB-3), facing an estimated wait time of 134 years for processing. The employment-based Green Card backlog has reached a record high of 1.8 million cases this year, with nearly 134,000 Indian children aging out before obtaining a Green Card. New Indian applicants in these categories face a lifetime wait, and approximately 424,000 employment-based applicants, mostly Indians, are projected to pass away while waiting. [photo: istock]

Indian-origin Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66, was elected Singapore's new president with 70.4% votes, replacing the nation's first female head Halimah Yacob. Shanmugaratnam, the former deputy PM, resigned from the ruling PAP and Cabinet to contest the first competitive presidential polls in over a decade. The ceremonial role oversees reserves, vetoes appointments, approves probes against PM's will. The outcome signals support for PAP despite scandals as Indian-origin Shanmugaratnam is establishment-linked. Voting was compulsory for 2.7 million voters. PM Lee's PAP has ruled since 1959 but saw worst performance in 2020. Shanmugaratnam's significant win reflects enduring trust despite controversies.

Malaysia, the Philippines, and Taiwan have joined India in firmly rejecting a map released by China's Ministry of Natural Resources, which asserts territorial sovereignty over the South China Sea region. These nations categorically disputed the legitimacy of China's claims depicted on the map. Malaysia's foreign ministry stated that it does not recognize China's claims in the South China Sea outlined on the map, and the map has "no binding effect" on Malaysia. The Philippines called on China to adhere to international law, while Taiwan emphasized that it is "absolutely not a part of the People's Republic of China." India had previously lodged a strong protest against the map for depicting Indian territories as Chinese territory.