Breaking news LIVE updates: Hemant Soren directed to appear in PMLA court on Monday

Formal charges were scheduled to be framed against Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a land-related case before the PMLA court in Ranchi on Saturday, but he did not appear, ANI reported.

Soren’s counsel told the court that the chief minister could not attend due to a busy schedule and sought a fresh date. The court directed Soren to mandatorily appear before it by 4 pm on Monday, either physically or virtually.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India has for centuries guided the world on matters concerning nature and the environment, and is now offering solutions to modern climate challenges while calling for collective global action.

Addressing the International Conference on “The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics” in Delhi, Modi said the conference organised by the National Green Tribunal was advancing this mission, PTI reported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India’s per capita carbon emissions remain less than half the global average, arguing that developing countries have often been unfairly held responsible for carbon emissions.

Speaking at the International Conference on “The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics”, Modi said India had made “extraordinary progress” across environmental sectors over the past 12 years, with a major focus on renewable energy playing a significant role in environmental protection.

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said protecting the environment is not an act of altruism but an investment in the continuity of life, while speaking at the International Conference on “The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics”.

He said India’s Constitution reflects the country’s longstanding reverence for nature, with Article 48A directing the state to protect and improve the environment and Article 51A calling on citizens to protect the natural world. He also highlighted the Supreme Court’s role in advancing environmental justice, saying development without preservation risks ecological harm.

The National Land Monetization Corporation (NLMC) has recommended proposals involving assets worth over ₹5,000 crore for monetisation, the government said on Saturday.

The proposals cover surplus land and building assets of Central Public Sector Enterprises and other government entities. At its 21st board meeting on September 18, NLMC reviewed progress on asset monetisation and stressed the need to accelerate the process. The board also approved NLMC’s annual financial statements and Directors’ Report for 2025-26, according to a PIB release.

An SIT will probe the alleged admission of students to MBBS courses using forged certificates under the freedom fighters’ quota, Dehradun SSP Pramendra Doval said, according to ANI.

The SIT, headed by SP Rural Jaya Baluni, will investigate the alleged fraud, including lapses in document verification and how the forged certificates were prepared. It will also identify all those involved in the case. Police have not ruled out the involvement of an organised gang, Doval said.

India’s 499-member contingent for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan features several athletes making their debut at the continental multi-sport event. ANI has identified five debutants to watch:

• Ayush Shetty (Badminton): The 21-year-old has won a Thomas Cup bronze and Asian Championships silver, and recently stunned former world No. 1 Shi Yuqi at the World Championships.
• Rohit Yadav (Javelin): The 25-year-old has thrown 87m-plus twice this season, including an 87.68m effort that won gold at the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver Meet in Bhubaneswar.
• Sujeet Kalkal (Wrestling): The 23-year-old won gold in the 65kg category at this year’s Asian Championships and has also secured age-group international medals.
• Sakshi Chaudhary (Boxing): The 26-year-old won the women’s 51kg gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Games and is also a World Boxing Cup gold medallist.
• Suruchi Phogat (Shooting): The 20-year-old 10m air pistol shooter has five ISSF World Cup gold medals and won the World Cup Final last year.

An M.Sc student of BIT Mesra, identified as Anjali, was found dead in Hostel No. 9 late at night, Ranchi Police said.

The BIT police station team reached the spot after being informed and took custody of the body. No suicide note was recovered, though a diary was found. Police said entries in the diary suggested she was distressed over family issues. A post-mortem examination is scheduled for today.

A second-year student of IIT Bombay’s Department of Energy Science and Engineering died by suicide after an incident during an examination earlier in the day, the institute said.

The student was found using a mobile phone in the exam hall and had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers. IIT Bombay said no disciplinary action was initiated, and the instructor and Head of Department counselled the student and assured him that the incident would not affect his academic career. He later returned to his hostel room, where he was found dead in the evening.

IIT Bombay said it was deeply saddened by the loss and was extending support to the student’s friends, classmates and faculty. The circumstances surrounding the death are being looked into by the appropriate authorities.

Indian shot put athlete Tajinderpal Singh Toor will be replaced by kabaddi star Pawan Sehrawat as the male flag-bearer for the Asian Games opening ceremony on Saturday.

The death toll from an explosion and gun attack at a police headquarters in northern Pakistan rose to at least 31, including 16 police personnel, on Saturday, as security forces continued exchanging fire with militants still holed up inside the complex, a senior police official said.

Bolivian lawmakers approved a $1.9 billion financing agreement with the International Monetary Fund, clearing the final legislative hurdle for a three-year program aimed at stabilizing the country's crisis-hit economy, hours before President Rodrigo Paz announced an immediate end to diesel subsidies.

The judicial custody of eight accused arrested in connection with the alleged theft and misappropriation of donations from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple has been extended till September 21, their lawyer said.

Question papers for the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) were allegedly smuggled out of a printing press in Agra hidden inside shoe insoles for Rs 8,000, according to a nearly 3,500-page chargesheet filed by Thane City police.

The chargesheet, submitted before a local court in Bhiwandi on Friday, names 18 accused, including alleged mastermind Bijendra Gupta, who was previously implicated in an Odisha paper leak case. Police have arrested 16 accused, while two alleged accomplices, Ashok Sav and Prakash Misal, remain absconding as the investigation continues.

India have changed their doubles combination ahead of the third and deciding rubber against South Korea, with Dhakshineswar Suresh replacing Niki Poonacha, Press Trust of India reported.

N Sriram Balaji and Dhakshineswar will take on South Korea’s Nam-Ji Sung and Park Ui-sung in the crucial doubles tie. The change comes with India facing a must-win contest in the tie.

A massive fire broke out in a multi-storey building in the Awas Vikas area of Kalyanpur, Kanpur, on Friday evening, engulfing a Max showroom on the ground floor and the Sunbreez Hotel on the upper floors.

A preliminary investigation suggests that a short circuit in the electrical panel in the basement may have triggered the blaze. No fatalities or serious injuries have been reported so far.

China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng will lead a delegation to the United States from September 19 to 23 for economic and trade talks, ahead of a planned September 24 summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump.