A look at the headlines today:
1. Priyanka Gandhi, Yogi Adityanath at Rae Bareli today
Both Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Yogi Adityanath will visit Rae Bareli—the last remaining bastion of the Gandhi family in Uttar Pradesh—today. Priyanka Gandhi will visit the Modern Coach Factory in Aihar area of Lalganj, where the workers are agitating against the "privatisation" of the unit, party sources said. The ministry of railways has envisaged corporatisation of its seven production units and associated workshops under one entity called the Indian Railway Rolling Stock Company. On July 1, in the Lok Sabha, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi said raised the issue of corporatisation and accused the government of selling the country's assets to private players at a throwaway price.
2. SC will today hear Chidambaram's plea against remand order
The Supreme Court will today hear a fresh plea filed by senior Congress leader and former finance minister P. Chidambaram challenging the August 22 order of the trial court remanding him to CBI's custody till August 26 in the INX Media corruption case. The plea is listed for hearing before a bench of Justices R. Banumathi and A.S. Bopanna. It will also hear his separate petition challenging the Delhi High Court's August 20 order denying him anticipatory bail in the INX Media money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
3. Imran Khan to chair cabinet meeting on Kashmir today
Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan, today, will chair a cabinet meet on the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. He had recently upped the rhetoric against India on this topic. He said he will raise the issue at every international forum, including at the UN General Assembly. Khan addressed the nation yesterday, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France on Monday, categorically rejected any scope for third party mediation between India and Pakistan on Kashmir. Prime Minister Khan assured the people of Pakistan that his government will stand by the Kashmiris till India lifts the restrictions in the valley.
4. US Open, second Tests
US Open: In their much anticipated clash at the US Open, Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova comfortably to reach the second round of the tournament. She won 6-1, 6-1 against her old nemesis as she sets her sights on a record tying 24th Grand Slam title. Today, Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal will play the biggest match of his life—against Swiss legend Roger Federer in the first round of the US Open.
India vs West Indies Test: India will face off against West Indies at 8pm on August 30. India inflicted a humiliating 318-run defeat on their opponents in the first Test as Jasprit Bumrah dismantled the hosts and Ajinkya Rahane found his first century.
Ashes: The fourth Ashes test between England and Australia will commence at 3:30pm on September 4. Months after scripting an unlikely chase to help England win their maiden World Cup title, Ben Stokes had turned hero again as he engineered another sensational run-chase to take England to a one-wicket win in the third Test of the Ashes series, at Headingley in Leeds.
Serie A: Romelu Lukaku scored on his debut for Inter Milan as the team started off brilliantly under new coach Antonio Conte with a 4-0 win over promoted Lecce in Serie A on Monday.
5. Ayodhya case day-to-day hearing
The Ayodhya case hearing by the Supreme Court constitutional bench will resume today. Day-to-day hearings began after efforts at mediation failed. Meanwhile, Surendra Kumar Yadav, the trial judge in the case, knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court for police protection. In 2017, Yadav was directed by the Supreme Court to conduct day-to-day trial in the case, and complete it in two years.