PM Modi launches Prambanan temple restoration project in Indonesia

• Indian markets are currently balancing portfolio inflows against central bank actions as the rupee remains steady amid liquidity pressures this week. • State Street Investment Management economist Krishna Bhimavarapu suggests an October policy rate increase is possible if overnight rates stay below the repo rate.

• Russia's liberal opposition Yabloko party reported that police arrested an election observer at a St. Petersburg polling station on Saturday, causing the observer to lose consciousness. • This three-day vote to elect members of the State Duma is the first parliamentary election since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

• Iran has conditioned the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz on the United States providing specific concessions. • Washington renewed a broad travel alert for West Asia due to persistent risks of regional escalation.

• California's governor signed a series of bills aimed at protecting democracy by enhancing election security and regulating mail-in ballots and deepfakes. • The legislation follows a dispute where Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco seized 650,000 ballots after the November election to redraw congressional lines.

• Hizam al-Asad, a political bureau member of Ansar Allah, stated that Yemeni armed forces have taken control of areas along the western coast and Bab al-Mandab. • He asserted that maritime traffic is continuing normally for most vessels, though a ban remains in place for Saudi shipping in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab, and the Gulf of Aden.

• Justice minister nominee Kim Seung-won withdrew from his position 20 days after being nominated by the Lee Jae-myung government. • Kim is the fifth ministerial nominee to step down under the current administration.

• The Supreme Court agreed to prioritize a writ petition regarding discrepancies in Delhi's electoral roll revision process. • Chief Justice of India Surya Kant scheduled the hearing for Monday, September 21, 2026, to address the removal of lakhs of voters from the draft roll.

• Central banks in the UK, U.S., and Japan are currently attempting to lower rising bond yields while continuing to fight inflation. • These institutions are managing this balance despite increasing concerns over growing national debt levels.

• Researchers discovered late 19th-century letters in Lafayette that reveal secret negotiations and social divisions. • The documents contradict official local history narratives by exposing clandestine political dealings and social stratification.

• Undisclosed letters written by the Marquis de Lafayette during his 1824–1825 farewell tour of the United States were recently discovered in a South Florida residence. • The documents date back to an era when Lafayette traveled across nearly every state as a symbol of the alliance between France and the young American republic.

• Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation intended to prevent outside interference in California elections. • Newsom framed the bills as a response to efforts by President Donald Trump and law enforcement allies to disrupt the voting process.

• Amritsar businessman Rakesh Trehan, known as 'Raja D King', announced he will host an "iPhone Langar" in Chandigarh on September 22. • The event will feature the distribution of free Apple iPhones to participants.