EU interior and justice ministers have been summoned to Brussels on 14 September to discuss 'concrete measures to cope with the escalating migration crisis' in Europe. This comes as a result of deliberations on the issue were held between the home affairs ministers of Germany, France and UK. More than 340,000 migrants have reached EU borders this year so far. Moreover, a large number of migrant deaths have been reported this year. The upcoming meeting is expected to start the process of a uniform rule for refugees and migrants in the European Union. Some countries are also pushing for a common EU list of "safe countries of origin", which would allow specific asylum applications to be fast-tracked.

Petrol and diesel prices in Delhi were slashed on 31 August by Rs 2 per litre and 50 paise a litre respectively. This is the third oil price reduction this month. Oil marketing companies (OMCs) review the prices of petrol and diesel every fortnight and move on the rates depending on global oil prices. The recent rate cuts have been facilitated by a decrease in international oil prices. However, the depreciation of the INR-US dollar exchange rate has also impacted the revision in prices.

Houses of six Manipur lawmakers, including Health Minister Phungzathang Tonsing, were torched by angry mobs on 31 August. Violence erupted in Churachandpur area after bills relating to the Inner Line Permit system were passed by the state assembly. Indefinite curfew has been imposed in the area.

Three bills passed by the assemble seek to regulate the entry of outsiders in the state through a permit system. One of the clauses in these bills sets 1951 as the base year to identify outsiders in the state. This means that those who settled in Manipur after 1951 cannot retain property and may be asked to leave the state.

India's GDP growth slowed from 7.5 per cent to 7 per cent in the April-June quarter. The Gross Value Added (GVA), a new concept introduced by CSO to measure the economic activity, also slipped during the first quarter to 7.1 per cent. The government towards the beginning of the fiscal has projected a growth rate of 8.1-8.5 per cent in the current fiscal, which may be difficult to achieve. However, slow GDP growth along with slower expansion of industrial production bolsters the case for a rate cut by the Reserve Bank. The RBI, which has cut interest rate by 0.75 per cent in three tranches since January, is scheduled to announce the next bi-monthly policy on 29 September.

Photo: PTI

The three prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case - Indrani Mukerjea, Indrani's former driver Shyam Rai and her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna - were produced before a magistrate in Mumbai on 31 August. Refusing the bail plea, the magistrate extended the police custody of the accused till 5 September. Lawyers of former TV executive Indrani Mukherjea alleged that their client was physically assaulted in police custody and was denied access to her family and legal counsel. The Mumbai police investigating the case added charges of attempt to murder against the accused for targeting the life of Sheena's brother Mikhail Bora.

Photo:Carl Court/AFP

Former IPL chief Lalit Modi has been located in Malta, CNN-IBN reported on 31 August. Modi had left India for the UK in 2010, when charges of money laundering in the IPL came to light. The CBI on August 20 had sent documents to Interpol to process a red corner notice against the former IPL chief. CNN-IBN also reported that Modi maybe arrested soon. Lalit Modi's arrest will come as a respite to the BJP-led government which has been accused to favouring Modi.

The Law Commission on 31 August recommended "swift" abolition of death penalty except in terror-related cases, noting it does not serve the goal of deterrence any more than life imprisonment.

The recommendation by the 9-member panel was, however, not unanimous, with one full-time member and two government representatives dissenting and supporting retention of capital punishment. In its last report, the 20th Law Commission said there is a need to debate as to how to bring about the "abolition of death penalty in all respects in the very near future, soonest."

The panel, while refusing to recommend any single model for abolishing death penalty, said "the options are many -- from moratorium to a full-fledged abolition bill. The Law Commission does not wish to commit to a particular approach in abolition. All it says is that such a method for abolition should be compatible with the fundamental value of achieving swift and irreversible, absolute abolition."