HT Morning Brief September 14: UCC in all NDA states; the Asia Cup row; Hormuz deal in limbo

Good morning! Here’s a quick catch-up on today’s top stories. From a delay in the talks regarding the Strait of Hormuz to the row after India's Asia Cup win, here's the latest from the worlds of sports and entertainment.

Iran-Oman talks on ‘new Hormuz routes’ postponed

A meeting involving Iran and other Gulf littoral states was postponed on Sunday following attacks on an Iranian cargo ship near Qeshm Island.

The meeting was scheduled in Muscat to discuss regional issues, including safe shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz under an Iran-Oman arrangement. Following the attack, the talks have been postponed. Read the full story here

Shah's 2029 deadline for Uniform Civil Code in NDA states

Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that the governments in 21 states ruled by the BJP-led NDA will introduce a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) before the next parliamentary elections in 2029.

The BJP leader added that discussions were underway with allies regarding the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) across the country, saying that they would “identify and flush out every single illegal infiltrator from India”. Full story here

US Economist backs UNSC seat for India

As per American economist Jeffrey Sachs, no other country has as strong a claim to become the sixth permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as India.

The Columbia University professor also called on China to support New Delhi’s bid and said India’s population, economy, global influence and diplomatic role strengthened its case. Read more here

Asia Cup row: BCCI explains by Indian women's team declined trophy

Familiar scenes unfolded in Dubai after India’s record eighth Women’s Asia Cup title win. On Sunday, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs to lift the women’s title.

The presentation ceremony was delayed, the Indian team refused to take the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi — who is also the PCB chief and Pakistan’s interior minister — and Naqvi was left waiting on the podium before abruptly leaving the venue.

A similar sequence of events unfolded when India’s men, led by Suryakumar Yadav, won the Asia Cup at the same venue last September. Read more here

Bigg Boss 20: Salman Khan addresses criticism over ‘boring’ contestant line-up

Since the premiere of Bigg Boss 20, viewers have been criticising the makers over the contestant line-up, with many calling this season’s casting “boring” due to the lack of popular faces in the house.

Addressing the criticism, host Salman Khan stated that sometimes shortcoming can be found even after the selection process. Read the full story here.