HT Evening News Brief Aug 26: India slams UN over report, GIVA caves to backlash, Toxic review, Nepal floods

Good evening. Here is today's top news from around the globe. India has criticized a UN committee's report on alleged racial discrimination in the country, calling it "politically motivated" and "highly malicious". The Ministry of External Affairs stated that India had participated in the review "in a spirit of constructive engagement" and highlighted the country's constitutional safeguards, legal framework, pluralism, and efforts to protect disadvantaged communities.

In a separate development, Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta has called for the appointment of a Chief Justice from another state to head the Rajasthan High Court. Mehta alleges that the acting Chief Justice, Sanjeev Prakash Sharma, has been misusing his administrative powers and favoring "rich litigants" by manipulating case listings.

GIVA Jewellery has pulled its ad featuring actress Kriti Sanon following backlash over her attire, which critics deemed "against Indian culture". Sanon defended her clothing choice in a statement, receiving support from Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.

At least 19 people were reported dead, with more feared casualties, and 105 Indians missing in flash floods that struck Nepal on Wednesday. The floods damaged roads, bridges, and power projects in areas near Tibet. Authorities in Tibet reported major casualties, including some missing in the neighboring county of Gyirong after a mudslide hit a land crossing between China and Nepal, according to Xinhua.

Lastly, the film Toxic, with a runtime of three hours and 14 minutes, has been criticized for its lack of coherence and repetitive violence, with its big reveal arriving too late to salvage the film.