Iran has warned that American warships anywhere in the Indian Ocean would come under attack if the war restarts. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, claimed Iran has raised its hypersonic missile speed from Mach 6 to Mach 10. He said Iran would answer any new US attack with more numerous and more painful strikes. Iran's military also warned that any country supporting a US attack would be seen as complicit. Tehran says it has sent its conditions to Washington through Qatari mediators, including an end to the US naval blockade, while tensions continue around the Strait of Hormuz.  (PC: BBC)

Ed Sheeran apologised to fans during his first concert since Macklemore was removed from his tour. Speaking in Philadelphia, Sheeran said he had made “mistakes” while dealing with the controversy. He said the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel was horrific and described the situation in Gaza as catastrophic and unjustifiable. Sheeran said he had not wanted to become a political commentator but felt he could not ignore the humanitarian crisis. Macklemore was dropped after making pro-Palestinian remarks during a performance. Several support acts later left the tour, citing concerns about free speech. The concert continued peacefully.  

Karnataka authorities have cancelled 16 drug licences and suspended eight others after uncovering a fake medicine racket in Bidadi, Bengaluru. The FDA raided a farmhouse on August 18 and found an unlicensed unit repacking cheap medicines as costly imported brands. Drugs, expired medicines, machines and fake labels worth around ₹5.05 crore were seized. Authorities said some products were made to look like premium brands, including Pfizer. The licence of a Pfizer C&F depot has also been suspended. Samples have been sent for testing. A Special Investigation Team is probing the supply chain and identifying others linked to the racket.  

US President Donald Trump said Washington is in “deciding mode” over the conflict with Iran and warned that “very big things” could happen. His remarks came after Iran sent seven conditions to the US through Qatar for restarting talks. Iran wants the fighting to stop, frozen Iranian funds returned and the naval blockade lifted. Iranian officials also demanded an end to the war on all fronts. Trump said he was open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the UN General Assembly in New York. Iran’s military also warned US allies in the region against supporting any new US operation.  

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke has demanded the resignation of Maharashtra Public Service Commission chairman Vivek Bhimanwar. Dipke made the demand during a meeting with MPSC aspirants in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. He called for reforms in the commission and urged students to raise their concerns on social media. The demand comes amid protests over an alleged Drug Inspector exam paper leak and other recruitment issues. Bhimanwar has rejected calls for his resignation, saying the paper leak happened before he took charge. Dipke also criticised Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over unemployment and urged the government to address the concerns of MPSC aspirants.

Suchika Tariyal made history at the Asian Games by becoming India’s first MMA medallist. The 36-year-old defeated Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 in the women’s traditional -60kg quarterfinal. The win secured her at least a bronze medal. Tariyal began judo after facing harassment at the age of 12. She later became an eight-time national judo champion and won medals in international events. She also won gold at the 2024 Jiu-Jitsu World Championships. After stepping away from MMA for seven years, she returned in 2024. She now has a chance to reach the Asian Games final with another win.  

A 34-year-old IndiGo cabin crew member, Kainoor Mistry, died in a road accident in Mumbai on Friday. Mistry was a single mother to a five-year-old child. She was travelling from home to the airport when a car driving on the wrong side of the road crashed into her vehicle. She was seated on the left side of the car. Mistry was placed on ventilator support after the accident but later died. Following the incident, cab operators were warned to follow safety rules. IndiGo has not yet issued an official statement. Police action and further details about the crash are awaited.  

India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams wore saffron jerseys at the Asian Games 2026 on Sunday. The move renewed a controversy over the team’s kit colour. Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey had earlier said blue would be India’s primary kit, with orange as the second choice. However, reports said saffron is the main colour for the Asian Games, while white and sky blue are the other colours. Hockey India sources said the saffron and white-blue kits had already been approved. The jersey change has faced criticism in recent months. Officials said the change was linked to better ball visibility on blue pitches.  

Nepal is racing to find about 6,000 people still missing after devastating flash floods on August 26. The death toll has reached 1,451, Nepal Police said on Sunday. The floods began near the Nepal-Tibet border and swept away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges. Rescue teams are searching rivers, debris and damaged hydropower projects for victims. At least 17 bodies were recovered from the Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower project. Identifying victims remains difficult because many bodies were badly damaged. Nearly 1,300 bodies have been temporarily buried after DNA samples were collected. Roads, bridges and other infrastructure also suffered major damage.  

US President Donald Trump will host Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House this week. The two leaders are expected to discuss trade, technology, rare earths and artificial intelligence. Trump once took a tough approach towards China and imposed tariffs and technology restrictions. However, his tone towards Xi has become warmer. China’s control over rare earths has given Beijing strong influence in talks. Both countries are also competing in areas such as AI, electric vehicles and advanced technology. Trump has said he has a good relationship with Xi. The meeting could test whether the softer approach brings lasting changes.