Germany has blamed Russia for last month’s drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, saying evidence and intelligence findings confirmed Moscow’s involvement. A drone carrying explosives was found near Ukrainian cargo planes on August 4, while investigators suspect a second drone struck a nearby aircraft. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt called it part of Russia’s “hybrid operations” in Europe. Germany will close the Russian consulate in Bonn and tighten entry rules for Russian nationals. Moscow denied the accusations and said it would respond with “mirror-image” measures. (PC: BBC)

Four Uttar Pradesh men have described their dramatic escapes from Nepal after the August 26 floods, using helicopters, crowded vehicles and long road journeys to return home. Twenty-three-year-old Ashutosh Mani Upadhyay was evacuated by helicopter from Rasuwa, marking his first-ever flight. Krishna Pratap Singh feared the India-Nepal border could close and travelled home after being flown to the frontier. Raj Kumar Gautam made a difficult road journey through Bihar amid panic and communication failures, while Deepak Gupta’s family feared the worst after his phone was stolen. Ten of 22 Uttar Pradesh residents earlier reported missing have now returned home safely. (PC: The Indian Express)

US forces struck Iranian military targets for the second time in two days, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sites after Washington accused Tehran of preparing attacks on commercial vessels and American troops near the Strait of Hormuz. Details about the targets and possible casualties were not immediately available. The latest strike follows Sunday’s US attack on Iranian rocket launchers, which Iran retaliated against by firing ballistic missiles at US bases in Jordan. The renewed fighting has deepened fears of a wider regional conflict. The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the crisis, as about 20% of the world’s oil normally passes through the vital waterway. (PC: India Today)

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office shared a cropped group photograph from the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, apparently to place him at the centre of the image. The edited version showed Sharif standing alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders. However, the original photograph shared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed Sharif was actually standing fourth from the right, while Modi and several other leaders had been cropped out. The move drew attention because the altered framing made Sharif appear more central in the summit’s official group photograph. (PC: NDTV)

The death toll from Nepal’s devastating August 26 flash floods has risen to 1,003, while families continue searching for workers missing at damaged hydropower projects. Rescuers, including the Nepal Army, foreign experts and an Indian tunnel rescue team, are battling deep mud, rocks and debris inside blocked underground tunnels. At least 122 people remain unaccounted for at the Upper Trishuli-3B project in Nuwakot, while families fear their relatives may be trapped inside tunnels. “We still have hope,” one son said as he urged faster excavation. The floods damaged at least 12 hydropower projects across Rasuwa and Nuwakot. (PC: HT)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has once again urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the Ukraine war, saying every day of conflict pushes humanity backwards while peace brings hope. Modi’s appeal reflects India’s long-standing policy of strategic autonomy, as New Delhi maintains close ties with Moscow while also strengthening relations with Western nations. Putin responded politely but gave no clear commitment to halt the fighting. Russia’s leadership still appears to believe that military pressure will eventually bring victory, making an immediate peace deal unlikely. Modi’s remarks are not expected to damage India-Russia ties, which remain important for energy and defence cooperation. (PC: BBC)

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif raised the Indus Waters Treaty issue at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, a day after India rejected a Hague-based Court of Arbitration ruling that the 1960 treaty remains legally binding. Sharif called water the “lifeblood” of the region, stressing its importance to millions, agriculture and future generations. He said shared water resources must never be used as a political weapon, coercive tool or source of political leverage. Sharif argued that treaties governing shared waters are solemn, binding international commitments that cannot be discarded for political convenience. His remarks came amid renewed tensions over the Indus Waters Treaty, with India rejecting the court’s ruling and maintaining its position on the treaty’s status.

A UN report has warned that more than 14 million people in South Asian cities including Kolkata, Mumbai and Dhaka face an “immediate risk” of losing their homes to permanent inundation as sea levels rise. The report said rising seas are already damaging infrastructure, water systems, transport, energy grids, buildings and groundwater, while increasing health, displacement and livelihood risks. Global sea levels rose 4.7 mm annually between 2014 and 2023, while 2024 recorded a record 5.9 mm rise. The UN also warned of growing glacial-flood risks across the Himalayas. Researchers identified 47 potentially dangerous glacial lakes in Nepal, China and India in 2020, with the actual number now estimated to be significantly higher. (PC: PTI)

India have announced a 15-member squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, with Jasprit Bumrah and Sanju Samson returning to the side. Shreyas Iyer will captain the team, while Tilak Varma has been named vice-captain. Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana have also been selected, subject to fitness clearance. The series will be played on September 13, 15 and 17 at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium, with Afghanistan officially hosting. Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi retains his place, while Prabhsimran Singh, Suryansh Shedge, Prasidh Krishna and Prince Yadav miss out. Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav remain unavailable. India will seek a turnaround after consecutive T20I series defeats to England and Ireland. (PC: Times Now)

Former British prime minister Keir Starmer has announced he will step down as MP for London’s Holborn and St Pancras constituency, ending his parliamentary career and triggering a by-election. Starmer, 63, resigned as Labour leader and prime minister last month but had initially planned to remain in Parliament as a backbencher. In a statement issued as Parliament returned from its summer recess, he said he had spent the summer considering his future before deciding to leave the House of Commons. Starmer said he would now focus on international affairs, defence, security, trade and technology, citing the rapidly changing global environment. His departure marks the end of his political representation of the constituency. (PC: X)