The UK has reaffirmed its full support for Ukraine after Russia warned Britain of “consequences” over reports that British-made drones were used in recent Ukrainian strikes inside Russia. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Britain was “not fair-weather friends” and would remain with Ukraine during its “hour of need.” Moscow accused London of escalating the conflict and warned that greater British involvement would come at a higher price. The UK has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters since Russia’s invasion in 2022 and continues to provide military equipment. The latest exchange comes as both Russia and Ukraine intensify long-range drone and missile attacks. (PC: BBC)

A Kolkata event of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) was cancelled after the organisation’s co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka alleged that hall owners faced threats and pressure from BJP leaders. Ranka said the planned meet-up at Bharat Sabha Hall in North Kolkata was cancelled and claimed 6 other venues also refused to host the event. The allegations have not been independently verified. Ranka said the CJP would organise a larger event and continue its “School Theek Karo” campaign in West Bengal. The group has also threatened protests over the death of Sheikh Mohammad Mafik, whose son was involved in the campaign, and demanded arrests and a court-monitored probe. (PC: India Today)

Indian-origin jazz musician Pritesh Walia has spoken about his 14-day detention by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement after he was allegedly accused of overstaying his visa. Walia said he was unexpectedly detained after returning to Los Angeles on August 2 and was later transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Centre. After being released on bond, he described the experience as frightening, saying he felt “scared, hopeless, and completely broken.” Born and raised in New Delhi, Walia began studying Indian classical music at 13 before moving to the US for higher education. He thanked his family, girlfriend, lawyer and the music community for their support.  

A hand grenade attack near a school in Kabul’s Dasht-e-Barchi area injured around 50 children, according to Afghan media reports. Kabul police confirmed that several children were wounded in Monday’s blast and said an investigation was underway. The area is mainly populated by the Hazara community, which has faced repeated attacks and discrimination in Afghanistan. UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett condemned the attack and called for an independent investigation to ensure those responsible are brought to justice. Dasht-e-Barchi has previously witnessed deadly attacks targeting Hazaras, including a 2021 school bombing that killed dozens, mostly young girls. (PC: HT)

Bangladesh has said it does not want its friendly relations with India to deteriorate over the long-pending Teesta water-sharing dispute. Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee urged New Delhi to consider Bangladesh’s interests while protecting its own. Dhaka is also pushing a proposed Teesta River restoration and management project with Chinese support to address floods, erosion and dry-season water shortages in northern districts. Anee said Bangladesh urgently needs a water-sharing agreement but would proceed with the project regardless of whether it is called a treaty or master plan. India has said the issue should involve all relevant stakeholders, including West Bengal. (PC: IndiaToday)

Amit Malviya has been replaced as head of the BJP’s IT and social media department after 11 years, as party president Nitin Nabin announced his new national organisational team. Deepak Mhaskey from Chhattisgarh will take over the role. BJP sources have rejected speculation that Malviya’s removal was linked to recent social media challenges or the ‘Gen Z’ movement. Sources said Malviya had discussed stepping down with the leadership after the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections and had also discussed possible successors. His future role remains undecided. Malviya also served as the BJP’s West Bengal co-in-charge, where the party recently came to power. (PC: NDTV)

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday agreed to urgently hear a habeas corpus plea concerning AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar, after the party alleged that police picked him up from his home early in the morning. AAP leaders claimed around 20 men in plain clothes took the East Delhi Kondli MLA at about 4:30 am while he was protesting the death of a sanitation worker. Arvind Kejriwal alleged that police damaged CCTV cameras and took away the DVR. Former Delhi chief minister Atishi also questioned Kumar’s whereabouts. AAP said it approached the High Court after claiming that police officials had not provided information about the MLA. (PC: HT)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party have featured New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani alongside Iranian and Hezbollah leaders in a campaign poster ahead of Israel’s elections. The poster shows Mamdani with Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem. The message says, “They want Netanyahu to lose, don’t let them win.” Netanyahu also reposted the image with the words, “Don’t let them win.” The move follows a public clash between Netanyahu and Mamdani, who has said the Israeli prime minister should face justice at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. (PC: The Independent)

An emotional farewell between an American woman and her Indian neighbours has gone viral on Instagram. In the video, Vijay Kokkeragadda is seen outside his home before leaving for Detroit Airport to return to India. His American neighbour walks up, hugs him tightly and breaks down in tears. Vijay smiles and comforts her as the emotional goodbye unfolds. According to Vijay’s Instagram post, he did not know the farewell was being recorded. A friend secretly filmed the moment and later shared the video with him. Vijay said he was glad to have the recording because it captured genuine emotions, friendship and affection between neighbours. (PC: NDTV)

Russia has warned the UK of “consequences” after confirming that British-made drones were used in recent Ukrainian strikes on military and industrial targets inside Russia. The Russian embassy in London accused Britain of escalating the Ukraine conflict and said the deeper its involvement, the “higher the price” it would pay. The UK Ministry of Defence said it remained “shoulder to shoulder” with Ukraine and was committed to providing equipment to defend against Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian forces have intensified long-range attacks on Moscow and other Russian regions, targeting oil, logistics and industrial sites. Moscow has not specified what action it may take against Britain. (PC: BBC)