Bangladesh has imposed an 8 pm closing deadline for shops, markets and shopping malls as a severe natural-gas shortage worsens the country’s power crisis. Under the directive effective Thursday, commercial establishments can operate only from 11 am to 8 pm, while hospitals, pharmacies and food-related businesses are exempt. The electricity shortage has caused widespread load-shedding, with the national grid facing a shortfall of several hundred megawatts during peak hours. Bangladesh has sought additional diesel supplies from India through an existing cross-border pipeline to support gas-fired power generation. Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi discussed energy cooperation with Bangladesh’s Power and Energy Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood, who said diesel shortages had directly affected electricity production. (PC: REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain)

Former Gorkha soldiers and their supporters protested in Nepal’s Pokhara, demanding that India resume recruiting Nepali youths into the Indian Army under the Agnipath scheme. Nepali citizens have served in the Indian Army for more than two centuries, but recruitment has remained disrupted since 2020. Protesters specifically called for Agniveer opportunities, arguing that Nepali youths should receive military employment rather than being pushed towards jobs in the Gulf. The demonstration comes days before Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth’s scheduled visit to Nepal. The recruitment issue has become a significant concern for former Gorkha soldiers and aspiring recruits, amid uncertainty over whether and when India will restart enlistment from Nepal under its current military recruitment system. (PC: India Today)

A 25-year-old man from Kurukshetra, Haryana, Vishu Sharma, was allegedly stabbed to death by three men outside his room in Frankfurt, Germany, on Tuesday. His family said Vishu was called outside before the attack, while the motive remains unknown. He had last spoken to his family on Monday and was reportedly planning to return to India during Diwali. Vishu had moved to Europe in 2022, first working in Portugal, then undergoing military training and serving in the French Army before relocating to Germany, where he worked in delivery services. His family is completing formalities to bring his remains home. 

A 17-year-old Indian-origin teenager, Arjun Aravind, has been charged with killing his mother and younger brother at their home in Acton, Massachusetts. Police said 45-year-old Sudha Venkatesan and 14-year-old Siddarth Aravind were found dead inside the house on Tuesday with signs of trauma. Aravind allegedly fled in his mother’s Honda Accord after the incident, triggering an overnight search. Police later found him inside the car in Wayland and arrested him without incident. Prosecutors said investigators found evidence that he had recently searched online, including through ChatGPT, for theoretical ideas and fantasies about killing his family. The investigation is ongoing. (PC: NDTV)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said India is showing growing interest in the Northern Sea Route, as Russia seeks to expand Arctic shipping and strengthen trade links with Asia. Putin said India and China are among the countries discussing greater cooperation with Moscow on the route, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans along Russia’s Arctic coast. He said Russia is open to international cooperation under maritime law. The route could provide India with another trade link to Russia and improve access to energy and goods. However, extreme weather, sea ice, high costs and limited infrastructure remain major challenges for wider commercial use. (PC: X)

A fact-finding committee of the People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) has alleged that Chinese PLA troops are blocking Indian forces from accessing key patrolling points in the Taksing sector of Arunachal Pradesh. The panel said one patrol point, Shera 5, has remained inaccessible to Indian troops since a reported confrontation in 2023. Government sources rejected claims of “slow encroachment”, saying the Army and ITBP are prepared to monitor and counter Chinese activities. China also said the border situation is “generally stable”. The PPA has urged faster road construction, stronger military infrastructure and improved connectivity in the remote border region. (PC: India Today)

The Indian government said Track-2 dialogues with Pakistan involving retired diplomats, military officials and academics are outside its purview. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh told the Rajya Sabha that participants engage in such talks in their private capacity, and their views do not represent the government’s position. India and Pakistan continue limited official engagements, including DGMO-level talks and exchanges on nuclear installations and prisoners. Singh also said the Indus Waters Treaty remains in abeyance until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” ends its support for cross-border terrorism, following the April 2025 Pahalgam attack. (PC: India Today)

Former Pakistan minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has drawn criticism after appearing at a public event alongside two figures identified as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) members and praising the group’s jailed chief Hafiz Saeed. A video shows Rasheed sharing the stage with Khalid Masood Sandhu, described as a senior LeT commander and Pakistan Markazi Muslim League president, and Qari Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh, a member of LeT’s central advisory committee. During his address, Rasheed reportedly declared, “I am a slave of Hafiz Saeed,” while expressing support for the banned outfit’s leadership and making threatening remarks against India. The appearance has renewed scrutiny over alleged political associations with Pakistan-based extremist networks and anti-India rhetoric.

China on Wednesday said the situation along its border with India is “generally stable,” citing the August 6 Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination meeting on border affairs. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said both sides agreed to maintain communication through diplomatic and military channels and jointly preserve peace and tranquillity along the border. His remarks came amid reports of a military face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh’s Taksing sector and claims of increased Chinese activity along the Line of Actual Control. India’s Ministry of External Affairs, however, described border issues as “most serious” and stressed that maintaining peace and tranquillity remains crucial, warning that border conditions will influence broader bilateral ties. (PC: The Tribune)

A 17-year-old Indian-origin teenager, Arjun Aravind, has been charged with allegedly killing his mother, 45-year-old Sudha Venkatesan, and younger brother, 14-year-old Siddharth Aravind, at their family home in Acton, Massachusetts. Arjun, a student at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, faces two murder charges, along with counts of assault and battery involving family members and assault and battery. He also faces charges related to unauthorised use and theft of a motor vehicle. Authorities discovered the victims Tuesday evening after a tutor arrived at the family’s Martha Lane home shortly after 6:30 pm for a scheduled appointment but could not enter or contact anyone. Investigators reportedly found concerning online activity, including ChatGPT searches about hypothetical scenarios or fantasies involving killing his family.