White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said he faced intense online criticism from Indians after repeatedly attacking New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil and trade policies. Navarro claimed he was “firebombed” online and urged critics to stop personal attacks. He has accused India of helping finance Russia’s war effort through oil purchases and previously called its trade practices “opportunistic” and “corrosive.” India has rejected his claims as inaccurate and misleading. Despite the tensions, Navarro said the issue has been addressed and suggested his criticism contributed to reduced Indian oil purchases from Russia. His remarks come amid wider India-US disagreements over tariffs and trade. (PC: AP)

NASA has invited the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to participate in its Moon Base programme, marking a major development in India-US space cooperation. The invitation was extended during the ninth India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group meeting held in Bengaluru on August 5–6. The proposed collaboration focuses on future lunar exploration, human spaceflight and developing infrastructure for a sustained human presence on the Moon. India joined the Artemis Accords in 2023, strengthening its partnership with NASA. The two agencies have already collaborated on missions including NISAR, while India is pursuing its own long-term human lunar exploration ambitions. (PC: X)

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday stressed that maintaining peace and tranquillity along the India-China border is of “utmost importance” following reports of alleged Chinese incursions into Arunachal Pradesh. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has consistently conveyed to China that border issues, including Chinese troops crossing into Indian territory, are among the “most serious” concerns. He added that the state of border affairs will reflect on broader bilateral relations. Jaiswal also rejected China’s criticism of India identifying 27 places and geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh using their standard Indian names. India has maintained that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country and reiterated the need for diplomatic and military mechanisms to address outstanding border issues.

A 26-year-old software engineer from Andhra Pradesh, Dileep Kumar Bungatavula, died in Ohio, US, after a pickup truck crossed the centre median and crashed into his sedan. The accident occurred on Interstate 480 in Macedonia on August 7, police said. Bungatavula, a native of Kadapa district, had moved to the US for higher education and completed his master’s degree from Kent State University in 2025. He was pronounced dead at the scene, while 3 others were injured. The Indian Consulate in New York offered assistance to his family. His relatives are arranging to bring his remains to India. (PC: NDTV)

India is examining the national security and regional implications of the new defence pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi was closely monitoring developments in West Asia and would take necessary steps to protect its interests. The pact, signed in Mecca on August 7, states that an armed attack on any 1 of the 3 countries would be treated as aggression against all. Saudi Arabia has said the agreement is not a military alliance or religious bloc. Turkey said it aims to strengthen defence cooperation and collective deterrence. (PC: Mint)

India said it is assessing the national-security and regional-stability implications of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye on August 7. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi remains committed to safeguarding its national interests and will take “all necessary measures”. The pact builds on a 2025 Pakistan-Saudi defence agreement and states that an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be treated as an attack on all. Jaiswal also urged the international community to hold Pakistan accountable for alleged human-rights violations, including violence in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, where more than 90 people were reportedly killed. He said India’s Pakistan policy remains unchanged. (PC: Reuters)

Two Indian farmers from West Bengal’s Nadia district were allegedly kidnapped and taken into Bangladesh on Tuesday by Bangladeshi farmers seeking the release of a farmer they claimed was detained by the BSF, Bangladesh’s Prothom Alo reported. The incident comes days after a 35-year-old tea farmer from West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district was allegedly abducted by Bangladeshi men near the India-Bangladesh border. The latest abducted farmers were identified as Sachin Karmakar and Narayan Deb. The BSF guards India’s border with Bangladesh. According to the report, the Bangladeshi villagers crossed into an Indian village before taking the two farmers across the border. The incidents have raised fresh concerns over security and cross-border tensions along the India-Bangladesh border. (PC: India Today)

India has warned China that the state of affairs along the border will influence broader bilateral ties, amid reports of an alleged Chinese incursion in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district. Reports claimed Chinese troops crossed the LAC near Pukar La and Ollo, though Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu had denied any such incursion and said the Army was effectively guarding Indian territory. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stressed that maintaining peace and tranquillity along the border remains essential and cited discussions at the August 6 WMCC meeting. India and China agreed to use existing diplomatic and military channels to prevent misunderstandings. India also reiterated Arunachal Pradesh is an “inalienable part” of India. (PC: NDTV)

The US government has filed a civil denaturalisation case against Indian-born Harinder Singh, also known as Harinder Singh Sanghera and Rushpal Singh, alleging he obtained American citizenship using a false identity. Authorities said he was stopped at JFK Airport in 1991 as Rushpal Singh and ordered deported in 1995, but there is no record he left the US. In 1996, he allegedly applied for immigration benefits as Harinder Singh, changing his date of birth, entry date and basis for his claim. The INS approved his permanent residency application in 2000, and he became a US citizen in 2008. The Justice Department seeks to revoke his citizenship and cancel his naturalisation certificate. (PC: Pexels)

China on Monday rejected India’s move to officially identify 27 places and geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh with standard names, calling the decision “illegal, null and void.” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing does not recognise what it called the “so-called Arunachal Pradesh” and claimed the region, referred to by China as Zangnan, belongs to China. India announced the standard names last week on its official map. China has released its own names for places in Arunachal Pradesh periodically since 2017. New Delhi has repeatedly rejected Beijing’s renaming attempts, calling them baseless and stressing that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India.