A visa rejection prevented 61-year-old West Bengal resident Tapati Singha from joining a Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage group whose 32 other members are now missing in Nepal after devastating flash floods. Singha was among 33 people from the state who planned to travel through a Kolkata-based agency, but her Chinese visa was rejected without explanation days before departure. She instead travelled to Ladakh and was returning to Kolkata on Thursday. The Nepal-based partner of the travel agency has been unable to contact the missing tourists. Four agency officials have travelled to Nepal and expect further information. The incident comes amid a major search operation for tourists and others missing after the floods. (PC: NDTV)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Modi will visit Uzbekistan from August 29-30 before travelling to Kyrgyzstan for the SCO summit from August 31 to September 1. The Modi-Putin meeting is expected to cover bilateral trade, economic cooperation and key regional and global issues. Putin recently assured India of continued energy and fertiliser supplies amid disruptions caused by the West Asia conflict. During his Uzbekistan visit, Modi will hold delegation-level talks with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, focusing on trade, investment, defence, digital connectivity, energy, education and people-to-people ties, alongside shared developmental goals. (PC: The Hindu)

Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said Kathmandu will maintain strong relationships with both India and China, comparing the ties to unique family relationships that cannot replace one another. Speaking at NDTV World’s ‘Anviksha’ India-Nepal Dialogue, he said Nepal’s foreign policy is guided by national interest rather than choosing sides. Khanal rejected perceptions that China has “captured” Nepal, noting centuries of ties, while stressing that two-thirds of Nepal’s trade is with India. He said Nepal wants greater Indian economic presence and described the country as “open for business”, particularly in energy, tourism and technology. Khanal also said Nepal has received $0 from BRI projects over the past 10 years and highlighted plans to export 10,000 MW of electricity to India.

As many as 288 Indian nationals remain uncontactable in flood-hit Nepal, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), as India intensifies efforts to establish their whereabouts and ensure their safety. The group includes 73 Indians working on the Trishuli-I power project, with the Indian Mission in contact with the project head. The uncontactable also include groups of Tamil Nadu travellers, 32 Indians from West Bengal currently in Timure, 61 Indians near Keung and 33 nationals from Kerala. Separately, around 150 Indian nationals are reported missing on the Chinese side, while approximately 200 Indians are safe but seeking assistance with evacuation amid the continuing flood emergency along the Nepal-Tibet border.

Social media platform X has suspended the account of American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD), the organisers of an upcoming New York event featuring RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. The suspension comes a day after New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he did not support the RSS or the planned event but added that the city had no authority to cancel it. Bhagwat is set to headline the ‘Universal Oneness Celebration’ at Madison Square Garden on August 29 as part of his three-country outreach tour covering the US, Canada and the UK. (PC: X)

Devastating flash floods in Nepal have killed at least 332 people, while nearly 1,500 people remain missing across Nepal and Tibet. India said 288 of its nationals are still out of contact, including 73 workers at a power project in Trishuli. However, 21 missing Indians from Tamil Nadu have been rescued and are being brought back home. The Ministry of External Affairs said more than 200 Indians have sought evacuation assistance, with many stranded in Tibet. The floods, possibly triggered by an ice avalanche near a Himalayan river, have destroyed settlements and severely damaged roads, bridges and hydropower projects. (PC: India Today)

Sadhguru has sought permission to reach the flash flood-hit area near the Tibet-Nepal border, where 77 members of an Isha Foundation Kailash pilgrimage group remain missing. He said he was turned back after roads to the disaster zone were blocked. The group includes pilgrims from the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and several other countries. Sadhguru said his team was coordinating with Indian and Chinese authorities and other embassies to reach the site. The devastating flood, triggered by a glacial collapse, has killed at least 165 people, while rescue operations continue. (PC: X)

The Hindu American Foundation has issued a security advisory ahead of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s August 29 event at Madison Square Garden in New York. The group urged New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to ensure the safety and civil rights of all attendees, asking the community to remain vigilant amid attempts by activists to disrupt the event. Mamdani has said he opposes the gathering but does not know whether the city has the authority to cancel a private event. Bhagwat’s visit is part of an overseas outreach tour marking the RSS’s centenary year. (PC: HT)

Nepal’s devastating flash floods have left 823 people out of contact, including more than 300 Indians, according to Nepal’s Foreign Minister. The disaster struck areas near the Nepal-Tibet border, causing massive destruction along the Bhote Koshi and surrounding river systems. Entire settlements, roads, bridges and other infrastructure were swept away, while hundreds of travellers remain unaccounted for. Many Indians were reportedly travelling toward the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage route. Rescue teams are continuing search operations despite severe damage to roads and communication networks. Indian authorities and Nepalese agencies are coordinating efforts to trace missing nationals and assist affected travellers. (PC: Reuters)

An Iranian warship reportedly confronted the Indian-flagged oil tanker HAANA while it attempted to transit the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz, known as the Oman corridor. According to Iran’s Fars news agency, the tanker was warned by a large Iranian warship and subsequently deterred from continuing its journey. The incident occurred amid escalating Iran-US tensions and severe disruption to commercial shipping through the strategic waterway. Fars reported that no traffic had been observed on the southern route during the previous 24 hours. The incident has not been independently confirmed by Iranian or Indian authorities. (PC: Reuters)