At least five people, including a four-year-old child, were killed and more than 50 injured after a reported US airstrike hit a wedding celebration near Sirik in southern Iran, Iranian authorities said. The incident occurred amid renewed military confrontation between the United States and Iran. Tehran condemned the strike and accused Washington of causing civilian casualties. The US military said it had conducted strikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets, including air-defence systems, radar facilities, maritime assets and communications sites. Iran also reported attacks on US-linked positions in the region. The latest escalation marks the most serious direct fighting between the two sides in weeks. 

The death toll from devastating floods and landslides in Nepal has risen to 1,127, according to Nepal Police. More than 4,800 people remain missing as search and rescue operations continue across several affected districts. Hundreds of bodies have been recovered from areas including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Chitwan, Gorkha and Nawalparasi. Only 95 victims have so far been identified and handed over to their families. Rescue teams from Nepal, India and China are assisting operations, particularly around damaged hydropower sites. Authorities are prioritising the search for missing people, rescue of survivors, relief distribution and identification of recovered bodies. (PC: Reuters)

A 13-member specialist team from US-based Crisis Response International (CRI) has arrived in Nepal to support underground search-and-rescue operations after catastrophic floods buried hydropower infrastructure in the Trishuli River basin. A Singaporean team has also joined efforts in Rasuwa district, where workers are feared trapped inside tunnels near Chilime village. The teams will work with the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, mountain guides and technical specialists, using equipment designed for hazardous confined spaces and debris removal. Rescuers face metres of waterlogged sludge and continuing water inflow, with earlier teams forced to stop after reaching nearly 90 metres inside a 250-metre facility. Nepal’s death toll has surpassed 1,000, while thousands remain missing.

US forces continued strikes on Iranian targets, with CENTCOM saying the attacks followed attempted IRGC assaults on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and US personnel. A missile attack reportedly killed four people, including a child, and injured about 50 when shrapnel struck a home hosting wedding celebrations in Kuhestak, southern Iran. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks against US interests in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait. Supreme Leader Mojatba Khamenei warned Washington of “unforgettable lessons,” while IRGC officials threatened further punishment. The US military denied targeting civilians. The conflict has continued since late February, when US and Israeli attacks killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with Iran maintaining its Hormuz closure.

US President Donald Trump claimed that Washington has “almost total control” of the Strait of Hormuz and said Iran’s economy is “totally collapsing” as tensions escalate amid intensified strikes. In a Truth Social post issued hours after fresh US airstrikes against Iran, Trump rejected an ABC News report that he was seeking to force Tehran back to negotiations. He said he was not interested in pushing Iran into an agreement, calling any potential deal “worthless” to Tehran. Trump said he preferred the current situation, citing what he described as near-total US control of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s economic collapse. His remarks came amid continued exchanges of strikes between US and Iranian forces.

The US has launched fresh strikes on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets in Iran, prompting President Donald Trump to warn Tehran that the “biggest attack” was still to come if it retaliated. US Central Command said the action followed attempted IRGC attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and American service members in the region. Iran’s state media reported that four projectiles hit areas in Chabahar and Konarak. The latest escalation comes after weeks of tensions and follows earlier US strikes on Iranian rocket launchers. Iran has vowed that Washington will regret the attacks. (PC: NDTV)

Nepali hydropower worker Pemba Dundu Tamang has described running for 20 minutes as floodwater from the Trishuli River crashed into a tunnel during last week’s deadly disaster. A sudden gust of air and rising water forced dozens of workers to flee the Upper Trishuli 3B Hydropower Project. Tamang survived but lost six relatives after his riverside home was swept away. Nepal’s flood death toll has crossed 1,000, with about 4,000 people still missing. Rescuers are pumping air into tunnels and clearing debris as they search for hundreds of trapped workers.

Erin Piacenti, a Bank of America vice president, has been identified as the woman killed in a stabbing in New York City’s Times Square. The attack took place around 4:30pm on Monday at West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue. A 68-year-old man was also stabbed and remains in stable condition. Police said the attack appeared random and unprovoked. Officers fatally shot the female suspect after a Taser failed to stop her and she advanced towards them with knives. Bank of America said it was “deeply saddened” by the loss of its colleague.  

Bangladesh is set to buy electricity from a Chinese waste-to-energy project at Tk 25 per unit, around 127% higher than the average Tk 11 paid for power imported from India in FY 2025-26. The 42MW project at Dhaka’s Aminbazar landfill is expected to begin supplying electricity by 2028. The deal comes days after Dhaka objected to India’s proposed Rs 0.01-per-unit cross-border transaction charge, which was later reduced to Rs 0.005. Bangladesh says the Chinese project will also help tackle Dhaka’s growing waste problem and produce fertiliser.

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)