Four Uttar Pradesh men have described their dramatic escapes from Nepal after the August 26 floods, using helicopters, crowded vehicles and long road journeys to return home. Twenty-three-year-old Ashutosh Mani Upadhyay was evacuated by helicopter from Rasuwa, marking his first-ever flight. Krishna Pratap Singh feared the India-Nepal border could close and travelled home after being flown to the frontier. Raj Kumar Gautam made a difficult road journey through Bihar amid panic and communication failures, while Deepak Gupta’s family feared the worst after his phone was stolen. Ten of 22 Uttar Pradesh residents earlier reported missing have now returned home safely. (PC: The Indian Express)

US forces struck Iranian military targets for the second time in two days, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sites after Washington accused Tehran of preparing attacks on commercial vessels and American troops near the Strait of Hormuz. Details about the targets and possible casualties were not immediately available. The latest strike follows Sunday’s US attack on Iranian rocket launchers, which Iran retaliated against by firing ballistic missiles at US bases in Jordan. The renewed fighting has deepened fears of a wider regional conflict. The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the crisis, as about 20% of the world’s oil normally passes through the vital waterway. (PC: India Today)

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office shared a cropped group photograph from the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, apparently to place him at the centre of the image. The edited version showed Sharif standing alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders. However, the original photograph shared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed Sharif was actually standing fourth from the right, while Modi and several other leaders had been cropped out. The move drew attention because the altered framing made Sharif appear more central in the summit’s official group photograph. (PC: NDTV)

The death toll from Nepal’s devastating August 26 flash floods has risen to 1,003, while families continue searching for workers missing at damaged hydropower projects. Rescuers, including the Nepal Army, foreign experts and an Indian tunnel rescue team, are battling deep mud, rocks and debris inside blocked underground tunnels. At least 122 people remain unaccounted for at the Upper Trishuli-3B project in Nuwakot, while families fear their relatives may be trapped inside tunnels. “We still have hope,” one son said as he urged faster excavation. The floods damaged at least 12 hydropower projects across Rasuwa and Nuwakot. (PC: HT)

Former British prime minister Keir Starmer has announced he will step down as MP for London’s Holborn and St Pancras constituency, ending his parliamentary career and triggering a by-election. Starmer, 63, resigned as Labour leader and prime minister last month but had initially planned to remain in Parliament as a backbencher. In a statement issued as Parliament returned from its summer recess, he said he had spent the summer considering his future before deciding to leave the House of Commons. Starmer said he would now focus on international affairs, defence, security, trade and technology, citing the rapidly changing global environment. His departure marks the end of his political representation of the constituency. (PC: X)

Nepal is facing the aftermath of catastrophic flash floods that have killed 1,003 people, while around 4,000 remain missing as rescue operations continue amid rain and fresh alerts. The disaster followed a collapse or avalanche of ice and rock near the Nepal-Tibet border, sending a massive surge of water down the Bhotekoshi River. Floodwaters swept through settlements and caused extensive damage to roads, bridges and hydropower projects. Rescue teams are continuing efforts to locate survivors and recover bodies despite difficult conditions. Kathmandu has linked the scale of the disaster to climate change and is seeking compensation from major greenhouse-gas emitters. The catastrophe has caused widespread destruction across the country, leaving thousands affected.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly fears that ending the Ukraine war without achieving his maximalist objectives, including capturing the entire Donbas region, could trigger a backlash from Russia’s elite and threaten his hold on power, according to The Economist. A Kremlin insider reportedly recalled Putin saying “they will hang me” when discussing the consequences of ending the war without securing his stated goals. The report suggests Putin views a negotiated settlement as a sign of weakness and believes a weak Russian leader cannot survive. Estonian intelligence chief Kaupo Rosin similarly warned that stopping the war could make Putin appear weak. Meanwhile, growing elite dissatisfaction, economic difficulties, Ukrainian strikes and mounting war costs are complicating Putin’s position. (PC: 19FortyFive)

Sweetie, a deaf dog from Nepal’s Nuwakot district, survived alone for five days after devastating floods and has been reunited with her family. The family had tried to move her to safety before floodwaters rose, but Sweetie could not hear their calls. After the disaster, they repeatedly searched their devastated neighbourhood before finding her alive. Sweetie had gone missing on August 26, when a wall of water and debris swept through Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts. The flash flood along the Trishuli River was triggered by a glacier collapse near Langtang Lirung. The emotional reunion also brought heartbreak: Sweetie’s family had two dogs, both with them for more than five years, but only Sweetie survived. (PC: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook)

A pet dog in Nepal has refused to leave the site of his former home after devastating floods washed away four houses in Trishuli Bazaar, Nuwakot. The black-and-white dog, still wearing his collar, continues to sit near what was once his family’s doorway, despite bulldozers and rescue workers clearing mud, timber and debris around him. His owners remain unaccounted for. Workers initially tried to coax him away with biscuits, but he barely responded and repeatedly returned to the same spot. Volunteers now leave food and water nearby, which he takes only when the area becomes quiet. For displaced residents, the dog’s unwavering wait has become a poignant symbol of loyalty, loss and hope amid the disaster. (PC: X/@TheDailyJagran)

The Supreme Court has quashed FIRs filed across India against students and others who joined the NEET paper leak protests between July 20 and 25. The court said peaceful participation in a protest should not be treated as a crime.   The order applies to cases across states and Union territories. No new FIRs can be filed over the same incidents.   However, the court allowed authorities to separately examine cases involving 2,837 people with serious criminal records. The CJP later withdrew its planned September 5 march after the Centre promised to follow the court’s directions and provide compensation to eligible families.