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.  

A dog in Nepal is refusing to leave the site where its home was destroyed by deadly flash floods. The black-and-white dog has remained among the rubble in Trishuli Bazaar, Nuwakot district.   Four houses in the area were swept away by the floods. Rescuers said the dog repeatedly returns to the spot where one of the homes once stood.   Workers have tried to lure it away with food, but it refuses to leave. Volunteers are now leaving food and water nearby. The dog's owner has not been identified as rescue and recovery work continues.  

Seventeen-year-old Tokyo student Aditi Paudel has been appointed Japan’s first literacy ambassador by the World Literacy Foundation. The global programme includes around 900 young people from 101 countries.   Paudel was chosen for her passion for reading and work to promote literacy among young people. Born in Japan, she spent part of her childhood in Nepal before returning to Japan.   She plans to support children with disabilities and help collect books for communities with lower literacy rates, including in Nepal. Paudel believes literacy opens doors to education, opportunities and a better future.  

The death toll from devastating floods in Nepal and Tibet has crossed 1,000, officials said. Nepal has recovered 987 bodies, while at least 16 people have died in Tibet.   Nearly 4,000 people remain missing in Nepal. Around 12,000 people have been rescued so far, while 279 others were injured.   The worst-hit areas include Chitwan, Nawalparasi and several other districts in Nepal. In Tibet, hundreds of people are also missing after floods hit Gyirong County. Chinese authorities said 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries remain unaccounted for near the Nepal border. (PC: Reuters)  

Two people were killed and another was injured in a stabbing at New York’s busy Times Square on Monday. Police said a woman armed with knives carried out the attack before officers shot her.   The injured victim was taken to hospital and is in stable condition. The attacker was also taken to hospital in critical condition but later died, according to reports.   Police do not believe the attack was linked to terrorism. The area was filled with emergency teams after the incident. Investigators are still looking into what happened and the possible motive behind the stabbing.  

Rescuers in Nepal are using explosives to blast through hillsides and reach more than 600 workers believed trapped inside mud-filled hydropower tunnels along the Trishuli River. The operation is being led by Nepalese and Chinese military teams, with experts from India, South Korea and Australia assisting. Rescuers are also pumping air into the underground network as families wait anxiously for news. Prime Minister Balendra Shah said 279 people had been rescued from hydropower sites. The Nepal disaster authority put the overall death toll at 939, while 3,925 people remained missing, including 592 foreign nationals. (PC: BBC)

Nepal’s flash flood death toll has risen to 939, while the number of missing people has dropped to 3,925 as rescue operations entered their sixth day. Nepal’s disaster authority said 592 foreign nationals remain among the missing. The number of workers unaccounted for at hydropower projects, which were severely hit by the August 26 floods, has fallen from an earlier estimate of 933 to 639. China earlier reported 16 deaths and 546 people missing in Tibet, taking the combined toll to 955 dead and 4,471 missing. Nepal has also sought international support for tunnel rescue and forensic operations. (PC: The Hindu)

A newly deployed US missile, the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), is suspected of causing civilian deaths in strikes on the Iranian city of Lamerd on February 28, according to an AP report citing Airwars and weapons experts. Three missiles reportedly hit a sports complex and residential areas, killing at least 21 civilians, including seven children. Airwars said fragments or pellets from one blast travelled up to 50 metres and killed a two-year-old girl. Experts said damage patterns were consistent with the PrSM, although US Central Command denied responsibility. The missile was reportedly used in combat for the first time during the Iran operation. (PC: X)

Rescuers in Nepal are using explosives to blast through a hillside to reach hundreds of workers believed to be trapped inside mud-filled hydropower tunnels. Teams are also pumping air into the tunnels as families wait anxiously for news. At least 939 people have died in the floods, while 3,925 remain missing. Hundreds of the missing are linked to hydropower projects. An international rescue team is leading the operation, with experts from several countries helping. So far, 279 workers have been rescued. Families fear time is running out but still hope their loved ones are alive. (PC: Nepal Army/Reuters)  

The US and Iran traded fresh strikes after weeks without direct attacks. US forces hit two rocket launchers on Iran's Larak Island near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said two people were killed and two others were injured. The US said Iran was preparing to launch rockets and place sea mines in the vital waterway. Iran later fired missiles at US military bases in Jordan. Jordan said it intercepted eight missiles. Iran also claimed it targeted a UAE air base with drones. The UAE denied this but confirmed that it shot down a drone. Tensions remain high in the region. (PC: Reuters)