Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed to have shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper over the Strait of Hormuz, though Washington had not confirmed the loss. The $50 million Reaper is a long-endurance combat drone capable of surveillance and precision strikes. India also operates MQ-9B Sea Guardians, but they serve a different role. India’s Sea Guardians are primarily used for long-range maritime surveillance and can remain airborne for about 30 hours. The Navy currently operates four leased drones, while India has ordered 31 MQ-9B drones under a Rs 32,000 crore deal, with deliveries expected from 2029. (PC: India Today)

The bodies of two women from Kerala, who were found dead at their home in California, are set to be brought back to India after Union Minister Suresh Gopi intervened. The victims were identified as Ranjitha and Rekha. US authorities are investigating the deaths, while details about the motive and allegations remain unclear. Following appeals from their families, Gopi coordinated with officials to help complete the process of repatriating the bodies to Kerala. (PC: The Indian Express)

A Chinese photographer’s drone has accidentally captured the moment a huge mass of bedrock and glacier ice broke away near Nepal’s Langtang Lirung peak, triggering the catastrophic flash floods that devastated parts of Nepal and Tibet. The footage shows the collapse sending massive dust clouds into the air before ice, rock and debris crashed around 1,200 metres into the valley. The resulting surge swelled the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers. At least 903 people have been killed in Nepal and 16 in Tibet, while more than 4,500 people remain missing, according to the report.  

The Supreme Court has refused to impose restrictions on the CJP’s proposed September 5 march in Delhi, saying there were no “compelling circumstances” to assume the protest would turn violent. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said authorities were expected to maintain law and order and could decide whether to permit the march and under what conditions. The proposed protest is expected to be held in central Delhi. The court’s observation came while hearing a plea seeking curbs on the mobilisation over concerns about security and public order. (PC: HT)

The number of people missing after Nepal’s massive flash floods and mudslides has risen sharply to 4,247, while at least 903 deaths have been confirmed. The missing figure includes 3,655 Nepali citizens and 592 foreigners, rising from 2,502 reported earlier. Rescue teams are searching for 933 missing workers linked to hydropower sites, many believed to be trapped in tunnels at the Trishuli-3A and Chilime projects. Teams from Nepal, India and China are assisting the search, but difficult weather and delays have hampered operations. The disaster has caused widespread devastation across several Himalayan regions. (PC: BBC)

Actor-politician and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay’s growing “Vijay for PM” pitch has triggered criticism from the DMK and Congress after a Mood of the Nation survey placed him third among preferred prime ministerial choices. The survey gave Vijay 9.2% support, behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. TVK leaders and supporters amplified the result, fuelling speculation about Vijay’s national ambitions ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. DMK leaders dismissed the campaign, while Congress leaders stressed their support for Rahul Gandhi as the INDIA bloc’s prime ministerial face. (PC: India Today)

Sonam Wangchuk has said leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) considered ending their Jantar Mantar protest after the July 20 police crackdown left the movement’s leadership demoralised. Speaking on Prakhar Gupta’s PGX podcast, Wangchuk said the organisers felt the protest had collapsed after the stage was dismantled and protesters dispersed. They even asked him to prepare a message urging demonstrators to return home and rest. However, young protesters returned the next day despite the police action, restoring the leaders’ confidence. Wangchuk said their return encouraged CJP to continue the agitation and press its demands. (PC: HT)

Delhi’s draft electoral roll has excluded nearly 47.7 lakh voters from the city’s previous electorate of around 1.45 crore following the Special Intensive Revision. The draft list contains about 97.5 lakh electors whose enumeration forms were collected and digitised during a house-to-house exercise. The remaining voters were tagged as absent, shifted, dead, duplicate or others and do not appear in the draft roll. Those excluded can file claims with supporting documents until September 30. The Election Commission is scheduled to review claims and objections before publishing Delhi’s final electoral roll on November 4. (PC: The Indian Express)

The United States and Iran have exchanged fresh military strikes for the first time in weeks, escalating tensions around the strategic Strait of Hormuz. US forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reporting two people killed and two injured. Washington said the action targeted Iranian minelaying forces posing an imminent threat to shipping. Iran responded by claiming missile strikes on US military bases in Jordan, while Jordan said it intercepted eight missiles. Iranian state media also reported a drone attack on a UAE air base, a claim denied by Abu Dhabi. Iran vowed a decisive response. (PC: BBC)

A 16-year-old Class 11 student has alleged that she was raped by a bus driver and conductor inside a moving sleeper bus in Delhi-NCR after they offered her a lift to Noida. The incident allegedly occurred on August 4 during the bus’s 47-km journey from Pari Chowk in Greater Noida to Kashmere Gate in Delhi. Police have arrested both accused, identified as Kuldeep and Sandeep, and seized the bus for forensic examination. The girl approached police after being dropped near Kashmere Gate. Investigators said the bus was empty and its curtained sleeper section prevented people outside from seeing inside. (PC: India Today)