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)

Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added another record to his growing list of achievements, becoming the youngest player to score a half-century in Duleep Trophy history. The 15-year-old reached his fifty in 42 balls during East Zone’s semifinal against Central Zone, hitting five fours and three sixes. At 15 years and 157 days, Sooryavanshi broke a 57-year-old record held by Laxman Singh, who was 16 years and 23 days old when he scored a Duleep Trophy fifty in 1969. Sooryavanshi also briefly captained East Zone after Ishan Kishan left the field following a blow to his wrist. (PC: NDTV)

India is monitoring 195 glacial lakes considered vulnerable to sudden flooding, but Nepal’s recent deadly glacier collapse has highlighted another risk that is only beginning to be mapped. A May 2026 IISc study identified 219 hanging glaciers in Uttarakhand’s Alaknanda basin, some above busy pilgrimage routes. Collapse simulations showed potential flow heights of up to 51 metres near Badrinath. India has expanded glacier-lake monitoring after the 2023 Sikkim disaster, while mitigation includes reducing lake water levels and testing warning systems. However, experts say ice collapses can trigger cascading disasters that current lake-focused monitoring may not directly capture. (PC: HT)

The family of American mercenary and former prisoner of war Matthew VanDyke has appealed for urgent US diplomatic intervention to secure his release from Delhi’s Tihar Jail. VanDyke was arrested by the NIA in March after investigators alleged he entered Mizoram without a required permit, illegally crossed into Myanmar and contacted ethnic armed groups. The agency also accused him of helping train rebel groups in weapons handling and drone warfare. In a post from VanDyke’s verified X account, his family alleged that he remains in solitary confinement and is being denied basic detainee rights. The case is under investigation. (PC: India Today)

Bangladesh has said it sees “no risk” in joining the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan on August 7, and maintained that membership would not restrict its ties with other partners. Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman earlier told Parliament that Dhaka would positively consider joining if invited, describing the pact as an internal matter of “our Muslim family.” State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kobir reiterated the position after meeting Saudi Ambassador Abdullah Zafer bin Abiyah, calling the agreement a “unique pact” offering new opportunities. He said Bangladesh was discussing the matter and indicated that talks with its bilateral partners were progressing positively, according to the report. (PC: India Today)

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday that Tehran is not seeking war, but warned that Iran would respond decisively to any aggression. Speaking ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, Pezeshkian said Iran had consistently conveyed its opposition to war while maintaining that it would not remain silent if attacked. His remarks come amid renewed tensions following US strikes on two Iranian launchers on Larak Island, which Washington said were preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz. Iran subsequently launched ballistic missiles at US bases in Jordan, according to reports. Pezeshkian’s statement underscores Tehran’s simultaneous emphasis on avoiding war and maintaining a deterrent response to further attacks. (PC: Fox News)

Nepal’s devastating floods have left a rising death toll and widespread destruction as rescue and recovery operations continue. The latest update puts the death toll at 903, according to Nepalese authorities. In the worst-hit areas, volunteers are clearing debris, recovering bodies and providing food, water and temporary shelter. Near Gyirong, a barrier lake formed after the floods has “naturally drained and is basically cleared”, easing fears of another major flood, though China has warned of continued rainfall through Tuesday. At the devastated border crossing, 117 firefighters and 13 rescue dogs are searching through mud and debris. Earlier figures cited 2,502 missing, including 933 hydropower workers and 592 foreign nationals. (PC: PTI)

Senior officials from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are set to hold their first meeting in Istanbul on Monday under the newly signed Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. Signed on August 7, the pact brings together three Sunni-majority US allies amid the Iran war and wider regional instability. It states that an armed attack on any one member would be treated as an attack on all, similar to NATO’s collective-defence principle. Foreign and defence ministers and military chiefs are expected to attend. India is watching the arrangement cautiously over its potential implications for regional security, Pakistan’s influence and Gulf ties, while Bangladesh’s possible participation is also a concern. However, the pact is not yet considered a direct military threat to India. (PC: AP)

At least 933 hydropower project workers are believed to be trapped across around half a dozen projects in Nepal following last week’s devastating floods, according to the country’s disaster management authority. Rescue teams are focusing on tunnels inundated with mud, rock and floodwater, particularly at the Upper Trishuli hydropower complex. Nepal has deployed thousands of security personnel and received specialist tunnel-rescue assistance from India and China. At one tunnel, rescuers have located the entrance and begun clearing debris, while equipment including oxygen supplies and cameras is being prepared for entry. The floods, triggered by a massive glacial collapse, have killed more than 780 people and left over 3,000 missing, severely damaging infrastructure and Nepal’s power-generation capacity. (PC: Khaleej Times)