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)

A fresh video featuring the teenager at the centre of a controversy over alleged abusive remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi has triggered a new political storm. In the clip, the girl allegedly says Modi has “made my life hell”, claims she was hounded after her earlier viral video and says she will not “back down”. AAP and Congress shared the recording, alleging she was threatened and forced to apologise. Her lawyer, Anil Singh, said the video is not AI-generated but did not confirm the girl’s identity. The Tribune could not independently verify when or where it was recorded. The teenager’s earlier Jantar Mantar video led to a Zero FIR, followed by an apology and Modi’s appeal for forgiveness.

Iran launched ballistic missiles at two US-operated air bases in Jordan on Sunday, hours after US forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the missiles targeted technical infrastructure, maintenance facilities and fighter-jet positions at King Hussein and Al-Azraq air bases, causing “heavy damage”, while Jordanian air defences intercepted the launches. The US said it attacked the Iranian launchers after observing preparations to fire rockets carrying sea mines into the strategic waterway. The strikes mark the first known US attacks on Iran since July and come six months into the conflict. Iran vowed retaliation, calling the US action a “grave blunder”. The escalation has pushed oil prices higher.

US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, marking the first known American strikes on Iran since late July, according to a US official. The official said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz when the launchers were targeted. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said several soldiers and civilians were killed or wounded and vowed a “response and punishment.” Iran subsequently attacked US forces stationed in Jordan with ballistic missiles, according to a US source cited by Fox News, though nearly all incoming missiles were reportedly intercepted with no significant impact. The strikes come as the six-month Iran war remains in a stalemate and tensions over the Strait of Hormuz continue. (PC: Reuters)

An Indian woman has alleged that she and her friends faced racist harassment from a group of teenagers during an outing near a lake in the UK. She said five or six teenagers, appearing around 13 or 14, initially threw mud at the group before allegedly making taunts about their race and religion. The group warned them they would call police if the behaviour continued. After the teenagers allegedly identified them as Muslims, the woman clarified that they were not Muslim but said they felt targeted. Her husband called police, who reportedly took nearly an hour to arrive. Later, officers identified the children, spoke to their guardians and offered the group formal charges or written warnings. They chose warnings.

Three months before devastating flash floods hit the Nepal-Tibet border, Nepali and Chinese officials met in Kathmandu on May 27 to discuss cross-border disaster risks. Nepal later said it had not received as much information as sought from China on glacier movements, water levels and extreme events needed for disaster preparedness. China, however, said it had shared important information with Nepal “in a timely manner” and that substantial progress had been made on cross-border disaster information-sharing. The meeting involved 10 Nepali and around 12 Chinese officials, including Tibetan representatives. They discussed cooperation on floods, weather and glacier hazards, with proposed measures including glacial-lake inventories and hazard mapping. Nepal is now seeking more frequent warnings to improve future disaster preparedness. (PC: Reuters)

World leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, have gathered in Bishkek for the two-day 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on August 31 and September 1. Marking 25 years of the grouping, the summit will focus on counter-terrorism, regional security, trade, connectivity, energy and digital development. India is expected to reiterate concerns over cross-border and state-sponsored terrorism, while members discuss local-currency trade and alternative payment mechanisms. Connectivity corridors linking Central Asia with major markets will also feature. Modi and Putin are scheduled to discuss strategic ties, energy and defence logistics. Modi-Xi interaction is also being closely watched amid efforts to ease India-China border tensions. The summit is expected to adopt the Bishkek Declaration.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, addressing the “Hindu Vishwa Bandhu – Embrace the World in Friendship” event in Toronto, said, “If Hindus are awake, the world will awaken,” while emphasising India’s culture of global helpfulness and unity. He said India’s tradition views diversity as a natural form of unity and highlighted the Hindu worldview’s emphasis on oneness among humanity and nature. Bhagwat urged the world to embrace “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, saying true enlightenment lies beyond external differences. He said Bharat became “Vishwaguru”, rather than “Mahashakti”, by serving the world. Bhagwat also said India’s ancestors travelled from Mexico to Siberia and Southeast Asia, spreading knowledge such as astrology and Ayurveda without conquering countries or converting people.