NASA’s Curiosity rover has reached a new milestone on Mars, gaining one kilometre in elevation during its 14-year journey across the Red Planet. The rover has climbed from Gale Crater up the slopes of Mount Sharp, reaching its highest point so far. NASA also shared a recent panorama showing the distant crater floor and northern rim of Gale Crater through Mars’ dusty summer atmosphere. Curiosity’s latest images offer one of the clearest views of the Martian surface, revealing a cold, rocky and dusty landscape shaped by billions of years of geological history.  

Nepal Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India’s support after devastating floods killed more than 600 people in Nepal. Calling Modi “exceptionally generous”, Wagle said New Delhi had indicated it would provide substantial assistance for Nepal’s reconstruction. Since Wednesday, India has sent 57.6 tonnes of relief supplies and deployed an 11-member team of medical and tunnel rescue experts following a request from Kathmandu. Nepal has also mobilised more than 11,000 security personnel for rescue operations. Authorities are now focusing on saving stranded people, restoring connectivity and delivering relief to areas cut off by damaged roads. (PC: NDTV)

7 tourists from Odisha’s Bhadrak district were among 51 people rescued in southern Nepal after flash floods and landslides disrupted their journey. The group, travelling with a Kolkata-based tour operator, was forced to take shelter near Manakamana Temple as the Trishuli River swelled and roads became impassable. Nepal police and local authorities later evacuated them using a ropeway and shifted them to Bhairahawa, where they are safe. However, 5 people from Odisha remain missing in Nepal, including a couple and their two-year-old daughter from Bargarh, and another couple from Khordha. Authorities are working to trace them. (PC: X)

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that a Hindu Rashtra does not mean excluding Muslims from India, adding that a Hindu who believes Muslims should have no place in the country may not truly understand Hindutva. Speaking at the One World, One Humanity event in New York, Bhagwat recalled a 2018 conversation with members of the Muslim community, who asked whether Hindus wanted to drive Muslims out of India. He said his answer was no, calling such an idea contrary to Hindutva. Bhagwat had made similar remarks earlier, saying a Hindu Rashtra could not exist without Muslims. (PC: India Today)

Nepal has called for a global effort to tackle climate change after devastating flash floods killed at least 675 people and left more than 2,400 missing.   Foreign Minister Ramesh Lekhak said Nepal is among the countries most vulnerable to rising temperatures and urged stronger international action. The floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border region on Wednesday, causing widespread destruction.   A glacier collapse is believed to have triggered the disaster, with one aid worker comparing the devastation to a “tsunami”. Families, including those of hundreds of foreign nationals, continue to wait for news as rescue teams search flood-hit areas. (PC: BBC)

Malsawmtluangi from Mizoram has created history by becoming the first Mizo woman to join the Indian Air Force under the Agniveer recruitment scheme.   The daughter of Kawlhnuna from Field Veng in Serchhip, her achievement marks a proud milestone for Mizoram and women across the Northeast.   Her induction is being celebrated as an inspiring example for young people, especially women aspiring to join India’s armed forces. Malsawmtluangi’s journey reflects the growing participation of women from the Northeast in the country’s defence services.   Her historic achievement is seen as a moment of pride for Mizoram and an inspiration for future generations. (PC: X)

Extraordinary stories of survival are emerging from Nepal’s devastating flash floods, which have killed more than 600 people and left over 2,400 missing.   Ninety-seven-year-old Guna Maya Bohara was pulled alive from the rubble of her care home after a four-hour rescue operation. She is now recovering in hospital.   Customs agent Raju Budhathoki escaped to a forest after floodwaters swept away homes, while another survivor, Prakash Gautam, survived in the darkness with an injured toe, eating noodle packets dropped by the Nepali Army before being rescued by helicopter.   Search and rescue operations continue across flood-hit areas. (PC: X)

Infosys Public Services CEO Lax Gopisetty is currently unreachable after devastating floods struck Nepal, where he was visiting in a personal capacity, the IT company said on Friday.   The floods have killed at least 626 people, while 2,426 others remain unaccounted for, according to Nepal’s disaster management authority. More than 4,400 people have been rescued.   Infosys said it was working with relevant agencies to establish contact with Gopisetty and remained in close touch with his family, providing all necessary support.   The company said its immediate priority was Gopisetty’s safety and wellbeing amid the massive disaster. (PC: business line)

At least 37 people were killed and 42 injured, including four children, after a Russian drone strike hit a weapons depot near homes west of Kyiv, triggering explosions and forcing nearly 400 people to evacuate. President Volodymyr Zelensky said shells, mines and drones stored at the site detonated, causing widespread damage. He called the storage of explosives near a residential area “absolutely unacceptable” and ordered an investigation into possible official negligence. Russia said it had targeted an ammunition depot in the village of Myla. The strike has renewed concerns over weapons storage near civilian areas. (PC: BBC)

An 11-member Indian technical team surveyed flood-hit hydropower tunnels in Nepal on Saturday to help speed up the rescue of workers feared trapped inside. The team, including doctors, paramedics and tunnel engineers, inspected the affected Trishuli area after an aerial survey of the Chilime and Langtang regions. Nepalese security forces have rescued 191 workers from tunnels at various hydropower projects, but several people remain unaccounted for. Rescue operations have been hampered by mud, debris and bad weather. Nepal has also sought foreign expertise for DNA testing and help rebuilding bridges damaged in the devastating flash floods. (PC: X)