Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced three free LPG cylinders annually for families earning below Rs 2.5 lakh, starting from Pongal 2027. The Annapoorani Super Six scheme is expected to benefit around 1.30 crore families and cost the state Rs 4,000 crore annually. Vijay also announced free bus travel for transgender persons and expanded free travel for women to include Express, LSS, Deluxe and inter-district government buses. The expanded scheme, named Vetri Payanam, will begin on October 2 and cost an additional Rs 6,000 crore annually. (PC: India Today)

Iran has received an invitation to join the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey on August 7, as tensions with the United States continue. Mehdi Rahimi, chief of Iran’s Parliament news agency, said Tehran was considering the offer, according to Al Mayadeen. The invitation comes ahead of Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir’s planned visit to Tehran. The pact states that an armed attack on any one of its three members would be treated as an attack on all. Bangladesh has also indicated interest in joining. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian praised Iran’s resistance to US pressure, calling for continued national unity against what he described as a comprehensive economic war. (PC: MSN and X)

Three newborn babies died after a fire broke out in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Amravati’s District Women’s Hospital, a government hospital, at around 3.30 a.m. on Monday, August 24. According to Senior Police Inspector Gorakhnath Jadhav, a ventilator in the outborn babies’ compartment caught fire on the third floor. The three newborns suffered severe burns and smoke inhalation and died, while six other babies were rescued and remain in critical care. Police said the fire was brought under control within 10 to 15 minutes. The incident triggered an emergency evacuation of dozens of infants undergoing treatment. Amravati guardian minister Chandrakant Bawankule has ordered a comprehensive inquiry into the tragedy.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham will visit Kyiv on Monday for his first foreign trip, marking Ukraine’s 35th Independence Day and reaffirming Britain’s support. He will chair his first meeting of the “coalition of the willing”, established by the UK and France under former prime minister Keir Starmer. Burnham will also accept an award recognising British support for Ukraine and attend independence day events. His visit follows escalating Russian strikes, including a Friday attack on a shopping centre that killed at least 16 people. Burnham said UK support would not waver and vowed Britain would stand with Ukraine until a “just and lasting peace”. Moscow has warned of “consequences” over Ukraine’s use of British drones. (PC: X)

Twenty-one former international cricket captains, including India greats Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, have renewed an appeal to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif seeking “humane treatment and proper medical care” for former Pakistan captain and prime minister Imran Khan. The August 23 letter follows concerns over Khan’s health and developments surrounding a court-directed medical examination. The 73-year-old has spent more than three years in custody. The latest appeal expands an earlier letter sent six months ago by 14 former international captains, with seven additional former captains joining the group. The signatories said their intervention was driven by their shared history with Khan on the cricket field and urged Pakistan’s government to ensure his welfare. (PC: Reuters)

Two young men detained over the killing of a Hindu family of four in Bangladesh’s Rangpur reportedly attacked the family after retired schoolteacher Ganapati Chakraborty confronted them for using yaba on his under-construction home’s rooftop. Police said the accused, cousins Siddhartha Das and Mugdha Das, allegedly strangled Ganapati, killed his wife Pritilata, daughter Agami and 12-year-old son Priyam, then scattered belongings to stage a robbery. They reportedly bathed, ate dates and cucumbers, consumed drugs and left before prayers. Police recovered drug-use items and other clues, including evidence of an attempt to test a gold bangle. The accused allegedly took the victims’ phones and submerged them in detergent water to destroy evidence. (PC: CNN)

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has declared an “economic D-Day” against Iran, saying Washington is entering the “endgame” of its campaign and will use its economic powers to sever financial channels supporting Tehran. Bessent accused Iran of treating security guarantees as “extortion” and said President Donald Trump had created conditions for the US to deploy its full authority against Iran. He claimed Trump had dismantled Iran’s military capabilities, destroyed nearly 100% of its military factories and buried its nuclear programme. Iran responded by threatening to halt all oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf if the US economic campaign continues. Tehran also warned sanctions supporters could face an “act of war.” (PC: Bloomberg)

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is scheduled to visit Beijing on Monday for the 25th round of India-China Special Representatives talks on the boundary issue, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in September. Doval will meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, with both serving as designated Special Representatives for the boundary talks mechanism. The mechanism, established in 2003, seeks to comprehensively address the India-China border dispute spanning 3,488 km. According to PTI, Doval and Wang are scheduled to hold the talks on Tuesday. The meeting comes days before the expected Modi-Xi engagements and focuses on the longstanding and complex India-China boundary dispute. (PC: Times Now)

Pakistan has extensively rebuilt the Bahawalpur headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which was badly damaged during India’s Operation Sindoor last year, according to exclusive visuals and intelligence inputs accessed by NDTV. The Markaz Subhanallah complex has undergone major restoration, with missile-impact craters filled and damaged structures repaired using new construction, plaster, paint and polished marble. Intelligence inputs cited by NDTV claim Pakistan’s establishment provided PKR 25 crore to JeM through cash instalments, with approximately PKR 11 crore reportedly allocated to rebuilding the central hall. Reconstruction has also followed the demolition or clearance of structures including Madrasa Al-Sabir and residential facilities linked to JeM commanders. The revival raises questions over Pakistan’s alleged continued support for the UN- and US-designated terrorist organisation.

Iran has warned it could halt all oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf if the US continues what Tehran calls an “economic war.” Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei issued the warning as Washington prepared fresh sanctions targeting Iran and its trade partners. Rezaei also said Iran would consider any country supporting the US economic campaign an “act of war.” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was expected to announce tougher measures, described as a major financial offensive against Iran. China urged diplomacy, while Iranian officials criticised Washington’s sanctions strategy. The warning comes amid disrupted trade, damaged infrastructure and near-standstill shipping through Hormuz, contributing to pressure on global fuel prices.