&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "LIVE Updates | Latest India & World News Today: UAE accuses Iran of missile attack on Gulf shipping, North Korea condemns US-South Korea drills")
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry stated that it is pushing for an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and a regional ceasefire to be advanced concurrently as part of its ongoing mediation efforts to de-escalate tensions between the United States and Iran.
Russia has threatened the UK with "consequences" after reports emerged that Ukraine used British-manufactured long-range drones to strike strategic targets and logistical hubs deep inside Russian territory. Moscow accuses London of direct escalation and fueling a proxy war, while the UK refuses to back down, vowing continued military support
Pakistan’s ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has remained publicly silent after two of its coalition partners backed Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s call last week to create new administrative units or provinces, reopening a long-running debate over how the country should be governed.
A person has died and hundreds have fallen ill with salmonella food poisoning in an outbreak that UK experts believe is linked to eating food made with imported eggs. The UK Health Security Agency has launched an investigation into the 207 cases it has seen in the past year, with most recorded in recent weeks.
The political buzz around Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) projecting its leader Vijay for a future Prime Ministerial role has intensified, with party minister Sarath Kumar throwing his weight behind the idea. Kumar backed Vijay for the top post, praising the actor-turned-politician for his commitment to public service and his efforts to work for people around the clock. His remarks come soon after TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna called for a Tamil Prime Minister, adding to speculation over the party’s ambitions beyond Tamil Nadu and its possible strategy for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi is set to offer a personal account of her life, political journey and years as part of India’s influential Nehru-Gandhi family in a memoir due out in November.
Publisher Alfred A. Knopf announced that Belonging: A Journey of Love will be released on November 10. The book is expected to examine the experience of marrying into one of India’s most prominent political families, as well as Gandhi’s own years in public life.
“Much has been written about my family, but few narratives were able to reach into the truth of their motivations, their actions and even their very human failings,” Gandhi said in a statement released by Knopf.
She described the memoir as a tribute to the “humanness” of her family and said it would also give readers her perspective on six decades of social and political change in India, a country she called her “belonging.”
Firefighters have managed to surround Belgium’s largest wildfire in a century, but authorities said Wednesday that the situation "remains complicated" as crews deal with several new flare-ups.
The blaze, which is burning through the High Fens nature reserve, "has been encircled" and is no longer advancing east towards Germany, crisis cell spokesman Tony Hosmans said.
The immediate priority is to bring the fire under control, with authorities hoping to use aerial support "if possible with aerial support", Hosmans said.
"The situation remains complicated due to a number of flare-ups that have occurred in various parts of the site," he added.
At least 25 people were killed in an overnight attack on a village in Nigeria’s central Plateau state, according to local officials and residents, sparking concerns that the violence could lead to retaliatory attacks in the restive region.
The latest incident highlights the continuing security crisis in Plateau, where tensions between farmers and herders have frequently escalated into deadly clashes. Such confrontations have triggered cycles of revenge in the past, displacing residents and leaving communities devastated.
The Pentagon is reassessing the US military footprint in the Middle East as damage to American bases from Iranian strikes raises questions about the future of the US presence in the region, The Washington Post reported. Officials are considering whether to reduce troop deployments in the Gulf and whether some damaged bases should be rebuilt in their previous form.
The review, as per the report, is being led by the Pentagon's policy office, with the Joint Staff and US Central Command also examining the issue. A senior Pentagon official said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had not ordered a formal review, describing the effort as "prudent planning" to help guide decisions on rebuilding damaged facilities.
Saima Wazed, daughter of ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has sought an independent investigation into the action that led to her being placed on indefinite leave as the World Health Organisation's Regional Director for South-East Asia.
Wazed, who took charge in February 2024, has reportedly raised the issue with the WHO and Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus repeatedly over the past eight months, seeking transparency over the decision. Her latest communication, sent last month through her legal representatives, reportedly warned that she could pursue legal action.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to invoke its exceptional powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to quash FIRs registered against students who participated in nationwide protests over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy.
A three judge Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant sought a list of FIRs in which only students had been named and said cases involving individuals with serious criminal antecedents would be considered separately. The court also said it would form a high powered committee to examine issues surrounding the protests.
The development came after lawyers representing students raised concerns that police had not disclosed details or even FIR numbers in several cases. The government said investigations would focus on 2,873 people identified as having serious criminal backgrounds, while the remaining protesters were students.
Nine people were killed and six others were wounded after a massive fire broke out at a hotel in Kolkata’s Mirza Ghalib Street early Wednesday (Aug 19). According to the fire department, the deceased were Bangladeshi nationals who were here for medical treatment. The incident happened around 2 am. Fire department personnel rushed to the site to launch rescue operations. The area has been cordoned off by the authorities.
China's private space race has taken a major leap. LandSpace has successfully landed the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket, moving the country closer to routine reusable launches and putting a new challenger into the race with SpaceX.
)
Maoist leader Azad alias Dana Keshab Rao was released on Tuesday after spending more than 15 years as an undertrial prisoner, following his acquittal in all 49 cases registered against him in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
Azad had spent 15 years, two months, and a few days in custody. A special court in Odisha pronounced the final judgment in his cases after the Supreme Court, in July 2025, directed the two states to dispose of all pending cases against him within a year.
The 49 cases included allegations linked to Maoist violence, including the 2008 killing of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati and four others. The court acquitted Azad for lack of sufficient evidence. His lawyer said he had spent his youth in jail without being convicted and indicated that further legal action may be pursued over his prolonged detention.
Two ballistic missiles launched from Iran triggered a security alert in the UAE, but the real question is where they were headed. Abu Dhabi says the weapons were targeting maritime navigation, while Tehran has categorically denied firing missiles at the country.
)
North Korea on Wednesday (Aug 19) denounced joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea as a direct threat to its security. Notably, Pyongyang's state media made no mention of US President Donald Trump's surprise decision to scale back the drills.
)