&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Highlights | Latest India & World News Aug 26: Nepal flash flood toll rises to at least 160")
Latest News Today Live Updates: Former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the armed forces "complete freedom of action" ahead of Operation Sindoor, while making clear there was no political pressure to launch it immediately. Chauhan said the military was told to choose the timing, avoid any scope for failure and ensure evidence of its actions.
Meta Instagram chief Adam Mosseri acknowledged in a US court that some teenage safety tools had very low adoption rates during early testing. The testimony came in a case brought by 29 US states seeking potentially $200 billion in penalties.
The US has sanctioned four India-based companies and three Indian nationals over alleged Iranian oil and petrochemical trade under Operation Economic Outcast.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he does not support a planned RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat event at Madison Square Garden, while acknowledging the city may lack legal authority to stop the private gathering.
"Additional air effort by C-17 and C-130 aircraft will transport further relief supplies, with helicopters earmarked for rescue and evacuation operations," wrote Indian Air Force on X.
As sequence of events is still being assessed, authorities and experts are investigating whether the earthquake in the Tibetan territory had any role to play in the avalanche.
There are reports of departures for the yatra to Kailash Mansarovar being halted for next 48-72 hours out of safety concerns.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has vowed an economic offensive against Iran, but China’s continued trade could limit its impact.
The devastating flash floods in Nepal’s Bhote Koshi River that swept through Nuwakot and Dhading districts on Wednesday triggered an alert in the neighbouring states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India, where authorities intensified monitoring and precautionary measures. The Bhote Koshi River is a headwater tributary of the Kosi River system, which enters northern Bihar in Supaul after flowing through Nepal.
The Nepal flash flood death toll started rising as rescue operations progressed and reached 95, with hundreds of tourists and locals still missing hours after the tragedy struck the Himalayan border region of Nepal and Tibet at 9 am on Wednesday. Search and rescue teams have been deployed across the affected areas, though inclement weather and disruptions in communications made search-and-rescue operations difficult.
Amid Japan's ongoing push for remilitarization, Russia has warned that Tokyo could develop its own nuclear weapons within a year. According to Russia's TASS news agency, Anton Kobyakov, Russian Presidential Assistant and Executive Secretary of the Organising Committee of the Eastern Economic Forum, said Japan could possess nuclear weapons within one year.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that Tehran and Oman had reached an agreement on sharing revenues from the Strait of Hormuz, a day after the two countries held high-level talks in Tehran.
Revolutionary Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebi said the discussions covered the share of the waters and revenues between Iran and Oman.
"During negotiations with Oman, some agreements were made regarding each country's share of the waters of the Strait and Iran's and Oman's shares of its revenues," Mohebi said.
Meta agreed to pay US states as much as $16.7 billion and to impose sweeping new limits on how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram, according to a court filing on Wednesday that ends a landmark trial underway in California.
Nearly 400 pilgrims, including over 100 Indians travelling for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, have lost contact at the Rasuwagadhi checkpoint following early Wednesday morning flash floods that destroyed roads, damaged critical infrastructure, and swept through villages along the Nepal-China border in Rasuwa and Dhading districts bordering Tibet.
India is preparing to dispatch emergency relief supplies to Nepal as soon as possible following catastrophic flash floods that have impacted northern parts of the Himalayan nation, government sources said.
The floods, triggered by heavy rains and a reported glacier burst in the Rasuwa area near the border with China, have left hundreds missing. Nepal’s Tourism Board confirmed that at least 291 foreign nationals remain unaccounted for, including 105 Indian tourists. Many were visiting popular trekking and pilgrimage sites in the region when the disaster struck.
The US-Israeli war against Iran is entering its seventh month, with no peace agreement in sight. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out any diplomatic solution with what he called the "savages" ruling the Islamic Republic.
Netanyahu also backed US President Donald Trump's latest campaign of economic pressure against Tehran. Speaking at an event at an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Netanyahu said he had discussed the possibility of diplomacy with Iran during a recent meeting with Trump.
At least 15 infants were killed after a major fire erupted at the state-run hospital in Pakistan’s Islamabad on Wednesday (Aug 26). According to the Islamabad district office, the fire broke out on the third floor of the Mother and Child Ward at the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences. At the time of the incident, the nursery was housing 16 newborns, of whom just one was rescued. Islamabad’s District Magistrate has formed a fact-finding committee to probe the fire, with the panel directed to submit its report “within 24 hours.”
South Carolina Republicans have selected Darline Graham as their candidate for the US Senate in a special election scheduled for November.
Graham, who received strong backing from US President Donald Trump, defeated five-term Congressman Ralph Norman in Tuesday’s Republican runoff. She secured 52.4% of the vote, compared with Norman’s 47.6%, according to the Associated Press, with nearly all ballots counted.
The contest was closely watched because Graham has limited legislative experience compared with Norman. However, Trump’s endorsement helped strengthen her position in the Republican primary.
Graham is seeking the Senate seat previously held by her late brother, Lindsey Graham, and will now advance to the November ballot.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has formally dissolved after completing its merger with the Syrian army, its commander Mazloum Abdi announced on Tuesday.
Abdi made the announcement at a news conference at the presidential palace in Damascus, saying the force would no longer operate as an independent military organisation.
The SDF had previously controlled large parts of northeastern Syria through a de facto autonomous administration. However, it lost most of its territory following a Syrian government offensive in January.
The group subsequently reached an agreement to integrate its forces into the Syrian military. The latest announcement marks a major shift in the balance of power in northeastern Syria and ends the SDF’s existence as a separate armed force.
Pakistan and Iran have made “significant progress” in discussions aimed at ending the US-Iran war and preventing further escalation, Pakistan’s interior minister said on Tuesday.
The talks, held during a Pakistani delegation’s visit to Tehran, focused on diplomatic steps to bring the conflict to an end. The two sides also discussed the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and measures to prevent the fighting from spreading further.
A statement from the Pakistani military said Army chief Asim Munir met Iranian leaders during the visit. The discussions centred on securing an expedited end to the conflict and reducing tensions in the region.
Pakistan has been pushing diplomatic efforts as the war continues to raise concerns over regional security and disruption to one of the world’s most important energy routes.
At least 38 inmates at Guwahati Central Jail have tested positive for HIV during routine medical screening, according to an NDTV report citing sources.
The cases were identified after the prisoners were admitted to the jail in judicial custody. Health screening is conducted for newly admitted inmates as part of the prison’s regular medical checks.
Several of those who tested positive reportedly have a history of drug use. However, the report clarified that the HIV cases were detected during screening after their admission and were not attributed to drug use within the prison.
The jail’s health checks also cover other infectious diseases, including hepatitis, as authorities monitor the medical condition of inmates.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared that "India is not a dharamshala (hospice/free lodging house)" where anyone can walk in and settle, outlining an expansive 2047 security blueprint to make the nation entirely "infiltrator-free" and "narcotics-free"
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing the state to temporarily seize control of private critical infrastructure if owners fail to protect facilities from Ukrainian drone attacks or fail to rebuild them after strikes
Germany has expanded its immigration enforcement by deporting approximately 30 Afghan nationals, including individuals without criminal records, on a charter flight from Leipzig/Halle Airport
An immigration judge in Georgia granted Venkata Narasamamba Vasamsetty a US$7,500 bond on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, clearing the path for her release after she spent over two weeks in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody
Retired IDF Brigadier General Ofer Winter officially launched his new right-wing nationalist party, Amcha Yisrael (People of Israel), on August 25, 2026, ahead of the upcoming Israeli legislative election scheduled for October 27, 2026. The hawkish former commander is targeting right-wing voters who are disillusioned with the current government.
The Spanish government is introducing a draft decree to enforce stricter sustainability, energy, and cybersecurity rules for data centres. Driven by a massive influx of artificial intelligence infrastructure projects, Spain is leveraging its high demand to select only the most efficient facilities.
At least eight people were killed and 291 foreign nationals are are missing after a sudden flash flood from Tibet surged through the Bhotekoshi River, overflowing into Nepal's Trishuli River and causing widespread flooding in Rasuwa district on Wednesday (Aug 26). According to the Nepal Tourism Board, the missing foreign nationals include three from the US, 17 from Malaysia, 12 from the UK, four from South Africa, one from Australia and one from the Netherlands. READ MORE
CIA director John Ratcliffe's secret trip to Moscow triggered speculation about the nature of his visit. Soon after, flight trackers showed five doomsday planes in the skies over the United States.
At least six people, including five women, were killed and several others injured after a private travel bus rammed into a stationary container truck from behind in Telangana's Suryapet district early Wednesday.
The bus was carrying 42 passengers and was travelling from Hyderabad towards Vijayawada and Eluru when the crash occurred near Dorakunta village on NH-65. Police said the impact was severe, with 20 passengers sustaining serious injuries. Four are reportedly critical.
Police and local residents launched rescue operations and shifted the injured to hospitals, with the seriously injured taken to Kodad Government Hospital. A case has been registered, and officials are investigating whether over-speeding, driver negligence or other factors caused the crash.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed grief and directed officials to ensure the injured receive the best possible treatment.
A cement-laden truck sank into the road in Gurugram's Sector 9 following continuous rainfall and waterlogging, highlighting the impact of heavy showers on the city's roads.
Several areas, including Narsinghpur, witnessed severe traffic congestion on Tuesday morning as water accumulated on roads. The rainfall also worsened roads already damaged by previous showers.
The Gurugram District Disaster Management Authority had advised corporate offices, schools and other institutions to ask employees and staff to work from home to reduce traffic and allow civic agencies to carry out road and drainage repairs.
Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala criticised the Haryana government over the situation, alleging widespread flooding, traffic chaos and poor infrastructure. “Gurgaon infra has 'collapsed'! Waterlogged & Jammed Roads! Advisory is to 'work from home'! Nayab Saini & BJP Govt's Delivery.”
He further alleged, "School buses stranded, roads & streets flooded, people getting electrocuted, govt & administration missing, chaos prevails, fend for urself, and ₹1,400 cr spent, zero result! Calling it 'Millennium City Gurugram!'"
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's upcoming New York event has sparked a political row, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani saying he does not support it while acknowledging the city may have limited authority over a private gathering.
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The US has sanctioned four India-based companies and three Indian nationals over alleged trade in Iranian oil and petrochemical products.
The targeted companies are Sadashiva Overseas Limited, PP Softtech Private Limited, Prakrutees Infra Impex India Private Limited and customs broker Portease Partners LLP.
The US Treasury accused the firms of facilitating or importing Iranian products worth millions of dollars. Three Indian nationals, including PP Softtech director Prashant Garg, were also sanctioned under the Trump administration's Iran pressure campaign.
What exactly did PM Modi tell the armed forces before Operation Sindoor? Former CDS General Anil Chauhan has revealed the message given at a key April 29 meeting, including a crucial instruction on when and how India should respond to Pakistan.
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Iconic singer, songwriter, and actress Dolly Parton has passed away at the age of 80, as announced by her family on Instagram. She leaves behind an extraordinary career spanning music, film, television, and business.
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