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X has opened its advertising data to rival AI systems. Advertisers can now connect campaign performance to ChatGPT, Claude Code, Grok or a custom agent, and ask questions in plain language.&nbsp;What Was Built&nbsp;The mechanism is a Model Context Protocol server for X Ads.&nbsp;Model Context Protocol is a specification for connecting AI systems to external data and tools. Rather than each model maintaining a bespoke integration with each service, a service publishes one MCP server and any compliant system can use it. It was introduced by Anthropic and has since been adopted broadly, including by companies that compete with Anthropic directly.&nbsp;For advertisers the practical effect is that campaign analytics stop being something you read in a dashboard and become something you interrogate. A marketer can ask why performance dropped in a segment, or what to change in a creative, inside whichever AI tool they already work in.&nbsp;The Part Worth Noticing&nbsp;X is owned by Elon Musk, who also owns xAI, which makes Grok.&nbsp;An MCP server is deliberately model-agnostic. By building one, X has made its advertising data equally available to OpenAI's models and Anthropic's as to its own — which is a commercially generous thing to do for competitors.&nbsp;That is more interesting than it first appears, and it happened in the same week OpenAI told Cursor it would cut off model access on November 12 because SpaceX had bought Cursor's parent company. OpenAI's stated reason was that it could not be confident a Musk company would honour its terms of service.&nbsp;So one Musk-owned platform is opening its data to OpenAI's models while OpenAI is closing its models to another Musk-owned platform. Both decisions are defensible on their own terms. Together they say something about how unevenly this industry is deciding who to interoperate with.&nbsp;Why Open It At All&nbsp;The commercial logic is not complicated, and it is worth stating because generosity is rarely the explanation.&nbsp;Advertising platforms compete for budget, not for model loyalty. Anything that makes X's ad performance easier to analyse makes it easier to justify spending there, and a marketer who can interrogate X's numbers in the tool they already use is more likely to keep using X than one who has to open a separate dashboard.&nbsp;The data being exposed is also the advertiser's own campaign data rather than X's proprietary user information. That is a meaningful distinction: X is not opening its audience graph, it is making a customer's own results portable into a customer's own tools.&nbsp;Where MCP Has Got To&nbsp;The larger story is the protocol rather than the product.&nbsp;Eighteen months ago the question in AI was which model would win. The competitive ground has since moved to how models reach data and take actions, and MCP has become the connective tissue for that. Google has been pushing its own Agent Payments Protocol, the American standards body has been working on agent identity and permissions, and there is legislation before Congress addressing verifiable, task-bounded authorisation for agents.&nbsp;Standards work is usually the least interesting thing happening in a technology sector and the most consequential. Whoever's protocol becomes default determines what agents can reach, what permissions look like, and who can audit what an agent did.&nbsp;The Security Question Underneath&nbsp;There is a caution that applies to every MCP integration and is worth attaching to this one.&nbsp;Connecting an AI system to a live business account gives it read access to real data and, depending on scope, the ability to act. That is the same class of arrangement behind the finding that 65 per cent of organisations experienced a security incident caused by AI agents on their own networks in the past year.&nbsp;An advertising integration is at the milder end of that. It is analytics rather than spend authority, at least as described. But the pattern of the past year is that permissions granted for analysis get widened to action once the analysis proves useful, and the security review rarely gets repeated when they do.&nbsp;What To Watch&nbsp;Whether the integration stays read-only, or eventually lets an agent adjust budgets and pause campaigns without a human approving each change.&nbsp;That is the line between a better dashboard and an agent spending money. The first is a convenience. The second is the thing every enterprise security team spent this year discovering it was not ready for.

X has launched a Model Context Protocol server for its ads platform, letting marketers query campaign data inside ChatGPT, Claude Code or Grok — in the same week OpenAI moved to cut off a different Musk-owned company.

X has opened its advertising data to rival AI systems. Advertisers can now connect campaign performance to ChatGPT, Claude Code, Grok or a custom agent, and ask questions in plain language. What Was Built The mechanism is a Model Context Protocol server for X Ads. Model Context Protocol is a specification for connecting AI systems to external data and tools. Rather than each model maintaining a bespoke integration with each service, a service publishes one MCP server and any compliant system can use it. It was introduced by Anthropic and has since been adopted broadly, including by companies that compete with Anthropic directly. For advertisers the practical effect is that campaign analytics stop being something you read in a dashboard and become something you interrogate. A marketer can ask why performance dropped in a segment, or what to change in a creative, inside whichever AI tool they already work in. The Part Worth Noticing X is owned by Elon Musk, who also owns xAI, which makes Grok. An MCP server is deliberately model-agnostic. By building one, X has made its advertising data equally available to OpenAI's models and Anthropic's as to its own — which is a commercially generous thing to do for competitors. That is more interesting than it first appears, and it happened in the same week OpenAI told Cursor it would cut off model access on November 12 because SpaceX had bought Cursor's parent company. OpenAI's stated reason was that it could not be confident a Musk company would honour its terms of service. So one Musk-owned platform is opening its data to OpenAI's models while OpenAI is closing its models to another Musk-owned platform. Both decisions are defensible on their own terms. Together they say something about how unevenly this industry is deciding who to interoperate with. Why Open It At All The commercial logic is not complicated, and it is worth stating because generosity is rarely the explanation. Advertising platforms compete for budget, not for model loyalty. Anything that makes X's ad performance easier to analyse makes it easier to justify spending there, and a marketer who can interrogate X's numbers in the tool they already use is more likely to keep using X than one who has to open a separate dashboard. The data being exposed is also the advertiser's own campaign data rather than X's proprietary user information. That is a meaningful distinction: X is not opening its audience graph, it is making a customer's own results portable into a customer's own tools. Where MCP Has Got To The larger story is the protocol rather than the product. Eighteen months ago the question in AI was which model would win. The competitive ground has since moved to how models reach data and take actions, and MCP has become the connective tissue for that. Google has been pushing its own Agent Payments Protocol, the American standards body has been working on agent identity and permissions, and there is legislation before Congress addressing verifiable, task-bounded authorisation for agents. Standards work is usually the least interesting thing happening in a technology sector and the most consequential. Whoever's protocol becomes default determines what agents can reach, what permissions look like, and who can audit what an agent did. The Security Question Underneath There is a caution that applies to every MCP integration and is worth attaching to this one. Connecting an AI system to a live business account gives it read access to real data and, depending on scope, the ability to act. That is the same class of arrangement behind the finding that 65 per cent of organisations experienced a security incident caused by AI agents on their own networks in the past year. An advertising integration is at the milder end of that. It is analytics rather than spend authority, at least as described. But the pattern of the past year is that permissions granted for analysis get widened to action once the analysis proves useful, and the security review rarely gets repeated when they do. What To Watch Whether the integration stays read-only, or eventually lets an agent adjust budgets and pause campaigns without a human approving each change. That is the line between a better dashboard and an agent spending money. The first is a convenience. The second is the thing every enterprise security team spent this year discovering it was not ready for.

X has launched a Model Context Protocol server for its advertising platform, letting marketers connect campaign data and analytics to outside AI systems including ChatGPT, Claude Code and Grok, and query performance in natural language. The same week, OpenAI moved to cut off a Musk-owned company — making the openness on one side and the exclusion on the other worth reading together.

X is letting advertisers pipe their campaign data straight into ChatGPT and Claude

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a four-day visit to Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic. During his first day of visit on Sunday PM Modi held delegation-level talks with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Sunday at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace in Tashkent, with the two sides discussing ways to further strengthen bilateral ties.&nbsp;PM Modi hailed the strategic partnership between the two countries.&nbsp;"This year, our strategic partnership is turning 15 years. On this occasion, we decided to make our relationship a comprehensive strategic partnership," said PM Modi.&nbsp;"A stronger India-Uzbekistan will be a powerful force of peace, progress, and prosperity in Central Asia," Modi added.&nbsp;Both the sides discussed terrorism with PM Modi saying "Terrorism, Extremism, and Separatism is a big challenge for the region. Against these challenges, we have resolved to adopt a zero-tolerance policy."&nbsp;<h2>Why PM Modi's visit is important?</h2>&nbsp;Central Asia has always been considered the backyard of Russia as nearly 20-30 per cent of its population speaks Russian. In addition, the region is widely considered to be extremely rich in mineral and natural resources. In terms of resources, Kazakhstan holds one of the largest uranium reserves in the world, along with coal, lead, zinc, gold, and iron ore. The Kyrgyz Republic is rich in gold and hydro-power potential, while Turkmenistan possesses vast natural gas reserves. Tajikistan also has significant hydro-power capacity, and Uzbekistan is endowed with gold, uranium, and natural gas resources.&nbsp;Other than minerals, India's engagement with the Central Asian countries also includes security cooperation after the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, countering China’s influence, connectivity plans including the International North South Transit Corridor, energy needs (Kazakhstan has uranium reserves and Turkmenistan is part of the proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline), old cultural links and future trade.

Both the sides also discussed terrorism with PM Modi saying "Terrorism, Extremism, and Separatism is a big challenge for the region. Against these challenges, we have resolved to adopt a zero-tolerance policy."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a four-day visit to Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic. During his first day of visit on Sunday PM Modi held delegation-level talks with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Sunday at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace in Tashkent, with the two sides discussing ways to further strengthen bilateral ties. PM Modi hailed the strategic partnership between the two countries. "This year, our strategic partnership is turning 15 years. On this occasion, we decided to make our relationship a comprehensive strategic partnership," said PM Modi. "A stronger India-Uzbekistan will be a powerful force of peace, progress, and prosperity in Central Asia," Modi added. Both the sides discussed terrorism with PM Modi saying "Terrorism, Extremism, and Separatism is a big challenge for the region. Against these challenges, we have resolved to adopt a zero-tolerance policy." Why PM Modi's visit is important? Central Asia has always been considered the backyard of Russia as nearly 20-30 per cent of its population speaks Russian. In addition, the region is widely considered to be extremely rich in mineral and natural resources. In terms of resources, Kazakhstan holds one of the largest uranium reserves in the world, along with coal, lead, zinc, gold, and iron ore. The Kyrgyz Republic is rich in gold and hydro-power potential, while Turkmenistan possesses vast natural gas reserves. Tajikistan also has significant hydro-power capacity, and Uzbekistan is endowed with gold, uranium, and natural gas resources. Other than minerals, India's engagement with the Central Asian countries also includes security cooperation after the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, countering China’s influence, connectivity plans including the International North South Transit Corridor, energy needs (Kazakhstan has uranium reserves and Turkmenistan is part of the proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline), old cultural links and future trade.

Both the sides also discussed terrorism with PM Modi saying "Terrorism, Extremism, and Separatism is a big challenge for the region. Against these challenges, we have resolved to adopt a zero-tolerance policy."

Stronger India-Uzbekistan will be powerful force of peace: PM Modi

Nepal Tibet LIVE updates: Nepal’s death toll from this week’s devastating floods has risen to 734, the country’s disaster authority said Sunday, as rescue teams continue searching for thousands of people missing after a massive surge of water, ice and debris tore through Himalayan communities. China earlier reported 16 deaths, bringing the total death toll in the disaster to 750. Across Nepal and Tibet, more than 3,000 people remain unaccounted for.The disaster struck Wednesday along the China-Nepal border after a glacial collapse sent a powerful torrent through valleys, sweeping away settlements, bridges and roads. The US Geological Survey has attributed the flooding to a glacial collapse which sent a wall of water and debris downstream.<h2>Rescue teams race to trapped workers</h2>In Nepal, rescuers are focusing on hydropower project tunnels where more than 100 workers may still be alive and trapped. At the Trishuli 3A site, the Nepali Army successfully inserted a pipe into a tunnel and began sending air through the narrow opening, Home Minister Sudan Gurung said. Heavy rain and rising river levels, however, have complicated the operation.Nepal’s disaster authority lists 933 hydropower workers among the missing, along with 517 foreigners, including trekkers and pilgrims travelling towards Mount Kailash.The Isha Foundation said 80 members were on a pilgrimage in the region. It said there were no encouraging indications of survivors at the immigration office area.<h2>International aid pours in</h2>The scale of the destruction has triggered a major international relief effort. The United States and Canada have each pledged $3.6 million, while Britain has offered $6.8 million. The UN has released $2.5 million in emergency funding.Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal warned that rebuilding could cost “billions of dollars” and called for specialised equipment, including heavy-lift drones and technology to locate people trapped underground.<h2>Fresh flood threat</h2>The disaster has also raised fears of further flooding from lakes formed by the deluge.In Tibet, rescue operations were temporarily halted around Gyirong over concerns that a newly formed lake could overflow. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV later said the lake was “discharging naturally” and had been “essentially drained”.Meanwhile, Indian officials said seven bodies believed to be flood victims had been recovered from rivers flowing from Nepal.

Figures released by Nepalese officials and Chinese authorities overseeing Tibet put the total number of missing people at 3,048, with 768 confirmed deaths. Nepal reported that 2,502 people, including 592 foreign nationals, remain out of contact in the country. The death toll there rose to 752 as of Sunday.Tibet, an autonomous region of China, remained largely inaccessible to foreign journalists, making it difficult to independently assess the full scale of the disaster. China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported on Sunday that 546 people were missing and 16 had died. Of those reported missing in Tibet, 261 were foreign nationals, according to CCTV.

3,048 missing across Nepal and Tibet, with 768 confirmed dead

&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Update on Indian Nationals rescued in Nepal ⬇️ &lt;a href="https://t.co/sgT6k5rzCM"&gt;pic.twitter.com/sgT6k5rzCM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) &lt;a href="https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/2094039357653176546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;August 30, 2026&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; &lt;script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

Update on Indian Nationals rescued in Nepal by MEA

&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="ne" dir="ltr"&gt;प्रधानमन्त्री दैवी प्रकोप उद्धार कोषको नाममा नक्कली स्टेटमेन्ट बनाएर ठगी गर्ने एक जना पक्राउ&lt;a href="https://x.com/hashtag/NepalPolice?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#NepalPolice&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://x.com/hashtag/BelieveinBlue?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#BelieveinBlue&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://x.com/hashtag/ToServeandProtect?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#ToServeandProtect&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://x.com/hashtag/%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#नेपालप्रहरी&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/CAOx4EExco"&gt;pic.twitter.com/CAOx4EExco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; Nepal Police (@NepalPoliceHQ) &lt;a href="https://x.com/NepalPoliceHQ/status/2093921566786813957?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;August 30, 2026&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; &lt;script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

Man uses AI to fake Rs 1.2 lakh Nepal flood donation, diverts relief funds via own QR code

&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"&gt;&lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Rescue efferts at &lt;a href="https://x.com/hashtag/UpperTrishuli3A?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#UpperTrishuli3A&lt;/a&gt; Tunnel&lt;a href="https://x.com/hashtag/%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#नेपालीसेना&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="https://x.com/hashtag/BhoteKoshiFlood?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#BhoteKoshiFlood&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="https://x.com/hashtag/NepaliArmy?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#NepaliArmy&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/jIh2zSBRvN"&gt;pic.twitter.com/jIh2zSBRvN&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; Nepali Army (@NepaliArmyHQ) &lt;a href="https://x.com/NepaliArmyHQ/status/2094013965231931695?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;August 30, 2026&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; &lt;script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

Nepal Flood: Rescue efforts at UpperTrishuli 3A Tunnel continues

Nepal Death Toll Rises to 752

Nepali rescuers resumed a desperate search on Sunday for hydropower workers believed to be trapped inside tunnels buried under flood debris, as difficult weather and swollen rivers continued to hamper operations. The disaster’s death toll has climbed to 750, while more than 3,000 people remain missing in Nepal and Tibet.

Nepal floods: Inside desperate tunnel rescue as over 100 workers remain trapped

India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement that the Indian forensic team has been deployed to Nepal to help their counterparts in identifying flash flood victims. “Ambassador Naveen Srivastava met members of the Indian Forensic Team deployed to Nepal. The team will work alongside their Nepali counterparts in analysing DNA samples to assist in identifying the mortal remains of the victims of the recent flash floods,” he said.

Indian forensic team to help identify flash flood victims: MEA

A brief 20-minute halt at a Buddhist temple ended up saving their lives—a realisation that left a 31-member group of Keralites in tears and disbelief as they returned safely to the state on Sunday, having been stuck in Nepal amid the devastating flash floods. "Around 20-25 minutes we spent at a Buddha temple at the request of the women in our group helped save us from the tragedy," one of the men told news agency PTI. "But for the delay, we would have been crossing the bridge and road when they were completely washed away," he said, recalling the narrow escape.

31 Keralites return from flood-hit Nepal

The water levels in the Bhotekoshi River has rose again on Sunday, days after a devastating flash flood hit Nepal killing nearly 600 people. Authorities urged residents and rescue personnel in flood-hit districts to remain alert. In a statement, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) warned that water levels in the river had risen again.

Kathmandu warns of rising water levels in Bhote Koshi River

&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href="https://x.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#WATCH&lt;/a&gt; | Trishuli, Nepal: Debris being cleared after a devastating flood tore through an area. &lt;a href="https://t.co/Pzj2FTEBzP"&gt;pic.twitter.com/Pzj2FTEBzP&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; ANI (@ANI) &lt;a href="https://x.com/ANI/status/2093966119178817747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;August 30, 2026&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; &lt;script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

Debris being cleared after a devastating flood tore through an area.

The burial pits are being dug to a depth of 1.5 metres to ensure the bodies can be easily exhumed later. A 40-centimetre gap has been maintained between them to ensure that only the specific body identified via DNA matching can be retrieved.

Nepal Flash Floods Live Updates: 1.5-Metre Deep Burial Pits

At an army base in the Nepali town of Bidur, a key rescue hub, relatives crowded around lists of rescued people pasted on a wall."I have come here looking for my son," said Kalka Sharda, scanning the list in desperation. "He was a labourer at the hydropower plant, but I can't find his name, and the authorities are not saying anything."

Relatives crowd rescue hub

Devastating floods near the border with China killed at least 734 people in Nepal and 2,498 remain missing, its disaster authority said Sunday, as rescue efforts entered a fifth day.Chinese state media had earlier confirmed 16 dead in Tibet and 546 people missing following Wednesday's disaster.That takes the overall toll to 750 dead and 3,044 missing.

Nepal flood death toll rises to 734: disaster authority

Nepali rescuers seeking to reach hydropower workers believed trapped in tunnels swamped by flood debris were hampered Sunday by heavy overnight rain and rising river waters.Nepal's government says more than 100 workers may still be alive and trapped inside multiple tunnels at hydropower projects, with key rescue efforts focused on the Trishuli 3A and 3B sites.

Rain, rising rivers hamper Nepal tunnel rescue

Nepal warned Sunday of rising flood waters and urged rescue teams to exercise caution, as efforts to retrieve victims from areas devastated by a deadly torrent of icy debris and water entered a fifth day."We have received information that the flood flow in the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa has increased further," the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA)said in a warning issued at 7:20 am (0135 GMT)."Therefore, all personnel engaged in search, rescue, and relief operations, those in riverside areas, and everyone else in affected areas including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, and Chitwan are requested to exercise caution."

Nepal warns rescue teams of rising flood waters

China said the death toll from a mudslide that struck Tibet rose to 16 and 546 people were still missing, state media reported Sunday, citing local officials.A devastating, tsunami-like wall of water tore through the border region between Nepal and Tibet this week, sweeping away entire villages.Figures from Nepal and from Chinese authorities in charge of Tibet put the total number of missing close to 3,000, with 691 bodies recovered.

China says 16 dead, 546 missing in Tibet mudslide: state media

The United States said Saturday it was providing $3.6 million in humanitarian aid to Nepal following catastrophic flooding that killed hundreds and left close to 3,000 missing."The United States is standing with the people of Nepal by providing more than $3.6 million worth of life-saving humanitarian assistance, including up to three months of emergency food assistance to up to 10,000 flood-affected households," the State Department said in a post on X.

US announces $3.6 mn in humanitarian aid for Nepal

Nepali army rescuers broke through to a hydropower tunnel on Saturday and began pumping air and sending a camera inside, raising hopes of reaching workers trapped since devastating floods struck the site three days earlier.Nepal's government says more than 100 workers may still be alive and trapped inside tunnels at hydropower projects, with rescue efforts focused on the Trishuli 3A and 3B sites.Those trapped are among 933 hydropower workers missing since a wall of mud and debris swept down on Wednesday morning, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

Nepal rescuers send air pipe into tunnel with trapped workers

Nepal Tibet Highlights: Nepal’s flood death toll has risen to 734, with nearly 3,000 still missing. Rescuers face rain and rising rivers while searching for trapped hydropower workers and survivors across the Himalayas.

Nepal Tibet LIVE updates: Nepal’s death toll from this week’s devastating floods has risen to 734, the country’s disaster authority said Sunday, as rescue teams continue searching for thousands of people missing after a massive surge of water, ice and debris tore through Himalayan communities. China earlier reported 16 deaths, bringing the total death toll in the disaster to 750. Across Nepal and Tibet, more than 3,000 people remain unaccounted for. The disaster struck Wednesday along the China-Nepal border after a glacial collapse sent a powerful torrent through valleys, sweeping away settlements, bridges and roads. The US Geological Survey has attributed the flooding to a glacial collapse which sent a wall of water and debris downstream. Rescue teams race to trapped workers In Nepal, rescuers are focusing on hydropower project tunnels where more than 100 workers may still be alive and trapped. At the Trishuli 3A site, the Nepali Army successfully inserted a pipe into a tunnel and began sending air through the narrow opening, Home Minister Sudan Gurung said. Heavy rain and rising river levels, however, have complicated the operation. Nepal’s disaster authority lists 933 hydropower workers among the missing, along with 517 foreigners, including trekkers and pilgrims travelling towards Mount Kailash. The Isha Foundation said 80 members were on a pilgrimage in the region. It said there were no encouraging indications of survivors at the immigration office area. International aid pours in The scale of the destruction has triggered a major international relief effort. The United States and Canada have each pledged $3.6 million, while Britain has offered $6.8 million. The UN has released $2.5 million in emergency funding. Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal warned that rebuilding could cost “billions of dollars” and called for specialised equipment, including heavy-lift drones and technology to locate people trapped underground. Fresh flood threat The disaster has also raised fears of further flooding from lakes formed by the deluge. In Tibet, rescue operations were temporarily halted around Gyirong over concerns that a newly formed lake could overflow. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV later said the lake was “discharging naturally” and had been “essentially drained”. Meanwhile, Indian officials said seven bodies believed to be flood victims had been recovered from rivers flowing from Nepal.

Nepal Tibet LIVE updates: Nepal’s flood death toll has risen to 734, with nearly 3,000 still missing. Rescuers face rain and rising rivers while searching for trapped hydropower workers and survivors across the Himalayas.

Nepal-Tibet floods Highlights: Death toll rises to 750; MEA shares update on Indian nationals rescued in Nepal

“He said the village was gone: taken by the river. He told me to run.” The warning reached Rajendra Dawadi at 9:20 am on Wednesday. A friend alerted the principal of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in Nepal’s Trishuli Valley as a devastating flash flood tore through the region. Dawadi, a 47-year-old English teacher, had 1,643 children in and around the school’s three-storey building that morning. Within minutes, he had to make a critical decision as torrents of water, rock, ice, mud and debris surged through mountain river systems.&nbsp;The disaster, triggered by a glacier collapse, killed 734 people in Nepal and 16 in Tibet. Buildings, bridges and power stations were swept away by the floodwaters. Around 2,498 people remained missing in Nepal, while another 546 were missing in Tibet’s Gyirong County, according to the latest figures.<h2>Principal orders emergency evacuation</h2>Initially, Dawadi believed the school was in a safe location. The concrete building stood about 60 metres above the river and was positioned at roughly the same level as the steel bridge connecting the village to the eastern bank, The Times reported. That sense of safety quickly disappeared when a parent arrived at the school with a warning that the river was rising rapidly. Dawadi immediately rang the school bell and instructed teachers to evacuate their classrooms. He contacted the school bus drivers and told all but one to turn back.&nbsp;He then noticed the bus he had been unable to reach crossing the bridge. The children were soon aware that they were facing a serious threat. One girl suffered a panic attack and was taken uphill on a motorbike. The remaining students escaped on foot, with Dawadi following them, according to The Times. The children eventually reached a bodhi tree, where they took shelter as the floodwaters surged through the area and destroyed the school buildings.&nbsp;Dawadi’s rapid response saved 1,643 children and all but one member of the teaching staff. Social history teacher Santos Pariyar, 32, was swept away after returning to his rented room near the river to prepare breakfast. The school’s janitor, Sultan Lama, also died after going back to close the doors.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/why-is-pm-modi-in-uzbekistan-before-the-sco-summit-key-reasons-explained-1788089431056">Why is PM Modi in Uzbekistan before the SCO Summit? Key reasons explained</a><h2>‘What else could I do?’</h2>Residents have hailed Dawadi as a hero for getting the children to safety. However, the principal himself has played down the praise. "What else could I do?" he said while looking over the muddy remains of the school. The flash flood was caused by a massive section of ice and rock that broke away from Langtang Lirung peak. The material plunged approximately 1,200 metres into the steep upper gorge of the Lhende Khola river near the Tibet border. Daniel Shugar, a geomorphologist at the University of Calgary, estimated that the mass covered nearly 50 acres, an area roughly comparable to Green Park in London.<h2>Nepal's Trishuli Valley faces another disaster</h2>The region has experienced devastating disasters before. In April 2015, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killed 8,962 people across South Asia. The earthquake also triggered an avalanche that buried all 300 residents of Langtang, a settlement in the flood-hit Rasuwa district. The latest disaster has once again left communities across the Himalayan region confronting widespread destruction, missing people and the loss of homes and vital infrastructure.

Nepal floods: Principal Rajendra Dawadi saves 1,643 children as a glacier-triggered disaster destroys their school and devastates the Trishuli Valley

“He said the village was gone: taken by the river. He told me to run.” The warning reached Rajendra Dawadi at 9:20 am on Wednesday. A friend alerted the principal of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in Nepal’s Trishuli Valley as a devastating flash flood tore through the region. Dawadi, a 47-year-old English teacher, had 1,643 children in and around the school’s three-storey building that morning. Within minutes, he had to make a critical decision as torrents of water, rock, ice, mud and debris surged through mountain river systems. The disaster, triggered by a glacier collapse, killed 734 people in Nepal and 16 in Tibet. Buildings, bridges and power stations were swept away by the floodwaters. Around 2,498 people remained missing in Nepal, while another 546 were missing in Tibet’s Gyirong County, according to the latest figures. Principal orders emergency evacuation Initially, Dawadi believed the school was in a safe location. The concrete building stood about 60 metres above the river and was positioned at roughly the same level as the steel bridge connecting the village to the eastern bank, The Times reported. That sense of safety quickly disappeared when a parent arrived at the school with a warning that the river was rising rapidly. Dawadi immediately rang the school bell and instructed teachers to evacuate their classrooms. He contacted the school bus drivers and told all but one to turn back. He then noticed the bus he had been unable to reach crossing the bridge. The children were soon aware that they were facing a serious threat. One girl suffered a panic attack and was taken uphill on a motorbike. The remaining students escaped on foot, with Dawadi following them, according to The Times. The children eventually reached a bodhi tree, where they took shelter as the floodwaters surged through the area and destroyed the school buildings. Dawadi’s rapid response saved 1,643 children and all but one member of the teaching staff. Social history teacher Santos Pariyar, 32, was swept away after returning to his rented room near the river to prepare breakfast. The school’s janitor, Sultan Lama, also died after going back to close the doors. Also Read: Why is PM Modi in Uzbekistan before the SCO Summit? Key reasons explained ‘What else could I do?’ Residents have hailed Dawadi as a hero for getting the children to safety. However, the principal himself has played down the praise. "What else could I do?" he said while looking over the muddy remains of the school. The flash flood was caused by a massive section of ice and rock that broke away from Langtang Lirung peak. The material plunged approximately 1,200 metres into the steep upper gorge of the Lhende Khola river near the Tibet border. Daniel Shugar, a geomorphologist at the University of Calgary, estimated that the mass covered nearly 50 acres, an area roughly comparable to Green Park in London. Nepal's Trishuli Valley faces another disaster The region has experienced devastating disasters before. In April 2015, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killed 8,962 people across South Asia. The earthquake also triggered an avalanche that buried all 300 residents of Langtang, a settlement in the flood-hit Rasuwa district. The latest disaster has once again left communities across the Himalayan region confronting widespread destruction, missing people and the loss of homes and vital infrastructure.

Nepal flash floods swept away a school, but principal Rajendra Dawadi saved 1,643 children after ordering a desperate evacuation to safety

How one Nepali school principal saved 1,643 children from deadly flash floods

Istanbul is hosting the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed earlier this month. Top officials from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will be discussing “international security issues” on Monday, August 31, Turkish Foreign Ministry sources said.&nbsp;It is expected to be attended by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defence Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu. Pakistan is expected to be represented by Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman and Chief of General Staff Gen. Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili are also due to attend.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-judge-blocks-deportation-pro-palestinian-speech-1788083492052">US judge blocks Trump's deportation of noncitizens over pro-Palestinian speech</a>The discussion is expected to cover enhancing defence capabilities, greater interoperability among their ‌armed ⁠forces and deepening cooperation in the defence industry, including joint production and development. They will also discuss counter terrorism efforts. The meeting is expected to introduce a bureaucracy, an administrative secretariat and other relevant mechanisms that will guide work in areas of joint activity, as will be determined by the Strategic and Political Defence Committee. It will also establish a roadmap for steps to be taken in the coming period.The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia on August 7, is supposedly based on a shared sense of responsibility in their region and growing international instability. The pact has a NATO-like stipulation that an attack on one will be considered an attack against all parties.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will hold their first Strategic Political and Defence Committee meeting in Istanbul under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement.

Istanbul is hosting the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed earlier this month. Top officials from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will be discussing “international security issues” on Monday, August 31, Turkish Foreign Ministry sources said. It is expected to be attended by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defence Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu. Pakistan is expected to be represented by Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman and Chief of General Staff Gen. Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili are also due to attend. Also Read: US judge blocks Trump's deportation of noncitizens over pro-Palestinian speech The discussion is expected to cover enhancing defence capabilities, greater interoperability among their ‌armed ⁠forces and deepening cooperation in the defence industry, including joint production and development. They will also discuss counter terrorism efforts. The meeting is expected to introduce a bureaucracy, an administrative secretariat and other relevant mechanisms that will guide work in areas of joint activity, as will be determined by the Strategic and Political Defence Committee. It will also establish a roadmap for steps to be taken in the coming period. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia on August 7, is supposedly based on a shared sense of responsibility in their region and growing international instability. The pact has a NATO-like stipulation that an attack on one will be considered an attack against all parties.

Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will hold their first Strategic Political and Defence Committee meeting in Istanbul under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement.

Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia to hold first defence committee meeting under Mecca pact

Bishkek: India and Uzbekistan have upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, agreeing to a long-term uranium supply arrangement and a new ministerial architecture to drive trade, energy and city-to-city ties.The decisions followed talks on Sunday between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace, 15 years after the two countries first became strategic partners.“We are celebrating the 15th anniversary of our strategic partnership. I am delighted that, on this special occasion, we are elevating our ties to the level of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” Indian PM Modi said. “We will move forward by setting concrete goals within this framework.”The energy announcement was the sharpest signal of the new ambition. India has been seeking uranium for civilian nuclear power; Uzbekistan is among the world’s better-endowed producers. “We will also establish a long-term arrangement for the supply of uranium,” Indian PM said.To keep the upgrade from remaining a slogan, both sides agreed to create a Coordination Council at foreign-minister level “to provide direction to all aspects of our cooperation through close coordination.” The existing Joint Commission will be raised from secretary to ministerial rank. A joint business summit is to bring Indian and Uzbek industry into the same room.People-to-people links were given a local face. Three sister-city and sister-state pairings were formalised. “Today, we are formalising three sister-city and sister-state arrangements. We should create a roadmap to fully realise their potential,” PM Modi said. He then invited Tashkent to look at India’s flagship urban experiment. “Mega-projects like ‘New Tashkent’ are underway in your country, while in India, we have developed GIFT City in Gujarat. We would be delighted to welcome a delegation from your country to study best practices and the use of technology.”President Mirziyoyev cast India as more than a trading partner. “India is our reliable strategic partner,” he said. “Last year, our bilateral trade exceeded one billion dollars for the first time. In recent years, the number of joint ventures has increased sevenfold.” He praised India’s pace in digitalisation, artificial intelligence and space, adding that New Delhi’s “voice and influence in global affairs have grown even stronger.”Both governments have set a $5 billion trade target by 2030, a five-fold jump from the first billion-dollar year. A letter of intent was signed to restore the Buddhist sites of Fayaz Tepa and Kara Tepa. Mr Mirziyoyev also conferred Uzbekistan’s highest honour, the Order of Oliy Darajali Dustlik, on Mr Modi.The visit is the opening leg of Mr Modi’s Central Asia trip before the SCO summit in Bishkek.

India and Uzbekistan have upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, agreeing on long-term uranium supplies and a $5 billion trade target by 2030.

Bishkek: India and Uzbekistan have upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, agreeing to a long-term uranium supply arrangement and a new ministerial architecture to drive trade, energy and city-to-city ties. The decisions followed talks on Sunday between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace, 15 years after the two countries first became strategic partners. “We are celebrating the 15th anniversary of our strategic partnership. I am delighted that, on this special occasion, we are elevating our ties to the level of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” Indian PM Modi said. “We will move forward by setting concrete goals within this framework.” The energy announcement was the sharpest signal of the new ambition. India has been seeking uranium for civilian nuclear power; Uzbekistan is among the world’s better-endowed producers. “We will also establish a long-term arrangement for the supply of uranium,” Indian PM said. To keep the upgrade from remaining a slogan, both sides agreed to create a Coordination Council at foreign-minister level “to provide direction to all aspects of our cooperation through close coordination.” The existing Joint Commission will be raised from secretary to ministerial rank. A joint business summit is to bring Indian and Uzbek industry into the same room. People-to-people links were given a local face. Three sister-city and sister-state pairings were formalised. “Today, we are formalising three sister-city and sister-state arrangements. We should create a roadmap to fully realise their potential,” PM Modi said. He then invited Tashkent to look at India’s flagship urban experiment. “Mega-projects like ‘New Tashkent’ are underway in your country, while in India, we have developed GIFT City in Gujarat. We would be delighted to welcome a delegation from your country to study best practices and the use of technology.” President Mirziyoyev cast India as more than a trading partner. “India is our reliable strategic partner,” he said. “Last year, our bilateral trade exceeded one billion dollars for the first time. In recent years, the number of joint ventures has increased sevenfold.” He praised India’s pace in digitalisation, artificial intelligence and space, adding that New Delhi’s “voice and influence in global affairs have grown even stronger.” Both governments have set a $5 billion trade target by 2030, a five-fold jump from the first billion-dollar year. A letter of intent was signed to restore the Buddhist sites of Fayaz Tepa and Kara Tepa. Mr Mirziyoyev also conferred Uzbekistan’s highest honour, the Order of Oliy Darajali Dustlik, on Mr Modi. The visit is the opening leg of Mr Modi’s Central Asia trip before the SCO summit in Bishkek.

India and Uzbekistan have upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, agreeing on long-term uranium supplies and a $5 billion trade target by 2030.

GIFT City invitation, uranium supply arrangement marks Indian PM Modi’s Tashkent visit

Pakistani authorities have suspended eight officials and launched criminal proceedings following a devastating fire that killed 14 newborn babies in a capital hospital. The blaze broke out shortly after 6:30 AM on Wednesday (Aug 26) in the maternity unit of a federal healthcare facility in Islamabad. A preliminary inquiry conducted by a four-person committee revealed that the fire consumed the ward within approximately two minutes. Of the 15 infants under the hospital's care at the time, medical staff managed to rescue only one.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pakistan-hospital-fire-tragedy-massive-fire-at-pakistan-institute-of-medical-sciences-1787734524960/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/pakistan-hospital-fire-tragedy-massive-fire-at-pakistan-institute-of-medical-sciences-1787734524960/embed</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;Following the inquiry's initial findings, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered immediate suspensions. The sanctioned personnel include top administrative and medical staff, such as the hospital's executive director, the head of the neonatal department, and the director-general of Islamabad's emergency services. Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghori, the senior-most civil servant in the health department, was dismissed earlier in the week as an immediate response to the tragedy.&nbsp;Expressing severe condemnation late Saturday (Aug 29), Prime Minister Sharif declared that those guilty of criminal negligence would receive no concessions and must face full legal accountability. Additionally, the government approved legal action against the private firm contracted for the hospital’s security operations.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/15-newborns-killed-after-fire-breaks-out-in-pakistan-hospital-1787724990542">Islamabad’s District Magistrate launches probe after hospital fire kills 15 newborns, to submit report in 24 hours</a>&nbsp;The preliminary report outlined serious operational lapses during the incident. Emergency services were notified six minutes after the fire erupted, with the first responders arriving 15 minutes later. Witnesses and parents reported a delayed response, alleging that security personnel initially blocked exits and prevented people from escaping the building. The investigation further revealed that the facility lacked detailed standard operating procedures, routine emergency drills, or formal fire safety training. At the onset of the blaze, two nurses, a female security guard, and an additional officer were inside the ward, but no supervising staff were present.&nbsp;While Health Minister Mustafa Kamal initially pointed to an air conditioner spark as the probable cause, official investigators clarified that the exact source of ignition remains under investigation. Major structural fires remain a persistent hazard across Pakistan, primarily driven by sub-standard building codes, inadequate safety infrastructure, and lax regulatory enforcement. Recent years have seen several mass-casualty fires in commercial and industrial settings, including a shopping center fire in Karachi that claimed over 65 lives in January, another retail center blaze in 2023 that killed 11, and a garment factory disaster in 2012 that resulted in more than 250 deaths.

Pakistan suspends eight hospital officials and orders criminal proceedings following a deadly fire at Islamabad's PIMS hospital nursery that killed 14 newborns. 

Pakistani authorities have suspended eight officials and launched criminal proceedings following a devastating fire that killed 14 newborn babies in a capital hospital. The blaze broke out shortly after 6:30 AM on Wednesday (Aug 26) in the maternity unit of a federal healthcare facility in Islamabad. A preliminary inquiry conducted by a four-person committee revealed that the fire consumed the ward within approximately two minutes. Of the 15 infants under the hospital's care at the time, medical staff managed to rescue only one. https://www.wionews.com/videos/pakistan-hospital-fire-tragedy-massive-fire-at-pakistan-institute-of-medical-sciences-1787734524960/embed Following the inquiry's initial findings, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered immediate suspensions. The sanctioned personnel include top administrative and medical staff, such as the hospital's executive director, the head of the neonatal department, and the director-general of Islamabad's emergency services. Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghori, the senior-most civil servant in the health department, was dismissed earlier in the week as an immediate response to the tragedy. Expressing severe condemnation late Saturday (Aug 29), Prime Minister Sharif declared that those guilty of criminal negligence would receive no concessions and must face full legal accountability. Additionally, the government approved legal action against the private firm contracted for the hospital’s security operations. Also read: Islamabad’s District Magistrate launches probe after hospital fire kills 15 newborns, to submit report in 24 hours The preliminary report outlined serious operational lapses during the incident. Emergency services were notified six minutes after the fire erupted, with the first responders arriving 15 minutes later. Witnesses and parents reported a delayed response, alleging that security personnel initially blocked exits and prevented people from escaping the building. The investigation further revealed that the facility lacked detailed standard operating procedures, routine emergency drills, or formal fire safety training. At the onset of the blaze, two nurses, a female security guard, and an additional officer were inside the ward, but no supervising staff were present. While Health Minister Mustafa Kamal initially pointed to an air conditioner spark as the probable cause, official investigators clarified that the exact source of ignition remains under investigation. Major structural fires remain a persistent hazard across Pakistan, primarily driven by sub-standard building codes, inadequate safety infrastructure, and lax regulatory enforcement. Recent years have seen several mass-casualty fires in commercial and industrial settings, including a shopping center fire in Karachi that claimed over 65 lives in January, another retail center blaze in 2023 that killed 11, and a garment factory disaster in 2012 that resulted in more than 250 deaths.

Pakistan suspends eight hospital officials and orders criminal proceedings following a deadly fire at Islamabad's PIMS hospital nursery that killed 14 newborns.

Pakistan suspends 8 officials, orders criminal action after hospital nursery fire kills 14 newborns

A Federal judge in the US has ruled against the deportation of critics of Israel's war in Gaza and other noncitizens for expressing their views. The court observed that the law used by the administration to cancel visas and initiate deportation proceedings against noncitizen college students based on their pro-Palestinian advocacy and criticism of Israel is unconstitutional.Judge Noël Wise delivered a victory to The Stanford Daily, the student newspaper at Stanford University, which claimed that the students were afraid to speak up for fear of deportation. The judge chastised the Trump administration, saying that in the US, free speech, including the freedom to express everyone's views, is evidence of the strength of the country's democracy.&nbsp;“That strength is diminished when members of our society — citizens and noncitizens alike — must self-censor and ‘behave’ or suffer the government’s retaliation,” she said.&nbsp;The decision draws upon the findings from 2025, when a District Judge ruled that the Trump administration violated the Constitution when it targeted non-citizens solely for supporting Palestine and criticising Israel.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-spies-sleeper-cells-india-s400-operation-sindoor-1787852660782">Pakistan activated spies, sleeper cells to hunt for India’s S-400 in Operation Sindoor: Former Air Marshal Jitendra Mishra</a>"Freedom of speech is illusory if we are only 'free' to express complementary views about the government and its leaders," the judge wrote.Wise cited retalliation in March 2025 by US immigration authorities against people engaged in speech supporting the Palestinian against Israel's actions, which UN experts condemn as genocide. The judge also cited retalliation against people who were critical of Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated last September.&nbsp;She said that the Government's tactics were harming free speech on campuses. She said that non-citizens have the same First Amendment rights as citizens, irrespective of the US foreign policy of any specific administration. Wise noted that at The Stanford Daily, lawfully present noncitizens at the paper have quit, withheld articles, refused assignments, requested articles be taken down, and asked for anonymity due to fear of adverse immigration consequences."This downward spiral is antithetical to our Constitution that recognises our right to speak freely," she added. "Here you can simultaneously hate the content of a person's speech and love the country that cherishes the freedom to allow it. Zealous protection of our Constitutional right to free speech is a provocative demonstration of our country's powerful lack of fear."&nbsp;"The reporters in our newsroom shouldn't have to fear that writing a story will result in their deportation. Today's victory means they won't have to," said George Porteous, the editor-in-chief of The Stanford Daily, responding to the ruling.&nbsp;

A US federal judge has ruled against deporting noncitizens over pro-Palestinian advocacy and criticism of Israel, calling the administration's actions unconstitutional.

A Federal judge in the US has ruled against the deportation of critics of Israel's war in Gaza and other noncitizens for expressing their views. The court observed that the law used by the administration to cancel visas and initiate deportation proceedings against noncitizen college students based on their pro-Palestinian advocacy and criticism of Israel is unconstitutional. Judge Noël Wise delivered a victory to The Stanford Daily, the student newspaper at Stanford University, which claimed that the students were afraid to speak up for fear of deportation. The judge chastised the Trump administration, saying that in the US, free speech, including the freedom to express everyone's views, is evidence of the strength of the country's democracy. “That strength is diminished when members of our society — citizens and noncitizens alike — must self-censor and ‘behave’ or suffer the government’s retaliation,” she said. The decision draws upon the findings from 2025, when a District Judge ruled that the Trump administration violated the Constitution when it targeted non-citizens solely for supporting Palestine and criticising Israel. Also Read: Pakistan activated spies, sleeper cells to hunt for India’s S-400 in Operation Sindoor: Former Air Marshal Jitendra Mishra "Freedom of speech is illusory if we are only 'free' to express complementary views about the government and its leaders," the judge wrote. Wise cited retalliation in March 2025 by US immigration authorities against people engaged in speech supporting the Palestinian against Israel's actions, which UN experts condemn as genocide. The judge also cited retalliation against people who were critical of Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated last September. She said that the Government's tactics were harming free speech on campuses. She said that non-citizens have the same First Amendment rights as citizens, irrespective of the US foreign policy of any specific administration. Wise noted that at The Stanford Daily, lawfully present noncitizens at the paper have quit, withheld articles, refused assignments, requested articles be taken down, and asked for anonymity due to fear of adverse immigration consequences. "This downward spiral is antithetical to our Constitution that recognises our right to speak freely," she added. "Here you can simultaneously hate the content of a person's speech and love the country that cherishes the freedom to allow it. Zealous protection of our Constitutional right to free speech is a provocative demonstration of our country's powerful lack of fear." "The reporters in our newsroom shouldn't have to fear that writing a story will result in their deportation. Today's victory means they won't have to," said George Porteous, the editor-in-chief of The Stanford Daily, responding to the ruling.

A US federal judge has ruled against deporting noncitizens over pro-Palestinian advocacy and criticism of Israel, calling the administration's actions unconstitutional.

US judge blocks Trump's deportation of noncitizens over pro-Palestinian speech

OpenAI is withdrawing its models from one of the most widely used AI coding tools in the world, and the stated reason is who bought it.&nbsp;What Happened&nbsp;SpaceX completed its acquisition of Anysphere, the company behind Cursor, on August 14. The price was $60 billion.&nbsp;On August 29, OpenAI confirmed it will terminate direct access to its models inside Cursor on November 12, citing trust and contract terms triggered by the change of ownership.&nbsp;Its position is that it cannot be confident SpaceX will use the technology within its terms of service, and it pointed to its experience of Elon Musk's companies violating contracts.&nbsp;That is an unusually direct thing for one company to say about another in a commercial notice. It is also the substance of the dispute rather than a flourish: the contract permitted termination on a change of control, and OpenAI has exercised it.&nbsp;How Much This Actually Costs Cursor&nbsp;Less than the headline suggests, according to Cursor.&nbsp;Chief executive Michael Truell said OpenAI's models handle around 5 per cent of Cursor's traffic. Anthropic has publicly offered expanded access to Claude models to absorb the gap.&nbsp;That number deserves scrutiny in both directions. Five per cent is the sort of figure a company under pressure would want to state, and it is unverifiable from outside. But it is also plausible: Cursor's default experience has been built substantially around Anthropic models for some time, and the coding-tool market has largely settled on Claude as the preferred engine.&nbsp;If it is accurate, OpenAI has cut off a customer that was already mostly buying elsewhere — which limits the commercial damage and rather changes what the decision was for.&nbsp;The Feud Underneath It&nbsp;None of this is separable from the history between the two companies' principals.&nbsp;Musk co-founded OpenAI, left, and has since litigated against it, competed with it through xAI, and criticised Sam Altman publicly and continuously. OpenAI's citation of Musk companies violating contracts is a reference to that history rather than a neutral risk assessment.&nbsp;So there are two readings, and the honest position is that both are partly true. On the first, OpenAI is enforcing an ordinary change-of-control clause against a competitor that now owns a distribution channel into developers' daily work — a defensible commercial decision any company might make. On the second, a personal and corporate rivalry has reached the point where a supplier will drop a customer for having the wrong owner.&nbsp;What is not in dispute is that a widely used developer tool has had its model supply reconfigured by a dispute it was not party to.&nbsp;Why SpaceX Bought A Coding Tool&nbsp;The acquisition itself is the stranger fact, and it has been somewhat lost in the fallout.&nbsp;SpaceX is a launch and satellite company. Paying $60 billion for a coding assistant is not an adjacent purchase, and it is a very large sum even against SpaceX's valuation. The most coherent explanation is that the target was not the product but the position: Cursor sits inside the editor where software is written, which is the single highest-leverage surface in the industry for anyone building AI models.&nbsp;Read that way, the purchase is of a distribution channel for xAI's models rather than of a business.&nbsp;Which is precisely the reading that would justify OpenAI's decision on purely commercial grounds. A rival laboratory now controls the tool through which developers reach OpenAI's models, and can see how they are used.&nbsp;The Wider Point&nbsp;This is the first significant instance of AI model access being withdrawn over ownership rather than conduct.&nbsp;Cursor did nothing. Its users did nothing. The models are being pulled because a company that OpenAI does not trust bought the company that licenses them, and the contract allowed it.&nbsp;For anyone building a product on top of a frontier model, that is the risk worth noting. The dependency is not only on the model continuing to exist, or the price holding, or the terms staying stable. It is on the supplier continuing to approve of your shareholders.&nbsp;Developers using Cursor have until November 12. Anthropic, which has spent the year winning the coding market on capability, has just been handed the rest of it by a corporate dispute.

SpaceX bought Cursor's parent Anysphere for $60 billion on August 14. OpenAI will end model access on November 12, saying it cannot trust SpaceX to honour its terms. Cursor says OpenAI is 5 per cent of its traffic.

OpenAI is withdrawing its models from one of the most widely used AI coding tools in the world, and the stated reason is who bought it. What Happened SpaceX completed its acquisition of Anysphere, the company behind Cursor, on August 14. The price was $60 billion. On August 29, OpenAI confirmed it will terminate direct access to its models inside Cursor on November 12, citing trust and contract terms triggered by the change of ownership. Its position is that it cannot be confident SpaceX will use the technology within its terms of service, and it pointed to its experience of Elon Musk's companies violating contracts. That is an unusually direct thing for one company to say about another in a commercial notice. It is also the substance of the dispute rather than a flourish: the contract permitted termination on a change of control, and OpenAI has exercised it. How Much This Actually Costs Cursor Less than the headline suggests, according to Cursor. Chief executive Michael Truell said OpenAI's models handle around 5 per cent of Cursor's traffic. Anthropic has publicly offered expanded access to Claude models to absorb the gap. That number deserves scrutiny in both directions. Five per cent is the sort of figure a company under pressure would want to state, and it is unverifiable from outside. But it is also plausible: Cursor's default experience has been built substantially around Anthropic models for some time, and the coding-tool market has largely settled on Claude as the preferred engine. If it is accurate, OpenAI has cut off a customer that was already mostly buying elsewhere — which limits the commercial damage and rather changes what the decision was for. The Feud Underneath It None of this is separable from the history between the two companies' principals. Musk co-founded OpenAI, left, and has since litigated against it, competed with it through xAI, and criticised Sam Altman publicly and continuously. OpenAI's citation of Musk companies violating contracts is a reference to that history rather than a neutral risk assessment. So there are two readings, and the honest position is that both are partly true. On the first, OpenAI is enforcing an ordinary change-of-control clause against a competitor that now owns a distribution channel into developers' daily work — a defensible commercial decision any company might make. On the second, a personal and corporate rivalry has reached the point where a supplier will drop a customer for having the wrong owner. What is not in dispute is that a widely used developer tool has had its model supply reconfigured by a dispute it was not party to. Why SpaceX Bought A Coding Tool The acquisition itself is the stranger fact, and it has been somewhat lost in the fallout. SpaceX is a launch and satellite company. Paying $60 billion for a coding assistant is not an adjacent purchase, and it is a very large sum even against SpaceX's valuation. The most coherent explanation is that the target was not the product but the position: Cursor sits inside the editor where software is written, which is the single highest-leverage surface in the industry for anyone building AI models. Read that way, the purchase is of a distribution channel for xAI's models rather than of a business. Which is precisely the reading that would justify OpenAI's decision on purely commercial grounds. A rival laboratory now controls the tool through which developers reach OpenAI's models, and can see how they are used. The Wider Point This is the first significant instance of AI model access being withdrawn over ownership rather than conduct. Cursor did nothing. Its users did nothing. The models are being pulled because a company that OpenAI does not trust bought the company that licenses them, and the contract allowed it. For anyone building a product on top of a frontier model, that is the risk worth noting. The dependency is not only on the model continuing to exist, or the price holding, or the terms staying stable. It is on the supplier continuing to approve of your shareholders. Developers using Cursor have until November 12. Anthropic, which has spent the year winning the coding market on capability, has just been handed the rest of it by a corporate dispute.

SpaceX completed a $60 billion acquisition of Anysphere, the company behind the coding tool Cursor, on August 14. OpenAI has now told Cursor it will end direct access to its models on November 12, saying it cannot be confident SpaceX will use the technology within its terms of service and citing past contract violations by Musk companies. Cursor says OpenAI models handle 5 per cent of its traffic.

OpenAI is cutting off Cursor because Elon Musk now owns it

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Sunday that Moscow was preparing large-scale strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in what it described as a tit-for-tat response to Kyiv’s attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure and energy facilities. "Russian forces have begun preparations for massive strikes against facilities in Ukraine's energy sector in response to the ongoing attacks by the Kyiv regime on civilian infrastructure and on Russia's oil and energy complex," it said on Telegram.&nbsp;The warning comes after months of escalating long-range attacks by both Russia and Ukraine, with strikes increasingly targeting warehouses, businesses, oil facilities, ports and other critical infrastructure. The attacks have also contributed to rising civilian casualties. Last winter, repeated Russian strikes on Ukrainian power plants severely damaged the country’s energy network, leaving millions of people without electricity and heating during freezing temperatures.&nbsp;On Sunday, Russia’s army said it had struck a plant in Kyiv that produces asbestos and cement. Moscow claimed warehouses at the facility were being used to store explosives. Russian forces also reported striking a Ukrainian manufacturer of drones and munitions. The latest escalation followed a deadly Russian strike on an ammunition depot near the Ukrainian capital on Saturday. The attack triggered a massive explosion and fire, with secondary detonations sending flames into surrounding areas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that the death toll from the strike had risen to 38.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-trump-posts-bizarre-ai-clip-of-donald-ducks-patrolling-lake-america-1788080363913">WATCH | Trump posts bizarre AI clip of ‘Donald Ducks’ patrolling ‘Lake America’</a>&nbsp;The military facility, located near the town of Myla, was reportedly storing ammunition, drones and explosives. Emergency crews have extinguished most of the fires, while bomb disposal teams continue operations to clear the site, Zelensky said on Telegram.He said 38 people had been killed, 20 injured and four remained missing. Zelensky also warned that the extent of contamination in the area is significant.&nbsp;The incident marked the second attack on a munitions depot near Kyiv in less than two months. Ukrainian officials have expressed concern over the continued storage of weapons and explosives near residential areas. Ukrainian prosecutors have launched an investigation into possible criminal negligence following the blast. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched at least two missiles and 267 drones against Ukraine between late Friday and early Saturday.&nbsp;Ukraine has also continued its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. Local authorities said a Ukrainian drone strike hit an oil refinery in northwestern Russia on Saturday, causing a fire. The intensifying attacks come as US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled. The conflict, which has become Europe’s deadliest since World War II, has seen little progress toward a negotiated settlement in recent months. Russia has demanded sweeping territorial and political concessions from Ukraine, while Kyiv has rejected those demands as unacceptable and tantamount to capitulation.

Russia prepares massive strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure after Kyiv attacks, as the death toll from a Ukrainian arms depot blast rises to 38

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Sunday that Moscow was preparing large-scale strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in what it described as a tit-for-tat response to Kyiv’s attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure and energy facilities. "Russian forces have begun preparations for massive strikes against facilities in Ukraine's energy sector in response to the ongoing attacks by the Kyiv regime on civilian infrastructure and on Russia's oil and energy complex," it said on Telegram. The warning comes after months of escalating long-range attacks by both Russia and Ukraine, with strikes increasingly targeting warehouses, businesses, oil facilities, ports and other critical infrastructure. The attacks have also contributed to rising civilian casualties. Last winter, repeated Russian strikes on Ukrainian power plants severely damaged the country’s energy network, leaving millions of people without electricity and heating during freezing temperatures. On Sunday, Russia’s army said it had struck a plant in Kyiv that produces asbestos and cement. Moscow claimed warehouses at the facility were being used to store explosives. Russian forces also reported striking a Ukrainian manufacturer of drones and munitions. The latest escalation followed a deadly Russian strike on an ammunition depot near the Ukrainian capital on Saturday. The attack triggered a massive explosion and fire, with secondary detonations sending flames into surrounding areas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that the death toll from the strike had risen to 38. Also Read: WATCH | Trump posts bizarre AI clip of ‘Donald Ducks’ patrolling ‘Lake America’ The military facility, located near the town of Myla, was reportedly storing ammunition, drones and explosives. Emergency crews have extinguished most of the fires, while bomb disposal teams continue operations to clear the site, Zelensky said on Telegram. He said 38 people had been killed, 20 injured and four remained missing. Zelensky also warned that the extent of contamination in the area is significant. The incident marked the second attack on a munitions depot near Kyiv in less than two months. Ukrainian officials have expressed concern over the continued storage of weapons and explosives near residential areas. Ukrainian prosecutors have launched an investigation into possible criminal negligence following the blast. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched at least two missiles and 267 drones against Ukraine between late Friday and early Saturday. Ukraine has also continued its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. Local authorities said a Ukrainian drone strike hit an oil refinery in northwestern Russia on Saturday, causing a fire. The intensifying attacks come as US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled. The conflict, which has become Europe’s deadliest since World War II, has seen little progress toward a negotiated settlement in recent months. Russia has demanded sweeping territorial and political concessions from Ukraine, while Kyiv has rejected those demands as unacceptable and tantamount to capitulation.

Russia prepares massive strikes on Ukraine’s energy sector after Kyiv attacks, as the death toll from a deadly arms depot blast reaches 38

Russia warns of 'massive strikes' on Ukraine's energy sector as death toll from Kyiv's arm depot reaches 38

US President Donald Trump has taken his campaign to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America a step further, sharing an AI-generated video showing an army of armed, blond-haired “Donald Ducks” guarding the lake’s shoreline. The 34-second clip, posted by Trump on Saturday (Aug 29), shows Canada geese with human arms, assault rifles and hairstyles resembling the president’s distinctive blond hair. Set to the theme from Hawaii Five-O, the birds march along the waterfront before firing into the air as fireworks light up a skyline resembling Toronto.Trump posted another AI-generated clip depicting him replacing a “Welcome to Lake Ontario” sign with one reading “Welcome to Lake America”. The video ends with Trump dancing to the Village People’s “YMCA.”

<h2>Trump doubles down on Lake America</h2>The posts followed Trump’s executive order directing US federal agencies to use the name “Lake America” for Lake Ontario in official documents.“We’re gonna make a little change; we’re gonna call it something different than Lake Ontario,” Trump said earlier this week while announcing the proposal.Trump had already used a Sharpie in a social media video to mark the lake on a map.

<h2>Canada rejects renaming effort</h2>The move has drawn a sharp response from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who defended the lake’s historic name.“The name Lake Ontario comes from the Wendat word Ontari’io, which, appropriately, means ‘the lake is beautiful, the lake is big,’” Carney wrote on X. “The name is more than 400 years old, predating both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America.”“We know that America is changing. Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms,” he added. “Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario – then, now and always.”<h2>Tensions rise amid tariff war</h2>The unusual naming dispute comes as relations between Washington and Ottawa soured over trade and Trump’s repeated suggestion that Canada could become the 51st US state.On August 22, Washington imposed 50 per cent tariffs on around $20 billion of Canadian exports after trade talks collapsed. Canada responded with tariffs of up to 50 per cent on selected US goods.The escalating dispute has also triggered personal attacks, with Trump calling Ontario Premier Doug Ford a “flunky”. Ford hit back, branding Trump a “dictator” and “bully” and telling him to “kiss my a**.”&nbsp;

Trump shared bizarre AI-generated videos showing armed, blond-haired “Donald Ducks” guarding “Lake America” as tensions with Canada grow over his push to rename Lake Ontario and the ongoing trade war.

US President Donald Trump has taken his campaign to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America a step further, sharing an AI-generated video showing an army of armed, blond-haired “Donald Ducks” guarding the lake’s shoreline. The 34-second clip, posted by Trump on Saturday (Aug 29), shows Canada geese with human arms, assault rifles and hairstyles resembling the president’s distinctive blond hair. Set to the theme from Hawaii Five-O, the birds march along the waterfront before firing into the air as fireworks light up a skyline resembling Toronto. Trump posted another AI-generated clip depicting him replacing a “Welcome to Lake Ontario” sign with one reading “Welcome to Lake America”. The video ends with Trump dancing to the Village People’s “YMCA.”

Trump shared bizarre AI-generated videos showing armed, blond-haired “Donald Ducks” guarding “Lake America” as tensions with Canada grow over his push to rename Lake Ontario and the ongoing trade war.

WATCH | Trump posts bizarre AI clip of ‘Donald Ducks’ patrolling ‘Lake America’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Sunday (August 30) conferred Uzbekistan’s highest state honour, the Order of “Oliy Darajali Dustlik”, by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during his two-day state visit to the Central Asian nation. The prestigious award was presented to PM Modi in Tashkent in recognition of his contribution to strengthening the India-Uzbekistan strategic partnership and deepening bilateral relations.&nbsp;Following the honour, PM Modi dedicated the award to the enduring friendship and close ties between India and Uzbekistan, describing it as a recognition of the strong bond shared by the two nations. The conferment took place as the two leaders held delegation-level talks focused on expanding bilateral cooperation across a range of strategic and economic areas. Their discussions covered trade and investment, digital connectivity, defence and energy, with both sides exploring new avenues to further strengthen the partnership.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-holds-talks-with-uzbekistan-president-mirziyoyev-in-tashkent-says-elevating-our-ties-to-strategic-partnership-1788079070867">PM Modi holds talks with Uzbekistan President Mirziyoyev in Tashkent, says 'elevating our ties to strategic partnership'</a><h2>Watch the video here</h2>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://x.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> | Tashkent, Uzbekistan: President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Narendra Modi share a hug after PM Modi was conferred the Order of “Oliy Darajali Dustlik,” Uzbekistan’s supreme state award. (Source: ANI/DD) <a href="https://t.co/d97ejTVZHV">https://t.co/d97ejTVZHV</a> <a href="https://t.co/il1AzzppWs">pic.twitter.com/il1AzzppWs</a>&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://x.com/ANI/status/2093991107961217156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

PM Modi and President Mirziyoyev also discussed their shared developmental priorities and ways to advance the visions of 'Viksit Bharat' and 'Yangi Uzbekistan'. The two leaders emphasised economic growth, modernisation and development as key areas of cooperation.&nbsp;The honour marked a significant milestone during PM Modi’s visit and added further diplomatic significance to the expanding relationship between New Delhi and Tashkent. The two-day state visit is aimed at deepening India-Uzbekistan ties, strengthening existing areas of cooperation and identifying new opportunities for collaboration as India continues to expand its strategic engagement with Central Asia.&nbsp;PM Modi said, "I accept this high honour with deep humility and respectfully dedicate it to the centuries-old friendship and shared heritage between our two nations. Our ties have continuously strengthened thanks to your visionary leadership and your friendship towards India. They are successfully scaling new heights, and as a result, our relationship has now been elevated to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership. While an award certainly brings pride and honour, I am fully aware that it also carries a profound responsibility, a responsibility I deeply feel as I accept this award today. From this historic soil of Uzbekistan, I wish to assure the people of Uzbekistan that India will never shy away from its responsibilities and will remain steadfast in upholding this friendship. Together, and with unwavering dedication, our two nations will serve as a united voice for the Global South. We will spare no effort in working for the welfare of the Global South and will strive wholeheartedly to fulfil the mission of advancing the well-being of all humanity." “It is a moment of great pride for me to be honoured with Uzbekistan’s highest award. You used a word, ‘Dostlik’, with which the people of India are also very familiar. There is hardly a family in our country that does not use the word ‘Dost’ (friend) a hundred times a day, and today, you have truly embodied the essence of “Dostlik.” “Dostlik” means friendship. This very word perfectly encapsulates the core sentiment underlying the relationship between India and Uzbekistan. This honour is not for a single individual; it is an honour for all 1.4 billion Indians. On behalf of all my fellow citizens, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the people of Uzbekistan, the government, and my friend, the respected President,” he added.

PM Modi receives Uzbekistan’s highest honour, 'Oliy Darajali Dustlik', as India-Uzbekistan ties deepen through trade, defence, energy and digital cooperation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Sunday (August 30) conferred Uzbekistan’s highest state honour, the Order of “Oliy Darajali Dustlik”, by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during his two-day state visit to the Central Asian nation. The prestigious award was presented to PM Modi in Tashkent in recognition of his contribution to strengthening the India-Uzbekistan strategic partnership and deepening bilateral relations. Following the honour, PM Modi dedicated the award to the enduring friendship and close ties between India and Uzbekistan, describing it as a recognition of the strong bond shared by the two nations. The conferment took place as the two leaders held delegation-level talks focused on expanding bilateral cooperation across a range of strategic and economic areas. Their discussions covered trade and investment, digital connectivity, defence and energy, with both sides exploring new avenues to further strengthen the partnership. Also Read: PM Modi holds talks with Uzbekistan President Mirziyoyev in Tashkent, says 'elevating our ties to strategic partnership' Watch the video here

PM Modi receives Uzbekistan’s highest state honour, ‘Oliy Darajali Dustlik’, as India and Uzbekistan seek to deepen strategic and economic ties

Order of 'Oliy Darajali Dustlik': PM Modi conferred with Uzbekistan's highest state of honour

Under a draft revision to the Penal Code, Vietnam is looking to end executions for drug trafficking, marking Southeast Asia’s notable and toughest anti-drug regimes. The proposal, presented to lawmakers last week, will remove trafficking from the list of capital crimes in Vietnam. Last year, Vietnam had retained this offence during a previous phase of death penalty reforms. If the amended law is enacted, capital punishment would be retained for four crimes: treason, murder, terrorism and illegal narcotics production. Several Southeast Asian governments have considered serious drug trafficking as a crime for several years, warning that it warranted the death penalty. However, some countries have re-examined their laws, leading to amendments. In 2023, Malaysia ended mandatory death sentences. Meanwhile, Singapore retains the death penalty for the most serious trafficking offences exceeding legal thresholds for quantities of various controlled drugs. This has sparked broader discussions on whether the death penalty remains relevant in modern society, whether sentencing should allow for judicial discretion, and how nations can tackle drug trafficking through alternative means. According to Hai Thanh Luong, a Vietnamese criminologist based at Griffith University in Australia, Vietnam's proposal does not represent a sudden shift away from capital punishment, but rather forms part of a gradual, long-term process of reform.<h3>Punishment for exceptionally serious crimes</h3>Luong called Hanoi’s approach “retentionist-but-reductionist” and referred to the state’s steady narrowing of offences punishable by death and keeping the punishment for exceptionally serious crimes. He stated that the proposal to remove the death penalty for drug trafficking indicated a gradual political and legal reform, suspecting whether executions could quash drug supply and deeper integration of Vietnam into global legal and diplomatic frameworks. “The strongest driver [is] Vietnam’s gradual legal and political reforms rather than a sudden ideological shift,” Luong said. The proposal would still allow the death penalty for illegal narcotics production, drawing a distinction between manufacturers, seen as more central to sustaining the drug trade, and traffickers. Luong said the changes would not have a major impact on drug availability. He noted that drug markets are quick to adjust, filling the void left by arrested individuals and altering trafficking routes. When questioned about the varying approaches Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore take toward drug traffickers, Luong explained that despite facing comparable challenges in tackling drug flows, the three nations differ in how they perceive deterrence, social order, and the state's role in administering punishment. Although Singapore continues to enforce capital punishment for the most severe trafficking cases, its approach also encompasses a wider anti-drug framework combining enforcement, education, and rehabilitation efforts.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iceland-votes-against-eu-membership-as-voters-defend-fishing-waters-and-sovereignty-1788077702009">Iceland votes against EU membership as voters defend fishing waters and sovereignty</a> According to Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, Singapore's policy is designed to prevent drug-related harm while ensuring strict penalties for those trafficking large quantities into the country. The Ministry of Home Affairs referenced a 2024 survey involving 12,000 participants across six regional cities, which found that 84.2 per cent of respondents believed the death penalty served as a deterrent against large-scale drug trafficking into Singapore, while 82.5 per cent viewed it as more effective than life imprisonment in this regard. Malaysia, on the other hand, scrapped the mandatory death sentence for drug trafficking in 2023, giving courts the discretion to choose between execution and life imprisonment instead. Ngeow Chow Ying, a Malaysian lawyer and deputy convenor of the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network, noted that this shift resulted in a significant decline in new death sentences, citing Amnesty International data showing 38 new sentences in 2023, dropping to 24 in 2024, and further down to 15 in 2025. Ngeow explained that in drug trafficking cases, courts now evaluate both aggravating and mitigating circumstances before deciding between capital punishment and life imprisonment. She added that mitigating factors may include the offender's limited role, such as acting as a courier, the nature of the drugs involved, and whether an early guilty plea was made. “Appellate courts, for instance, have commuted death sentences to life imprisonment for young or first-time couriers caught with substantial drug quantities, in recognition of their limited role in the operation,” she said. Even so, inconsistencies in interpretation persisted between different judicial levels in some cases, with High Court death sentences imposed on couriers later set aside by superior courts for life imprisonment, Ngeow said. “This suggests that trial-level sentencing remains uneven and continues to depend heavily on appellate correction,” she added.

Several Southeast Asian governments have considered serious drug trafficking a crime for several years, warning that it warranted the death penalty. However, some countries have re-examined their laws, leading to amendments.

Under a draft revision to the Penal Code, Vietnam is looking to end executions for drug trafficking, marking Southeast Asia’s notable and toughest anti-drug regimes. The proposal, presented to lawmakers last week, will remove trafficking from the list of capital crimes in Vietnam. Last year, Vietnam had retained this offence during a previous phase of death penalty reforms. If the amended law is enacted, capital punishment would be retained for four crimes: treason, murder, terrorism and illegal narcotics production. Several Southeast Asian governments have considered serious drug trafficking as a crime for several years, warning that it warranted the death penalty. However, some countries have re-examined their laws, leading to amendments. In 2023, Malaysia ended mandatory death sentences. Meanwhile, Singapore retains the death penalty for the most serious trafficking offences exceeding legal thresholds for quantities of various controlled drugs. This has sparked broader discussions on whether the death penalty remains relevant in modern society, whether sentencing should allow for judicial discretion, and how nations can tackle drug trafficking through alternative means. According to Hai Thanh Luong, a Vietnamese criminologist based at Griffith University in Australia, Vietnam's proposal does not represent a sudden shift away from capital punishment, but rather forms part of a gradual, long-term process of reform. Punishment for exceptionally serious crimes Luong called Hanoi’s approach “retentionist-but-reductionist” and referred to the state’s steady narrowing of offences punishable by death and keeping the punishment for exceptionally serious crimes. He stated that the proposal to remove the death penalty for drug trafficking indicated a gradual political and legal reform, suspecting whether executions could quash drug supply and deeper integration of Vietnam into global legal and diplomatic frameworks. “The strongest driver [is] Vietnam’s gradual legal and political reforms rather than a sudden ideological shift,” Luong said. The proposal would still allow the death penalty for illegal narcotics production, drawing a distinction between manufacturers, seen as more central to sustaining the drug trade, and traffickers. Luong said the changes would not have a major impact on drug availability. He noted that drug markets are quick to adjust, filling the void left by arrested individuals and altering trafficking routes. When questioned about the varying approaches Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore take toward drug traffickers, Luong explained that despite facing comparable challenges in tackling drug flows, the three nations differ in how they perceive deterrence, social order, and the state's role in administering punishment. Although Singapore continues to enforce capital punishment for the most severe trafficking cases, its approach also encompasses a wider anti-drug framework combining enforcement, education, and rehabilitation efforts. Also read: Iceland votes against EU membership as voters defend fishing waters and sovereignty According to Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, Singapore's policy is designed to prevent drug-related harm while ensuring strict penalties for those trafficking large quantities into the country. The Ministry of Home Affairs referenced a 2024 survey involving 12,000 participants across six regional cities, which found that 84.2 per cent of respondents believed the death penalty served as a deterrent against large-scale drug trafficking into Singapore, while 82.5 per cent viewed it as more effective than life imprisonment in this regard. Malaysia, on the other hand, scrapped the mandatory death sentence for drug trafficking in 2023, giving courts the discretion to choose between execution and life imprisonment instead. Ngeow Chow Ying, a Malaysian lawyer and deputy convenor of the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network, noted that this shift resulted in a significant decline in new death sentences, citing Amnesty International data showing 38 new sentences in 2023, dropping to 24 in 2024, and further down to 15 in 2025. Ngeow explained that in drug trafficking cases, courts now evaluate both aggravating and mitigating circumstances before deciding between capital punishment and life imprisonment. She added that mitigating factors may include the offender's limited role, such as acting as a courier, the nature of the drugs involved, and whether an early guilty plea was made. “Appellate courts, for instance, have commuted death sentences to life imprisonment for young or first-time couriers caught with substantial drug quantities, in recognition of their limited role in the operation,” she said. Even so, inconsistencies in interpretation persisted between different judicial levels in some cases, with High Court death sentences imposed on couriers later set aside by superior courts for life imprisonment, Ngeow said. “This suggests that trial-level sentencing remains uneven and continues to depend heavily on appellate correction,” she added.

Several Southeast Asian governments have considered serious drug trafficking a crime for several years, warning that it warranted the death penalty. However, some countries have re-examined their laws, leading to amendments.

Vietnam moves to end death penalty for drug trafficking, keeps it for 'exceptional' crimes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation-level talks with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Sunday at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace in Tashkent, with the two sides discussing ways to further strengthen bilateral ties. The Indian delegation included External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, and Secretary (West) Sibi George, along with other senior diplomats and officials from both countries.&nbsp;During the talks, Modi and Mirziyoyev reviewed cooperation across several key areas, including trade and investment, defence, digital connectivity, energy, education and people-to-people ties. The discussions focused on expanding existing areas of cooperation while identifying new opportunities for collaboration. The two leaders also outlined priorities and set the agenda for taking India-Uzbekistan relations forward.&nbsp;PM Narendra Modi also congratulated President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the country’s 35th Independence Day, noting that the occasion coincides with the 15th anniversary of the strategic partnership between New Delhi and Tashkent. Modi also expressed his gratitude to Mirziyoyev for the warm and enthusiastic reception he received upon arriving in Uzbekistan. "It felt as though you had brought India itself to life here, as if you had awakened the spirit of my own Gujarat right here," he told the Uzbek President during the talks. "Moreover, you adorned the entire city in the colours of the Indian tricolour. That, too, was truly touching. All of this demonstrates just how close India is to your heart."&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-pm-modi-participates-in-yoga-session-during-visit-to-uzbekistan-1788072955004">WATCH | PM Modi participates in yoga session during visit to Uzbekistan</a>&nbsp;The Prime Minister said the two sides had a productive discussion over dinner and taken several important decisions. He said, "We had a productive discussion over dinner last night and took several important decisions. Our teams are also aligned on these matters. We will establish a Coordination Council at the Foreign Minister level to provide direction to all aspects of our cooperation through close coordination."&nbsp;He added, “We will elevate our Joint Commission from the Secretary level to the Ministerial level. Both sides will jointly organise a business summit featuring business leaders from both nations. We will also establish a long-term arrangement for the supply of uranium.” Highlighting growing cooperation between the two countries, he said, "Today, we are formalising three sister-city and sister-state arrangements. We should create a roadmap to fully realise their potential."&nbsp;Referring to major urban development projects in both countries, he said, "Mega-projects like 'New Tashkent' are underway in your country, while in India, we have developed GIFT City in Gujarat. We would be delighted to welcome a delegation from your country to study best practices and the use of technology in these developments."

PM Modi and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev discuss stronger strategic ties, trade, defence, uranium supplies, digital connectivity and investment

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation-level talks with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Sunday at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace in Tashkent, with the two sides discussing ways to further strengthen bilateral ties. The Indian delegation included External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, and Secretary (West) Sibi George, along with other senior diplomats and officials from both countries. During the talks, Modi and Mirziyoyev reviewed cooperation across several key areas, including trade and investment, defence, digital connectivity, energy, education and people-to-people ties. The discussions focused on expanding existing areas of cooperation while identifying new opportunities for collaboration. The two leaders also outlined priorities and set the agenda for taking India-Uzbekistan relations forward. PM Narendra Modi also congratulated President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the country’s 35th Independence Day, noting that the occasion coincides with the 15th anniversary of the strategic partnership between New Delhi and Tashkent. Modi also expressed his gratitude to Mirziyoyev for the warm and enthusiastic reception he received upon arriving in Uzbekistan. "It felt as though you had brought India itself to life here, as if you had awakened the spirit of my own Gujarat right here," he told the Uzbek President during the talks. "Moreover, you adorned the entire city in the colours of the Indian tricolour. That, too, was truly touching. All of this demonstrates just how close India is to your heart." Also Read: WATCH | PM Modi participates in yoga session during visit to Uzbekistan The Prime Minister said the two sides had a productive discussion over dinner and taken several important decisions. He said, "We had a productive discussion over dinner last night and took several important decisions. Our teams are also aligned on these matters. We will establish a Coordination Council at the Foreign Minister level to provide direction to all aspects of our cooperation through close coordination." He added, “We will elevate our Joint Commission from the Secretary level to the Ministerial level. Both sides will jointly organise a business summit featuring business leaders from both nations. We will also establish a long-term arrangement for the supply of uranium.” Highlighting growing cooperation between the two countries, he said, "Today, we are formalising three sister-city and sister-state arrangements. We should create a roadmap to fully realise their potential." Referring to major urban development projects in both countries, he said, "Mega-projects like 'New Tashkent' are underway in your country, while in India, we have developed GIFT City in Gujarat. We would be delighted to welcome a delegation from your country to study best practices and the use of technology in these developments."

PM Modi and Uzbekistan President Mirziyoyev deepen strategic ties, announcing new cooperation in trade, defence, uranium and urban development

PM Modi holds talks with Uzbekistan President Mirziyoyev in Tashkent, says 'elevating our ties to strategic partnership'

Nepali rescuers resumed a desperate search on Sunday for hydropower workers believed to be trapped inside tunnels buried under flood debris, as difficult weather and swollen rivers continued to hamper operations. The disaster’s death toll has climbed to 750, while more than 3,000 people remain missing in Nepal and Tibet.Rescue teams have been working for five days since a massive wall of mud and debris swept through the region on Wednesday. Nepal’s government says more than 100 workers could still be alive inside tunnels at several hydropower projects, with operations concentrated on the Trishuli 3A and 3B sites.At Trishuli 3A, army personnel drilling through the debris broke into the upper section of a mud-filled tunnel late Saturday. Rescuers then began pumping air inside and deployed a camera to search for signs of survivors.<h2>Rain complicates tunnel search</h2>The operation was disrupted overnight when heavy rain sent river waters higher, flooding the excavation zone. Conditions improved later, allowing teams to restart the search."As the floodwaters have receded, the team has resumed efforts to locate the tunnel entrance using drilling machines, excavators, hydraulic cutters, and other equipment," the Nepal Army said.Rescuers have been forced to work through thick mud and around huge boulders deposited by the floods. The prime minister’s office described the conditions as "difficult" but said teams were "making tireless efforts to search for and rescue those who may be trapped."Advanced search cameras and specialised monitoring equipment are being used, while tunnel-rescue specialists from India and China have joined the operation.<h2>Power infrastructure badly damaged</h2>The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority says 933 hydropower workers are missing.The US Geological Survey has attributed the disaster along the China-Nepal border to a glacial collapse.The Nepal Electricity Authority said 11 hydropower stations and a solar power plant have stopped operating, cutting 431.1 megawatts of capacity – around 10 per cent of Nepal’s installed generation capacity. Another 15 projects under construction have also suffered damage.

Nepal rescuers are digging through flood-buried hydropower tunnels to reach over 100 trapped workers as rain and rising rivers hamper efforts. The disaster death toll has climbed to 750.

Nepali rescuers resumed a desperate search on Sunday for hydropower workers believed to be trapped inside tunnels buried under flood debris, as difficult weather and swollen rivers continued to hamper operations. The disaster’s death toll has climbed to 750, while more than 3,000 people remain missing in Nepal and Tibet. Rescue teams have been working for five days since a massive wall of mud and debris swept through the region on Wednesday. Nepal’s government says more than 100 workers could still be alive inside tunnels at several hydropower projects, with operations concentrated on the Trishuli 3A and 3B sites. At Trishuli 3A, army personnel drilling through the debris broke into the upper section of a mud-filled tunnel late Saturday. Rescuers then began pumping air inside and deployed a camera to search for signs of survivors. Rain complicates tunnel search The operation was disrupted overnight when heavy rain sent river waters higher, flooding the excavation zone. Conditions improved later, allowing teams to restart the search. "As the floodwaters have receded, the team has resumed efforts to locate the tunnel entrance using drilling machines, excavators, hydraulic cutters, and other equipment," the Nepal Army said. Rescuers have been forced to work through thick mud and around huge boulders deposited by the floods. The prime minister’s office described the conditions as "difficult" but said teams were "making tireless efforts to search for and rescue those who may be trapped." Advanced search cameras and specialised monitoring equipment are being used, while tunnel-rescue specialists from India and China have joined the operation. Power infrastructure badly damaged The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority says 933 hydropower workers are missing. The US Geological Survey has attributed the disaster along the China-Nepal border to a glacial collapse. The Nepal Electricity Authority said 11 hydropower stations and a solar power plant have stopped operating, cutting 431.1 megawatts of capacity – around 10 per cent of Nepal’s installed generation capacity. Another 15 projects under construction have also suffered damage.

Nepal rescuers are digging through flood-buried hydropower tunnels to reach over 100 trapped workers as rain and rising rivers hamper efforts. The disaster death toll has climbed to 750.

Icelanders have voted against reopening membership negotiations with the European Union, broadcaster RUV reported on Sunday, dealing a setback to the government’s push to revive the country’s long-debated EU bid. The referendum result reflects strong public concern over Iceland’s fishing waters and national sovereignty. Opponents of EU membership had argued that joining the bloc could put control over the country’s valuable fisheries at risk.&nbsp;The outcome is also likely to disappoint officials in Brussels, some of whom had viewed Iceland as a relatively low-risk candidate that could help counter growing skepticism over EU enlargement. Iceland’s strategic importance has also increased as security concerns intensify across the Arctic. The government had presented the membership question as a “now or never” opportunity. Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir said in August that a rejection would bring an end to speculation over EU membership.&nbsp;“Yes” campaigners argued that EU membership could help Iceland tackle high interest rates while providing greater economic and geopolitical security amid growing international instability. They pointed to the war in Ukraine and US President Donald Trump’s rhetoric about annexing Greenland as reasons for closer ties with Europe. Opponents, however, maintained that membership would compromise Iceland’s sovereignty and threaten its control over its fishing waters.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-retains-sovereignty-delcy-rodriguez-defends-sweeping-us-oil-deal-1788076658795">‘Venezuela retains sovereignty’: Delcy Rodriguez defends sweeping US oil deal</a>&nbsp;The referendum has reignited a long-running national debate about Iceland’s future international alignment. Frostadóttir said the campaign had prompted renewed discussion about the country’s position in the world after she voted in the capital on Saturday.“This is a great day. We’ve been waiting for this for years to be able to have a vote,” Frostadóttir said, adding that her government would continue its work regardless of the outcome.&nbsp;Iceland first applied for EU membership in 2009, following a severe financial crisis that exposed vulnerabilities in the country’s small economy. Negotiations were later halted after a Eurosceptic government came to power in 2013. Since then, the question of EU membership has remained a recurring issue in Icelandic politics. Recent geopolitical developments, including conflict in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine and US import tariffs, have added fresh urgency to a debate that Icelanders have revisited for decades.&nbsp;The rejection of renewed EU membership talks now leaves Iceland outside the bloc while keeping its existing relationship with Europe through the European Economic Area and other agreements. The vote is also expected to fuel further discussion about the country’s economic, security and strategic priorities in an increasingly contested Arctic region.

Iceland rejects renewed EU membership talks as voters prioritise fishing rights and sovereignty amid Arctic security concerns and geopolitical tensions

Icelanders have voted against reopening membership negotiations with the European Union, broadcaster RUV reported on Sunday, dealing a setback to the government’s push to revive the country’s long-debated EU bid. The referendum result reflects strong public concern over Iceland’s fishing waters and national sovereignty. Opponents of EU membership had argued that joining the bloc could put control over the country’s valuable fisheries at risk. The outcome is also likely to disappoint officials in Brussels, some of whom had viewed Iceland as a relatively low-risk candidate that could help counter growing skepticism over EU enlargement. Iceland’s strategic importance has also increased as security concerns intensify across the Arctic. The government had presented the membership question as a “now or never” opportunity. Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir said in August that a rejection would bring an end to speculation over EU membership. “Yes” campaigners argued that EU membership could help Iceland tackle high interest rates while providing greater economic and geopolitical security amid growing international instability. They pointed to the war in Ukraine and US President Donald Trump’s rhetoric about annexing Greenland as reasons for closer ties with Europe. Opponents, however, maintained that membership would compromise Iceland’s sovereignty and threaten its control over its fishing waters. Also Read: ‘Venezuela retains sovereignty’: Delcy Rodriguez defends sweeping US oil deal The referendum has reignited a long-running national debate about Iceland’s future international alignment. Frostadóttir said the campaign had prompted renewed discussion about the country’s position in the world after she voted in the capital on Saturday. “This is a great day. We’ve been waiting for this for years to be able to have a vote,” Frostadóttir said, adding that her government would continue its work regardless of the outcome. Iceland first applied for EU membership in 2009, following a severe financial crisis that exposed vulnerabilities in the country’s small economy. Negotiations were later halted after a Eurosceptic government came to power in 2013. Since then, the question of EU membership has remained a recurring issue in Icelandic politics. Recent geopolitical developments, including conflict in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine and US import tariffs, have added fresh urgency to a debate that Icelanders have revisited for decades. The rejection of renewed EU membership talks now leaves Iceland outside the bloc while keeping its existing relationship with Europe through the European Economic Area and other agreements. The vote is also expected to fuel further discussion about the country’s economic, security and strategic priorities in an increasingly contested Arctic region.

Icelanders reject reopening EU membership talks, prioritising fishing rights and sovereignty amid growing Arctic security and geopolitical tensions

Iceland votes against EU membership as voters defend fishing waters and sovereignty

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Sunday (August 30) called on Muslim countries across the region to unite against the United States and Israel, in a written message issued six months after the Middle East war started. Khamenei has remained out of public view since assuming the position shortly after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed at the beginning of the war on February 28. Iranian authorities have so far released no video or audio recording of the new supreme leader.&nbsp;In his Sunday message, issued as Shia Muslims marked the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed, Khamenei stressed the importance of unity among Islamic nations. "The solution to the problems of the Islamic nations is unity of words, friendship, and cooperation on the path of goodness," he said Sunday as Shia Muslims marked the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed. "Anyone, in any position, who does anything that leads to division among Muslims and creates conflict in the Muslim community, knowingly or unknowingly, intentionally or unintentionally, has served the purpose of the enemies of Islam," he added, according to his official website.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-vs-israel-are-erdogan-and-netanyahu-preparing-for-a-bigger-confrontation-1788071149354">Turkey vs Israel: Are Erdogan and Netanyahu preparing for a bigger confrontation?</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Now, after passing through difficult, turbulent times and having traversed numerous ups and downs from the early dawn of Islam to the present time, Islam and its followers have reached a fateful, decisive juncture. Today, Muslims can play a highly effective, fateful role.&mdash; Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (@MKhamenei_ir) <a href="https://x.com/MKhamenei_ir/status/2093938755220504787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Khamenei also urged the rulers of regional countries to identify what he described as their main adversary and oppose its strategy. The supreme leader called on the rulers of regional countries to ‘recognise your real enemy, understand its plan, and confront it’, referring to the US and Israel.&nbsp;During the conflict, Iran launched attacks against US military bases and facilities across the Middle East, including locations in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain. The attacks have contributed to strained relations between Tehran and several of those countries, adding to existing regional tensions.&nbsp;Khamenei, who holds the final authority over major state policies in Iran, also called for greater unity among Iranian officials and the public, urging them to set aside internal differences while confronting Israel and the United States. "Again, this servant's advice to the Iranian people is to not allow any differences to arise among themselves in any way," he said, echoing remarks made in another statement on Friday.&nbsp;"I firmly declare that doing anything detrimental to social cohesion is prohibited," he had said in Friday's message. In the same Friday statement, Khamenei also called for the gradual de-dollarisation of Iran’s economy and urged greater domestic production to help strengthen economic growth. His economic message comes as Iran continues to face the effects of years of US sanctions, alongside the economic pressure caused by months of a US naval blockade. The measures have placed further strain on livelihoods and economic activity across the country.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei urges Muslim nations to unite against the US and Israel, while calling for Iranian unity and economic reforms

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Sunday (August 30) called on Muslim countries across the region to unite against the United States and Israel, in a written message issued six months after the Middle East war started. Khamenei has remained out of public view since assuming the position shortly after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed at the beginning of the war on February 28. Iranian authorities have so far released no video or audio recording of the new supreme leader. In his Sunday message, issued as Shia Muslims marked the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed, Khamenei stressed the importance of unity among Islamic nations. "The solution to the problems of the Islamic nations is unity of words, friendship, and cooperation on the path of goodness," he said Sunday as Shia Muslims marked the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed. "Anyone, in any position, who does anything that leads to division among Muslims and creates conflict in the Muslim community, knowingly or unknowingly, intentionally or unintentionally, has served the purpose of the enemies of Islam," he added, according to his official website. Also Read: Turkey vs Israel: Are Erdogan and Netanyahu preparing for a bigger confrontation?

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei urges Muslim nations to unite against the US and Israel while calling for social cohesion and economic reforms

Iran's Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei calls for Muslim unity against 'enemies of Islam'

Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez on Saturday (Aug 29) sought to calm growing public concern over a sweeping oil agreement with the United States, insisting that Caracas will retain sovereignty over the country’s vast petroleum reserves despite Washington gaining major access to them.The deal gives the United States majority control over 65 billion barrels of Venezuela’s proven reserves, with President Donald Trump hailing it as “the biggest oil deal in world history.”“One thing must be absolutely clear: Venezuela retains ownership and sovereignty over its resources,” Rodriguez said in a televised address on Saturday (Aug 29).She said the agreement was intended to turn “cold, inert” resources lying underground into “a source of social and economic well-being for the people of Venezuela.”Caracas has said the arrangement could attract $100 billion in private investment to revive an oil industry crippled by years of economic turmoil, sanctions and chronic underinvestment. But details of the agreement remain limited, fuelling concerns about what Venezuela may be giving up in return.The unease extends beyond government opponents. “We don’t know who this will benefit – whether it’s Venezuela or (the United States),” security guard Jesus Salazar said. “I have my doubts, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens.”<h2>Can Venezuela’s oil industry recover?</h2>Rodriguez has moved to open Venezuela’s tightly controlled mining and oil sectors to greater private and foreign investment, while Washington has eased restrictions on the country’s oil industry.Production rose nearly 30 per cent between January and July, reaching 1.2 million barrels per day. However, that remains far below the roughly three million barrels Venezuela produced a quarter-century ago.Analysts warn any dramatic recovery will take years.“The increase in production won’t be seen for at least three or four years,” said Oswaldo Felizzola, an engineer and professor at IESA in Caracas, as quoted by AFP.For a country still struggling with widespread poverty and soaring prices, the stakes are high. Rodriguez has promised more than $204 billion in tax revenue, though details remain unclear.Supporters of the deal argue foreign investment could revive an industry that Venezuela can no longer rebuild alone. “It’s undoubtedly better than before,” analyst Elias Ferrer said. “Before, this oil wasn’t being extracted; if no one extracts it, no one pays royalties, and no one profits from it.”

Delcy Rodriguez says Venezuela will retain sovereignty over its oil despite a major US deal, as public doubts grow over who will benefit from $100 billion in planned investment.

Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez on Saturday (Aug 29) sought to calm growing public concern over a sweeping oil agreement with the United States, insisting that Caracas will retain sovereignty over the country’s vast petroleum reserves despite Washington gaining major access to them. The deal gives the United States majority control over 65 billion barrels of Venezuela’s proven reserves, with President Donald Trump hailing it as “the biggest oil deal in world history.” “One thing must be absolutely clear: Venezuela retains ownership and sovereignty over its resources,” Rodriguez said in a televised address on Saturday (Aug 29). She said the agreement was intended to turn “cold, inert” resources lying underground into “a source of social and economic well-being for the people of Venezuela.” Caracas has said the arrangement could attract $100 billion in private investment to revive an oil industry crippled by years of economic turmoil, sanctions and chronic underinvestment. But details of the agreement remain limited, fuelling concerns about what Venezuela may be giving up in return. The unease extends beyond government opponents. “We don’t know who this will benefit – whether it’s Venezuela or (the United States),” security guard Jesus Salazar said. “I have my doubts, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens.” Can Venezuela’s oil industry recover? Rodriguez has moved to open Venezuela’s tightly controlled mining and oil sectors to greater private and foreign investment, while Washington has eased restrictions on the country’s oil industry. Production rose nearly 30 per cent between January and July, reaching 1.2 million barrels per day. However, that remains far below the roughly three million barrels Venezuela produced a quarter-century ago. Analysts warn any dramatic recovery will take years. “The increase in production won’t be seen for at least three or four years,” said Oswaldo Felizzola, an engineer and professor at IESA in Caracas, as quoted by AFP. For a country still struggling with widespread poverty and soaring prices, the stakes are high. Rodriguez has promised more than $204 billion in tax revenue, though details remain unclear. Supporters of the deal argue foreign investment could revive an industry that Venezuela can no longer rebuild alone. “It’s undoubtedly better than before,” analyst Elias Ferrer said. “Before, this oil wasn’t being extracted; if no one extracts it, no one pays royalties, and no one profits from it.”

Delcy Rodriguez says Venezuela will retain sovereignty over its oil despite a major US deal, as public doubts grow over who will benefit from $100 billion in planned investment.

‘Venezuela retains sovereignty’: Delcy Rodriguez defends sweeping US oil deal

Relations between Turkey and Israel have deteriorated sharply in recent years, with leaders on both sides exchanging increasingly hostile accusations and warnings. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described Israel as a ‘terror state’, compared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Hitler and even raised the possibility of Turkish military intervention in Israel. Netanyahu has responded by calling Erdogan an ‘antisemitic dictator’, while Israeli officials have accused Turkey of backing terrorism and behaving like ‘an enemy state’.&nbsp;The increasingly bitter rhetoric reflects a broader strategic rivalry that is spreading across the Middle East, the Horn of Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean. Analysts and officials warn that the confrontation could add another layer of instability to a region already dealing with the consequences of wars in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and Iran. Although Turkey and Israel are both closely connected to the United States, their regional ambitions are increasingly colliding. Both possess powerful militaries and have demonstrated a growing willingness to project their influence beyond their borders.<h2>Syria emerges as the main flashpoint</h2>The danger became more apparent recently when Israel carried out a strike against a defunct air base in northern Syria. Israeli officials said the operation was designed to prevent the possible deployment of Turkish forces to the facility. Both Turkey and Syria denied that such a troop deployment was planned. The strike did not result in any reported deaths. Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria and Iraq, criticised the Israeli operation on social media, describing it as an ‘unnecessary escalation’. He urged Turkey and Israel to 'prioritize logical discourse over further military incidents'.&nbsp;Syria has become particularly important to the rivalry because it sits between the two countries and is central to their competing security strategies. Turkey has sought to support Syria's new government following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024. The new administration, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, has received Turkish diplomatic and military backing as it attempts to stabilize the country. Israel, meanwhile, has taken a much more cautious approach toward the new Syrian leadership.&nbsp;&nbsp;Following Assad's removal, Israeli forces destroyed large quantities of Syria's military equipment, citing concerns about the country's future security. Israel has also maintained control over territory in southern Syria, saying the move is intended to prevent threats from Islamic militants. The two countries therefore have fundamentally different visions for Syria.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-and-uzbekistan-put-infrastructure-at-centre-of-modi-mirziyoyev-talks-1788070605582">India and Uzbekistan put infrastructure at centre of Modi-Mirziyoyev talks</a><h2>Gaza changed the relationship</h2>The war in Gaza has been another major source of tension. Israel launched its military campaign following the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel. Turkey strongly criticized Israel's military response and repeatedly accused Israeli forces of genocide. Erdogan also expressed support for Hamas, which Israel, the United States and several other governments classify as a terrorist organization. The increasingly hostile rhetoric has been accompanied by a fundamental shift in Israel's perception of Turkey. Israel now sees Turkey as an increasingly capable regional military power. Turkey has expanded its domestic defense industry, maintains troops or military operations in several countries and has increasingly used its armed forces outside its own borders.<h2>Competing regional ambitions</h2>The rivalry extends well beyond Syria and Gaza. In the Horn of Africa, Turkey maintains close relations with Somalia, including a significant diplomatic and military presence. Israel's decision to recognize Somaliland has therefore become another point of disagreement. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, although its independence has not been broadly recognized internationally. Israel's recognition made it the first country to formally take that step, prompting strong opposition from Erdogan.&nbsp;The Turkish president called Israel's recognition of Somaliland 'illegal and unacceptable'. The Eastern Mediterranean is another area where strategic competition is intensifying. Israel has strengthened military and energy cooperation with Greece and Cyprus, two countries that have longstanding disputes with Turkey. Erdogan sought to minimize the significance of the agreements between Israel, Greece and Cyprus, dismissing them as ‘a rattling tin can’. Turkey has also sought to strengthen its own regional partnerships. Its recent mutual defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan has been viewed by analysts as an effort to build greater strategic weight and counterbalance Israeli influence.<h2>A rivalry that may not become war</h2>Despite the increasingly aggressive rhetoric, analysts do not expect Turkey and Israel to enter a direct military conflict in the immediate future. The United States has strong relationships with both countries and has an interest in preventing their rivalry from escalating into an open confrontation.&nbsp;The recent Israeli strike on the Syrian air base in Abu al-Duhur, roughly 40 miles south of the Turkish border, represented a rare instance in which the rivalry moved beyond diplomatic statements and political pressure into direct military action affecting the other's strategic interests. The strike was followed by a renewed exchange of threats. On Aug. 19, the day after the attack, Netanyahu said Israel would not accept a Turkish military presence in Syria that descends south because it threatens us.&nbsp;Two days later, Turkey announced that it would seek Netanyahu's arrest through Interpol over allegations including genocide and torture in connection with a domestic Turkish case concerning Israel's treatment of pro-Palestinian activists intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Gaza. US officials have since attempted to restore communication between Ankara and Jerusalem.<h2>Political rhetoric adds to the risk</h2>Domestic politics may further complicate efforts to reduce tensions. Public opinion in both Turkey and Israel has become increasingly negative toward the other country, giving political leaders an opportunity to gain domestic support by taking a tougher position against their rival. Yet analysts caution against dismissing the rhetoric as merely political theater. The disagreements between Ankara and Jerusalem reflect genuine differences over Syria, Gaza, Iran, regional alliances and the future balance of power in the Middle East. At the same time, the presence of the United States as a powerful intermediary could help prevent the rivalry from turning into a direct war.&nbsp;For now, the central danger is therefore less the prospect of a deliberate Turkey-Israel war than the possibility of an unintended escalation. With both countries increasingly willing to use military force and defend competing visions of the region, even a limited action in Syria or elsewhere could trigger consequences neither side intended.

Turkey-Israel tensions are rising over Syria, Gaza and regional influence as Erdogan and Netanyahu clash, raising concerns about a wider Middle East crisis

Relations between Turkey and Israel have deteriorated sharply in recent years, with leaders on both sides exchanging increasingly hostile accusations and warnings. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described Israel as a ‘terror state’, compared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Hitler and even raised the possibility of Turkish military intervention in Israel. Netanyahu has responded by calling Erdogan an ‘antisemitic dictator’, while Israeli officials have accused Turkey of backing terrorism and behaving like ‘an enemy state’. The increasingly bitter rhetoric reflects a broader strategic rivalry that is spreading across the Middle East, the Horn of Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean. Analysts and officials warn that the confrontation could add another layer of instability to a region already dealing with the consequences of wars in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and Iran. Although Turkey and Israel are both closely connected to the United States, their regional ambitions are increasingly colliding. Both possess powerful militaries and have demonstrated a growing willingness to project their influence beyond their borders. Syria emerges as the main flashpoint The danger became more apparent recently when Israel carried out a strike against a defunct air base in northern Syria. Israeli officials said the operation was designed to prevent the possible deployment of Turkish forces to the facility. Both Turkey and Syria denied that such a troop deployment was planned. The strike did not result in any reported deaths. Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria and Iraq, criticised the Israeli operation on social media, describing it as an ‘unnecessary escalation’. He urged Turkey and Israel to 'prioritize logical discourse over further military incidents'. Syria has become particularly important to the rivalry because it sits between the two countries and is central to their competing security strategies. Turkey has sought to support Syria's new government following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024. The new administration, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, has received Turkish diplomatic and military backing as it attempts to stabilize the country. Israel, meanwhile, has taken a much more cautious approach toward the new Syrian leadership. Following Assad's removal, Israeli forces destroyed large quantities of Syria's military equipment, citing concerns about the country's future security. Israel has also maintained control over territory in southern Syria, saying the move is intended to prevent threats from Islamic militants. The two countries therefore have fundamentally different visions for Syria. Also Read: India and Uzbekistan put infrastructure at centre of Modi-Mirziyoyev talks Gaza changed the relationship The war in Gaza has been another major source of tension. Israel launched its military campaign following the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel. Turkey strongly criticized Israel's military response and repeatedly accused Israeli forces of genocide. Erdogan also expressed support for Hamas, which Israel, the United States and several other governments classify as a terrorist organization. The increasingly hostile rhetoric has been accompanied by a fundamental shift in Israel's perception of Turkey. Israel now sees Turkey as an increasingly capable regional military power. Turkey has expanded its domestic defense industry, maintains troops or military operations in several countries and has increasingly used its armed forces outside its own borders. Competing regional ambitions The rivalry extends well beyond Syria and Gaza. In the Horn of Africa, Turkey maintains close relations with Somalia, including a significant diplomatic and military presence. Israel's decision to recognize Somaliland has therefore become another point of disagreement. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, although its independence has not been broadly recognized internationally. Israel's recognition made it the first country to formally take that step, prompting strong opposition from Erdogan. The Turkish president called Israel's recognition of Somaliland 'illegal and unacceptable'. The Eastern Mediterranean is another area where strategic competition is intensifying. Israel has strengthened military and energy cooperation with Greece and Cyprus, two countries that have longstanding disputes with Turkey. Erdogan sought to minimize the significance of the agreements between Israel, Greece and Cyprus, dismissing them as ‘a rattling tin can’. Turkey has also sought to strengthen its own regional partnerships. Its recent mutual defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan has been viewed by analysts as an effort to build greater strategic weight and counterbalance Israeli influence. A rivalry that may not become war Despite the increasingly aggressive rhetoric, analysts do not expect Turkey and Israel to enter a direct military conflict in the immediate future. The United States has strong relationships with both countries and has an interest in preventing their rivalry from escalating into an open confrontation. The recent Israeli strike on the Syrian air base in Abu al-Duhur, roughly 40 miles south of the Turkish border, represented a rare instance in which the rivalry moved beyond diplomatic statements and political pressure into direct military action affecting the other's strategic interests. The strike was followed by a renewed exchange of threats. On Aug. 19, the day after the attack, Netanyahu said Israel would not accept a Turkish military presence in Syria that descends south because it threatens us. Two days later, Turkey announced that it would seek Netanyahu's arrest through Interpol over allegations including genocide and torture in connection with a domestic Turkish case concerning Israel's treatment of pro-Palestinian activists intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Gaza. US officials have since attempted to restore communication between Ankara and Jerusalem. Political rhetoric adds to the risk Domestic politics may further complicate efforts to reduce tensions. Public opinion in both Turkey and Israel has become increasingly negative toward the other country, giving political leaders an opportunity to gain domestic support by taking a tougher position against their rival. Yet analysts caution against dismissing the rhetoric as merely political theater. The disagreements between Ankara and Jerusalem reflect genuine differences over Syria, Gaza, Iran, regional alliances and the future balance of power in the Middle East. At the same time, the presence of the United States as a powerful intermediary could help prevent the rivalry from turning into a direct war. For now, the central danger is therefore less the prospect of a deliberate Turkey-Israel war than the possibility of an unintended escalation. With both countries increasingly willing to use military force and defend competing visions of the region, even a limited action in Syria or elsewhere could trigger consequences neither side intended.

Turkey and Israel face growing strategic tensions over Gaza, Syria and regional influence, raising fears of miscalculation despite US ties

Turkey vs Israel: Are Erdogan and Netanyahu preparing for a bigger confrontation?

At least one person was killed, and five others were injured, some critically, in a shooting incident at a rave party in northern Switzerland, local police said on Sunday (Aug 30). The attack happened in Schachen, in Aarau, the capital of the northern Swiss canton of Aargau. The authorities have urged the public to stay away from the area. The local horse racing track, swimming pool and sports field have been cordoned off.In a post on X, the police said, “The search for the perpetrators, whose identities are currently unknown, is under way.” They said that they have launched a “large-scale response” to find the perpetrators following the incident, which happened north of Zurich.The motive and exact circumstances that led to the shooting are unclear at the moment. Several police personnel have also been deployed beyond Aarau “as a precaution,” police said. According to AFP, officers were deployed on the highway up to 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the site of the shooting.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">JUST IN: Shots heard at event in Aarau, Switzerland. Police confirm there are multiple victims. (Video: Blick) <a href="https://t.co/nZMKcGtMGD">pic.twitter.com/nZMKcGtMGD</a>&mdash; Open Source Intel (@Osint613) <a href="https://x.com/Osint613/status/2093933258031390801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

According to the Swiss newspaper Blick, the incident happened before 3:00 am on the sidelines of the Aarauer Rave. About 3,500 people were present at the annual techno party from 3 pm on Saturday (Aug 29) till 2 am on Sunday (Aug 30).Police spokeswoman Vanessa Rumpold told the newspaper that the shooting happened at the racecourse, where the event was organised.“Several shots were fired within a large group of people,” she said.According to witnesses, shots were fired around 2:30 am while the rave was still going on. Many people took shelter in a nearby gymnasium. At first, the partygoers thought the sound was of fireworks. Videos posted on social media showed what sounded like several gunshots in the background.&nbsp;Media reports said that an army helicopter was also deployed in the region. Several personnel from police, rescue workers and medical teams also rushed to the site.

One person was killed and five injured, some critically, in a shooting at a rave party in northern Switzerland. Police are searching for unknown suspects as the motive remains unclear.

At least one person was killed, and five others were injured, some critically, in a shooting incident at a rave party in northern Switzerland, local police said on Sunday (Aug 30). The attack happened in Schachen, in Aarau, the capital of the northern Swiss canton of Aargau. The authorities have urged the public to stay away from the area. The local horse racing track, swimming pool and sports field have been cordoned off. In a post on X, the police said, “The search for the perpetrators, whose identities are currently unknown, is under way.” They said that they have launched a “large-scale response” to find the perpetrators following the incident, which happened north of Zurich. The motive and exact circumstances that led to the shooting are unclear at the moment. Several police personnel have also been deployed beyond Aarau “as a precaution,” police said. According to AFP, officers were deployed on the highway up to 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the site of the shooting.

One person was killed and five injured, some critically, in a shooting at a rave party in northern Switzerland. Police are searching for unknown suspects as the motive remains unclear.

One killed, 5 injured after shooting at Switzerland rave party; police launch manhunt for suspect

Aircraft carriers are easy to argue about because the visible parts are so large: tonnage, air wings, escorts and cost. What is harder to measure is the political choice they create. A carrier at sea is not merely an airfield that moves. It is a sovereign package of military power that can be positioned, reinforced, pulled back or left over the horizon. It can reassure without establishing a base, warn without firing, and create pressure without forcing political leadership immediately across the threshold of war.&nbsp;That is why the carrier has survived repeated predictions of its irrelevance. Anti-ship missiles have become faster and longer-ranged. Submarines remain a serious threat. Space-based surveillance has made large ships harder to hide. None of this makes the carrier invulnerable. It never was. But vulnerability is not the same as irrelevance.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/america-s-new-strategy-control-the-system-not-the-world-1788068534216">America’s new strategy: Control the system, not the world</a>&nbsp;For India, therefore, the debate should move beyond the familiar question of whether an aircraft carrier is too expensive or too exposed. The more useful question is, what political and military options does India want at sea over the next four decades, and what carrier force is required to create them?&nbsp;That leads directly to decisions we can no longer postpone, whether India needs a third carrier to generate reliable availability, whether the next hull should repeat Vikrant or move to a larger design, what its air wing should look like, and how unmanned systems, escorts, submarines, logistics and the wider information architecture will be built around it.&nbsp;“For in this modern world, the instruments of warfare are not solely for waging war. Far more importantly, they are the means for controlling peace.” — Admiral Arleigh Burke

Submarines remain a serious threat. Space-based surveillance has made large ships harder to hide. None of this makes the carrier invulnerable. It never was. But vulnerability is not the same as irrelevance.

Aircraft carriers are easy to argue about because the visible parts are so large: tonnage, air wings, escorts and cost. What is harder to measure is the political choice they create. A carrier at sea is not merely an airfield that moves. It is a sovereign package of military power that can be positioned, reinforced, pulled back or left over the horizon. It can reassure without establishing a base, warn without firing, and create pressure without forcing political leadership immediately across the threshold of war. That is why the carrier has survived repeated predictions of its irrelevance. Anti-ship missiles have become faster and longer-ranged. Submarines remain a serious threat. Space-based surveillance has made large ships harder to hide. None of this makes the carrier invulnerable. It never was. But vulnerability is not the same as irrelevance. Also Read: America’s new strategy: Control the system, not the world For India, therefore, the debate should move beyond the familiar question of whether an aircraft carrier is too expensive or too exposed. The more useful question is, what political and military options does India want at sea over the next four decades, and what carrier force is required to create them? That leads directly to decisions we can no longer postpone, whether India needs a third carrier to generate reliable availability, whether the next hull should repeat Vikrant or move to a larger design, what its air wing should look like, and how unmanned systems, escorts, submarines, logistics and the wider information architecture will be built around it. “For in this modern world, the instruments of warfare are not solely for waging war. Far more importantly, they are the means for controlling peace.” — Admiral Arleigh Burke

Submarines remain a serious threat. Space-based surveillance has made large ships harder to hide. None of this makes the carrier invulnerable. It never was. But vulnerability is not the same as irrelevance.

Steel diplomacy: What the carrier teaches about power, and what India must decide

As BRICS prepares to meet in New Delhi, it would do well to understand not only what the United States is doing, but why.The reported American move to gain majority control over more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuela’s proven oil reserves may appear to be another dramatic episode in Washington’s relationship with Caracas. But it may also offer a window into a much larger transformation in American strategy.The United States is becoming increasingly concerned about its dependence on resources, technologies and supply chains that it does not control. In a world of intensifying geopolitical competition, Washington appears determined to secure the foundations of its economic, technological and military power.Oil is only one part of the equation.Critical minerals, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, electricity generation, shipping routes, data and financial infrastructure are becoming strategic assets. Venezuela’s oil, Greenland’s geography and mineral potential, the Middle East’s energy resources and the security of the Western Hemisphere may seem like separate issues. They are increasingly connected by a single concern: American vulnerability.Artificial intelligence makes this question even more important.The next technological revolution will require enormous quantities of electricity, computing capacity, data centres and advanced chips. Those chips depend on complex global supply chains and critical minerals. The competition over artificial intelligence is therefore also becoming a competition over energy, minerals, manufacturing capacity and technology.In this environment, dependence can become vulnerability.The same logic applies to finance.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-seeks-consensus-as-expanded-brics-prepares-for-new-delhi-summit-1787815256214">India seeks consensus as expanded BRICS prepares for New Delhi summit</a>After the Second World War, the United States did not simply inherit Britain’s position as the leading global power. It helped create an international system that embedded American economic strength within a wider architecture.Bretton Woods established the foundations of a monetary system centred on the dollar. The Marshall Plan helped rebuild Europe. NATO institutionalised American security commitments. The United Nations provided a framework for international cooperation.The dollar subsequently became the principal currency of global trade and finance as British power and sterling declined.This was one of the great strategic achievements of the twentieth century. American power was multiplied because other countries had an interest in participating in the system.Today, however, that system is under pressure.China has emerged as an economic and technological competitor. Alternative payment mechanisms are developing. Countries are diversifying their reserves. Digital currencies, cryptocurrencies and stablecoins could eventually change the architecture of international payments.Washington therefore has a powerful incentive to ensure that the next generation of financial and technological infrastructure does not erode American influence.This brings us to the central strategic dilemma facing the United States.A great power that feels increasingly vulnerable naturally seeks greater control. It wants secure energy supplies, critical minerals, resilient supply chains, technological superiority and strategic access.Some of this is entirely rational.But there is a danger that the pursuit of security through ever greater control can create the insecurity it seeks to prevent.History provides some uncomfortable lessons.The British Empire possessed extraordinary naval, commercial and financial power. Yet the cost of maintaining a worldwide empire eventually became difficult to sustain.The Soviet Union possessed enormous military capabilities, but military power could not compensate indefinitely for economic and technological weaknesses.The United States after 1945 followed a different path. Rather than simply controlling territory and resources, it created institutions, alliances and markets through which American power could operate.That distinction matters today.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/from-xi-s-400-officials-to-putin-full-list-of-world-leaders-attending-brics-summit-2026-in-delhi-1787915779173">From Xi's 400 officials to Putin: Full list of world leaders attending BRICS Summit 2026 in Delhi</a>A great power that feels insecure naturally seeks greater control. It wants secure energy supplies, critical minerals, resilient supply chains, technological superiority and strategic access.But there is a danger in confusing security with possession.If every major power attempts to control the resources, technologies, markets and strategic routes on which its security depends, the world could fragment into competing economic and geopolitical fortresses.The emerging international environment already contains elements of several competing visions. Samuel Huntington’s “clash of civilizations” captures the cultural and political fragmentation of the world. Graham Allison’s “Thucydides Trap” describes the dangers inherent when a rising power challenges an established one. And the increasingly competitive struggle for resources and security can sometimes resemble the logic of Mad Max.The combination would be dangerous.This is where BRICS has an important role.As the grouping prepares to meet in Delhi, its members need to understand the American calculation before formulating their own response. It would be tempting to interpret Washington’s actions simply as an effort to contain China, preserve dollar dominance or prevent the emergence of a multipolar world.There is some truth in each interpretation.But the deeper concern is vulnerability.The United States fears dependence on foreign energy, minerals, technologies, supply chains and financial systems at precisely the moment when artificial intelligence and advanced technologies are transforming the meaning of national power.BRICS should therefore be careful not to respond by simply constructing another system of exclusive blocs.Its objective should be resilience rather than isolation: diversified supply chains, greater technological capability, secure energy networks and more efficient financial mechanisms, while preserving the channels of trade and dialogue that connect the major powers.India has a particularly important role to play.It has an interest in a genuinely multipolar international system, but it also has an interest in a stable relationship with the United States. India therefore has something that many other powers lack: the ability to understand both sides of the emerging strategic equation.Understanding American insecurity is as important as understanding American power.For Washington, meanwhile, there is an equally important lesson.America does not need to control everything to remain the world’s most important power. It possesses an extraordinary combination of military strength, financial depth, technological innovation, universities, entrepreneurial capacity, natural resources and alliances.Its greatest strategic asset may still be its ability to make other countries want to participate in a system shaped by American leadership.Washington should therefore distinguish between control and leadership.It should secure critical supply chains without necessarily monopolising them; maintain technological leadership while allowing allies to participate in innovation; strengthen energy security without turning every resource-rich country into a strategic possession; and preserve the dollar by maintaining the openness and credibility of American financial markets.Most importantly, it should invest in alliances and institutions.The United States does not need to retreat from the world. Nor should it ignore genuine vulnerabilities. The era in which economic interdependence was assumed automatically to overcome geopolitical rivalry is clearly over.But there is a fundamental difference between an empire that seeks to possess the world and a power that seeks to organise it.The United States will remain the world’s most important power for the foreseeable future. But its relative dominance is increasingly being challenged by the diffusion of economic, technological and military capabilities.Its answer should not be withdrawal.Nor should it be permanent expansion.The objective should be strategic primacy through an open system.That may also be the most important message for BRICS as it gathers in Delhi.The emerging international order will not be determined simply by who controls the most oil, minerals, technology or territory.It will ultimately be determined by who can build a system that others believe is worth participating in.The country that controls the system does not need to control everything within it.

As the grouping prepares to meet in Delhi, it would be tempting to interpret Washington’s actions simply as an effort to contain China, preserve dollar dominance or prevent the emergence of a multipolar world.

As BRICS prepares to meet in New Delhi, it would do well to understand not only what the United States is doing, but why. The reported American move to gain majority control over more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuela’s proven oil reserves may appear to be another dramatic episode in Washington’s relationship with Caracas. But it may also offer a window into a much larger transformation in American strategy. The United States is becoming increasingly concerned about its dependence on resources, technologies and supply chains that it does not control. In a world of intensifying geopolitical competition, Washington appears determined to secure the foundations of its economic, technological and military power. Oil is only one part of the equation. Critical minerals, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, electricity generation, shipping routes, data and financial infrastructure are becoming strategic assets. Venezuela’s oil, Greenland’s geography and mineral potential, the Middle East’s energy resources and the security of the Western Hemisphere may seem like separate issues. They are increasingly connected by a single concern: American vulnerability. Artificial intelligence makes this question even more important. The next technological revolution will require enormous quantities of electricity, computing capacity, data centres and advanced chips. Those chips depend on complex global supply chains and critical minerals. The competition over artificial intelligence is therefore also becoming a competition over energy, minerals, manufacturing capacity and technology. In this environment, dependence can become vulnerability. The same logic applies to finance. Also read | India seeks consensus as expanded BRICS prepares for New Delhi summit After the Second World War, the United States did not simply inherit Britain’s position as the leading global power. It helped create an international system that embedded American economic strength within a wider architecture. Bretton Woods established the foundations of a monetary system centred on the dollar. The Marshall Plan helped rebuild Europe. NATO institutionalised American security commitments. The United Nations provided a framework for international cooperation. The dollar subsequently became the principal currency of global trade and finance as British power and sterling declined. This was one of the great strategic achievements of the twentieth century. American power was multiplied because other countries had an interest in participating in the system. Today, however, that system is under pressure. China has emerged as an economic and technological competitor. Alternative payment mechanisms are developing. Countries are diversifying their reserves. Digital currencies, cryptocurrencies and stablecoins could eventually change the architecture of international payments. Washington therefore has a powerful incentive to ensure that the next generation of financial and technological infrastructure does not erode American influence. This brings us to the central strategic dilemma facing the United States. A great power that feels increasingly vulnerable naturally seeks greater control. It wants secure energy supplies, critical minerals, resilient supply chains, technological superiority and strategic access. Some of this is entirely rational. But there is a danger that the pursuit of security through ever greater control can create the insecurity it seeks to prevent. History provides some uncomfortable lessons. The British Empire possessed extraordinary naval, commercial and financial power. Yet the cost of maintaining a worldwide empire eventually became difficult to sustain. The Soviet Union possessed enormous military capabilities, but military power could not compensate indefinitely for economic and technological weaknesses. The United States after 1945 followed a different path. Rather than simply controlling territory and resources, it created institutions, alliances and markets through which American power could operate. That distinction matters today. Also read | From Xi's 400 officials to Putin: Full list of world leaders attending BRICS Summit 2026 in Delhi A great power that feels insecure naturally seeks greater control. It wants secure energy supplies, critical minerals, resilient supply chains, technological superiority and strategic access. But there is a danger in confusing security with possession. If every major power attempts to control the resources, technologies, markets and strategic routes on which its security depends, the world could fragment into competing economic and geopolitical fortresses. The emerging international environment already contains elements of several competing visions. Samuel Huntington’s “clash of civilizations” captures the cultural and political fragmentation of the world. Graham Allison’s “Thucydides Trap” describes the dangers inherent when a rising power challenges an established one. And the increasingly competitive struggle for resources and security can sometimes resemble the logic of Mad Max. The combination would be dangerous. This is where BRICS has an important role. As the grouping prepares to meet in Delhi, its members need to understand the American calculation before formulating their own response. It would be tempting to interpret Washington’s actions simply as an effort to contain China, preserve dollar dominance or prevent the emergence of a multipolar world. There is some truth in each interpretation. But the deeper concern is vulnerability. The United States fears dependence on foreign energy, minerals, technologies, supply chains and financial systems at precisely the moment when artificial intelligence and advanced technologies are transforming the meaning of national power. BRICS should therefore be careful not to respond by simply constructing another system of exclusive blocs. Its objective should be resilience rather than isolation: diversified supply chains, greater technological capability, secure energy networks and more efficient financial mechanisms, while preserving the channels of trade and dialogue that connect the major powers. India has a particularly important role to play. It has an interest in a genuinely multipolar international system, but it also has an interest in a stable relationship with the United States. India therefore has something that many other powers lack: the ability to understand both sides of the emerging strategic equation. Understanding American insecurity is as important as understanding American power. For Washington, meanwhile, there is an equally important lesson. America does not need to control everything to remain the world’s most important power. It possesses an extraordinary combination of military strength, financial depth, technological innovation, universities, entrepreneurial capacity, natural resources and alliances. Its greatest strategic asset may still be its ability to make other countries want to participate in a system shaped by American leadership. Washington should therefore distinguish between control and leadership. It should secure critical supply chains without necessarily monopolising them; maintain technological leadership while allowing allies to participate in innovation; strengthen energy security without turning every resource-rich country into a strategic possession; and preserve the dollar by maintaining the openness and credibility of American financial markets. Most importantly, it should invest in alliances and institutions. The United States does not need to retreat from the world. Nor should it ignore genuine vulnerabilities. The era in which economic interdependence was assumed automatically to overcome geopolitical rivalry is clearly over. But there is a fundamental difference between an empire that seeks to possess the world and a power that seeks to organise it. The United States will remain the world’s most important power for the foreseeable future. But its relative dominance is increasingly being challenged by the diffusion of economic, technological and military capabilities. Its answer should not be withdrawal. Nor should it be permanent expansion. The objective should be strategic primacy through an open system. That may also be the most important message for BRICS as it gathers in Delhi. The emerging international order will not be determined simply by who controls the most oil, minerals, technology or territory. It will ultimately be determined by who can build a system that others believe is worth participating in. The country that controls the system does not need to control everything within it.

As the grouping prepares to meet in Delhi, it would be tempting to interpret Washington’s actions simply as an effort to contain China, preserve dollar dominance or prevent the emergence of a multipolar world.

America’s new strategy: Control the system, not the world

Infrastructure, trade and investment are expected to dominate the agenda as PM Modi and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev hold talks in Tashkent. Indian officials say New Delhi wants to convert existing political goodwill into concrete commercial opportunities, including construction and infrastructure projects in Uzbekistan. Sources familiar with the preparations said Indian firms would be well placed to bid for work as Tashkent modernises roads, energy networks, digital systems and urban facilities.&nbsp;&nbsp;Larsen &amp; Toubro, already active in the country on power transmission and other engineering contracts, is widely regarded locally as one of India’s most established infrastructure players. PM Modi arrived on Saturday and was received at the airport by &nbsp;Mirziyoyev, an unusual personal welcome that is seen as a mark of the closeness of the relationship. The two leaders later visited Yangi Uzbekistan Park, where Modi laid a wreath at the Independence Monument. A dinner hosted by the Uzbek president followed. Sunday’s formal talks are the centerpiece of the two-day state visit, Modi’s fourth to Uzbekistan.&nbsp;In a departure statement issued in New Delhi, the Indian prime minister said the strategic partnership had seen significant advancement in recent years. He said he looked forward to discussions on trade and investment, digital connectivity, defence and energy, and on aligning India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 programme with Uzbekistan’s development plans through 2030. He is also due to visit the Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies. Bilateral trade remains modest by the standards of both economies, estimates put it at around $1-1.5 billion, but both sides have spoken of roughly doubling that figure over the next few years.&nbsp;&nbsp;Indian investment is already present in construction, renewables, pharmaceuticals, mining, IT and healthcare. Officials on both sides have identified critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, logistics and digital public infrastructure as areas for expansion. From Tashkent, Modi will fly to Bishkek at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov for the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit on August 31 and September 1. The meeting marks 25 years of the grouping, which India joined as a full member in 2017.&nbsp;&nbsp;India’s ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Birender Singh Yadav, said that the visit would give 'fresh direction' to ties with Bishkek, pointing to expanded defence cooperation, counter-terrorism training and joint exercises. The tour reflects New Delhi’s effort to treat Central Asia as part of its extended neighbourhood, seeking energy and minerals, alternative trade routes that avoid Pakistan, and a stronger voice in a region where China and Russia remain dominant.

Indian officials say New Delhi wants to convert existing political goodwill into concrete commercial opportunities, including construction and infrastructure projects in Uzbekistan

Infrastructure, trade and investment are expected to dominate the agenda as PM Modi and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev hold talks in Tashkent. Indian officials say New Delhi wants to convert existing political goodwill into concrete commercial opportunities, including construction and infrastructure projects in Uzbekistan. Sources familiar with the preparations said Indian firms would be well placed to bid for work as Tashkent modernises roads, energy networks, digital systems and urban facilities. Larsen & Toubro, already active in the country on power transmission and other engineering contracts, is widely regarded locally as one of India’s most established infrastructure players. PM Modi arrived on Saturday and was received at the airport by Mirziyoyev, an unusual personal welcome that is seen as a mark of the closeness of the relationship. The two leaders later visited Yangi Uzbekistan Park, where Modi laid a wreath at the Independence Monument. A dinner hosted by the Uzbek president followed. Sunday’s formal talks are the centerpiece of the two-day state visit, Modi’s fourth to Uzbekistan. In a departure statement issued in New Delhi, the Indian prime minister said the strategic partnership had seen significant advancement in recent years. He said he looked forward to discussions on trade and investment, digital connectivity, defence and energy, and on aligning India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 programme with Uzbekistan’s development plans through 2030. He is also due to visit the Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies. Bilateral trade remains modest by the standards of both economies, estimates put it at around $1-1.5 billion, but both sides have spoken of roughly doubling that figure over the next few years. Indian investment is already present in construction, renewables, pharmaceuticals, mining, IT and healthcare. Officials on both sides have identified critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, logistics and digital public infrastructure as areas for expansion. From Tashkent, Modi will fly to Bishkek at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov for the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit on August 31 and September 1. The meeting marks 25 years of the grouping, which India joined as a full member in 2017. India’s ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Birender Singh Yadav, said that the visit would give 'fresh direction' to ties with Bishkek, pointing to expanded defence cooperation, counter-terrorism training and joint exercises. The tour reflects New Delhi’s effort to treat Central Asia as part of its extended neighbourhood, seeking energy and minerals, alternative trade routes that avoid Pakistan, and a stronger voice in a region where China and Russia remain dominant.

&nbsp;Indian officials say New Delhi wants to convert existing political goodwill into concrete commercial opportunities, including construction and infrastructure projects in Uzbekistan

India and Uzbekistan put infrastructure at centre of Modi-Mirziyoyev talks

Latest News Today Live Updates:Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tashkent on Saturday (August 29), as part of his broader tour covering Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. During the visit, he is scheduled to hold bilateral talks and participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, reflecting India's efforts to deepen strategic engagement with Central Asian nations.Meanwhile, according to reports from Greek and Israeli media, Greece and Israel are expected to formalise agreements in Tel Aviv on Monday for the development of the "Achilles' Shield", a layered air defence and missile protection system valued at $3.4 billion. The agreement had earlier received approval from Greece's Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence (KYSEA) on July 23.RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday (August 29, 2026) said that Hindutva does not envisage a Bharat (the name he uses for India) without Muslims, asserting that a person who believes Muslims should have no place in the country would cease to be a Hindu. Addressing an event in New York City, he said, “I said, no, that is not Hindutva. If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslims in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu."Iran’s leaders have acknowledged the mounting economic damage of six months of war with the United States, with the president saying foreign trade has shrunk by more than a third under US sanctions and a naval blockade. Tehran signalled that it would not yield to US pressure, vowing to pursue diplomacy while maintaining control over the Strait of Hormuz. The government identified tackling economic fallout as a key priority, focusing on curbing inflation, generating employment, and gradually reducing the country's dependence on the US dollar.Stay with us for more latest news, breaking updates and developments as they unfold.

Nepali rescuers resumed a desperate search on Sunday for hydropower workers believed to be trapped inside tunnels buried under flood debris, as difficult weather and swollen rivers continued to hamper operations. The disaster’s death toll has climbed to 750, while more than 3,000 people remain missing in Nepal and Tibet.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nepal-floods-inside-desperate-tunnel-rescue-as-over-100-workers-remain-trapped-1788077866827">Read more.</a>

Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez on Saturday (Aug 29) sought to calm growing public concern over a sweeping oil agreement with the United States, insisting that Caracas will retain sovereignty over the country’s vast petroleum reserves despite Washington gaining major access to them.The deal gives the United States majority control over 65 billion barrels of Venezuela’s proven reserves, with President Donald Trump hailing it as “the biggest oil deal in world history.”<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-retains-sovereignty-delcy-rodriguez-defends-sweeping-us-oil-deal-1788076658795">Read more.</a>

Pakistan plans to bring two new industrial plants at its largest defence manufacturing complex into operation by the end of the year as it looks to expand domestic weapons production and boost exports.The announcement came after army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir visited the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) complex in Wah on Saturday.POF manufactures weapons and ammunition for Pakistan’s armed forces, with Islamabad seeking to capitalise on growing overseas interest in its military equipment.During his visit, Munir reviewed the complex’s manufacturing capabilities, export prospects and role in strengthening Pakistan’s defence industrial base, according to the military.

Pakistan to start two new arms production plants by year-end

Latest News Today Live Updates: Stay connected to WION News for the latest updates from India and around the globe, including India's immediate neighbourhood, major developments in Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, global security, and other breaking stories shaping the world.

Latest News Today Live Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tashkent on Saturday (August 29), as part of his broader tour covering Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. During the visit, he is scheduled to hold bilateral talks and participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, reflecting India's efforts to deepen strategic engagement with Central Asian nations. Meanwhile, according to reports from Greek and Israeli media, Greece and Israel are expected to formalise agreements in Tel Aviv on Monday for the development of the "Achilles' Shield", a layered air defence and missile protection system valued at $3.4 billion. The agreement had earlier received approval from Greece's Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence (KYSEA) on July 23. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday (August 29, 2026) said that Hindutva does not envisage a Bharat (the name he uses for India) without Muslims, asserting that a person who believes Muslims should have no place in the country would cease to be a Hindu. Addressing an event in New York City, he said, “I said, no, that is not Hindutva. If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslims in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu." Iran’s leaders have acknowledged the mounting economic damage of six months of war with the United States, with the president saying foreign trade has shrunk by more than a third under US sanctions and a naval blockade. Tehran signalled that it would not yield to US pressure, vowing to pursue diplomacy while maintaining control over the Strait of Hormuz. The government identified tackling economic fallout as a key priority, focusing on curbing inflation, generating employment, and gradually reducing the country's dependence on the US dollar. Stay with us for more latest news, breaking updates and developments as they unfold.

Latest News Today Live Updates: Stay connected to WION News for the latest updates from India and around the globe, including India's immediate neighbourhood, major developments in Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, global security, and other breaking stories shaping the world.

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