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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit held in Bishkek. The discussions on August 31 covered a wide range of topics including political relations, trade, defence, energy, space, mobility, and people-to-people contacts. Both leaders also examined regional conflicts and international cooperation efforts. This meeting marked continued high-level engagement between India and Russia, following their previous discussions at the India-Russia Annual Summit in New Delhi in December 2025.

UN findings highlight growing violence risks affecting children across regions and online. The report states that nearly 19% of children worldwide now reside in conflict zones. During the 1990s, this figure was close to 10%. By the end of 2024, conflict and violence had displaced 48.8 million children. This number is almost three times higher than the figure recorded in 2010. It includes refugee children, asylum seekers, and internally displaced minors. These statistics emphasize the significant disruption faced by children in areas affected by war and insecurity. Climate-related threats have become a central component of the global child protection challenge. Approximately 1.1 billion children are exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards. Almost every child encounters at least one climate risk. According to UNICEF, more than 4 million children face six overlapping hazards. These dangers include drought, extreme heat, floods, wildfires, tropical storms, and sand and dust storms. Such climate shocks can also interfere with schooling, health services, housing, and access to essential resources. Digital Environment Presents Increasing Dangers for Young People Online spaces introduce additional safety concerns for children globally. About one in three internet users is under 18. The assessment reports that over 300 million children are victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse annually. It also notes that at least 1.2 million children had their images manipulated into sexually explicit deepfakes in the past year. Other digital threats include cyberbullying, identity theft, trafficking,

During the visit, India and Uzbekistan signed 11 agreements, memoranda, and related arrangements. These agreements cover cultural exchanges, higher education, scientific research, environmental protection, and traditional medicine. They also involve tourism, geology, mineral resources, archival cooperation, and economic dialogue. Regional ties between Gujarat state and Uzbekistan’s Samarkand region were also deepened. Additionally, arrangements were made for diplomatic training and archaeological conservation efforts at Fayaz Tepa and Kara Tepa Buddhist sites. The visit resulted in new commitments related to payments, education, and environmental initiatives. India pledged $1 million for afforestation and ecological projects in the Aral Sea area. It also announced 100 Lal Bahadur Shastri scholarships for Hindi studies and a Sanskrit academic chair in Tashkent. NPCI International Payments and Uzbekistan’s National Interbank Processing Centre reached a commercial deal involving UPI. This system will enable Indian UPI applications to scan Uzbekistan’s UZQR code for merchant transactions. Security cooperation and multilateral engagement remain priorities.

The death toll from flooding across Nepal and Tibet has reached at least 919, with 4,793 people still missing. Nepal has recorded 903 deaths and 4,247 missing people following the August 26 disaster. Tibetan authorities have confirmed 16 deaths and 546 people missing in Gyirong County. Search teams continue working across damaged mountain areas, river valleys and hydropower sites. Officials have revised casualty figures as rescuers reach previously inaccessible locations and verify missing-person reports. Thousands remain missing as Nepal and Tibet continue flood recovery efforts. (AI-generated image)

Emergency agencies responded immediately with initial field assessments across the county-level area. These preliminary checks found no reports of casualties or structural damages at that time. Regional emergency dispatchers confirmed that no injuries, fatalities, or property damage had been reported in the hours following the quake. Local civil defense teams activated inspection units to examine vital infrastructure, including municipal water systems, electricity grids, gas pipelines, and transportation routes across Neijiang. State media, relayed by Xinhua News Agency, verified that nearby rural townships experienced only minor ground vibrations without any disruptions to utilities.

Wildfires swept across northeastern Algeria, causing at least 12 deaths and injuring 54 individuals during an intense heatwave. Interior Minister Said Sayoud reported that five people lost their lives in Jijel, four in Bejaia, and three in Tizi Ouzou. Six of the injured remained in critical condition after sustaining burns and needing specialized medical treatment. The fires extended through multiple northern provinces, where emergency responders continued operations near forested areas and residential communities.

Diplomatic representatives meet in legislative assembly halls to review border security policy. The Ministry for Narcotics Control’s official statement revealed that Saudi Arabia was responsible for most of the repatriations, sending back 15,500 Pakistani nationals during this period. The United Arab Emirates deported 3,803 people, Oman 1,606, Bahrain 521, Qatar 429, and Kuwait 97. Among those deported were 4,628 absconders, 1,294 individuals who had served prison sentences, and 472 identified as beggars. Details of Deportations from Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman Provided by Ministry Data The updates come amid increased scrutiny from Gulf Cooperation Council nations regarding immigration compliance and visa law enforcement. According to records from the ministry, 1,924 Pakistanis were deported from Saudi Arabia for overstaying or illegal entries. The UAE and Oman repatriated 347 and 295 individuals respectively for similar violations. Additionally, 968 Pakistanis were officially blacklisted, 1,155 cases involved lost passports, and 689 cases related to direct administrative visa violations. Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency has stepped up screening measures at domestic airports to catch travelers attempting to go abroad using forged documents or false pretenses. Officials emphasized that those who try to exploit pilgrimage or tourist visas for illegal labor or begging will face permanent bans on travel. Authorities highlighted ongoing coordination between domestic law enforcement and international agencies like Interpol to handle criminal deportations effectively. Over 3,000 Pakistan

On Tuesday, an offshore earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 struck near Indonesia’s North Sumatra province, causing tremors across various regions of Sumatra. The seismic activity was registered at 1:02:23 p.m. western Indonesian time, which corresponds to 06:02:23 UTC. Its epicenter was approximately 147 kilometers southeast of South Nias Regency. Authorities recorded the quake at a depth of 29 kilometers beneath waters off the western coast of Sumatra.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the deadliest in the country’s history. As of Aug. 16, government data indicated 4,945 confirmed cases and 2,325 deaths. In the past 24 hours alone, authorities reported 101 new confirmed infections. This latest death toll surpasses the 2,299 fatalities recorded during the Ebola epidemic from 2018 to 2020 in the country.

Residents from various northern communities experienced the shaking during the early hours. Landslides and rocks tumbling down followed in parts of the valley. A rockfall blocked the Chipurson Valley road near Ramanji, disrupting local access. Initial assessments by officials confirmed no fatalities or injuries from the main quake. They also reported no confirmed structural damages at that stage. The main infrastructure impacts included landslides and rockfalls.