Death toll rises to 547; fear of fresh floods loomsThe death toll from flash floods in central Nepal rose to 547 on Friday (August 28, 2026), with more bodies recovered as search and rescue operations continue with caution due to fear of fresh floods following an increase in the water level in the Bhotekoshi River area.The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said rising water levels at the site of a devastating flash flood earlier this week increased the risk of another flood in the area.India, U.S. sign agreement for procurement of Javelin anti-tank missile systemIndia has signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) with the United States for the procurement of the Javelin anti-tank guided missile system through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route, marking a significant step in defence cooperation between the two countries.The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi on Friday (August 28, 2026) welcomed the signing, saying the agreement demonstrated the growing depth of the U.S.-India Major Defence Partnership and opened the way for greater cooperation between the two countries and its defence industries.India, Canada reiterate commitment to complete trade deal by end of 2026Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Canadian Minister of Finance and National Revenue François-Philippe Champagne on Friday (August 28, 2026) issued a joint statement that reiterated the two countries’ commitment to conclude the India-Canada trade deal by the end of 2026.The joint statement also said that India had expressed its readiness to begin negotiations on a Bilateral Investment Treaty “at the earliest”. The statement followed the conclusion of the inaugural India-Canada Finance Ministers’ Economic and Financial Dialogue in Toronto.Bodies of four Naga civilians killed in Manipur ambush retrievedThe bodies of four Naga civilians killed in an ambush in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district were retrieved on Friday (August 28, 2026) morning, a day after the attack, officials said.The four were killed and another person injured when armed assailants attacked a vehicle in an isolated area between Makui Ashang and Thanamba Naga villages around 8.30 a.m. on Thursday (August 27, 2026), they said. One of the deceased was the principal of a private school.Congress questions Centre’s free coaching plan, cites poor record of existing schemeCiting the government’s poor record in implementing an existing free coaching scheme, the Congress on Friday (August 28, 2026) questioned the Centre’s decision to provide free online coaching to students.In a post on X, Congress communication chief Jairam Ramesh said Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had, at the Chhatron Ki Goonj event in Kota on June 17, highlighted the growing dependence of Indian families on coaching centres and argued that an “extractive coaching industry” had supplanted the public education system.Kolkata Police register case against TMC’s Abhishek, Derek O’Brien for scuffle over removal of a party hoardingThe Kolkata Police have registered FIRs against the Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien on Friday (August 28, 2026) for allegedly assaulting police and obstructing them from discharging their duty when they went to remove an electric signboard of the party at a building in Kolkata’s Camac Street area. Three FIRs have been registered in connection with the scuffle.“The removal was being done as per the direction of Kolkata Municipal Corporation. At least 13 people have so far been arrested in the case. All three FIRs by the police, and KMC officials have been reported at the Shakespeare Police Station,” Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), Kunal Aggarwal said on Friday (August 28).Bangladesh govt. positively weighs joining Mecca Pact; Opposition throws in supportBangladesh will give positive consideration to joining the Mecca Pact, the trilateral defence agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, should its members propose bringing Dhaka into the framework, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman told Parliament on Thursday (August 27, 2026). The BNP-led government’s such consideration has also drawn support from the country’s main Opposition parties, including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP).Responding to a supplementary question from independent Member of Parliament Rumin Farhana during the third session of the 13th Parliament, Mr. Rahman said Bangladesh’s accession to the pact was not currently under discussion and would depend on the intentions of the agreement’s existing signatories.Police had humane face during TMC rule, BJP turned it into ‘monstrous entity’: MamataFormer West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday (August 28, 2026) claimed that the police had a humane face during her regime and the BJP turned the force into a “monstrous entity”.Addressing a rally of the TMC students’ wing in Kolkata, Ms. Banerjee said she will stop the “police atrocities” on her supporters, asserting that it was her pledge on Raksha Bandhan. “BJP is playing divisive politics in Bengal and using the police to spread fear among the people,” she alleged.Is Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Marie Wilson the King of England to avoid court appearance, asks Madras High CourtJustice V. Lakshminarayanan of the Madras High Court on Friday (August 28, 2026) asked whether Tamil Nadu Finance Minister N. Marie Wilson was the King of England for him not to appear before a Puducherry Judicial Magistrate in connection with an assault case pending against him.The judge posed the query during the hearing of a petition filed by the Minister to quash the charge sheet that had been filed against him by the Lawspet police in Puducherry in the assault case registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by his sister-in-law, Careline Claude.HDFC Bank plans to move NCLAT against NCLT order in Subhash Chandra caseHDFC Bank, one of the creditors in the Zee TV founder Subhash Chandra personal guarantee case, said it was exploring filing an appeal at the NCLAT, against the recent NCLT order that had accepted Mr. Chandra’s repayment offer of ₹6.5 crore to clear personal guarantee liabilities amounting to creditors’ claims of ₹22,006 crore.The bank said it had opposed and voted against this resolution, which was approved by the majority of creditors.