A major rescue operation has brought around 100 Maharashtra pilgrims safely back to India after they were stranded amid devastating flash floods in Nepal. Following a request from the Maharashtra government, the Bihar administration coordinated their evacuation from the Nepal border to Sitamarhi. The pilgrims were provided food, drinking water and essential assistance before being moved to Patna in the early hours of August 29.

US President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping new oil agreement with Venezuela, calling it the “biggest oil deal in world history.” The agreement could open access to vast Venezuelan oil reserves and potentially attract around $100 billion in investment into the country's battered energy sector. Venezuela's government says the deal covers 17 oil fields with a proven potential of 65 billion barrels, while the country has an estimated 303 billion barrels of total crude reserves.