Massive fire in Kolkata hotel kills nine, including eight Bangladeshi nationals

At least nine people died after a fire broke at a hotel in Kolkata’s Mirza Ghalib Street area in the early hours of Wednesday (August 19, 2026). Eight of deceased were identified as Bangladeshi nationals while one has been identified as a resident of Jharkhand. The deceased included six men, two women and a child.

The fire started around 2 a.m. on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) inside hotel Sikha Inn, located on the second floor of Florence Mansion at 15 G, Mirza Ghalib Street under New Market Police Station area of Kolkata. According to Kolkata Police, around 60 people were rescued from the hotel premises. The five storied building houses several guest houses and inns largely frequented by Bangladeshi nationals visiting Kolkata.

U.S. will re-evaluate advisory against travel to J&K: Sergio Gor after meeting with CM Omar

The United States will re-evaluate to downgrade its travel advisory against Jammu and Kashmir, visiting U.S. Ambassador Sergio Gor said on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) after his meeting with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

“J&K is an important part of India. Delhi and the Chief Minister have made incredible steps to keep this place safe,” Mr. Gor, who is also the U.S. Special Envoy to South and Central Asia, said post the meeting in the U.T. He reached Srinagar earlier in the day on a two-day visit to J&K, and Ladakh.

At least 34 children fall ill after detergent served instead of salt in Bihar school’s midday meal

At least 34 children of Parsa Middle School in Bihar’s Nalanda district fell ill after eating a midday meal in which detergent powder was allegedly served instead of salt “by mistake”.

After eating the meal on Tuesday (August 18, 2026), the children complained of a burning sensation in their throats and stomach pain, causing panic within the school premises. All the children were then rushed to the government hospital in Biharsharif.

NEET-UG paper leak: Supreme Court advises meaningful continuity in NTA reforms, not Committee-hopping

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) emphasised the need for institutionalising reforms within the National Testing Agency (NTA) while indicating that the government must not hop from one committee to the next in search of solutions.

The court made it clear that the constitution of the new Nandan Nilekani task force must not be seen as a move to discard “lock, stock, and barrel” an earlier panel headed by a former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief.

Jharkhand Govt. issues notification cancelling 22 recruitment exams over ‘irregularities’; CID probe for 23 others

The Jharkhand government on Tuesday night (August 18, 2026) announced its decision to cancel 22 recruitment exams over complaints of irregularities and “based on facts brought before the government during the CID investigation”, amid students’ protests over the issue.

Issuing a total of eight notifications, the State government listed the various examinations conducted by the TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL) agency that have been cancelled. The government has also cancelled the results of examinations where the preliminary work was carried out by an agency other than TDPL.

PM Modi wants Rahman’s India visit to be ‘memorable’, says Envoy to Bangladesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants his Bangladeshi counterpart Tarique Rahman’s proposed visit to India to be “memorable”, Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi has said, stressing that closer ties between the two leaders would ultimately benefit people and businesses in both countries.

The Envoy’s remarks on Tuesday (August 18, 2026) came as uncertainty looms over Mr. Rahman’s proposed visit to New Delhi for the BRICS summit on September 12-13 amid fresh strains in bilateral ties over Dhaka’s demand for the extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Staines triple murder case: Supreme Court gives ultimatum to Odisha on Dara Singh’s remission plea

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (August 19, 2018) criticised the Odisha government for delaying a decision on the remission plea filed by Rabindra Kumar Pal alias Dara Singh, who is serving a life sentence in the triple murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons in January 1999.

Staines and his sons, aged six and 10, were sleeping in their vehicle parked outside a church when a mob reached the spot and set fire to the car. The mob prevented the father and sons from getting out of the burning vehicle.

Tamil Nadu government order seeking steps to prevent students from protesting withdrawn after row

The Department of Collegiate Education has withdrawn its order issued on August 17, 2026, urging colleges to take action to prevent students from participating in protests and agitations after it kicked off a controversy.

The order, addressed to principals of all Government Arts and Science Colleges and Colleges of Education, asked them to take appropriate coordinated action to prevent students from participating in any protests or demonstrations. The order specifically referred to protests organised by the Left parties and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and sought an action-taken report from all institution heads. It was subsequently withdrawn.

Tejashwi Yadav, Misa Bharti among RJD leaders detained during protest march towards Lok Bhawan in Patna

Protesting Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders, including party chief Lalu Rasad Yadav’s elder daughter and party MP Misa Bharti, and leader of Opposition in State Assembly Tejashwi Yadav were detained by Patna police on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) while taking part in a protest march to the Lok Bhawan.

The party and its supporters are protesting police action against students agitating against NEET question paper leaks in Bihar last month.

Congress stands with tribals staging ‘satyagraha’ against ‘Ken-Betwa project’, will pressure government: Rahul

Expressing support for the tribals staging a ‘satyagraha’ against the Ken-Betwa river-linking project, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) said he stands with them in this struggle and will visit the site to exert pressure on the government.

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha shared on X a video of his recent meeting with a group of tribals affected by the project. “The problems, demands, struggles, and personal ordeals of the tribal brothers and sisters who are carrying out a satyagraha against the Ken-Betwa project — their own account. For years, these residents of Bundelkhand have been enduring injustice and oppression solely for their rights; they deserve respect and support,” Mr. Gandhi said in his post.

Published - August 19, 2026 06:03 pm IST