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U.S. President Donald Trump is meeting face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday for a high-stakes summit that could determine not only the trajectory of the war in Ukraine but also the fate of European security, Associated Press reported.

The sit-down offers Trump a chance to prove to the world that he is both a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker. He and his allies have cast him as a heavyweight negotiator who can find a way to bring the slaughter to a close — something he used to boast he could do quickly.

For Putin, a summit with Trump offers a long-sought opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia’s gains, block Kyiv’s bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow’s orbit.

There are significant risks for Trump. By bringing Putin onto U.S. soil, the president is giving Russia’s leader the validation he desires after his ostracization following his invasion of Ukraine 3 1/2 years ago. The exclusion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from the summit also deals a heavy blow to the West’s policy of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” and invites the possibility that Trump could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want, according to Associated Press.

The U.S. Agency for International Development did not monitor the uses of 5,175 Starlink terminals sent to Ukraine, with nearly half of the operational units ending up in areas fully or partly held by Moscow, according to a report by the agency's internal watchdog, Reuters reported.

USAID's inspector general found that the agency failed to keep track of the terminals of Elon Musk's satellite internet service because it had accepted a higher risk of misuse due to "the complex wartime environment" and Ukraine's urgent need for them.

"As a result, USAID did not know where the terminals were or how they were used," said the report dated August 11 that was reviewed by Reuters.

In response, USAID said it was impractical to track the terminals once they were handed to Ukraine because of the dangerous wartime conditions and the "unprecedented emergency" created by Russian strikes on communications systems, according to Reuters.

The European Union has sent two firefighting planes to Spain to help battle raging wildfires, after the country activated the bloc's disaster assistance mechanism for the first time, Reuters reported.

The assistance comes as the country recorded a third wildfire-related death on Thursday morning.

There are concerns the wildfires could continue to spread. Spain's state weather agency Aemet forecasts that a heatwave will continue until Monday, with temperatures of up to 44C in some areas, as well as moderate winds.

Spain is the fifth European nation to request assistance with fighting wildfires. In Greece, 25,000 acres of land have burned since Tuesday, according to Reuters.

The monsoon is gradually getting weak with its low pressure line shifting to the south from the average position, the Meteorological Forecasting Division stated. 

This afternoon, the hilly areas of the country, including the Sudurpaschim Province are likely to have cloudy weather while the remaining areas will see partial cloud cover. 

The division forecasts moderate rainfall in some places of the hilly areas of Sudurpaschim Province and a couple of places in the Terai. 

Similarly, the hilly areas of the country, including the Koshi Province, will generally have cloudy weather, while other areas will see partial clouds tonight. 

As indicated, there is a chance of moderate rainfall in some places of the hilly areas of Gandaki Province, as well as in the Tarai, Bagmati, Lumbini, and Karnali Provinces. 

In view of the risk of landslides and an increase in water levels in large and small rivers and streams, and potential disruptions in transportation, the division has urged the general public to stay alert with preparedness. 

U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is ready to end his war in Ukraine, speaking on the eve of Friday's summit between the men, but that peace would likely require at least a second meeting involving Ukraine's leader, Reuters reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his European allies have intensified their efforts this week to prevent any deal between the U.S. and Russia emerging from Friday's summit in Alaska that leaves Ukraine vulnerable to future attack.

"I think President Putin will make peace, I think President Zelenskiy will make peace," Trump told reporters at the White House. "We'll see if they get along."

Trump has downplayed talk of a ceasefire emerging from the summit and speculated about a possible second meeting to come, involving more leaders, according to Reuters.

Flash floods have killed 46 people in a village hosting Hindu pilgrims in Indian-administered Kashmir, BBC reported.

The flooding took place in the remote village of Chositi in Kishtwar district, which is on a busy pilgrimage route to a famous shrine in the Himalayas. 

Videos shared online showed dramatic flood waters, vehicles being washed away and rescuers searching for survivors in damaged homes, as people cried in the streets - some caked in mud. 

Dozens of pilgrims have been evacuated to safety, but at least 50 people are feared missing, and a rescue operation is still under way, according to BBC

India and China are discussing resuming border trade five years after it was halted, foreign ministry officials on both sides have said, as US tariffs disrupt the global trade order. Past trade across the icy and high-altitude Himalayan border passes between the neighbours was usually small in volume, but any resumption is significant for its symbolism. The two major economic powers have long competed for strategic influence across South Asia, AFP reported.

But caught in global trade and geopolitical turbulence triggered by US President Donald Trump’s tariff regime, the countries have moved to mend ties. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected for talks in New Delhi on Monday, according to Indian media, after his counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Beijing in July. That, as well as agreements to resume direct flights and issue tourist visas, has been seen as an effort to rebuild a relationship damaged after a deadly border clash in 2020 between their nations’ troops.

“For a long time, China-India border trade cooperation has played an important role in improving the lives of people living along the border,” China’s foreign ministry said in a statement to AFP on Thursday. It added that the two sides have “reached a consensus on cross-border exchanges and cooperation, including resumption of border trade.”

New Delhi’s junior foreign minister, Kirti Vardhan Singh, told parliament last week that “India has engaged with the Chinese side to facilitate the resumption of border trade.” No restart date was given by either side. Successive US administrations have seen India as a longstanding ally with like-minded interests when it comes to China. India is part of the Quad security alliance with the United States, as well as Australia and Japan, according to AFP.

But ties between New Delhi and Washington have been strained by Trump’s ultimatum for India to end its purchases of Russian oil, a key source of revenue for Moscow as it wages its military offensive in Ukraine. The United States will double new import tariffs on India from 25 percent to 50 percent by Aug 27 if New Delhi does not switch crude suppliers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to Indian media, might also visit China in late August. It would be Modi’s first visit since 2018, although it has not been confirmed officially. Beijing has said that ‘China welcomes Prime Minister Modi’ for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit opening on Aug 31, AFP reported.

Deputy Prime Ministers, ministers and Chief Secretary signed a Performance Agreement with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today for the tasks to be executed and achievements to be made during the current fiscal year on Thursday.

The Performance Agreement for the upcoming programs as well as the annual progress review of the ministry were signed and exchanged at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Singha Durbar this afternoon.

The practice of signing Performance Agreement began during Prime Minister Oli's previous term to complete the infrastructure construction and service delivery improvements within the specified time frame to fulfill the national aspiration of 'Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali'.

After the ministers sign the agreement with the Prime Minister, the ministers will have to sign the Performance Agreement with the concerned secretaries.