Photo: Patrika

Pakistan's national security advisor (NSA) Sartaj Aziz has confirmed that he will visit India for talks on 23 August. This is the first attempt by Pakistan to reach out to India after a long time. It is expected that Pakistan will talk about unrest in Balochistan and India will raise the issue of recent terrorist attacks in Gurdaspur and Udhampur. A Hindustan Times report suggested that India might also talk about slow pace of 26/11 trial and bail of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.

Photo: Patrika

In a major relief to Nestle India, the Bombay High Court on 13 August quashed the orders of FSSAI and Maharashtra food regulator FDA, which had banned nine variants of Maggi noodles in the country. The court also said that the principles of natural justice were not followed in executing the ban as the manufacturer was not given a hearing. As it so happens, Maggi might just return to stores. A Nestle India official told Hindustan Times that Maggi noodles will be available across the country within a few months. "Maggi would come into the market within two months after tests clearances. Production is not a challenge, but distribution could be," the official said.

Six people in Bangladesh, including bloggers, poets and a journalists, have received death threats on social media. Their photos were uploaded on a Facebook page called 'Ansar-BD'. "There are three anti-Islamic poets and three organisers of bloggers. They are the enemy of Islam. We should do whatever it takes," the post read. Police was immediately informed about it and an investigation was launched. The death threats come just a few days after another secular blogger, Niloy Neel, was killed by extremists in the state.

Photo: AFP

The Pakistan army has announced death penalty for six militants linked to the 16 December, 2014 attack on Army Public School in Peshawar. At least 140 people, mostly children, were killed in the attack. The Pak army said that it was a "fair trial" for the Taliban militants who carried out the operation. The shock over the attack on innocent children, had previously made Pakistan lift its seven-year moratorium on executions. As the Pakistan military's website reads, seven militants were found guilty for the attacks. One of them has been given a life sentence.

Photo: Virendra Singh Gosain/Hindustan Times /Getty Images

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party blamed the Congress on 13 August, for disruption of the monsoon session, and announced that it would launch a campaign against the party in all its 44 Lok Sabha constituencies for paralysing Parliament "without" a cause. Senior BJP leader and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launched a sharp attack on the Congress top brass, saying they cannot accept power and authority going outside their family and dubbed as a "new low" the sight of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi rushing to the Well of the Lok Sabha on 12 August. Reports further suggest that the ruling party intends to hold a special five-day Parliament session starting 31 August to pass GST.

Photo: PTI

After farmers' agitation and FTII protests, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has now extended his support to army veterans on their 'One Rank One Pension' demand. On 14 August, the Gandhi family scion landed up at Jantar Mantar where earlier in the day Delhi Police had tried to break up the OROP protest citing security reasons on the eve of Independence Day. Speaking to reporters, Gandhi said: "Veterans have given their lives for the country. They should be allowed to protest and demand their rights." He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to full fill his promise to ex-service men. The former servicemen, a group of 50, have been protesting since the last two months to call attention to the issue and have been living out of two tents at Jantar Mantar. Officials have removed one of the tents, according to media reports.

In his address to the nation on the eve of 69th Independence Day, President Pranab Mukherjee said that "our neighbours" should know that we are not blind. He said that "while we offer our hand willingly in friendship, we cannot stay blind to deliberate acts of provocation and a deteriorating security environment. India is a target of vicious terrorist groups operating from across the borders."

Without taking the country's name, in an apparent message to Pakistan, President said that our neighbours must ensure that their territory is not used by forces inimical to India which rejects any attempt to use terrorism as an instrument of state policy.

The President said except the language of violence and the cult of evil, these terrorists have no religion and adhere to no ideology.