FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI | Friday, 28 August 2026 SPORTS PERSPECTIVE EDITORIAL The airport we never see NATION Setting a direction Page 6 Nepal flash floods highlight risks for wider Brahmaputra basin Page 7 Page 8 Dinusha’s seven-hour vigil helps Sri Lanka avoid whitewash in Colombo Page 12 Nepal-Tibet border disaster: Death toll rises to 359, 288 Indians missing PARWINDER SANDHU New Delhi, 27 August A t least 359 people have been killed in devastating floods and mudslides along the Nepal-Tibet border, while 288 Indian nationals remain missing and around 200 others are stranded on the Chinese side, as rescue and relief operations continue amid widespread destruction and severely disrupted communication networks. Nepali police said on Thursday that at least 359 people had died in the flooding that struck the Himalayan border region a day earlier. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India was in constant contact with authorities in Nepal and China to coordinate the rescue and evacuation of its citizens affected by the disaster. In a post on X, Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) warned of the possibility of another major flood after the flow of the Lhende River was obstructed around 18 kilometres above the Rasuwagadhi border area, leading to the formation of a lake covering about 0.11 square kilometres. Authorities urged people living in downstream areas to remain highly vigilant. Nepal said the flash flood, which struck the Bhote Koshi River at around 8:40 a.m. local time on Wednesday, had affected riverine areas in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and other districts, causing extensive loss of life and property. The Nepal government has intensified search, rescue and relief operations and appealed for financial assistance to support immediate relief as well as long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction. Briefing reporters on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described the situation as “dynamic”, saying CM Adhikari outlines new growth path for West Bengal STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 27 August The BJP government in Bengal will take the state towards socio-economic progress and prosperity by adhering to the principles of cooperative federalism, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Thursday. Speaking at an event organised by TV9 Media Group to mark the first 100 days of the new administration, Mr Adhikari said this was precisely where the previous Mamata Banerjee-led government had faltered, pushing the state backwards. Mr Adhikari alleged that the former government had “miserably failed” to follow cooperative federalism, opposing almost every proposal from the Centre and thereby stalling several beneficial projects. Ambitious initiatives such as a new airport, a new port, and other major infrastructure projects never materialised due to this obstructionist approach, he said. The new government has already begun clearing these projects on a fast-track basis, he said. Outlining his administration’s priorities, Mr Adhikari emphasised education, healthcare, rule of law, transparency, and zero tolerance for corruption. He asserted that, like the BJP government at the Centre, the state government would follow a “nation first” philosophy without compromise. Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister inaugurated LTM’s new Global Delivery & AI Competency Center in Kolkata. The facility, part of L&T Group’s long-term commitment to West Bengal, will serve as a strategic technology and innovation hub. The centre represents a significant milestone in LTM’s growth journey in India, reflecting continued investment in regional expansion, talent development, and technology innovation. communication networks across several affected districts had been badly damaged, making it difficult to establish contact with people on the ground. “The three or four districts that are affected by this, all the communication channels are broken. So, we are not able to talk to anyone,” he said. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu is coordinating with government authorities, project officials, tour operators and state governments to verify the safety and whereabouts of Indian nationals. The government has not given any codename to the ongoing rescue and evacuation effort. Mr Jaiswal said 73 Indian citizens were working at the Trishuli 1 power project, with the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu remaining in touch with the project head to obtain further information about them. • Details: Page 9 PM Modi to attend SCO summit in Kyrgyz Republic STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 27 August Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a four-day visit to Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic from 29 August, primarily to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with SCO leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. The Russian President and the Chinese President are also expected to participate in the BRICS Summit to be held in New Delhi on 12-13 September. PM Modi urges India to expand Olympic footprint ahead of 2036 Games STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 27 August Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for the country to expand its presence across Olympic sports, particularly in disciplines where it has traditionally had little or no representation, as part of its preparations for the 2036 Olympics. Speaking virtually to youngsters during the Khelo India Dialogue, Mr Modi said India’s limited participation across Olympic disciplines had restricted its medal opportunities and stressed the need to identify and develop talent from an early age. “This time, from the Red Fort, I drew the country’s attention to a major challenge in sports. This challenge is related to the Olympics. The bitter truth is that India’s teams don’t participate in half of the sports that are a part of the Olympics,” PM Modi said. He pointed out that India’s participation had remained limited over the years, directly affecting its chances of winning medals. “That is, we do not compete for a very large part of the medal tally. And this has been the situation for a long time now. In the 2012 Olympics, India participated in only 13 sports. In more than 20 sports, India did not participate,” he said. PM Modi said India should look beyond its traditional strengths and develop expertise in sports such as surfing and sports climbing, where the country’s geography could offer an advantage. “There are so many sports whose names people in the country have probably heard of. Other countries win medals in those sports. And we do not participate in those sports. We have to acquire the skills in these sports to increase the medal tally in these sports as well. For example, surfing and sports climbing,” the PM said. Nepal flash floods: 32 from Bengal untraced, says CM STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 27 August Thirty-two people from West Bengal, mainly residents of Kolkata and Chandannagar, are missing following the devastating flash floods in Nepal, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Thursday. “Thirty two people from our state are still untraced. We have come to know that the missing tourists had travelled to Nepal with a tourism company,” the chief minister said at the state secretariat Nabanna. He said the government has contacted families of at least seven missing persons. “We will extend all possible assistance to bring these tourists back,” Mr Adhikari said. The missing people were part of a group that had travelled from Kolkata for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, according to Nabanna sources. The state government released a list during the day containing the names and addresses of all 32 missing people and said it is coordinating with the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu and the Nepalese authorities to trace them. According to the list, six of the missing persons are from the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate area, three from the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate area and four from areas under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Others are from Hooghly, South 24-Parganas, West Burdwan and Darjeeling districts. 18th BRICS Summit set for 12-13 September in New Delhi: MEA New Delhi: India will host the 18th BRICS Summit on 12-13 September at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, bringing together leaders of the member nations and partner countries as well as outreach invitees, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Friday. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to attend the summit. However, there is still a question mark on whether Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman, who has also been invited, will attend the summit, given the current state of Dhaka’s relations with India. The MEA said India’s BRICS Chairship is guided by the theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.