The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh plans to buy essential goods worth nearly Tk 8,000 crore in fiscal 2026-27 to help stabilize the market. The state marketing agency will procure edible oil, lentils, sugar, chickpeas and dates, according to TCB Chairman Brigadier General Mohammad Foysal Azad. TCB initially plans to source roughly half of the goods domestically and the rest from international markets.

Under its procurement plan, TCB will buy 220 million litres of edible oil, 220,000 metric tonnes of lentils, 110,000 metric tonnes of sugar, 14,000 metric tonnes of chickpeas and 4,400 metric tonnes of dates from local and foreign sources. It is regularly monitoring monthly demand, allocations, warehouse stocks and pipeline supplies to ensure uninterrupted distribution.

TCB currently has 40 warehouses with total capacity of about 48,370 metric tonnes and aims to add nearly 10,000 metric tonnes of storage capacity. About 8 million smart cards have been approved, with around 7.5 million distributed. The agency also plans point-of-sale machines and a mobile system for beneficiaries to access card information and make payments digitally.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Md Mostaqur Rahman instructed the chairman and managing director of Sammilito Islami Bank PLC to protect depositors’ interests and normalize the bank’s operations. The instructions were issued on Tuesday morning during a meeting with Chairman Kazi Shairul Hasan and Managing Director Abedur Rahman Sikdar.

The governor said the finance minister had announced in parliament that there would be no “haircut” on depositors’ profits. He said some uncertainty remained among depositors and directed the bank to clearly inform all depositors that no haircut would apply to their profits.

According to the governor, depositors are already receiving funds under a policy announced on December 29, 2025. He also directed the bank to make necessary arrangements so individual depositors can withdraw principal amounts as needed from Al-Wadiah current accounts, Mudaraba savings accounts and Mudaraba term deposits from September 1. Deputy governors Dr Md Habibur Rahman, Dr Md Kabir Ahmed, Md Sarwar Hossain and Md Anisur Rahman were present at the meeting.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moeen Khan said Danish cooperation could play an effective role in addressing Dhaka’s growing demand for safe water and its water crisis. He made the remarks on Tuesday, August 25, during a meeting at the Secretariat with Danish Ambassador to Bangladesh Christian Brix Moller. State Minister for Local Government Mir Shah Alam also attended.

The meeting discussed strengthening Bangladesh-Denmark bilateral relations, expanding cooperation in water supply and waste management, and possible Danish investment in development projects. Khan said Denmark could be an important partner in water supply, waste management and development assistance, including opportunities to invest in producing energy from waste. The ambassador congratulated the minister on assuming his new responsibilities and expressed hope for broader cooperation.

Participants also discussed Danish financing and support for Phase 3 of the Saidabad Water Treatment Plant project. The Danish government will provide Tk 45 billion, including Tk 15 billion as a grant and Tk 30 billion in low-interest loans. Mir Shah Alam said the assistance was a major achievement and that implementation could substantially ease pressure from Dhaka’s increasing demand for safe water while reducing the government’s financial burden.

Singapore plans to create a new western island by reclaiming land from the sea and combining several existing islands to meet future industrial, energy and defence needs. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced the plan at a recent National Day Rally. The project is expected to be developed over the coming decades south of Jurong Island, a major industrial and energy hub.

The proposed island would combine Pulau Semakau, Pulau Bukom, Pulau Sudong and several other islands. Analysts say it could provide substantial space for future industrial and energy infrastructure, including hydrogen, ammonia, advanced manufacturing and lower-carbon energy systems. The development could also strengthen industrial activities on Jurong Island.

Experts have also identified potential for nuclear power infrastructure on the new island, although Singapore has not made a final decision on using nuclear energy and further research and detailed studies are needed. Major costs are expected for reclamation, transport, power and utility infrastructure. Rising sea levels, emergency connectivity and environmental impacts may pose significant challenges. The plan is also intended to improve energy security through greater alternatives and resilience.

The United States has imposed sanctions on four Indian companies, alleging their involvement in dealings with Iran and purchases of Iranian energy products. The US State Department announced the measures on Monday, naming Portis Partner LLP, Sadashiv Overseas Limited, PR Softtech Private Limited and Prakrutis Infra Impex India Private Limited.

According to the State Department, the companies were involved in importing, storing, transferring and selling Iranian oil, while also helping Iran export oil. The measures are part of Washington’s continuing economic campaign against Iran, called “Operation Economic Outcast.” The policy targets people and entities worldwide linked to Iran’s military and energy sectors.

US authorities said Portage Partners directly helped supply large quantities of Iranian petrochemical products to India, and sanctions also cover its partners Idrismia Ashrafmia Sheikh and Harish Ramchandra Rangi. Sadashiv Overseas imported about $69 million in Iranian oil products between February 2024 and June 2025, while PR Softtech imported about $25 million in petrochemicals during that period. Prakrutis Infra Impex imported $25 million in Iranian goods between May 2023 and February 2026. US-held property is to be blocked and transactions generally prohibited.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Andaleeve Rahman Partho said Dhaka wants the return of not only deposed Sheikh Hasina but also all fugitives. He made the remarks to journalists at the Secretariat in the capital on Tuesday afternoon. The minister also said the government would not control the media.

Partho said no enforced disappearance had occurred in the country over the past six months. He said Bangladesh has sufficient fertilizer stocks and faces no shortage, although irregularities are occurring in distribution in some areas.

The minister said the current government did not come to power in normal circumstances and is passing through a sensitive period. He said the government would move forward if it retained public support. He also said there was no alternative to socially boycotting those who seek to establish fascism from an intellectual position.

Singapore has called on Israel to stop its planned expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank, saying such settlements violate international law. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated Monday that plans for new construction in the E1 area would further fragment the territory and seriously damage prospects for a two-state solution.

The ministry also voiced deep concern over increased violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. It said Israel must take firm action to end violence against Palestinian civilians and hold those responsible for attacks accountable. Singapore described a negotiated two-state solution, based on relevant UN Security Council resolutions, as the only effective path to a just and lasting resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On August 18, the Israeli government invited tenders for more than 1,200 housing units in E1, an area of about 12 square kilometres near East Jerusalem. Around 3,700 Palestinians, mostly Bedouin residents from 18 villages, live there. The plan could make connections between East Jerusalem and the West Bank more difficult. Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Canada have also raised concerns.

The United States has imposed sanctions on Singapore-based commodities trading company Wellbred Capital over alleged ties to Iran, according to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. OFAC announced the action on its website Monday, Reuters reported. Washington also alleged that the company is linked to Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, son of the late Iranian senior security official Ali Shamkhani.

The Treasury Department said Wellbred Capital is effectively controlled by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, who operates a large fleet of tankers and cargo ships. It said the vessels transport Iranian and Russian oil to buyers around the world. The department said Shamkhani built Wellbred Capital outside Iran’s core business network while retaining control over its operations.

The sanctions also cover Wellbred Capital branches in Dubai and Geneva, as well as a biofuel refinery in France. The Treasury Department said the measure forms part of a wider US campaign targeting companies and governments accused of helping move Iranian oil and money abroad. The source said Ali Shamkhani was killed in air strikes launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.

The United States has sought information on five senior officials of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, offering a reward of up to $10 million and possible relocation assistance. The appeal was issued by the US State Department’s Rewards for Justice programme in a notice posted on X yesterday.

The officials named are IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi, Ali Abdollahi, head of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, and Saeed Aghajani, commander of the Aerospace Force drone unit. The list also includes Hamidreza Lashgarian, head of the Cyber Electronic Command, and Majid Khademi, commander of the intelligence division.

The State Department said submitted information must be capable of helping authorities take action against the five officials. It said people providing qualifying information may be considered eligible for both the reward, capped at $10 million, and relocation benefits.

Argentina’s Swiss Medical health insurer acknowledged that medical test reports submitted to an investigating medical commission under Diego Armando Maradona’s name were actually records belonging to his father, Diego Salustiano Maradona. The error emerged in the ongoing medical negligence case over the Argentine football legend’s death, with documents seen by AFP indicating that the reports dated from 2015, the year his father died.

A lawyer representing one of seven health professionals on trial brought the mistake to public attention last week. Swiss Medical admitted the serious error in a letter filed with the court. The case concerns allegations by Maradona’s family that there was serious negligence in his medical treatment.

Maradona died in November 2020 at age 60, two weeks after successful surgery for a brain bleed. The source says his death involved cardiac arrest and acute pulmonary edema. The widely watched trial began in mid-April this year and is expected to continue at least until September.

Japan is seeing fewer people visit its beaches while erosion and climate change are causing sandy shorelines to disappear, forcing closures at several popular sites. Otake Coast Hokota Beach in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, once known as Ibaraki’s Gold Coast, was not officially opened in 2026 for the second time in three years because of severe erosion and damage to sea-defence embankments.

Visitor numbers have fallen sharply at other beaches. Osaka’s Tokimeki Beach received 101,000 visitors in 2016 but 33,000 in 2025, while Kumanoe Beach in Miyazaki Prefecture declined from about 25,000 visitors in 2005 to only 1,000 in 2025. Nationwide beach attendance dropped from about 37.9 million in 1985 to 4.4 million in 2024, while approved summer beaches fell from 1,379 in 1993 to 966 in 2025.

Experts cite changing lifestyles, extreme heat, declining interest and environmental damage. Sea level along Japan’s coast has risen by an average 3.4 millimetres annually over two decades. A 2025 sand replenishment project at Hokota cost about 40 million yen, but waves removed 12,000 cubic metres of sand within months.

Argentina defeated India 5-3 in a crucial Hockey World Cup pool match in Amstelveen, securing a place in the semifinals after 12 years. The result confirmed India’s elimination from the tournament. Argentina started aggressively, with Joaquin Toscani scoring in the first minute and Nicolas Della Torre extending the lead to 2-0 in the sixth minute.

Argentina increased their attacking momentum in the second half. Tomas Domene scored twice, in the 33rd and 45th minutes, to make it 4-0. Toscani then completed his second goal in the 53rd minute, giving Argentina a commanding 5-0 advantage.

India attempted a late comeback through two field goals from Sukhjit Singh in the 34th and 58th minutes, while Hardik Singh scored from a penalty stroke in the 36th minute. The fightback was not enough to avoid defeat. Defensive mistakes and Argentina’s planned attacking play ended India’s hopes, while Argentina secured a historic place in the last four.

Bagerhat District Detective Police recovered 59 allegedly stolen mobile phone sets with altered International Mobile Equipment Identity, or IMEI, numbers during a raid in Fakirhat. The operation was conducted at 9:40pm on Monday night at the mobile phone shops Rezaul Rahman Palash and Pushpa Telecom. Four people were detained in connection with the recovery.

The detainees were identified as Rezaur Rahman Palash, 34, of Pagla Shyamnagar in Fakirhat; Mohammad Wahidul Islam, 26, of Ataikathi in Bagerhat; Chandan Saha, 30, of Ghatbhog under Rupsa police station; and Huchhain Khan, son of Jahangir Khan of Bhat Baliaghata. Bagerhat Police Superintendent Hasan Mohammad Naser Rikabdar disclosed the information at a press briefing at his office on Tuesday morning.

The police superintendent said every mobile phone has an IMEI number used to identify the device, but members of the alleged theft ring changed those numbers. Three additional people linked to the group fled during the recovery operation. Police have filed a case against both the detained and absconding individuals and are continuing efforts to arrest those who fled. A process has also begun to return the recovered phones to their actual owners.

At least 20 sailors and port workers have been killed in the Strait of Hormuz since fighting between Iran and the United States-Israel began in late February this year, according to the International Maritime Organization. The deaths occurred in 68 incidents on the strategic waterway, the IMO said.

The organization reported that a further 35 people were injured in the incidents, while one person remains missing. It said most of the events were classified directly as “attacks.”

Based on IMO calculations, one incident has occurred on average every 2.6 days since the conflict began. The source did not provide further details on the individual incidents, the identities of those killed or injured, or the vessels and ports involved.

Three-wheeler drivers staged a blockade at Rahmatpur bus stand on the Barishal-Dhaka highway from 9am Tuesday, stopping internal-route bus services. Protesters turned back buses operating on the highway, leaving passengers travelling from Barishal to upazilas and other internal destinations facing severe disruption. Students, office commuters and people travelling for urgent needs were among those affected.

Driver Abdullah Mamun alleged that Mahindra and easy-bike drivers departing from Nathullabad in Barishal city are repeatedly obstructed by bus owners' association and workers' union activists. He alleged workers strike vehicles with sticks when drivers try to stop at Nathullabad bus terminal to pick up passengers. Bus owners, meanwhile, say unauthorized three-wheelers on the highway are causing financial losses, passenger shortages and increased accident risks.

The dispute over passenger transport has continued for a long time, according to the drivers. Bus owners and workers had begun a protest on Monday afternoon, halting long-distance services from Barishal, following allegations that several buses were vandalized near Shimultala on the Barishal-Banaripara route. Police are discussing the situation with both sides, and Airport Police Station officer-in-charge Md Shakhawat Hossain said traffic was expected to resume soon.