Iran has demanded compensation for pollution accumulated over recent decades in the Persian Gulf and nearby waters. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei made the demand in a post on X on August 13, saying parties that profit from commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have legal and moral responsibility to address environmental damage in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

On Wednesday, a thick black layer of oil washed onto a beach on Iran’s Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz. A CNN video verified through geolocation showed the oil spreading. Baghaei described the incident as only one visible example of pollution, saying the waters and marine ecosystem of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman have suffered extensive and long-term contamination for decades.

Baghaei said damage to Iran’s coastal areas has reached trillions of dollars. He questioned whether compensation should come from countries using cheap energy, shipping insurance companies, or countries and allies he said had turned the two waterways into sites for military operations and tests of weapons of mass destruction. Oman’s environmental authority said oil from a sanctioned tanker carrying Russian crude had also reached beaches in Ras Madrakah.

Europe is now about 2.5 degrees Celsius warmer than in the pre-industrial era, nearly twice the global average warming rate, according to a report published on August 13, 2026. The article says climate change and fossil-fuel emissions are trapping additional heat in the atmosphere, while heatwaves during the current summer have killed thousands of people across Europe.

The report identifies four main factors behind Europe’s faster warming: changing weather patterns, proximity to the Arctic, declining snow cover and reduced air pollution. Shifts in atmospheric circulation have increased the frequency of intense, prolonged summer heatwaves, including a severe heatwave linked to a “heat dome” in June 2026. Europe is also strongly affected by rapid Arctic warming because of its geographic proximity.

Snow loss reduces the reflection of sunlight that helps keep land cool; in March 2025, European snow cover was about 1.3 million square kilometres below its long-term average. Lower air pollution has also reduced the cooling effect of particles that reflect sunlight. Scientists have not yet determined each factor’s precise contribution. UN climate chief Simon Stiell called for emissions cuts, a rapid transition to renewable energy and urgent protection from heatwaves.

Residents of nine villages in Mirzapur Union of Sherpur upazila, Bogura, have faced persistent waterlogging for about five years after mills, factories and blocked culverts disrupted drainage. The report, published on August 13, 2026, said suffering has intensified during the current monsoon, with mosques, homes, schools and rural roads submerged. Many residents have left ancestral homesteads after water entered their houses.

At least 5,000 people are waterbound in Mirzapur, Ramcharanmukund, Darimukund, Kanaikandar, Rajbari, Hatigara, Arangshail, Madanpur and Krishnapur. Children have stopped going to school, while stagnant dirty water has been linked to skin and waterborne diseases. About 5,000 bighas of farmland remain uncultivated; the land previously produced 20 to 25 maunds of boro rice per bigha.

Local farmers said 60 bighas of their land have remained underwater for four years, causing annual losses of about Tk25 lakh. Union Parishad chairman Jahidul Islam acknowledged blocked water flow. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Saiduzzaman said officials inspected the area and would take effective steps, including through a government project, to address the waterlogging.

Two elephants, including Raju Bahadur, died at Gazipur Safari Park in Sreepur, Gazipur. Park acting officer Tarek Rahman confirmed the deaths on the evening of August 12. Raju Bahadur died on the morning of August 7 after about two and a half months of treatment. Another adult elephant, which had been ill for a long time after bacterial infection, died a day earlier on August 6.

According to park authorities, Raju Bahadur was seriously injured on May 24 when another elephant attacked him while he was chained in the elephant shed. He fell to the ground, and examinations found one broken leg and severe injuries to another leg. Treatment began under domestic and foreign specialist doctors. As his condition became critical, specialist wildlife veterinarians were brought from Thailand on June 4, while several medical boards also advised on his care.

Samples from both dead elephants have been sent to a laboratory for testing. With Forest Department permission, the animals were buried inside the park. Forest Department and park sources said Raju Bahadur was rescued in January 2025 from Narayanganj, where he was allegedly used to collect extortion money from people on roads and in markets. The park now has eight elephants.

Residents, civil defense workers and environmental groups have accused Israeli forces of deliberately setting fires that are damaging forests, farmland and homes in southern Lebanon. Local officials said Israeli forces fired flares into woodland outside Khiam on Tuesday, after which a fire spread. Nabatieh civil defense chief Hussein Fakih said firefighters responding to blazes had come under drone attack and were forced to withdraw for safety.

Although a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel took effect on June 17, rescue workers and video footage indicate that fires have continued in southern Lebanon. Fakih estimated that about 30 to 40 percent of land near the border and combat zones had been affected, while noting he had no precise figures. He alleged the use of incendiary bombs, small drones dispersing flammable material, white phosphorus shells and illumination flares. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment.

Kfarchouba civil defense chief Samir Hardan said permission restrictions also limited firefighting operations. Environmental advocates warned of long-term damage to biodiversity and livelihoods. Yaroun Mayor Hafez Ghasem said satellite images bought by displaced residents showed 880 of the village's 900 homes had been bulldozed, and alleged that olive and fruit orchards were also set on fire.

The Jhenaidah district administration conducted a mobile court operation against the stockpiling and sale of banned polythene in T Bazar on KPBosu Road in Jhenaidah town on Wednesday afternoon. The operation fined two traders a total of Tk2,000 and seized an estimated 32 kilograms of illegal polythene shopping bags.

Nazneen Sultana, assistant commissioner (land) of Jhenaidah Sadar Upazila and executive magistrate, led the operation. The two traders were found guilty and fined under the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, according to the report.

Muntasir Rahman, assistant director of the Jhenaidah district Department of Environment, served as prosecutor during the operation. Assistant Engineer Ahsanul Kabir of the Roads and Highways Department and a team from Jhenaidah district police provided overall assistance.

A severe storm on Monday night flattened most of a 30-decimal sugarcane field owned by farmer Md Jahangir Alam in Balikhara village of Burichang upazila, Cumilla. Alam said the damage has shattered his hopes of a good harvest after a year of work and borrowed investment. He fears losses exceeding Tk 100,000 after finding much of his crop lying on the ground the following morning.

Alam said he had taken loans of more than Tk 100,000 to cultivate the sugarcane, expecting crop sales to repay the debt and cover family expenses. On Tuesday afternoon, he was trying to raise the fallen stalks in his field. Local farmers Solaiman and Sohel Rana said he would face substantial losses because the crop had been planted with borrowed money, and called for government support.

Burichang Upazila Agriculture Officer Afrina Akter said officials would inspect the damaged field and assess the losses. She said the relevant authorities would be informed about providing agricultural advice and bringing the affected farmer under government assistance, depending on the situation. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Tanvir Hossain also said the administration would seek information about the farmer and try to provide necessary assistance.

Local firefighters and residents have accused the Israeli military of deliberately causing wildfires in southern Lebanon through attacks and shelling. The Guardian reported on August 12, 2026, that fires have spread through forests, olive groves and farmland despite a ceasefire, allegedly due to drones, incendiary shells and flares.

Hussein Fakih, head of Civil Defense in the Nabatieh area, said most recent operations had become limited to firefighting. He said about 30 to 40 percent of land in border areas had been damaged by fire. Environmentalists described the fires as part of a long-running pattern of environmental destruction in southern Lebanon.

They said damage to forests, ancient olive trees and wildlife habitats threatens biodiversity and local livelihoods. Hafez Ghasham of Yaroun alleged that after Israeli forces destroyed most homes in his village, they also set fire to remaining olive trees and fruit orchards. Local residents say the actions seek to make the area uninhabitable and erase signs of their history, culture and livelihoods. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment on the recent fire allegations.

Wildfires across Indonesia have burned more than 107,000 hectares and sent smoke into neighboring Malaysia, where air pollution has reached unhealthy levels in parts of Sarawak. In the small Sarawak town of Serian, the air pollution index measured 195 on Wednesday morning, according to the report published on August 12. At least nine areas of Sarawak recorded unhealthy air quality as haze from the Indonesian fires spread across the border.

Indonesian authorities are using aircraft for cloud seeding to create artificial rainfall as they struggle to contain the fires. Response efforts are being prioritized in six provinces: Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and Riau. These regions contain extensive peatlands that can burn easily during dry seasons. Schools in several fire-hit provinces have been closed for three days.

In Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, resident Darwin Romi said fires had persisted for more than a month, with dense smoke causing eye irritation and a strong odor. A water shortage has also hampered firefighting. About 550 hectares burned in East Java’s Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park before the fire was controlled on Monday, while the area has remained closed to tourists since August 8 amid renewed fire concerns.

Bangladesh’s Meteorological Department has instructed four seaports to display local warning signal No. 3 after a low-pressure area formed over the northern Bay of Bengal and the adjoining West Bengal-Bangladesh coast. The information was issued in a notice signed by meteorologist Dr Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik at about 10:15am on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.

The notice said the low-pressure system may intensify. Gusty winds could sweep across the northern Bay of Bengal and Bangladesh’s coastal areas as a result. The warning was issued because of the risk of such winds affecting maritime and coastal conditions.

The directive applies to the seaports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra. Fishing boats and trawlers operating in the northern Bay of Bengal have also been asked to remain close to the coast and move carefully until further instructions are issued. The notice reiterated the possibility that the low-pressure area could become more concentrated and bring gusty winds over coastal areas.

Bangladesh’s Meteorological Department said rainfall is likely to increase across the country from August 13 to 19 as a new low-pressure area may form over the northwestern Bay of Bengal by Wednesday. Meteorologist AKM Nazmul Haque said Wednesday may be relatively dry, though rain will continue in varying amounts during the monsoon season. Heavy rain is possible in some areas.

Coastal areas are expected to receive more rainfall during the period. Haque said heavy to very heavy rain may occur, but the likelihood of prolonged very heavy rainfall similar to earlier episodes is lower. In the 24 hours ending at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dhaka recorded 35 millimetres of rain, while Gopalganj recorded the highest total, 61 millimetres.

Lower rainfall contributed to warmer, humid conditions nationwide on Tuesday. Rajarhat in Kurigram recorded the highest temperature at 36.4 degrees Celsius, while Dhaka recorded 35.5 degrees. Forecasts said several divisions could receive rain or thunderstorms with gusty winds on Wednesday and Thursday, with moderate heavy rainfall possible in isolated places. The department also said rainfall tendency may rise over the following five days.

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu said the Teesta Master Plan is closely linked to the prosperity of Bangladesh’s northern region and could eliminate disasters such as floods and drought if implemented. He made the remarks on August 11 at a progress briefing workshop in the capital’s BIAM auditorium, saying the current patriotic democratic government is committed to implementing the plan.

Dulu said people in the six-season country have grown up alongside disasters, which strike in various forms regularly. He said the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry stands beside people who lose everything during such crises. The minister described the Teesta plan as important to the fortune and development of the northern population.

The workshop concerned a project to improve flood early-warning and communication systems at the local level, implemented by the Department of Disaster Management under the Prabhati project. It is being carried out in 19 flood-prone upazilas of Gaibandha, Kurigram and Jamalpur in the northwest. According to Dulu, the initiative helps local communities address flood risks through improved seasonal flood forecasting and the dissemination of advance warnings.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s traffic division filed 915 cases in July against vehicles emitting black smoke in the capital. The cases were brought during operations in different areas of Dhaka aimed at preventing environmental pollution and stopping excessive black smoke emissions from vehicles using the roads.

Among DMP’s eight traffic divisions, Motijheel recorded the highest number with 354 cases. Wari filed 172 cases, Tejgaon 131, Uttara 128 and Gulshan 56. Mirpur registered 36 cases, Ramna 34 and Lalbagh four, according to DMP traffic division sources.

The traffic division said it conducts such operations regularly as part of efforts to curb pollution caused by black smoke-emitting vehicles. It said the drives and legal action against vehicles responsible for black smoke emissions will continue.

About 650,000 native tree seedlings have been planted on government forest land and other sites in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, under a mega plan to plant 2.5 billion trees. The initiative aims to maintain environmental balance, restore forest areas, conserve biodiversity and address the effects of climate change. Planting took place on forest department land across Rajapalong, Palongkhali, Jaliapalong, Ratnapalong and Haldia Palong unions.

The programme includes nearly 30 species, including garjan, neem, champa, chalta, bahera, arjun, jarul, kadam, shimul, sonalu, palash, teak, mahogany, banyan and sissoo. On Sunday, State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Sheikh Faridul Islam inspected a 150-hectare fast-growing plantation of mixed native species created in the 2025-26 fiscal year under the HELP project at the Thaingkhali Beat of Ukhiya Range.

The state minister expressed satisfaction with seedling growth and maintenance work and planted one neem and one chapalish seedling. Forest officials said regular weeding, maintenance, monitoring and guarding are underway. They expect that if the programme is implemented successfully and seedlings survive, green cover in Ukhiya’s hilly areas will increase over the coming years, while helping curb soil erosion and create habitat for birds and other wildlife.

The death toll from a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Colombia has risen to 132, with more than 480 people injured, according to the report published on August 11, 2026. The quake struck Chocó province at 7:34 a.m. local time on Monday, at a depth of about 107 kilometres near San José del Palmar. Authorities fear more people may remain trapped beneath collapsed buildings, raising the prospect of further casualties.

Tremors were felt across Colombia and in neighbouring Venezuela and Ecuador, though no tsunami warning was issued. Risaralda province, known for coffee production, was among the worst-hit areas. In Pereira and nearby districts, at least 40 people died and 65 buildings collapsed. People were feared trapped in the rubble of 15 of those structures, while a curfew was imposed in parts of Pereira until 5 a.m. Tuesday.

President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a national disaster situation, enabling special government powers and possible budget reallocations. More than 1,500 homes were damaged nationwide, he said. Several regional airports were affected, while Bogotá reported cracks in some buildings but no major infrastructure damage.