At least six people have died in unprecedented heavy rain in eastern Japan, disrupting roads and rail services and stranding thousands at Narita Airport. The report, published on August 14, said continuous heavy rain on Thursday night prompted landslide warnings. Weather authorities issued their highest-level heavy-rain alert for the Chiba region for the first time. About 26,000 households in Chiba were without electricity as of Friday morning, according to the disaster management office.

Chiba Prefecture's disaster management office said one victim, a man in his 60s or 70s, was found floating in floodwater on a road. A 66-year-old woman died after becoming trapped inside a submerged vehicle. A total of 45 homes were flooded in cities including Ichikawa, Kashiwa and Sakura, while water entered beneath the floors of another 39 homes.

About 7,000 people were stranded overnight at Narita, one of Tokyo's two main airports. Many trains to and from the airport were cancelled until Friday afternoon, while hundreds were also stranded at Chiba Station. Hundreds of people spent the night in shelters in different areas. Social media users said airport authorities provided stranded passengers with free water, food and sleeping bags.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green declared a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Lala strengthened in the Pacific, with forecasters warning it could bring strong winds, flooding and landslides over the weekend. The National Weather Service said the storm could become a hurricane as it approaches the Big Island. The report was published on August 14, 2026.

Lala currently has winds of about 50 mph, or 80 kph, with stronger gusts. Weather officials said some areas of the Big Island could receive up to 25 inches, or 63.5 centimeters, of rainfall. The emergency declaration enables faster deployment of funding, equipment and personnel if needed to respond to damage.

Green called the storm a serious threat, particularly for Hawaii Island, and urged residents to secure their homes, gather essential supplies, review family emergency plans and follow updates from reliable official sources. About 210,000 people live on Hawaii Island. The storm's exact path remains uncertain, although forecasts indicate it may remain offshore near the coast. It could be the first tropical storm to make a direct hit on the Hawaiian Islands since 2018.

A 30-metre earthen section of the Hasnapara Spur collapsed into the Jamuna River in Hatserpur Union of Sariakandi upazila, Bogura, early Thursday. Strong river currents and a vortex caused the damage at the spur, according to the Bangladesh Water Development Board. The river level at the Sariakandi point has remained close to the danger mark for the past several days.

The Water Development Board said a newly emerged char upstream of Hasnapara No. 2 Spur, on the riverside, altered the water flow toward the country side. The redirected current struck the spur and created a vortex, leading to the collapse of its earthen base. Residents living in the area are reported to be worried by the erosion.

Sub-divisional engineer Sohel Rana said the shifted flow was hitting the spur's soil foundation because of the upstream char formation. To contain the erosion, authorities are placing sand-filled geobags and geotubes at the affected location.

Gas supply from the cargo at Summit LNG’s terminal has stopped because of rough seas, and the cargo at the terminal has also been moved away. Energy Division sources confirmed that the terminal supplied gas from Thursday afternoon before the supply was later halted. The August 14, 2026 report said the shutdown has further reduced overall gas deliveries to Bangladesh’s national grid.

Accelerate Energy’s LNG terminal is currently supplying about 190 million cubic feet of gas to the national grid. According to people concerned, the reduced supply is already affecting multiple sectors. Lower gas pressure in Dhaka and other parts of the country is increasing cooking difficulties for households, with stoves remaining off for much of the day in many areas and pressure too low for normal cooking elsewhere.

The lower pressure could also disrupt industrial production, as factories may lose production capacity without adequate gas. Power generation could be affected as well, with average load-shedding of about 3,000 megawatts during peak hours. Pressure on the national gas grid is expected to persist until Summit’s LNG supply returns to normal.

Bangladesh’s Meteorological Department on Friday morning asked four seaports to display local caution signal No. 3 as a land depression could bring squally winds to coastal areas. The system, previously over West Bengal and nearby areas, has moved west-northwest and is now located over India’s Jharkhand and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal. The warning applies to Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra seaports.

A notice signed by meteorologist Dr Md Omar Faruk said the depression may move further west-northwest before gradually weakening. The department said squally winds may pass over the northern Bay of Bengal and adjacent coastal areas of Bangladesh because of the system.

Squally weather is also possible around the seaports, according to the notice. Fishing boats and trawlers operating in the northern Bay of Bengal have been advised to remain close to the coast and move cautiously until further instructions are issued.

Saudi Arabia’s oil exports through the Red Sea are facing fresh uncertainty amid fears of possible attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Oil tankers linked to the kingdom are switching off their Automatic Identification System, or AIS, signals to avoid exposing their locations, leaving shipping data related to oil exports unavailable. The report was published on August 14, 2026.

The Houthis declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia on July 20 and subsequently claimed attacks on Saudi-linked oil tankers, the Yanbu oil facilities and the Jazan refinery. Analysts said nearly all tankers leaving Yanbu recently travelled with tracking signals disabled. Since July 23, continuous AIS data has been unavailable for about 70 percent of ships departing Saudi Arabia’s west coast.

The missing tracking data has complicated efforts to determine Saudi Arabia’s actual oil export volumes, producing major differences among ship-monitoring firms. Shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait has also declined. Saudi Arabia is exporting more oil through the Suez Canal and Egypt’s SUMED pipeline, while exports from Egypt’s Sidi Kerir port have reached record levels, much of them Saudi crude.

Britain’s economy contracted by 0.1% in April as the Iran war, the wider Middle East crisis and domestic political instability increased pressure on business activity, according to the Office for National Statistics. The figures, published on Thursday, marked the first monthly decline since August last year. Some companies cited the conflict as a factor raising costs and affecting turnover.

The ONS said economic performance was normal over the three months from February to April, with growth up 0.7% from the previous three-month period. March had recorded stronger-than-expected growth. However, growth in administrative and support services, arts, entertainment and recreation fell by 0.2% in April. An ONS official said British firms linked to cancelled Middle East sporting events were also affected, including Formula One Grands Prix planned in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, as well as tennis and football events.

BBC reporting said the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz pushed Brent crude as high as $120 a barrel before prices began to fall on hopes the war could end. Higher fuel prices have raised petrol, diesel and household bills in Britain. KPMG UK economist Yael Selfin warned of continued pressure on consumers and businesses, while RSM economist Thomas Pugh said conditions were likely to worsen.

Opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr Shafiqur Rahman has urged the government to take urgent steps to resolve an ongoing crisis at CNG pumps across Bangladesh. He made the call in a post on his verified Facebook account on Friday morning.

In the post, Rahman said CNG pumps nationwide were facing an unbearable shortage. He said he wanted to see a clear statement and initiative from the government on the matter.

Rahman said urgent measures were needed for a prompt solution and that the crisis could not be resolved through concealment or falsehood. Referring to previous shortages, he said fuel prices had been raised after crises emerged in the past. He added that a similar increase would not be acceptable this time.

An international team of astronomers has identified three active supermassive black holes in the galaxy G0148-4214, more than 12.5 billion light-years from Earth. Led by the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, the researchers said this is the first evidence of three active black holes in one galaxy in the distant universe. The study was published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Two of the black holes are located in the galaxy’s central region, separated by about 620 light-years, while the third lies about 5,500 light-years from the centre. All three are active, drawing in material from surrounding accretion disks. The team identified them through spectral signals from fast-moving hydrogen atoms, using James Webb Space Telescope data and spectro-astrometry to distinguish the close central pair.

The largest black hole has a mass of about 80 million Suns, while the other two are about 600,000 and 2 million solar masses. Researchers estimate the central pair could merge within several hundred million years. With a redshift of 5.02, the galaxy is observed as it was about 1.2 billion years after the Big Bang.

Gen Z students are expanding campus-based climate action through research, innovation and practical projects, according to a report published on August 14, 2026. Initiatives include recycling paper and other waste, developing alternatives to plastic, using renewable energy, and conserving water and electricity. The report says young people are using digital platforms, social media and technology to build environmental awareness and pursue workable solutions.

The report describes climate change as a major global crisis, citing rising temperatures, floods, droughts, sea-level rise and pollution as threats to lives and economies. Experts say government and international action alone is insufficient, and that universities can serve as important spaces for climate-related ideas and technologies. They argue that supporting student research and innovation could produce effective responses to local environmental problems.

The Green Terry Foundation, Smart Campus Cloud Network and Yango Energy have jointly developed University Determined Contributions, or UDCs, modeled on Nationally Determined Contributions. They plan to launch a global movement involving Gen Z students at universities and higher education institutions. Analysts stress the need for research funding, training, laboratory facilities and opportunities to implement successful initiatives.

The AFL-CIO, the largest labor union federation in the United States, said in a report that Tesla chief executive Elon Musk received compensation in 2025 that was about 2.5 million times that of the company’s average worker. The report, cited in an article published on August 14, 2026, put Musk’s total compensation at about $1.583 trillion.

Excluding Musk, the average pay gap between chief executives and workers at leading S&P 500 companies was 312-to-1, up from 285-to-1 in 2024, according to the report. Including Musk, the ratio rose to 5,387-to-1. His compensation pushed average compensation for top executives in 2025 to $341 million, while the figure was $22.8 million without him.

The report said workers’ share of US national income was at its lowest point since World War II, while many Americans faced financial strain over retirement savings, emergency expenses and medical costs. AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond accused CEOs and the Trump administration of manipulating the economy to enrich themselves at the expense of working people. The report also cited President Donald Trump’s 2025 income of about $2.2 billion from multiple sources, including crypto assets.

A severe nationwide gas shortage is worsening load-shedding and disrupting daily life and industrial production in Bangladesh, according to a report published on August 14. Power plants, factories and fertilizer facilities are not receiving gas in line with demand. The Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said gas supplied to power plants, despite an increase, remains 60 percent below demand. On Thursday, electricity supply was 3,500 megawatts short of demand.

Gas-fired power plants have capacity of slightly more than 12,000 megawatts, but even with additional gas they supplied at most 5,000 megawatts to the national grid on Thursday. Gas is being diverted from industries to power plants, yet load-shedding has not been eliminated. BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem said 70 percent of member factories reported gas and electricity problems. Ashuganj Fertilizer and Chemical Company has remained fully shut for a long time, with officials reporting losses exceeding Tk100 crore a month.

Households in Brahmanbaria and Cumilla have turned to clay stoves, cylinders and other fuels as cooking gas supplies failed. Residents in rural Sunamganj alleged power is unavailable for 17 hours a day. Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud said load-shedding management and waiting were the only options until floating LNG terminals are repaired, while the government has initiated plans for three more LNG terminals.

Global crude oil prices rose on Friday as growing military tensions involving Iran renewed concerns over supply disruptions. At 1:30 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time, Brent crude was up 9 cents, or 0.1%, at $87.16 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate gained 4 cents to $81.29. Supply worries intensified after the United States threatened to maintain a naval blockade on Iran indefinitely.

The Strait of Hormuz remains central to market concerns. Hossein Taieb, head of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force, said the strategic waterway was under the Islamic Republic’s management and control, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. The UAE’s state news agency WAM said two Abu Dhabi National Oil Company vessels were attacked while passing through the strait on Thursday evening, and the UAE government blamed Iran.

Demand concerns are limiting the price increase. OPEC and the International Energy Agency lowered their forecasts for global oil-demand growth this week, while US crude inventories posted their largest weekly increase in more than three and a half years. KCM chief market analyst Tim Waterer said supply concerns supported prices, but weaker demand expectations prevented sharper gains.

Shipping, Road Transport and Bridges, and Railways Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam said the foundation stone for Chattogram Port’s Laldia Container Terminal will be laid on August 30 with Danish cooperation. He made the announcement at a Thursday morning meeting at the Ministry of Shipping with a delegation from Denmark-based APM Terminals. The minister described the project as a modern, environmentally friendly green terminal.

Alam said advanced technology would be used at the terminal, with cranes operated remotely from an office to improve efficiency and safety. He also said women’s active participation would be ensured in the project, opening a new avenue for inclusive employment in the port sector.

The minister said an international-standard terminal would increase Chattogram Port’s capacity and contribute to jobs, trade expansion and the national economy. APM Terminals delegates thanked the government for cooperation on port and terminal infrastructure development and discussed using modern technology, management expertise and international experience in Bangladesh’s port sector, including at Laldia. Ministry Secretary Zakaria, the Chattogram Port Authority chairman, senior ministry officials and APM Terminals’ CEO attended the meeting.

Power Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said Bangladesh has no immediate option beyond counting the days and managing load-shedding until repairs to a floating LNG terminal, or FSRU, are completed. He made the remarks while joining an event organised online by the Centre for Policy Dialogue on Thursday.

The minister said engineers are working to fix the FSRU fault. He said that, apart from waiting for the work at the terminal, authorities are trying to manage the situation so that load-shedding can be reduced as much as possible.

Tuku also said the management effort includes supplying gas to industries. He told the event that Bangladesh will install three new floating LNG terminals by 2029.