Hungary’s only nuclear power plant, Paks, is set to shut down fully as persistent drought and intense heat across Europe have driven the Danube River’s water level to a record low. Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced the decision on Sunday, saying the plant south of Budapest would cease operations completely for the first time in 44 years.

Paks normally supplies about one-third of Hungary’s total electricity demand. Its cooling system depends on water pumped from the Danube, but a lack of rainfall since May and successive heatwaves have reduced the river to its lowest recorded level. Magyar wrote on X that one of the final two generating units would be shut at 1:30 a.m.

He said the move would reduce the plant’s output to 240 megawatts before a complete closure the following day. The operator said on Friday that a full shutdown could be necessary by the middle of the following week if water levels continued to fall. National weather agency HungaroMet forecast temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in coming days, with 42 degrees possible on Thursday.

Bangladesh has proposed importing gas from Myanmar through a pipeline, prioritising expanded energy cooperation with its neighbouring country. The proposal was made during a meeting in Dhaka on August 2 between Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud and Myanmar Ambassador U Kyaw Soe Moe. State Minister Anindya Islam Amit and senior ministry officials also attended the meeting at the Secretariat.

Mahmud said Bangladesh has significant domestic demand for natural gas and is particularly interested in obtaining fuel from Myanmar through a pipeline. The ambassador responded positively to the proposal and said the feasibility of supplying gas as LNG could also be discussed in detail. The energy minister gave a positive response to that suggestion.

The sides also expressed interest in reviving an earlier proposal for a pipeline from Myanmar to Chattogram. Mahmud proposed a ministerial-level meeting between relevant officials of both countries to advance bilateral energy discussions. He said he would formally invite Myanmar’s energy minister to visit Bangladesh and expressed interest in visiting Myanmar if needed. The ambassador suggested reviewing the matter through a Bangladesh-Myanmar joint technical committee.

Bangladesh Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muqtadir met Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh Kyaw Soe Moe at the Commerce Ministry on August 2. They discussed expanding bilateral trade, increasing imports and exports, strengthening maritime transport links, LNG imports and opportunities for mutual investment. The meeting also addressed the safe, voluntary, sustainable and dignified repatriation of forcibly displaced Rohingya people sheltering in Bangladesh.

Muqtadir said Bangladesh is committed to strengthening relations with neighbouring countries through mutual respect, trust and economic cooperation. He said matters involving trade, transport, investment and border connectivity that concern other ministries would be reviewed through inter-ministerial coordination. The ambassador expressed interest in raising trade volumes and said resuming long-suspended border trade could benefit businesses and people in both countries, possibly initially on a limited or temporary basis.

The sides exchanged views on trade in agricultural and fisheries products, rice, medicines and frozen food, while stressing stronger business-to-business contacts. Myanmar said verification of repatriation lists was continuing and that steps would be taken when security and field conditions allowed. Both sides supported regular institutional talks and joint committee meetings, and emphasized finalizing a proposed agreement on direct maritime and shipping links.

Shah Rukh Khan’s upcoming action thriller King is drawing attention before its planned worldwide release during the upcoming Christmas week. Bollywood reports suggest Zee Music may acquire the film’s music rights for about Rs 50 crore. If completed, the deal would be considered among the biggest music-rights agreements in Indian cinema.

No final decision has been made, however. Punit Goenka, managing director and chief executive officer of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, told Variety India that he did not want to comment on the financial value of the proposed agreement. He confirmed that discussions with the production company were progressing positively.

Goenka said Zee Music prioritizes agreements in which producers also receive fair financial benefits. King is jointly produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and Marflix Films. Sachin-Jigar are handling the film’s music, while Anirudh Ravichander is composing the background score. The cast also includes Suhana Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and Rani Mukerji.

REHAB President Dr Ali Afzal said government policies, tax rules and registration procedures are forcing legally earned income in Bangladesh’s housing sector to remain undisclosed. In an interview published by Amar Desh on August 2, 2026, he said 95 percent of businesses involved in land and apartments were in poor condition. Construction costs have risen by more than 40 percent, pushing flat prices beyond many buyers’ means and discouraging new projects.

Afzal described provisions in the Detailed Area Plan, or DAP, as discriminatory and detached from reality. He argued that population growth had not been adequately considered in planning. He called for coordination between public and private parties, government responsibility for utility services, and consistent rules for approving high-rise buildings. He also said taxes on products used by support industries total about 44 percent and that property registration costs are high.

The REHAB chief proposed a one-stop service, approval of plans within 30 days of complete document submission, and an end to harassment at registrar offices. He estimated that Tk50,000 crore to Tk60,000 crore in flat transactions goes undisclosed annually, arguing that minimum-value registration rules make it difficult to report actual sale values and profits.

The BNP government has moved to fill long-standing vacancies at Bangladesh’s state-owned banks as part of its pledge to create 10 million new jobs in public and private sectors over five years. The Financial Institutions Division of the Finance Ministry has asked the banks for updated vacancy lists and information on the progress of recruitment. The banks have already submitted the requested information, according to the report published on August 2, 2026.

Basic Bank has 886 employees against 1,083 approved posts and 237 vacancies in grades six, nine and 10. It aims to fill 119 posts within 180 days and complete most recruitment by December. Agrani Bank has 6,248 vacancies; 323 candidates have been finally selected for certain posts, while recruitment for 400 senior officers is under way.

Sonali Bank has 6,218 vacant posts, followed by Janata Bank with 3,000, Rupali Bank with 1,470 and Bangladesh Development Bank with 810. Officials said half of grade nine and 10 vacancies are filled through direct recruitment and half through promotion. Janata Bank’s managing director said its board is not currently interested in new hiring because of its financial condition and focus on recovering defaulted loans.

Bangladesh’s Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave policy approval on June 16, 2026, for a 300-acre free-trade zone beside the Matarbari deep-sea port in Maheshkhali, Cox’s Bazar, according to the article. A second 300-acre zone is planned near Chattogram port. The commentary argues that the country must closely assess the economic and geopolitical consequences of what it describes as Bangladesh’s first free-trade-zone initiative.

The article contends that India’s northeastern states could benefit substantially through lower transport costs and shorter delivery times, while Indian businesses could use imported inputs and local labor to export finished goods to ASEAN markets. It contrasts successful free zones in Jebel Ali, Shenzhen and Rotterdam with examples in Panama and Mexico that it says produced weak domestic linkages, customs problems, dependence or environmental damage.

The first phase of Matarbari port development had an approved cost of Tk17,000 crore, including about Tk13,000 crore in JICA loans. The broader MIDA master plan estimates investment of $60 billion to $65 billion over 30 years. The article calls for economic returns from transit concessions, duty-free access for Bangladeshi goods in India’s northeast, 40% local raw-material use, and Bangladeshi capacity and control in port management.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department forecast rain and thunderstorms with gusty winds in Dhaka and several parts of the country on August 2. River ports in the Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet regions were instructed to display warning signal No. 1. Rain or thunderstorms were also forecast at different times of the day in and around the capital.

In an inland river-port forecast valid from 5 a.m. until noon on Sunday, the department said temporary gusty or squally winds of 45 to 60 kilometres an hour could blow from the south or southeast over the three regions. Rain or thunderstorms could accompany the winds. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is also possible in some places across three divisions.

For Dhaka, the six-hour forecast from 7 a.m. said skies could remain partly cloudy to temporarily cloudy, with rain or thunderstorms possible. Southerly or southeasterly winds may reach 10 to 15 kilometres an hour, while daytime temperatures could remain nearly unchanged. At 6 a.m., Dhaka recorded 28.5 degrees Celsius and 86 percent humidity. No rainfall was recorded in the capital during the previous 24 hours.

Continuous rain, hill runoff and flooding have damaged vegetable fields, pushing up prices in markets including Lohagara in Chattogram and Shibalaya in Manikganj. A report published on August 2 said low- and middle-income consumers are facing the greatest pressure as supplies tighten. At Amirabad Bottoli market in Lohagara, ridge gourd sold for Tk100 per kilogram, eggplant Tk120, cucumber Tk130 and green chilies about Tk200. The report said these vegetables had been available for Tk30 to Tk40 before the flooding.

In Lohagara, 10 days of heavy rain and hill runoff inundated low-lying vegetable fields. The agriculture office said flooding damaged 150 hectares of crop fields, 5 hectares of betel leaf and 360 hectares of Aus and Aman seedbeds belonging to 9,400 farmers, with losses estimated at Tk5.14 crore. Farmer Jasim Uddin said his vegetable field, valued at Tk500,000, was submerged.

In Shibalaya, green chilies sold for Tk370 to Tk400 per kilogram, round eggplant for Tk100 to Tk120, and tomatoes for Tk130. Sellers cited rain-damaged fields and reduced supply, saying elevated prices could persist for some time. Lohagara agriculture officer Kazi Safiul Alam said technical support and advice are being provided to help farmers rehabilitate and resume production.

An inactive upper stage from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which has been orbiting in space for years, is expected to strike the Moon at 6:34 a.m. local time on August 5. The report says the rocket section will hit at about 8,700 kilometres per hour, nearly seven times the speed of sound. The impact could create a large crater and disperse substantial dust and debris into space.

Astronomers are waiting to observe the event, which may be visible with sufficiently powerful telescopes. Researchers believe the rocket casing may break apart and scatter rather than form a deep crater like a solid meteorite, producing a dust curtain extending about 183 kilometres. University of Texas astronomer Lawrence Traffton said smaller telescopes could distinguish the plume if it rises about 50 kilometres above the lunar edge, though the Moon's brightness may hinder observation.

The report describes the possible impact as a first opportunity to record from Earth an object striking the Moon's sunlit side. It notes that NASA's Lunar Prospector hit the Moon in 1999 while seeking water, without success, while a 2009 mission detected water ice in a dust cloud from a rocket impact. The event could provide information for future lunar exploration and human missions.

Turkiye and Iraq have signed a one-year agreement to keep crude flowing through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline, which runs from Iraq to Turkiye. Turkish state firm BOTAS and Iraqi state oil companies SOMO and NOC signed the deal on Saturday in Ankara, days after a decades-old bilateral arrangement expired the previous Monday. The agreement followed Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s visit to Ankara and his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan four days earlier.

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the transit arrangement covers a daily capacity of 750,000 barrels and was agreed after a meeting with Iraqi Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair. He said efforts toward a new long-term pipeline agreement were continuing. The pipeline’s maximum capacity is about 1.5 million barrels per day, but flows have remained substantially lower in recent years.

According to Turkish data, the pipeline currently carries about 170,000 barrels per day, largely from fields in Iraq’s Kurdistan region. Iraq has sought alternative export routes after Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted Gulf shipments. Baghdad and Ankara are also pursuing a broader framework covering oil, electricity, water resources and other cooperation, while Turkiye seeks eventually to carry crude from Iraq’s southern fields.

Postal, Telecommunications and ICT, and Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam said Bangladesh aims to ensure that no talent is held back by disability. He made the remarks on Saturday at the closing and prize-giving ceremony of the National IT Competition for Youth with Disabilities 2026 at the University of Asia Pacific on Green Road in the capital.

The minister said disability is not a limitation and that young people with disabilities can become equal partners in digital transformation and national development with proper opportunities, training and technology. He said the government places the highest importance on improving their digital skills and technological empowerment. Under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s leadership, he said, the government is working toward a technology-driven Bangladesh in which no social group is left behind.

The event was the competition’s 10th edition, with 70 participants across four categories and 12 prize recipients. Md Shakil Mia, Sheikh Yamin Ahsan, Nahin Siraj and Arian Islam won their respective categories and qualified for the Global IT Competition for Youth with Disabilities in Vietnam in October. The minister said he would personally support the four selected competitors.

Bangladesh received 36 percent more rainfall than normal in July, the Meteorological Department said in a report published on August 1. Although normal rainfall had been forecast at the beginning of the month, several regions recorded substantially more precipitation than expected. Chattogram division received the highest rainfall among the country’s divisions.

Meteorologist AKM Nazmul Haque said July is usually Bangladesh’s wettest month, with average rainfall of about 557 millimetres. After June recorded 29.4 percent less rain than normal, July rainfall increased above the seasonal average. All divisions except Mymensingh received above-normal rainfall. Chattogram recorded 1,047 millimetres against a normal average of 692 millimetres, an excess of 51 percent. Final figures were due after Sunday’s monthly meeting.

The weather office forecast rain or thunderstorms with gusty winds on Sunday in many places in Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet, and in some places elsewhere. Heavy to very heavy rain is possible in parts of those three divisions through Tuesday. Rainfall may increase in Dhaka and Rajshahi divisions from August 5, though prolonged heavy to very heavy rain like last month is not currently expected.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said Bangladesh could achieve positive economic change within the next four to five years if the government and business community work together. He made the remarks at a meeting with private entrepreneurs at the Prime Minister’s Tejgaon office on Saturday, August 1, 2026. The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, or BIDA, organised the discussion. Rahman said serving the country and its people was the government’s goal, and that existing problems could be overcome through joint efforts.

He said both the government and businesses recognise the economy’s current challenges, and discussions on resolving them would continue. Noting that the government is not yet six months old, he said it had already held several meetings with business representatives and forums and was working on sector-specific issues. He added that many problems raised at an earlier meeting had been resolved, while new concerns raised at the latest session would also be addressed.

The meeting discussed business expansion, increased foreign investment and conditions for new industrialisation. Entrepreneurs sought easier loans, policy support and a business-friendly environment, while expressing satisfaction with progress in government initiatives. Of 28 issues reviewed from the previous meeting, decisions were made on 21 and seven remain under process. The government said it would meet businesses again within two to three months and pledged diplomatic support for a plan to raise export earnings to $100 billion by 2030.

Fisheries and Livestock and Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid said the government is prioritizing research-based agricultural development to counter the risk of reduced farm output caused by climate change. He made the remarks on Saturday after a meeting with officials of district offices and agencies under the agriculture, fisheries and livestock ministries at the Cumilla Circuit House.

The minister said BRRI dhan-118, a cold-tolerant rice variety for the haor region, will be released in the next season. It is expected to allow earlier planting and harvesting, helping farmers bring crops home before sudden floods and reduce losses. He also said another salt-tolerant rice variety will be released next year, while scientists at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute continue work on climate-suitable crop varieties.

Rashid said fish-export prospects through the Cumilla land port would be considered after discussions with the commerce minister. Authorities will assess the need for a fish landing station in Cumilla and the availability of suitable public land. He also cited a major project to expand vaccine production, ongoing canal re-excavation, and seed, farm-input and free livestock vaccination support in flood-affected areas.