Seven member countries of the OPEC Plus alliance are meeting today to determine new oil production quotas. This is the first meeting since the United Arab Emirates (UAE) officially withdrew from both OPEC and the broader OPEC Plus group last Friday. The meeting follows the UAE’s decision, announced on April 28, to leave the alliance due to dissatisfaction with production limits.

The UAE, one of the world’s major oil producers, had long expressed discontent over the quotas set by the alliance. Analysts cited this ongoing disagreement as the main reason behind its departure. The current meeting is expected to address production adjustments among the remaining members.

According to reports, the seven participating countries may decide to increase daily oil output by about 188,000 barrels. Such a move could influence global oil supply and prices, depending on how markets respond to the new quotas.

NASA has released new satellite images showing that Mexico City is sinking at an alarming rate of nearly ten inches per year. The sprawling metropolis, covering about 7,800 square kilometers and home to roughly 22 million people, was built on the surface of an ancient lake. Many of its central streets were once canals, and the city’s foundation is now suffering from severe subsidence.

According to NASA’s latest report, some areas, including the main airport and the Angel of Independence monument, are sinking at an average rate of 0.78 inches per month. Geophysicist Enrique Cabral from the National Autonomous University of Mexico noted that the city has sunk more than 39 feet in less than a century due to excessive groundwater extraction and urban development. The shrinking aquifer has also caused a persistent water shortage.

For decades, authorities have largely ignored the problem except for stabilizing foundations under landmarks such as the Metropolitan Cathedral. Recently, as the water crisis worsens, the government has begun funding further research into the issue.

The historic saline Jhorjhari canal flowing through the southern part of Sitakunda municipality in Chattogram has become nearly dead due to encroachment, pollution, and mismanagement. Once a vital natural drainage route carrying mountain runoff from Chandranath Hill to the sea, the canal has lost its navigability and flow, causing severe waterlogging across the area during monsoon rains.

Local residents report that influential groups have occupied sections of the 7.5-kilometer canal, constructing shops, warehouses, and houses along its banks. Unplanned dumping of waste has filled the canal bed, blocking water flow and leading to prolonged flooding in low-lying areas such as Chaudhurypara, Hasan Gomosta Mosque area, Amirabad, and West Mirabad. Homes, roads, and even government offices, including the Upazila Executive Officer’s residence, have been inundated, raising concerns over damage to official documents.

Farmers say hundreds of acres of crops are destroyed annually due to waterlogging, harming the local economy. The Upazila Executive Officer stated that proposals have been sent under the national canal excavation program to restore the Jhorjhari and other canals once funding is approved.

Heavy and prolonged rainfall across Bangladesh has submerged vast areas of ripe Boro paddy fields, leaving farmers in distress over crop losses and loan repayments. In several districts including Sunamganj, Habiganj, Netrakona, Mymensingh, Jamalpur, and others, floodwaters have inundated low-lying lands and haor regions, damaging both ripe and half-ripe crops. Many farmers, who cultivated Boro paddy with borrowed money, are now forced to harvest immature crops to minimize losses. District administrations have formed emergency monitoring cells to address the disaster, while local agricultural offices are preparing lists of affected farmers.

In Sunamganj alone, about 20,000 hectares of farmland have been damaged, with 2,000 hectares completely destroyed, affecting over 20,000 farmers. Similar devastation has been reported from Habiganj, Naogaon, Mymensingh, and Jamalpur, where continuous rain and flash floods have caused widespread crop submersion. Farmers are struggling to dry harvested paddy due to lack of sunlight, and many have lost hope as floodwaters continue to rise.

Officials have begun assessing the extent of damage, but persistent rain and waterlogging continue to threaten remaining crops and delay recovery efforts.

A newly built bridge on the Majhigacha–Nindapur Ronger Bazar connecting road in Kachua, Chandpur, has started collapsing before its official inauguration. The approach to the 12-meter RCC girder bridge, built under the ‘Program for Supporting Rural Bridges’ project funded by the Bangladesh government and the World Bank, has partially caved in. The project, costing about 23.17 million taka, was implemented by contractor firm Messrs Harun & Sons. Field inspection revealed soil erosion under the guardwalls and large cracks and holes on the connecting road.

Local residents, including Abul Kalam Shikdar, Hazrat Ali, and Jilani, accused the contractor of using substandard materials and ignoring proper construction schedules. They claimed to have repeatedly complained to the Upazila Engineer and Assistant Engineer without any response. Residents demanded intervention from higher authorities of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).

Upazila Engineer Abdul Alim Liton stated that parts of the structure were damaged by rain and that the issue is under investigation. He added that the contractor has not yet received full payment, and the final bill will be settled after quality verification.

The Tk 232 crore Muhuri Irrigation Project, completed in June 2024 across Feni and Chattogram’s Mirsarai areas, has failed to deliver expected benefits to local farmers. The project, approved in 2014 under the government’s Irrigation Management Improvement Project with Asian Development Bank support, aimed to irrigate 18,000 hectares through 850 underground pipeline schemes. However, only 338 schemes are operational, and just 3,000 hectares have received irrigation so far.

Flooding in 2024 severely damaged pumps, pipelines, prepaid meters, and electrical systems, halting irrigation despite formal handover to farmers. The project also faced disruptions from local extortion groups, theft of equipment, and corruption allegations, including claims of inflated costs and substandard materials. Farmers’ declining interest in irrigation-based crops and theft of electrical components have further hindered operations.

Project Director Md. Rafius Sajjad stated that a group has been deliberately obstructing the project, while flood damage and transformer theft have worsened the situation. Authorities continue to face challenges in restoring full functionality and ensuring the intended agricultural benefits.

A global energy crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict has severely disrupted Bangladesh’s industrial sector, with gas, electricity, and fuel shortages putting immense pressure on production. Export earnings have fallen for eight consecutive months, marking an unprecedented decline in the country’s history. In March 2026, export income dropped by over 18 percent year-on-year to 3.48 billion dollars, compared to 4.25 billion dollars in March 2025.

Business leaders and economists attribute the downturn to reduced production capacity, rising costs, and shipment delays that have eroded foreign buyers’ confidence. The ready-made garment sector, which accounts for over 80 percent of export earnings, saw a 5.51 percent decline in the first nine months of the fiscal year. Vietnam has overtaken Bangladesh as the world’s second-largest apparel exporter, earning 82 million dollars more in 2025.

Industry associations report that many factories in Gazipur, Savar, Ashulia, and Narayanganj have lost up to 30 percent of production capacity due to power and fuel shortages. Economists warn that unless the energy crisis eases soon, Bangladesh’s export-dependent economy could face deeper challenges.

U.S. low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines announced an immediate shutdown of its global operations on Saturday after last-minute talks with lenders and the White House collapsed. The airline canceled all flights and suspended customer service, citing a severe financial crisis driven by rising fuel costs and other business pressures. American Airlines, Delta, United, and JetBlue quickly launched rescue efforts, offering discounted fares and additional flights to accommodate stranded passengers. Some airlines also began assisting and recruiting Spirit’s employees.

Spirit, which had about 7,500 employees by the end of last year, had faced multiple bankruptcy proceedings since 2024. The company promised refunds to affected passengers. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said President Donald Trump made every effort to keep the airline afloat but noted that the outcome depended on lenders’ decisions. Labor unions criticized the shutdown, warning that the burden would fall on pilots, cabin crew, and mechanics.

Analysts said the airline’s collapse could reshape the U.S. low-cost travel market, as rising jet fuel prices following Middle East tensions delivered the final blow to an already weakened carrier.

After a 14-year hiatus, Iraq has resumed crude oil exports through Syria via the Al-Yarubiyah border crossing. A convoy of 70 oil tankers entered Syrian territory en route to the Baniyas refinery on the Mediterranean coast, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA. Syrian border official Feras Rustam described the reopening as a strategic step to strengthen economic ties between Iraq and Syria.

Rustam added that the decision is expected to make trade and energy supply more efficient and foster long-term partnership between the two nations. The move comes as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed due to the ongoing Israel-United States conflict with Iran, prompting Iraq to seek alternative export routes.

The Al-Yarubiyah crossing, known as Rabia on the Iraqi side, was closed in 2011 following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war and later seized by ISIS in 2014. It was reopened after Kurdish forces regained control of the area, restoring a key link between the two countries.

Bangladesh’s economy is increasingly pressured by global energy market volatility and internal structural weaknesses, according to experts speaking at a webinar titled “Economy Trapped in Energy Crisis,” organized by the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) on Saturday. Participants said rising fuel prices, a prolonged dollar shortage, and import dependence are affecting production, agriculture, transport, and daily life. They questioned whether the situation is a temporary shock or a sign of a deeper energy trap.

Speakers including former energy secretary A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan, former Bangladesh Agricultural University vice-chancellor Sattar Mandal, and industry leaders discussed the severity of the crisis and possible solutions. They noted that supply constraints, panic buying, and limited storage capacity have worsened the situation. Khan emphasized the need for uninterrupted supply despite price fluctuations, while Mandal highlighted growing diesel demand in agriculture. Trade Services International chairman Syed Mahmudul Haque warned of rising national financial pressure from global oil price hikes.

Participants suggested expanding renewable energy use and accelerating gas exploration. PPRC executive chairman Hossain Zillur Rahman cautioned that bureaucratic delays could hinder timely policy action.

Once the world’s fourth-largest lake, the Aral Sea—spanning Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan—has now shrunk to less than one-tenth of its original size. Once a thriving source of fish and livelihood for local communities, the sea’s ports now stand abandoned, and its exposed seabed has turned into a toxic, saline desert. The United Nations Development Programme has described the situation as one of the twentieth century’s most severe environmental disasters.

The crisis began in the 1960s when Soviet irrigation projects diverted the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers to support cotton cultivation, drastically reducing water inflow. As evaporation outpaced replenishment, the sea fragmented into smaller bodies, and the newly exposed land became known as the Aralkum Desert, one of the world’s youngest deserts.

In response to the ongoing environmental degradation, Central Asian leaders recently convened in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, to discuss joint water resource management and strategies to prevent further damage to the region’s fragile ecosystem.

More than three million people in the United States have lost access to food assistance following the enforcement of stricter federal rules. According to The Wall Street Journal, citing federal data, participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has dropped by about 3.5 million since the new conditions took effect in July last year.

The revised policy requires able-bodied adults aged 18 to 64 without children under 14 to work, volunteer, or attend approved training for at least 80 hours per month to remain eligible. Previously, the work requirement applied only up to age 54, and adults with children under 18 were exempt. The new rules also exclude some legally residing non-citizens who were previously eligible, in addition to undocumented immigrants who were already barred.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that an average of 42.1 million people received SNAP benefits last fiscal year, costing about $101.7 billion. Since the implementation of President Donald Trump’s tax and spending law in July, participation has steadily declined, reaching 38.5 million by January, an 8 percent drop in six months.

Kuwait exported no crude oil in April 2026, marking the first such occurrence in more than 30 years, according to a report by TankerTrackers.com cited by Al Jazeera. The last time Kuwait experienced zero crude exports was in 1991 during the aftermath of the Gulf War.

Despite the halt in crude exports, Kuwait continues oil production. Part of the produced oil is being stored, while the rest is refined into various petroleum products for export. The report attributes the suspension of crude exports to a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil transport routes.

Analysts warn that if the blockade persists, it could have significant repercussions for the global energy market, given Kuwait’s role as a major oil producer in the Gulf region.

A severe nor'wester storm struck Bhola Sadar upazila on Saturday afternoon, uprooting several large trees and causing widespread disruption to road and power connections. The storm toppled six to seven trees around the upazila administration campus, cutting off communication and electricity for thousands of residents in the surrounding areas.

Witnesses said continuous rain had softened the soil around large rain trees, which collapsed when the storm hit. The incident blocked major roads linking Bhola town with eastern parts of the district, while fallen electric poles and snapped wires plunged the area into darkness. One house in Bapta union was damaged after a tree fell on it, and the roof of Bapta temple was blown away.

Local authorities managed to partially clear the roads after three to four hours of effort, though vehicle movement remains limited. According to the Bhola Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer, losses amount to several lakh taka, and full restoration of normal conditions may take two to three more days as recovery work continues.

A 55-year-old farmer named Ahad Mia from Rampur village in Goalanagar Union, Nasirnagar upazila of Brahmanbaria, died after witnessing his ripe paddy fields submerged under water. According to family and locals, Ahad had cultivated six bighas of paddy during the Boro season with borrowed money. Heavy rainfall and upstream flooding caused his crops to go underwater. When he went to harvest the paddy with laborers, he collapsed upon seeing the damage and died on the way home.

Local union parishad member Ahmed Ali said the farmer could not bear the shock of losing all his crops. His nephew, Mohammad Faruk Ahmed, confirmed that the funeral and burial took place on Saturday afternoon. Upazila Agriculture Officer Imran Ahmed stated that an assistant agriculture officer was sent to the deceased’s home after receiving news of the incident. Nasirnagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shahina Nasrin said officials were preparing a list of affected farmers to bring them under government incentive programs.