Imran Khan’s sister, Uzma Khan, alleged on Saturday that Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister told her he had been repeatedly physically abused in prison. The allegation came after Khan was taken from Adiala Jail to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad for medical tests and returned to jail within hours. Uzma Khan, who was present during the examination, said he was physically well but had reported mistreatment in custody.

The Supreme Court had ordered Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital on Friday night, but authorities took him to PIMS, citing security concerns. Doctors declared him medically fit after examinations by an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist and another doctor. Pakistan’s interior and law ministries and prison authorities did not comment on the abuse allegation.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party filed a contempt petition against the government, saying the court order was not followed and his personal doctor was excluded. Information Minister Ataullah Tarar defended the PIMS transfer. Supporters gathered on Islamabad streets after news of the hospital visit, while PTI leaders said preparations for a September 27 protest march had been strengthened.

Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, spokesperson for the National Citizen Party (NCP) and head of its international relations and diaspora affairs subcommittee, has performed Umrah in Mecca. He arrived in the holy city on the night of August 20 and prayed for the welfare of the people of Bangladesh, according to information released by the NCP media cell on Saturday.

Bhuiyan left Dhaka with his wife on a Thursday afternoon flight for the pilgrimage. Other NCP figures accompanying him include central members Ayman Rahad and Yasir Arafat, National Olama Alliance member secretary Maulana Sanaullah Khan, and Dhaka South NCP senior joint convener Tarek E Adil, along with several others.

After completing Umrah, the NCP leaders visited places associated with Prophet Muhammad. Bhuiyan also held a courtesy meeting with Bangladeshi expatriates living in Saudi Arabia. He is currently in Mecca and is scheduled to travel next to Medina Munawara. His return to Dhaka is expected on August 30.

Portugal has enacted a ban on covering the face in public, with fines ranging from €150 to €3,000 depending on the offence. The law took effect after President António José Seguro approved it, according to the report published on August 22, 2026. Locally described as the “burqa law,” it prohibits clothing that fully covers the face or obstructs identification.

The law provides exemptions for health needs, professional duties, artistic activities and weather-related reasons. It does not apply in places of worship, diplomatic missions or aircraft. It also prohibits forcing someone to cover their face because of their gender, religion, age or ancestral identity. Seguro said the face plays an important role in identity and interpersonal communication, and that keeping it visible is a basis for mutual trust in Portuguese society.

The proposal, introduced by the right-wing Chega party, was approved by parliament in July. The governing right-wing coalition and far-right parties supported it, while left-wing parties opposed it. Legal groups questioned its legal and constitutional aspects, and left-wing leaders warned it could increase Islamophobia and discrimination. The report places Portugal alongside several European countries that have imposed restrictions on face-covering clothing.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is changing his social media approach to reach younger audiences, particularly Gen Z voters, through Instagram. The shift includes more relaxed and seemingly spontaneous content on an account previously dominated by carefully curated posts, including a “Get Ready With Me” reel, selfie videos and references to young people as friends. The report was published on August 22, 2026.

The Bharatiya Janata Party became more active on the platform after the recent Cockroach Janata Party movement, which spread through memes, livestreams and Instagram reels before affecting street politics and contributing to a central minister’s resignation. More than 60 percent of India’s population is under 35, and Gen Z could become a major voting bloc in the 2029 election. BJP social media pages are also using memes, slang and pop-culture references.

Many young users have treated Modi’s new videos as humorous or “cringe” content rather than political messaging, with his first selfie video widely mocked and edited for circulation online. Analysts say Instagram’s focus on engagement, shares, comments, repeat viewing and watch time makes message control harder. They add that online popularity and electoral victory are different, while BJP’s organisation and voter base remain central to its electoral strength.

Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday congratulated Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on being elected Bangladesh’s 23rd president. In a congratulatory message issued on August 22, 2026, Muizzu described the election as an important milestone in Bangladesh’s democratic journey.

Speaking on behalf of the government and people of the Maldives, Muizzu conveyed warm greetings to the newly elected Bangladeshi president. He said the first competitive presidential election in 35 years reflected public confidence in Mirza Fakhrul. Muizzu also said Bangladesh and the Maldives share a long-standing relationship based on strong historical bonds and a common commitment to regional stability and development.

The Maldivian president expressed hope that cooperation between the two countries would gain greater depth and scope under Mirza Fakhrul’s leadership, bringing Bangladesh and the Maldives closer. He further hoped that Bangladesh would continue its path toward lasting peace, progress and prosperity during the new president’s tenure.

National Citizen Party (NCP) northern region chief coordinator Sarjis Alam said the inspector general of police would face consequences worse than former police chief Benazir if he sought to suppress opposition parties. Alam made the remarks in a video released to the media on Saturday, according to the report published on August 22, 2026.

Alam alleged that during an unwanted situation at a state event, the current police chief asked Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed whether protesters should be removed while the minister was speaking on stage. He said an IGP seeking to remove dissenting views to please or flatter the home minister or prime minister reflected the character of former IGP Benazir.

The NCP leader said such flattery and mentality had turned Bangladesh Police from a state institution into the government's “pet force,” causing it to lose its pride and dignity. He also alleged that cases were being filed against people not genuinely involved in crimes, while those committing the alleged crimes were filing the cases.

Zahir Uddin Swapan has resigned as Bangladesh’s information and broadcasting minister, according to a Cabinet Division notification issued on Saturday, August 22, 2026. The notification, signed by Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Goni, said the president had accepted his resignation and that it would take effect immediately.

Following his resignation, Swapan was appointed political adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. A separate Cabinet Division notification said the appointment was made under Rules 3B(1) and 3B(2) of the Rules of Business, 1996. While serving as adviser, he will receive the rank, salary, allowances and related benefits of a minister.

Barrister Andaleeve Rahman Partho has been assigned responsibility as the BNP government’s information and broadcasting minister. A notification signed by the Cabinet Secretary on Friday night said the prime minister had made the official allocation and reallocation of responsibilities under Rule 3(4) of the Rules of Business, 1996.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid said the government decided to appoint two state ministers at Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry to expand and accelerate its work. She made the remarks while answering journalists’ questions at a hotel in the capital on Saturday, August 22, 2026.

The government on Friday also assigned Prime Minister’s foreign affairs adviser Humayun Kabir as state minister for foreign affairs, issuing a notification the same day. Shama said the ministry had handled substantially more work during the past six months than at any time in the previous 17 years.

She said new wings had been launched and work was under way on migration and preventing irregular migration. The ministry has also formed interministerial focal-point committees with the expatriates’ welfare, cultural, labour and commerce ministries, arrangements she said did not previously exist. According to Shama, the ministry’s scope of work, workload and pace have increased sharply, prompting the decision to appoint two state ministers.

Rajshahi University unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal submitted a memorandum to the vice-chancellor on Saturday, seeking an investigation into alleged irregularities involving about Tk 12.5 million withdrawn from the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union, or RAKSU, fund. The group demanded accountability, punishment for anyone found responsible, recovery of improperly spent money and its return to the students’ fund.

The memorandum presented seven demands, including publication of a complete account of every withdrawal, its purpose, timing and approval. It called for written explanations regarding money withdrawn without specified expenditure heads, proper bills and vouchers, or adherence to financial rules. The group also sought an independent audit committee to examine income and expenditure records, bank accounts, cheque documents, bills, vouchers and other financial papers, with its report made public.

Unit president Sultan Ahmed Rahi alleged that RAKSU office-bearers, including the vice-president and general secretary, withdrew money for personal purposes and conducted programmes without vouchers. Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Abdul Alim said the university would examine the matter after the vice-chancellor returns to Rajshahi and would act under regulations if irregularities in spending public tax money or student contributions are found.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obayed Islam said political parties must make psychological and policy changes to advance women and ensure their equal participation in leadership. She made the remarks on Saturday at about 11:30am during a dialogue titled “Strengthening Young Women’s Political Leadership and Restoring Democratic Space” in Siddheshwari, Dhaka.

Islam said the BNP is working on women’s empowerment and has made women’s participation mandatory in grassroots committees. She also said the new budget has been made women-friendly. According to her, women’s empowerment has not been achieved despite the country having women prime ministers for a long time.

She said women’s leadership at union and upazila levels is virtually absent, and argued that women could have entered parliament if they had received nominations in those areas. Islam added that when one of three candidates in a constituency is a woman, she is not promoted. She called on women to move forward despite obstacles at every stage.

US President Donald Trump said Iran is not yet ready to make what he called the “right deal” with Washington, while claiming the country has become economically and militarily weaker. Trump made the remarks to reporters aboard Air Force One before departing for South Carolina on Friday, according to the report published on August 22, 2026.

Trump said Iran was interested in reaching an agreement but, in his view, was not prepared for the proper terms. He said Washington wanted to see the effect of sanctions on Iran’s economy, which he described as already under pressure following a war with the United States.

Describing Iran’s condition, Trump claimed it had no money, navy or air force, and was not paying its soldiers or police. He also claimed Iran’s inflation stood at 350 percent. Trump further asserted that the United States maintained complete control over the area around the Strait of Hormuz.

Bangladesh’s Thakurgaon-1 parliamentary seat has been declared vacant after its lawmaker, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, was elected the country’s 23rd president. The Bangladesh National Parliament Secretariat announced the vacancy on Saturday afternoon in a notice signed by Barrister Md Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan, secretary of the Legislative Support Wing’s Law Drafting Branch-2.

The notice said Mirza Fakhrul, elected from Electoral Area 3, Thakurgaon-1, to the 13th National Parliament, assumed the duties of president on 21 August. His assumption of presidential office triggered the vacancy in his parliamentary seat.

According to the parliamentary secretariat, the seat became vacant from the date he assumed the presidential role under Article 50(4) of Bangladesh’s Constitution. The announcement formally records the change in representation for the Thakurgaon-1 constituency.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s planned visit to India has been put on hold, despite Indian interest in arranging a bilateral trip in August. Dhaka said a “supportive environment” was needed before the visit and presented conditions including the return of Sheikh Hasina and other fugitives under the bilateral extradition treaty, as well as suspects accused in the killing of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi.

The issue gained urgency after Hasina, described as Bangladesh’s ousted former prime minister, spoke at a press briefing in Delhi. Dhaka reacted angrily, while concerns also grew over Awami League efforts to re-enter Bangladeshi politics from India. Delhi has said Bangladesh’s request is under review and denied links to Hasina’s political activities.

Analysts cited in the report say placing difficult demands ahead of a visit may complicate ties, but argue that dialogue remains necessary. They point to unresolved issues including water, border killings and energy. Former diplomat M Humayun Kabir said Bangladesh appears to seek a reconfiguration of relations under a “Bangladesh First” approach, based on non-interference, sovereign equality and national dignity.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said technical-level discussions with Bangladesh are continuing on the Ganges water-sharing treaty and other river-related issues. He made the remarks at a press conference in India on Friday while responding to a question about renewing the agreement.

Jaiswal said the 1996 Ganges water-sharing treaty has a 30-year term. He added that all river-related matters between India and Bangladesh are discussed under the Joint Rivers Commission. Meetings of the committee established under the Ganges treaty are also being held regularly at the technical level, he said.

The 1996 agreement is due to expire in December this year. It governs the sharing of Ganges water flows at the Farakka Barrage in West Bengal during the dry season, from January 1 to May 31. The source attributes the report to The Economic Times.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has congratulated Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on becoming Bangladesh’s 23rd president. In a message issued on Friday, Pezeshkian also said Iran was ready to further deepen bilateral relations with Bangladesh and expand cooperation between the two countries.

Pezeshkian said the confidence placed in Mirza Fakhrul’s commitment, foresight and contribution to establishing and consolidating democracy was encouraging for Bangladesh’s future. The Iranian president described that confidence as a hopeful sign for the country.

At the end of his message, Pezeshkian wished Mirza Fakhrul success in carrying out his responsibilities as the new president. He also conveyed wishes for peace, happiness and prosperity for the people of Bangladesh.