Pakistan and Malaysia agreed to strengthen intelligence sharing to counter terrorism, drug trafficking and human trafficking during a meeting in Islamabad on Saturday. Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution bin Ismail made the decision, according to the report published on August 23, 2026.

The ministers discussed expanding cooperation on counterterrorism operations, preventing drug and human trafficking, tackling illegal immigration and addressing cybercrime. They also agreed to increase training and skills exchanges between Pakistan’s National Police Academy and the Royal Malaysia Police College.

Both countries additionally agreed on coast guard cooperation and the formation of a joint working group on security issues. The meeting also covered increasing tourism and simplifying visa procedures. Naqvi expressed hope that Malaysia would raise worker quotas to create more legal employment opportunities for Pakistanis.

Pro-Palestinian activists in the Netherlands protested imports of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Demonstrators gathered outside the Israel Product Center, a distribution centre run by the Dutch evangelical organisation Christians for Israel, and called for a ban on products made in what they described as illegal Israeli settlements. The report was published on August 23, 2026.

Protester Marij van Deutekem told Al Jazeera that it was difficult to believe such goods were still being sold, saying the products were made on occupied land. A recently published study found that Christians for Israel has provided millions of dollars in donations to Israeli settlements.

The Netherlands is among four European Union member states that have moved to prohibit imports from Israeli settlements. Spain has already imposed such a ban, while Ireland and Belgium have enacted legislation on trade restrictions. A decision by EU member states to take collective action has been postponed until later this year. The Dutch ban is scheduled to take effect on September 22.

More than 73,000 Gaza residents have been killed since Israel’s offensive began on October 7, 2023, according to figures from the Palestinian Health Ministry. Gaza’s population was about 2.3 million before the offensive, meaning roughly one in every 33 residents has been killed. The ministry’s latest tally put the death toll at 73,419 and the number of injured at 174,364.

A ceasefire has been in place in Gaza since October 10 last year, but the report said Israeli forces have continued regular attacks targeting local Palestinians. Over the previous 48 hours, Israeli attacks killed two people and injured four, the ministry said. During the 10 months of the ceasefire, at least 1,285 Palestinians were killed and 4,252 injured.

The ministry also reported that 813 bodies were recovered from rubble during the ceasefire period. Many more bodies remain buried beneath debris across Gaza, it said, but cannot be recovered because of a lack of necessary equipment. UNICEF said Israeli attacks killed 20,179 children and injured 44,143 between October 7, 2023 and October 7, 2025.

The United States is moving to remove Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism nearly 50 years after its designation. The step could ease broad US sanctions on Syria and further open a path for the country’s reintegration into the global economy. The article was published on August 23, 2026.

Following a decision by President Donald Trump, the State Department notified Congress on July 8. A legally required 45-day review period ends Saturday. If Congress does not block the move, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will announce the final decision.

Syria was first added to the list in 1979 and later faced several rounds of sanctions, which became more extensive after the 2011 uprising and subsequent civil war. Removal from the list would not end all US sanctions. Targeted sanctions would remain against individuals and entities accused of human rights violations, corruption, and terrorism linked to the former Bashar al-Assad government.

Former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas said European countries’ condemnations and criticism do not carry much weight with Israel and can instead strengthen the government’s position. Speaking to Al Jazeera in remarks published on August 23, 2026, he addressed recent European criticism of Israel’s E1 settlement project in the West Bank.

Pinkas said such criticism gives the Israeli government an opportunity to advance its long-standing argument that the whole world is against Israel, that others are antisemitic, and that an anti-Israel atmosphere has been created. Before his comments, several European countries and Canada issued a joint statement on Thursday criticizing the E1 project and warning of possible legal and reputational consequences.

The E1 project is linked to the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, an issue that has long caused disagreement between Israel and European countries. Pinkas, who served as Israel’s consul general in New York from 2000 to 2004, said statements and condemnations from EU countries’ parliaments or foreign ministries do not create real pressure. He said criticism limited to words and “hollow condemnations” is unlikely to prompt major policy change.

Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei warned that any Gulf country joining US sanctions against Iran would be treated as an enemy. He said Tehran could respond by striking the interests of countries taking such action. The warning was issued amid continuing tensions between Iran and the United States and was reported on August 23, 2026.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would not bow down or surrender to its enemies. He also urged people in the country to maintain unity, stressing internal cohesion as tensions with the United States continue.

Yemeni authorities said a naval mine planted by the Houthis was detected and destroyed in an important area of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, raising fresh security concerns around a major maritime route. Separately, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Israeli forces carried out an attack on the town of Hadatha in the Bint Jbeil district of southern Lebanon. The developments underline broader regional security strains.

Iran is changing its military doctrine to place greater emphasis on preventing threats before they develop into attacks, amid concerns that future conflict could intensify. Hamidreza Azizi, an Iran researcher at the Clingendael Institute and writer of the Iran Analytica newsletter, described the shift in comments reported on August 23, 2026. He said Tehran is seeking to build deterrence at an earlier stage.

Azizi said Iran’s previous deterrence strategy had failed to stop repeated attacks by the United States and Israel. In a post on X, he wrote that Tehran aims to signal it can respond even when preparations for an attack against Iran are underway. He identified two elements in what he called Iran’s new offensive military policy: pre-emptive or preventive action and disproportionate retaliation.

According to Azizi, preventive action is intended to stop a potential threat before it becomes real, while disproportionate retaliation would raise the cost of attacking Iran. He also described Iran’s warning to Gulf countries not to join the United States in economic warfare against Tehran as a final warning. Iran’s military and security structures, he said, are increasingly preparing for another round of tension or conflict.

The Panama-flagged cargo vessel MV Ocean-Winner sank about 240 nautical miles off India’s Odisha coast, with all 24 crew members reported missing. The crew included 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi national. The vessel had departed Paradip port for Singapore at about 10:30pm on August 20 carrying 1,700 tonnes of iron ore.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Sri Vijaya Puram received information that contact with the ship had been lost at 11:48am on August 22. Victory Star Group Company Limited, the vessel’s operator, reported the matter and requested support for search and rescue operations.

India’s Coast Guard and Navy have launched a joint operation to locate the vessel and rescue its crew. Officials had not confirmed how many crew members, if any, had been rescued. A senior IPS officer told PTI that authorities were unsure of the number of crew members recovered. Other ships near the accident site have been alerted and asked to assist the rescue effort.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the US attack on Iran has increased the desire to acquire nuclear weapons around the world. The remarks, reported by Al Jazeera and published by Amar Desh Online on August 23, 2026, criticized what he described as US President Donald Trump’s reckless actions.

Rezaei said the trend has grown particularly because people saw that Iran’s membership in the International Atomic Energy Agency and its participation in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty did not effectively prevent a US attack. He said Trump had created nuclear insecurity rather than nuclear security.

The Iranian official said Iran has accepted and followed all international security rules. He noted that Iran is a member of the NPT and has agreed to inspections. Rezaei also claimed that Iran is more committed than any other country to complying with international regulations related to nuclear matters.

An Israeli media report, citing a senior Israeli intelligence official, warned that Turkish military and naval forces could move closer to Israel’s northern and maritime borders unless Israel establishes clear “red lines” in Syria and the eastern Mediterranean. Published on August 23, 2026, the report said Israel could eventually face Turkish tanks on the Golan Heights and Turkish warships near the coast of Caesarea.

The warning echoed concerns in Israel’s 2025 Nagel Commission report, which assessed the country’s security budget and troop mobilization. That report described Turkey as moving toward an Ottoman-era dominant regional order and said threats from Syria could become more serious than those posed by Iran. It said Israel should prepare for direct confrontation with Ankara, Turkish-aligned Syrian proxies and military forces.

The report linked an Israeli airstrike near an airbase in Idlib, northern Syria, to suspected Turkish efforts to deploy radar and air-defense systems. It also highlighted Turkey’s naval expansion, including 12 submarines and additional vessels under construction, and called for agreements with Ankara to be linked to its foreign policy and military actions.

Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, called US President Donald Trump a “fool” in comments published on August 23, 2026. He said Tehran must change its approach to conflict and diplomatic conduct with the United States, according to Al Jazeera as cited by the report.

The Iranian official said that today’s Iran is not the same as Iran before the war. He also said recent military appointments by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei indicate that Tehran wants to remain prepared for war.

Citing Khamenei’s view, Rezaei said Iranian young people’s perception of the United States as a peace-loving country has changed significantly. He said that the entire world has understood that Trump is a fool.

The bodies of five of seven Bangladeshi nationals killed in a fire at Kolkata’s Shikha Inn residential hotel were returned to Bangladesh through the Benapole International Checkpost on Saturday. Indian Petrapole immigration police handed over the bodies to Benapole immigration police at the zero line after required formalities at about 5:30 pm.

Those returned through Benapole were Kushtia journalist Debashish Dutta, his wife Afsana Sharmin, their three-year-old son Sharnashish Dutta, Debashish’s father-in-law Md Akram Ali, and Savar businessman Ahmed Babu. Relatives had waited with ambulances at Benapole land port, where their arrival prompted mourning. Family members said Debashish and his son would be cremated under Hindu rites, while Afsana and Akram Ali would be buried under Islamic rites.

The fire broke out around 2 am on Wednesday at the hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata’s New Market area, killing nine people, including seven Bangladeshis and two Indians. Another victim, Satkhira resident SM Alimuzzaman, was brought through Bhomra land port, while Revati Sarkar’s body will be cremated in Kolkata at the family’s request.

Iranian parliament speaker and senior negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the United States has put the security and existence of its Middle Eastern allies at risk while protecting Israel’s interests. In a post on X, Ghalibaf said the situation had left US allies in the region concerned about their own survival. The report was published on August 22, 2026.

Ghalibaf attributed the risks facing US partners to what he described as US “bullying” and an extreme disregard for the interests of its allies. He said every US ally in the region had been exposed to major security threats as a result.

He also said Iran had received numerous messages from neighbouring countries on creating a new framework for regional security and expanding economic cooperation. Ghalibaf argued that genuine peace and security require an independent regional arrangement built through local initiative rather than reliance on outside powers. He said a local and independent system centred on regional countries’ interests and security could ensure long-term peace and stability.

Iraqi President Nizar Amidi said Iraq will not allow its territory to be used to launch attacks against any other country. He made the remarks on the second day of the eighth Baghdad Dialogue conference, according to the report published on August 22, 2026.

Amidi said there is “no justification” for attacks conducted from Iraqi territory against any country in the region. He said only “two or three” armed groups in Iraq have yet to surrender their weapons, and discussions are continuing on bringing their arms under state control.

The president said Iraq’s constitution requires weapons to remain under state control, adding that Najaf’s religious authority has also called for this. He said the ongoing regional war has had a broad impact on Iraq. On the Strait of Hormuz, Amidi said its effects extend beyond Iraq to the whole world, and that Iraq is holding discussions with Iran to address complex issues surrounding the waterway.

Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani said Iran’s defense industry has become a major pillar of national security despite years of sanctions and external pressure. In a message marking National Defense Industry Day, he said the country had chosen to rely on domestic capabilities, domestic knowledge and national will. The report was published on August 22, 2026.

Irani said Iran had built a defense industry that is among the principal pillars of the country’s security and strength. He presented the development as a result of an approach centered on internal resources rather than outside support.

According to Irani, Iran’s domestic defense capabilities have played a decisive role in maintaining the balance of power. He said those capabilities increased Iran’s offensive capacity and frustrated the intentions of its adversaries. The source attributed the report to Al Jazeera.