Nepal’s flood death toll has risen to 160, police said, after 160 bodies were recovered following severe flooding. The earlier official death toll had stood at 100. The Prime Minister’s Office said search and rescue operations led by the Nepal Army would continue through the night.

A total of 1,697 personnel have been deployed for the operation, while another 656 members have been kept ready for additional missions. During Wednesday, six military helicopters rescued 94 people and five civilian helicopters rescued another 12. Ground rescue teams also brought 27 people to safety.

The Prime Minister’s Office said 800 kilograms of tents and 200 kilograms of medical supplies had been delivered to affected areas. A large number of people stranded in the upper part of the Timure area are scheduled to be evacuated by air on Thursday morning.

Canada has announced retaliatory tariffs of 15 to 50 percent on nearly 700 US products, valued at about $20 billion. Ottawa said Tuesday that the measures will take effect on September 8, following the implementation of new US tariffs on Canadian goods on Saturday.

Canadian officials said the new duties would broadly match the rates imposed by the United States. Products covered include goods from the steel, dairy and electronics sectors. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Canada faced an unprecedented challenge but would respond, adding that Canadians were united in their reaction.

The move follows the collapse of trade talks between the two countries. Prime Minister Mark Carney said he withdrew rather than accept what he called a bad trade agreement, alleging that late US demands were economically unreasonable and unfair. US President Donald Trump had warned Canada to “get in line” or face worse consequences, while also threatening additional tariffs, including on Canada’s auto industry next year. The dispute could further affect autos, steel, agricultural goods, dairy products and electronics.

A fisherman, Ratan Das, 35, was killed by lightning while fishing in the Mohishasura Haor in Kalmakanda, Netrokona. Three other fishermen were injured in the incident, which occurred early Wednesday. All four men were fishing from a boat when lightning struck.

Ratan Das, the son of Niranjan Das, was from Nayapara village in Kalmakanda Sadar Union. The injured were identified as Joysen Das, 25, Hridoy Das, 22, and Dinanath Das, 45, all from the same village and all professional fishers.

Local residents and relatives said Ratan Das died at the scene. The three injured fishermen reportedly developed hearing difficulties after the intense sound of the lightning strike. Kalmakanda police station Officer-in-Charge Md Mostafizur Rahman confirmed the incident and said an unnatural death case had been filed.

Panama’s cabinet approved a national emergency on Tuesday as El Niño-driven drought intensifies across Central America. Authorities warned that water supply, agriculture and hydropower generation could be severely affected, with water shortages reported in 11 river basins. El Salvador issued a nationwide red alert for meteorological and agricultural drought, while Honduras had already placed dozens of municipalities under red and yellow alerts.

Panama has also faced flooding since January, affecting at least 15,643 people, while reduced rainfall in several areas has raised concern about water levels in reservoirs serving the Panama Canal. In El Salvador, the red alert followed prolonged dry conditions, high temperatures and forecasts of below-normal rainfall through October. The country recorded 19 consecutive dry days from August 7 and 14 temperature records during August.

Honduras declared a red alert in 75 municipalities on August 19 and a yellow alert in another 71 municipalities because of drought. Water supplies, crops and livestock in Central America’s dry corridor are under serious threat. The World Meteorological Organization said the ongoing El Niño conditions could strengthen, and Panamanian authorities fear its effects could continue until 2027.

Bangladesh’s government faces a record Tk 283,779 crore in maturing domestic government securities during fiscal year 2026-27, according to the latest quarterly Bangladesh Bank Securities Bulletin. The amount is described as the highest maturity obligation in a single fiscal year. It includes Tk 194,326 crore in Treasury bills, Tk 71,961 crore in Treasury bonds, Tk 15,500 crore in sukuk and nearly Tk 1,993 crore in special purpose Treasury bonds.

Nearly two-thirds of the debt maturing next fiscal year consists of short-term Treasury bills. The government will need either to repay investors as these instruments mature or renew the debt by issuing new securities. Former governor Ahsan H Mansur said such maturities are mainly a rollover issue, with new bonds or securities issued to repay expiring instruments.

A Bangladesh Bank official said pressure tends to build toward the end of the year, when government payments increase and banks reduce investment in this area. Outstanding government securities reached about Tk 9 lakh crore at the end of June, up Tk 60,224 crore during April-June. Banks remained the main investors, holding about 74 percent of Treasury bill and bond investments.

Bangladesh’s government has outlined a long-term energy security plan aimed at addressing electricity and gas shortages, reducing load-shedding to zero and supporting industrialisation. In an interview with Amar Desh, Prime Minister’s Economic and Planning Adviser Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir said the plan includes building fuel reserves equivalent to at least three months, expanding domestic gas exploration and strengthening state-owned Bapex. The government also links reliable energy supplies to its target of making Bangladesh a $1 trillion economy by 2034.

According to Titumir, the programme has three stages: eliminating current supply deficits and load-shedding, preparing for an estimated 6% rise in electricity demand during summer, and securing long-term supplies for economic expansion. He said energy infrastructure is being decentralised beyond Matarbari and Chattogram, with work under way on a floating LNG terminal and a CNG landing station in the Mongla area.

International bidding for domestic gas exploration has begun, Titumir said, while Bapex’s technical and exploration capacity will be enhanced. He added that domestic and foreign investors are working in the energy sector through IPP and PPA models, and that multinational companies, including from the United States, have shown renewed interest in investment.

Global fuel oil prices continued to decline on Wednesday morning in international markets. Benchmark Brent crude fell by $1.78, or 2.0%, to $86.80 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude dropped by $1.49, or 1.8%, to $80.87 per barrel.

The decline followed reports that Iran said it would restart discussions with neighbouring Oman on opening the Strait of Hormuz. The prospect of the waterway being reopened created renewed expectations in the market and was cited as the factor behind the latest fall in oil prices.

Both major crude benchmarks had already declined by more than 3% on Tuesday. The report did not provide further details about the planned discussions, a timetable for the Strait of Hormuz, or additional market developments.

Bangladesh will launch a pilot of its “Probashi Card” for expatriate Bangladeshis in mid-August next month, following a decision at a Saturday meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The government says the card is intended to raise expatriates’ social standing, empower them, provide financial incentives, and enable international payments and banking through a dual-currency card.

Officials said cardholders will receive at least 10 special services, including airport lounge access, dedicated immigration booths, meet-and-greet services, travel discounts, vehicle booking, health-service support, repatriation of remains after death, rehabilitation and insurance support. The card will also offer priority in land registration, utility connections, licensing, foreign investment, identity, passport, consular and banking services.

In the first phase, state-owned Janata Bank will issue expatriate debit cards. The target is to distribute 50,000 cards by December 2026 and 200,000 by June next year. In the second phase, Probashi Kallyan Bank will manage all card-related activities. The prime minister also directed authorities to ensure Bangladeshis living worldwide can be brought under the scheme.

The death toll from severe flash floods in Nepal’s northern border district of Rasuwa has risen to 95, while nearly 500 people remain missing, according to officials cited by PTI. The flooding began on Wednesday in Nepal and China’s autonomous region of Tibet, burying hundreds of people beneath mud and floodwater. Areas and infrastructure along Nepal’s Bhotekoshi River were reported as the hardest hit.

Indian nationals form the largest identified group of missing people, with 105 Indian citizens and 37 non-resident Indians unaccounted for, a combined total of 142. Nepal Tourism Board data also listed 17 Malaysians, 12 British citizens, four South Africans, three Americans, and one each from Australia and the Netherlands as missing. The nationalities of another 111 people have not yet been confirmed.

Kathmandu University professor and climate researcher Rijan Bhakta said preliminary findings indicate an ice avalanche blocked the Lende River, causing water to accumulate. At about 9 a.m. Wednesday, as floodwaters descended into Nepal, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake occurred in Tibet. It is suspected that the earthquake shifted the ice, releasing Lende River water through the Bhotekoshi River. Authorities are continuing to identify missing people and gather information on their whereabouts.

India has lifted its four-year ban on wheat exports with immediate effect, citing record production, ample stocks and low domestic prices that have hurt farmers. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, under the Commerce Ministry, changed wheat’s export status from prohibited to free on Monday. The decision also removes restrictions on exports of durum wheat, wheat flour, maida, semolina and whole-wheat flour.

India, the world’s second-largest wheat producer, imposed broad export restrictions in May 2022 to control domestic wheat prices and safeguard food security. Earlier this year, the government had eased the restrictions through licences for 5 million tonnes of wheat and 1 million tonnes of wheat products. Of the permitted 6 million tonnes, only 250,000 tonnes had been exported, and the new decision effectively ends the quota-based system.

Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said the move is intended to secure better prices for farmers. India produced a record 120.65 million tonnes of wheat in the 2025-26 agricultural year, up about 2.69 million tonnes from 117.94 million tonnes a year earlier. The government said stocks remain sufficient to meet domestic demand.

SA TV has announced plans to broadcast Bangla-dubbed versions of two internationally popular Islamic drama series, “Muhammad (PBUH): Flags of Justice Season 2” and “Yusuf-Zulekha.” Managing Director Salahuddin Ahmed formally announced the broadcasts at a recent press conference at the Grand Palace Hotel in Kakrail, Dhaka. Minister Myone Group presents “Flags of Justice Season 2,” a series based on the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Ahmed said a responsible media outlet should provide not only entertainment but also programmes enriched with knowledge, morality and human values. He described the two series as important additions to SA TV’s programming, saying they are intended to offer viewers an experience of history, spirituality and human education. The programmes were also described as suitable for viewers of all ages.

“Yusuf-Zulekha,” described as a popular emotional series based on an Iranian story, will begin airing on August 30. It will be shown on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 pm. “Muhammad (PBUH): Flags of Justice” will start on September 13 and air on the same three days at 8:30 pm.

Filmmaker Ashfaque Nipun has confirmed that screenplay writing is under way for the third season of the web series Mohanagar. In a video message posted on Facebook on August 26, his birthday, Nipun said he needed to finish the script because time was limited. He also sang the series’ popular intro music, signalling that Mohanagar 3 is in development.

The announcement ends a three-year wait for viewers who have been asking when OC Harun would return. Mohanagar received a strong audience response after its release in 2021, while its second season arrived two years later. The series gained popularity in Bangladesh and India, with its story, production quality and Mosharraf Karim’s performance cited as major reasons.

Production of Mohanagar 3 had faced uncertainty for a long time because of budget issues and other complications, according to the report. Nipun has not announced a filming start date or release schedule. Mosharraf Karim is expected to return as the popular character OC Harun, while there has also been discussion that West Bengal actor Anirban Bhattacharya may appear in the third season.

Social media posts falsely claimed that Bangladeshi film actor, producer and director Ilias Kanchan had died. Liton Ershad, vice-chairman of the Nirapad Sarak Chai central committee, said Kanchan is well and described the reports as entirely false. Kanchan, who has a brain tumour, is currently receiving treatment in London.

Ershad said misinformation was being spread and causing confusion. Kanchan’s family had also previously described reports of his death as baseless. Relatives and close associates urged people not to be misled by the claims circulating online and said such rumours should not be shared without information from reliable sources.

After more than 15 months of treatment in London, Kanchan returned to Bangladesh on August 3 to spend time with family and close acquaintances. He attended Nirapad Sarak Chai’s 11th grand rally at the Shilpakala Academy in the capital on August 7. On August 9, he said he felt somewhat more comfortable after returning home and sought prayers to complete his treatment quickly and return to the country.

The government has decided to introduce gas rationing at CNG stations to address an intensifying energy shortage and sustain industrial and commercial production in Bangladesh. The decision was made at a second consultation meeting with private-sector entrepreneurs chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Entrepreneurs will also be allowed to transport gas from Bhola gas fields to their factories by truck under their own arrangements, subject to required approvals.

Bangladesh Bank and the Energy and Mineral Resources Division have been assigned to implement time-based allocation of gas supplied through CNG stations for industrial and commercial purposes. The government expects gas saved through limits or temporary closures at CNG stations to be redirected to factories and power generation. The source says industrial output has been disrupted, while transport operators have faced long waits at filling stations and households have experienced unreliable gas stoves.

Business leaders welcomed the measures as potentially helpful, while calling for broader solutions. DCCI President Taskin Ahmed urged diversified LNG sources, stronger storage capacity and faster domestic exploration. BGMEA proposed prioritising gas connections for garments and textiles and shifting gas from gas-fired power plants to oil-fired plants for industrial use.

Bangladesh’s Padma Barrage project has shown no visible progress more than three months after approval by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council on 13 May, according to the report. The government has yet to appoint a project director, deputy project director and other required staff, despite allocating funds under the annual development programme. The project, approved at an estimated cost of Tk34,500 crore, is expected to take seven years to implement.

Officials said an approved 120-person staffing structure has not resolved disagreements between public administration officials and Bangladesh Water Development Board engineers over appointments, particularly the project director post. The board had proposed 460 positions, but the inter-ministerial meeting approved 73 deputed positions, including the project director, and 47 outsourced posts. Consultant recruitment for environmentally and economically sustainable implementation also remains pending.

The proposal says the barrage could store 2.90 billion cubic metres of water within 10 to 15 days near the end of monsoon and supply water for irrigation. It envisages work across 163 upazilas in 26 districts, reviving five dying rivers and creating 927,000 permanent jobs directly or indirectly. Water resources officials said they hope visible construction work will begin in January or February next year.