At least 73,456 Palestinians were killed and 174,496 injured in Israeli attacks in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and August 31, 2026, according to an Al Jazeera AJLabs calculation based on Gaza Health Ministry data. The reported toll includes 21,500 children among those killed. The analysis said at least one in every 33 Gaza residents has been killed and at least one in every 14 injured. Thousands of people remain trapped beneath rubble, which could raise the death toll. Gaza's Health Ministry said bodies also remain under debris and on roads because rescue and ambulance teams cannot reach all areas. Violence and casualties continued after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was declared on October 10, 2025. Since then, Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,320 Palestinians and injured 4,385, while 815 bodies were recovered. AJLabs said incidents involving Israeli attacks, deaths or injuries occurred on 290 of the ceasefire's 326 days. The ministry's latest figure puts the total directly affected, including killed and injured people, at 247,952.

Former Awami League lawmakers living abroad have reportedly sent multiple letters to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), alleging they cannot return to Bangladesh and citing human rights violations and repression of party activists. The matter was discussed in preparatory meetings ahead of IPU Secretary-General Anda Philip’s visit to Bangladesh, which began on Sunday night. Current lawmakers told the meetings that the Awami League had been driven from the country by the public and that many members of the current parliament had faced persecution, harassment or enforced disappearance under the party’s government. They said incidents of disappearance, repression and violence before and during the July mass uprising were being presented to the IPU delegation. On Monday, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed gave Philip a United Nations report concerning violence during the July uprising and the Awami League government’s tenure. Philip also met women and young lawmakers, visited the July Memorial Museum, and met opposition leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman. He is scheduled to hold discussions with government and opposition MPs, including lawmakers and relatives of alleged victims of past disappearances.

Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi declined to comment on Bangladesh’s internal politics when asked about India’s relations with a BNP government and tensions involving former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. He made the remarks on Tuesday afternoon after a courtesy meeting with Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moin Khan at the Secretariat in Dhaka. Trivedi said challenges would remain between Bangladesh and India, but both countries should move forward with the future in mind. He said the past cannot be forgotten, yet development work cannot progress if the two sides remain stuck in it. He also said he had extended greetings to everyone on the BNP’s founding anniversary. The high commissioner said the meeting included discussion on working together harmoniously. He stressed the importance of people-to-people ties, saying decisions made by the two countries affect ordinary citizens and carry a responsibility to ensure public welfare. Trivedi added that the neighbours share not only a border but also dreams, increasing their responsibilities as neighbours, and said neither country is bigger or smaller than the other.

Iran has asked the UN Security Council to intervene following what it described as a US attack on Larak Island in the Persian Gulf. Tehran said military personnel and civilians were killed and injured, while public and private property was damaged. Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Gholamhossein Darzi, sent a letter on Monday to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to the state news agency IRNA. Darzi said US forces carried out the attack on Sunday evening and called it a clear violation of Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He described the continuing war against Iran as constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity, and held the United States, as well as those ordering and carrying out the attacks, responsible. The Iranian envoy said Tehran had shown restraint throughout the situation but that its forces would not hesitate to respond to any further attacks. He also referred to Iran’s attack on a US base in Jordan as an act of self-defense. Darzi urged the Security Council to demand that the United States stop its attacks and requested that his letter be circulated as an official Council document.

Rail services between Rajshahi and the rest of Bangladesh were suspended again after a coach of the Pabna-to-Rajshahi Dhalarchar Express derailed near Harian station on Tuesday at about 11:30am. Rajshahi Railway Station Manager Ziaul Islam said two wheels of the train derailed, blocking train movement on all routes connected to Rajshahi. According to Islam, the train had travelled about 200 yards after leaving Harian station when the trolley attached to the wheels of its “Ta” coach broke. The failure caused two wheels of that coach to leave the track. Because the incident occurred on the main line, rail traffic on every route serving Rajshahi had to be stopped. The disruption followed an earlier suspension of about one and a half hours on Tuesday morning, after a rail line broke in Bagatipara, Natore. A relief train was dispatched from Ishwardi to recover the derailed coach. Islam said train operations would resume after the recovery work was completed, which could take until between 2:30pm and 3:00pm.

Former Israeli generals, intelligence officials and former prime ministers have warned that violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank poses a greater threat to Israel than Iran, Gaza or Lebanon. Retired Major General Eyal Ben-Reuven made the remarks after visiting West Bank communities with other former officials and speaking to Palestinians affected by attacks. They alleged settlers have attacked homes, mosques and villages, set fires, and seized land and livestock. According to the United Nations, settlers have carried out thousands of attacks in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, injuring thousands of Palestinians. More than 3,200 Palestinians have been displaced by settler attacks this year, twice the previous year’s level, the report said. More than 200 prominent Israelis signed a June letter calling for an end to what it described as “Jewish terrorism” and “ethnic cleansing.” The Israeli military denied allegations that it assists settler violence, saying its role is to protect all residents. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office did not comment on the accusations, though Netanyahu recently called some incidents criminal acts. Former officials said the violence risks harming Israel’s democracy, security, international standing and prospects for a Palestinian state.

Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Dr. Jahed Ur Rahman said the ninth and tenth wage boards for journalists will be implemented together. He made the statement on Tuesday while answering journalists’ questions at a briefing held to update the public on progress in various government activities. Asked about ensuring government benefits for journalists employed by private newspapers and television outlets, he described the matter as a “real problem.” He said the ministry was working on related issues, including the crisis in electronic media. Journalists noted that discussion followed the eighth wage board but the ninth board was not implemented, while demands for the tenth board have continued for a long time. Ur Rahman said the government would work quickly to ensure journalists’ jobs and livelihoods, arguing that good journalism cannot be expected without such security. On a new national pay scale, he said broad salary increases could create some inflation risk, but not everyone’s pay would double. He added that Bangladesh Bank would use its policy tools to control inflation and the government would take necessary regulatory measures.

The United States has approved the proposed sale of military helicopters and related equipment to Iraq worth $800 million, the US State Department said in a statement on Monday. Bell Textron, a Fort Worth, Texas-based company, will be the principal contractor for the proposed transaction. The State Department said the sale would support US foreign policy and national security interests by helping strengthen the security of Iraq, described as a strategic partner. The department presented the proposed transfer as part of support for Iraq’s security capabilities. According to the statement, the equipment would improve Iraq’s ability to address current and future threats. It would enhance helicopter-based transportation and surveillance capabilities, while also improving Iraq’s capacity to conduct air-to-ground strikes against targets.

The Trump administration has moved to limit employment authorization for certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B visa holders in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security has listed a proposal that would remove eligible H-4 spouses from classes of noncitizens able to apply for work authorization. The measure could particularly affect Indian families, whose members make up a large share of H-4 employment authorization holders. The proposal is not yet a final rule and does not immediately cancel existing H-4 employment authorization documents, or EADs. DHS must first publish a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register, allow public comments, and then issue a final rule. Until that process is completed, eligible H-4 visa holders with valid EADs may continue working under current rules. The proposal seeks to reverse a 2015 policy that allowed qualifying H-4 spouses to seek EADs. By early 2017, 93 percent of approved H-4 EAD holders were Indian citizens and 94 percent were women. USCIS data also showed Indian citizens accounted for about 71 percent of approved H-1B applications in fiscal year 2024.

Actress Manisha Koirala has appealed to foreign tourists to visit Nepal despite a recent devastating flash flood that has left nearly 1,000 people dead and more than 4,000 missing. Speaking on August 30 in Kathmandu at Sadhguru’s “In Solidarity with Nepal” event, the Nepal-born Bollywood star said the country needs visitors as it confronts the disaster. Koirala said tourism plays an important role in Nepal’s economy and is needed for the country’s recovery. Addressing the international community, she asked it to continue showing love and support for Nepal, saying the country does not want to be viewed only as a place constantly affected by disasters or crises. Referring to the disaster near the Tibet-Nepal border, Koirala said tourism remains Nepal’s lifeblood and is needed across the rest of the country. She said Nepal should be remembered not only for disasters, but also for the Himalayas, natural beauty, culture, heritage and the hospitality of its people. Koirala was born in Kathmandu and began acting in Nepali cinema in 1989 before entering Bollywood in 1991.

Sonali Bank has asked the government to intervene over overdue loans extended to Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation and nine state-owned sugar mills. The bank fears that nearly Tk 7,000 crore in net outstanding debt could become classified in the September 2026 quarter after government guarantees covering the facilities expired. In a letter to the Finance Division secretary on August 19, Managing Director Shawkat Ali Khan sought repayment arrangements, government bonds against arrears, or renewed state guarantees. Sonali Bank said it had lent Tk 3,105 crore to BSFIC and its nine mills, while dues on loans issued directly to BSFIC stood at Tk 2,762 crore. Interest and other charges added about Tk 4,086 crore, bringing total claims to Tk 7,192 crore. After Tk 253 crore was repaid, net arrears stood at Tk 6,938 crore. A Tk 1,000 crore government guarantee expired in December last year, along with other guarantees previously extended. The bank says classification would require substantial provisions under Bangladesh Bank rules, potentially widening its provision shortfall and hurting profits. BSFIC officials said its government receivable for trade gaps and subsidies could reach Tk 8,041 crore by the end of fiscal year 2025-26.

A glacier collapse near the Nepal-China border triggered flash floods on Wednesday, leaving more than 900 people dead and thousands missing. Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said Monday that 903 people had died, while 4,247 remained missing, including 592 foreign nationals. Authorities have rescued 10,451 people alive from flood-hit areas. Rescue operations entered their sixth day, with more than 20,000 military and law-enforcement personnel deployed in Nepal. More than 2,000 rescuers from the army, police and other agencies were working in China’s Tibet region. Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah described the disaster as unimaginable and heartbreaking, saying difficult weather, terrain and continuing risks were hampering assessment of total damage. Twenty-six shelters in Rasuwa and Nuwakot had accommodated 3,454 people by Sunday. Authorities decided to bury some bodies after collecting DNA samples because morgues reached capacity. Rescuers were also trying to free more than 900 workers trapped in a hydropower tunnel on the Trishuli River; over 300 had been rescued. China and India sent specialist teams, while several international partners provided relief assistance.

A rehabilitation project for Bangladesh Railway’s flood-damaged Sylhet-Chhatak Bazar metre-gauge line has reached only 20 to 25 percent completion after its August 23, 2026 deadline, leaving renewed train services uncertain. The roughly 34-kilometre route has been closed for nearly four years following severe flooding in 2022. The project, approved in 2025, was intended to restore the section between Sylhet and Chhatak Bazar. The project’s estimated cost was Tk217.34 crore, financed jointly by the government and the Asian Development Bank. Contractor Mir Akhter Hossain Limited signed a contract on February 3, 2025, valued at about Tk199 crore. Officials said work at 85 of 96 piling points has been completed, while earth filling and culvert construction continue. Old rails along the route have been removed, but installation of new tracks and other key work remains delayed. Local residents and businesspeople said slow or halted work has caused frustration, while the route’s closure has increased the time and cost of transporting goods by road. The contractor cited adverse weather, heavy rainfall, political conditions and delays importing materials. It said Tk29 crore was recently allocated and requested a one-year extension to finish the remaining work.

Bangladesh’s High Court has ordered the government to give priority to 17,777 workers identified as affected after being unable to travel to Malaysia. The direction applies to 10,000 workers whom the government plans to send to Malaysia free of cost under its announced zero-cost scheme. The order followed a hearing on a writ petition after the relevant ministry submitted a report to the court on Monday. The ministry’s report outlined government measures concerning the sending of workers to Malaysia. It said 17,777 people had been affected among 33,000 workers intending to travel to the country. During the hearing, the government-appointed lawyer told the court that a new initiative was being arranged to send 10,000 workers to Malaysia without any cost. The court said the workers identified in the investigation committee’s report had suffered financially and mentally because they could not go to Malaysia. Authorities also informed the court about administrative and legal measures taken against manpower-exporting agencies that failed to send workers and were identified as involved in irregularities. The case has been adjourned for four months, and the government has been directed to submit a report on its next steps.

The Dewanganj upazila administration in Jamalpur seized 100 sacks, or five metric tonnes, of TSP fertilizer during an operation on Monday night. A trolley carrying the fertilizer was also seized in the Pollakandi area on the Dewanganj-Sanandabari road. According to the upazila administration, officials acted on a tip-off that a group was transporting illegally stored TSP fertilizer elsewhere to sell it at higher prices. Dewanganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Executive Magistrate Shah Jahurul Hossain led the operation, with Upazila Agriculture Officer Ratan Mia present. Ratan Mia said the fertilizer was likely being moved to create an artificial shortage through stockpiling and then sell it at inflated prices. Shah Jahurul Hossain said the seized fertilizer would be sold to farmers at government-set prices, with the proceeds deposited in the state treasury. He added that such operations would continue to prevent illegal stockpiling, artificial shortages and attempts to sell fertilizer at excessive prices.