Key European allies of Ukraine are due to meet in Kyiv on Monday as Russian attacks intensify, with discussions expected to focus on expanding urgently needed air-defence supplies and increasing pressure on Moscow. Leaders of the “Coalition of the Willing,” jointly chaired by the United Kingdom, France and Germany, will take part, while some national leaders are expected to join by video conference. European Council President António Costa is also expected in Kyiv.

The meeting comes as civilian deaths from Russian attacks have reached their highest level since the first months after the war began in 2022, according to AFP. Recent weeks have seen repeated ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv, destroying residential buildings and killing many people in the capital. Thousands of residents have sought shelter in metro stations after nearly every attack, while others have gone to basements and shelters.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is making Kyiv his first international trip after taking office and said Britain would not retreat until a just and lasting peace is established. French President Emmanuel Macron pledged new missile-defence systems on Saturday. Ukraine says its own weapons cannot intercept the fast, high-flying ballistic missiles and relies on advanced systems, especially US-made Patriot defences.

The debate over whether Pluto should again be called a planet has resurfaced 20 years after the International Astronomical Union reclassified it as a dwarf planet in August 2006. The IAU decision followed growing questions about Pluto’s status, especially after discoveries of similar distant objects beyond Neptune and the July 2005 discovery of Eris, which is comparable in size to Pluto and farther from the Sun.

The IAU established three conditions for planet status: an object must be nearly round through its own gravity, orbit the Sun, and gravitationally clear its orbital neighbourhood. Pluto meets the first two but not the third, because it shares its region with many Kuiper Belt objects and has an orbit linked with Neptune. Critics argue that the clearing requirement contains ambiguities and has shifted public discussion away from Pluto’s scientific features.

Washington University in St. Louis planetary astronomer Paul Byrne says Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Makemake and Haumea should be considered planets. He favors classification based on an object’s physical and geological nature, while acknowledging that any reversal should rest on scientific grounds rather than nostalgia or nationalism.

India’s Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has called for a peaceful protest march on September 5 from India Gate to Delhi Police headquarters, alleging that the government has betrayed young people and affected families. In a statement, the party said it was compelled to return to the streets because of what it described as the government’s attitude toward its commitments.

CJP spokesperson Saurabh Das announced the protest on X, saying marchers would question whether the central government intends to implement promises made on July 25. The march will be led by family members of students who died by suicide in connection with question-paper leak incidents and relatives of people allegedly subjected to police abuse during the July 20 movement.

The party said its national working committee reviewed progress on commitments made to young people on July 25, 2026, by the Indian government and BJP/NDA-ruled states. It said a nationwide youth movement had been withdrawn on the basis of those assurances. CJP alleged that the government has delayed implementation for a month and has not provided written assurances. It also claimed the Supreme Court repeatedly sought a nationwide list of FIRs for possible collective cancellation.

Rapid Action Battalion recovered a foreign submachine gun and 327 rounds of live rifle ammunition in two separate operations in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar. An 18-year-old Rohingya woman, Samsun Nahar, was arrested during the raids conducted on Sunday. She is the daughter of Shamsur Alam and lives in H Block of the Nayapara Rohingya camp in Teknaf upazila.

RAB-15 Assistant Director for Law and Media and Assistant Superintendent of Police A M Faruk confirmed the matter on Monday afternoon. During extensive searches at the first operation site, personnel recovered the submachine gun in an abandoned condition. RAB said questioning local residents and conducting other inquiries did not immediately identify the weapon’s owner or people linked to it.

In a separate operation at about 6pm on the same day, RAB detained Samsun Nahar from a house in H Block of the Nayapara registered Rohingya camp. A search of her room found 327 rounds of live rifle ammunition wrapped in black polythene. The recovered weapon, ammunition and the arrested woman were handed over to Teknaf Model Police Station for legal action.

Iran has blacklisted 45 tankers over allegations that they violated rules for transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Iran-established Persian Gulf Strait Authority announced the measure in a post on X on Sunday night, saying Tehran could also act against any vessel transporting goods through the listed tankers.

The authority said blacklisted vessels could face fines, detention and confiscation of their cargo. The list includes large crude-oil tankers, ships carrying liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas, and vessels transporting clean products.

The warning came days after the United States threatened what it called the toughest sanctions in history against Iran. Iran said its response to any new US threat would be devastating. Tehran had previously said shipowners must obtain its approval to use the Strait of Hormuz and pay for security and other services. Before the conflict, the waterway carried about 20 percent of global daily crude oil and LNG supplies, but traffic has fallen sharply during the ongoing conflict.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s City-Cyber Crime Investigation Division has arrested a man named Karkan Rana over allegations that he opened fake Facebook accounts using the names and photographs of members of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s family, Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon, and Personal Assistant-2 Abdur Rahman Sani. Police said the arrest followed an operation by the division’s E-Fraud Investigation Team on Sunday afternoon.

According to police, the alleged fake accounts were used to spread propaganda and false, fabricated information intended to damage the reputations of the people concerned. Police also said Rana had created multiple accounts and pages in the names of several other people.

Investigators analysed information linked to the fake accounts after receiving a complaint against Rana. Police seized a mobile phone and other evidence during the operation. A case has been filed at Banani police station under the Cyber Security Act, and police have applied to the court for seven days of remand to question him.

A local union parishad member has been accused of extracting sand from the beach area of Char Heyar, a prospective tourist destination in Rangabali upazila of Patuakhali. The sand was allegedly used to build embankments for fish enclosures and for sale. A video obtained by Amar Desh reportedly shows workers loading sand from the coastal sandbar onto a trawler, with another trawler positioned nearby after one was loaded.

Local sources identified Saidul Pyada as the union parishad member for Ward No. 6 of Rangabali Union. Trawler staff member Manju Biswas said the sand was taken for an embankment at Saidul Member’s fish enclosure and claimed the extraction caused no problem because the site had since been filled. When asked again, he said the sand was for constructing a cowshed, while denying allegations that it was sold.

Char Montaj beat officer Nasir Uddin said he later collected Saidul’s phone number and spoke to him, and that Saidul admitted taking sand. He said legal proceedings were under way. Saidul said he would meet the reporter in the evening, but no detailed statement was obtained later. Rangabali Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Nazmul Hasan said he was on leave and would learn about the matter before commenting.

Residents alleged that youths from Mirzachar village in Raipura upazila attacked homes in Char Lapang village of West Union, Nabinagar, Brahmanbaria, after an altercation at a religious gathering. The attack occurred around 1:30am on Sunday night, with the group allegedly arriving by boat carrying firearms and locally made weapons.

According to local residents, the dispute began when youths from Mirzachar attended a waz mahfil in Char Lapang and became involved in an argument and scuffle with local youths. They alleged that the attackers later fired several blank rounds, vandalised houses along the Meghna River, assaulted women and created panic in the area.

Families of Hossain Mia, Siddiqur Rahman, Nosor Mia, Khayer Mia, Abul Kashem and Ujjal Mia were allegedly assaulted, while cash, gold ornaments and goods worth about Tk60 lakh to Tk70 lakh were looted. Union Parishad Chairman Nuruzzaman confirmed the incident, while Nabinagar police station Officer-in-Charge Morshed Alam Chowdhury said no written complaint had yet been received and legal action would follow an investigation if one was filed.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar said the party and the 11-party alliance would make no compromise over implementing the referendum verdict. Speaking after a meeting with newspaper editors at the opposition leader’s official residence on Mintoo Road in Dhaka on Monday, he said 70 percent of voters had supported “yes” in the referendum held on the basis of the July Charter.

Porwar said the alliance considers implementation of the verdict the country’s foremost issue and would return to the public if parliament fails. He accused the government of delaying implementation, saying the law minister agreed with three and a half of four referendum issues while differing on the remaining half. Jamaat also raised concerns about limited parliamentary speaking opportunities, development allocations, power and gas shortages, rising commodity prices, and expatriates’ rights.

The 11-party alliance announced a long march and vehicle convoy from Dhaka’s Shapla Chattar towards Chattogram at 7am on the 5th. Porwar said the programme would seek implementation of the referendum verdict and public rights, and called for public participation along the route. He said editors urged peaceful, orderly political programmes and continued dialogue with the media.

Iraq has proposed creating a joint security coordination council involving Iran and Saudi Arabia to help rebuild trust between the two regional rivals. Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji announced the initiative on state television on Sunday, saying it is intended to address the “crisis of confidence” between Tehran and Riyadh.

The proposal follows Saudi Arabia’s July 27 claim that it destroyed drones launched from Iraq and aimed at Saudi oil facilities. Riyadh blamed Iran-aligned groups for the alleged attack, after which Iraq’s prime minister ordered an investigation. Neither Saudi Arabia nor Iran had made an immediate comment on Iraq’s proposal.

Araji also discussed Iraq’s domestic challenge of bringing weapons under state control. The Iraqi army announced a committee on June 3 for that purpose. He said the planned September 30 withdrawal of the US-led coalition would begin a gradual process of placing all weapons under state control. Araji called for political consensus on disarming armed groups while protecting fighters’ rights.

Police arrested three alleged drug traders during a joint operation at a vehicle garage in Ratnapur, under North Bakhrnagar union of Raipura upazila in Narsingdi. The raid was conducted on Sunday night, and officials disclosed details to journalists on Monday afternoon. Police said they recovered 224 kilograms of cannabis, a foreign-made pistol, and one round of ammunition.

The operation involved Raipura police, APBN and RRF members at the garage of fugitive Jamal. Officers also seized two private cars, a motorcycle and a mobile phone. The cannabis was stored in 14 sacks and was estimated by police to have a market value of Tk 44.8 lakh. Several people, including Jamal, fled during the operation.

The arrested men were identified as Maruf Mia, 22, Yasin Mia, 23, and Dipak Sarkar, 46. Police said Maruf had cases involving murder, robbery, snatching, concealing evidence and drugs. Sub-inspector Joy Kumar Pal Titu filed a case at Raipura police station. Inspector TM Faridul Alam said efforts to arrest fugitives were continuing, while the three detainees were sent to jail through a court.

The European Commission has approved €6.1 billion ($7.1 billion) in new defence support for Ukraine, covering air and missile defence systems, missiles, ammunition and radar. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the package on Monday, Ukraine’s Independence Day.

Von der Leyen said Europe was demonstrating that its support for Ukraine remained steadfast and tangible. She said Europe was increasing its assistance as Russia intensified attacks, aiming to help Ukraine protect its population and strengthen its air defences. She also said Europe would stand with Ukraine and provide needed equipment when required.

The funding is part of the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan, with €60 billion allocated to defence and €30 billion designated for budget support in 2026 and 2027. The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union established the loan in February 2026. Since 2022, the EU and its member states have provided Ukraine with €220.2 billion in assistance, including €3.8 billion generated from frozen Russian assets.

A daylong thalassemia awareness workshop and seminar was held at Dhaka College auditorium on Sunday to inform students about prevention, carrier identification and the importance of blood tests before marriage. The programme was organized by the Bangladesh Thalassemia Patients and Parents Welfare Association. Dhaka College Principal Professor A K M Ilyas attended as chief guest, while association president and founder Kamrun Nahar Mukul chaired the seminar.

Mukul said Bangladesh has about 20 million thalassemia carriers and more than 70,000 patients. She said marriages between two carriers can result in children with thalassemia, and described the disease as spreading rapidly in the country. Professor Dr Md Belayet Hossain, an association adviser and head of Hematology and Oncology at Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute, presented the keynote paper.

Hossain described thalassemia as an inherited blood disorder and said identifying carriers through pre-marital blood tests and avoiding carrier-to-carrier marriages are among the most effective preventive measures. Organizers said carriers often show few or no symptoms, making testing essential. The event also included college officials, association representatives and NCC Bank officials.

The US State Department has approved the sale of four KC-46A Pegasus aerial refuelling aircraft to Qatar in a deal valued at $4.5 billion, Iranian media reported. The package includes eight PW4062 turbofan engines, 10 AN/ALR-69A radar warning systems, and support and training equipment. The source portrays the transaction as part of Washington’s effort to use concerns over Iran and regional insecurity to expand arms sales to Gulf Arab states.

According to the source, Qatar’s overall cost exceeds $1 billion per aircraft when associated equipment is included. It contrasts this with the US Air Force’s reported procurement cost of about $200 million to $322 million per aircraft. The report also compares the KC-46A with the Airbus A330 MRTT, saying Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates paid about $300 million for each European tanker aircraft.

The source cites a US Government Accountability Office report saying the KC-46A has not met readiness and mission-capability standards since 2019. It lists refuelling-system, remote vision system, structural, fuel-leak, boom-separation and electrical problems, and says Boeing has spent more than $8 billion addressing defects. The State Department said the sale would help Qatar address current and future threats and support a strategic regional partner.

A recent survey by the Center for Jewish Impact found that 52 percent of Israelis feel fear or concern about revealing their Israeli identity while travelling abroad. The survey, reported on August 24, 2026, also found that 41 percent of respondents changed their travel behaviour after October 7, 2023, including changing destinations, cancelling trips, or avoiding certain activities overseas.

The poll indicated dissatisfaction with Israel’s international diplomacy. While 64 percent said Israel’s strategic relationship with the United States is strong, only 23 percent believed the country effectively presents its policies and positions internationally. Seventy percent described Israel’s public diplomacy, or efforts to present its image abroad, as ineffective.

Most respondents did not consider Israel’s international standing permanently weakened. Thirty-three percent said a long-term national strategy and stronger public diplomacy and communications were the top priority, while 25 percent called for changes in government policy and decision-making. On social cohesion, 73 percent said Israel can remain a united society, up from 67 percent in February 2026. বিশ্বাস in Jewish-Arab coexistence stood at 42 percent.