BNP has nominated its secretary general and local government minister, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, for the post of Bangladesh’s 23rd president. BNP chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman finalized his candidacy in a meeting with senior leaders at the Secretariat. Senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi disclosed the decision to reporters on Thursday afternoon, August 13.

Rizvi said Mirza Fakhrul resigned from the posts of BNP secretary general and standing committee member immediately after becoming a candidate. He had served as secretary general since March 30, 2016, following five years as acting secretary general. He was elected an MP from Thakurgaon-1 in 2001 and served as state minister for agriculture and for civil aviation and tourism between 2001 and 2006.

Thursday is the final day for filing presidential nomination papers, with submissions accepted from 10am to 4pm at the Election Building. Nomination papers have also been filed for retired Colonel Oli Ahmed, the candidate of an 11-party alliance. The Election Commission will scrutinize papers on August 16, withdrawals close on August 18, and voting will be held on August 20 if more than one candidate remains.

European Union financing lifted military aid for Ukraine to €7.2 billion in June, the highest monthly level since US funding stopped in February 2025, according to Kiel Institute data reported on Thursday. Published on August 13, 2026, the report said June’s total was the second-highest monthly amount after €9.04 billion received in April 2024. It was also the third-largest one-month rise in donor military assistance since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022.

The increase was driven mainly by the EU’s new Ukraine Support Loan. European institutions provided €4.3 billion in military aid in May and June under the loan, which was launched with €90 billion to address Ukraine’s budget and defence needs in 2026 and 2027. Germany separately provided €700 million, Denmark €600 million and the Netherlands €500 million in military support.

Despite the June increase, longer-term financing remains below levels before US funding ended. Donors provided an average of €3.46 billion a month before February 2025, compared with €2.94 billion afterward. The United States no longer directly funds Ukraine’s war effort, though its weapons remain important. Europe is buying arms from US defence companies and receiving weapons from existing US stockpiles.

India has invited Bangladesh Prime Minister and BIMSTEC chair Tarique Rahman to the outreach session of the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi, scheduled for September 12 and 13. As of August 13, Bangladesh had not made a decision on whether Rahman would attend or travel to India, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shahidul Karim.

Bangladesh is not a BRICS member, but the invitation was extended because it has held the BIMSTEC chair since 2025. India sent a diplomatic note through its High Commission in Dhaka in July. Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said no policy decision had been taken, while India’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi would provide an update if available.

Former diplomats described the visit as important for improving Bangladesh-India relations and for Bangladesh’s interest in joining BRICS. They said a bilateral meeting between the two prime ministers could make the trip more meaningful. Analysts also cited strains linked to Sheikh Hasina’s stay and recent remarks in India, as well as anti-India political sentiment in Bangladesh, as factors behind the government’s caution.

The White House wants to continue advancing a US peace plan for Gaza despite public objections from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a report published on August 13, 2026. The Trump administration is seeking to avoid an open confrontation with Israel for now and instead pursue its diplomatic goals gradually. White House officials are said to be placing greater importance on Israel’s actions than on Netanyahu’s statements.

The proposed 15-point plan calls for Hamas to disarm, step away from governing Gaza, and for Israeli forces to withdraw in stages. A central dispute concerns the sequence of those commitments. Hamas says disarmament must be linked to an Israeli troop withdrawal, while Netanyahu says Israel will not withdraw forces from Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed.

A White House source said Netanyahu faces difficult political conditions before an upcoming election and needs to maintain support from right-wing allies. The Board of Peace said separate discussions with Israel are continuing and that the plan remains in effect. Israel remains deeply doubtful that Hamas will fulfill any disarmament pledge, leaving the process uncertain.

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the validity of Article 70 of the Constitution and seeking suspension of the presidential election schedule. Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Yunus Ali Akand filed the petition on Thursday morning. A hearing on the petition may take place next Sunday.

Article 70 states that a member of parliament elected as a nominee of a political party will lose their seat if they resign from that party or vote against it in parliament. The provision also says that such a member will not be disqualified from becoming an MP in any subsequent election for that reason. The petition challenges the legality of this constitutional article.

The deadline for submitting nomination papers for the country’s 23rd presidential election is 4pm on Thursday. Under the Election Commission schedule, papers may be filed from 10am to 4pm. Scrutiny is set for August 16, withdrawal of candidacy is due by August 18, and voting is scheduled from 2pm to 5pm on August 20 in the Parliament Building’s session chamber.

Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman said Bangladesh has formally introduced the digital e-bail bond, or electronic bail bond, system in 12 additional districts to modernize and energize the judiciary and reduce hardship for justice seekers. He made the announcement on Thursday morning at the inauguration of the e-bail bond system.

With the latest expansion, the digital e-bail bond system now covers 28 districts nationwide, the minister said. The newly covered districts are Tangail, Kishoreganj, Munshiganj, Cox's Bazar, Chandpur, Rangamati, Sirajganj, Bagerhat, Patuakhali, Habiganj, Thakurgaon and Jamalpur.

Asaduzzaman said the government is also placing the highest importance on ensuring speedy justice through mediation, or alternative dispute resolution, outside the courts. He said there is a plan to give special awards to encourage districts that perform well in the judiciary and show strong results in quickly disposing of pending court cases.

Forty-one countries have issued an international call for other states to provide at least 24 hours’ notice before launching ballistic missiles or spacecraft. Published on August 13, 2026, the joint appeal seeks to prevent misunderstandings, heightened tensions and unintended conflict caused by surprise launches. Participants include the United States, Japan, South Korea, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and countries across Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

The countries said adequate information should be provided before launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and spacecraft. They said notices should include the launch time and location, missile type and possible trajectory. Without advance warning, a long-range missile launch could be mistaken for an actual attack, creating risks of military responses, regional tension and wider conflict.

Concerns have recently increased over several missile launches in the Pacific region. North Korea’s continuing ballistic missile tests have made the regional security situation more sensitive, according to the report. The joint statement said a 24-hour notice would allow affected countries to assess potential risks and take necessary measures, reducing the likelihood of miscalculation or an incorrect response. It also noted questions over effectiveness if all major missile powers do not participate.

Lebanon’s parliament passed a long-awaited general amnesty law on Wednesday, according to a report published on August 13, 2026. The measure is expected to benefit thousands of prisoners and fugitives. It was approved during a parliamentary session, though authorities did not immediately say how many people would qualify.

Political parties had been calling for passage of the law. Its stated aim is to reduce overcrowding in prisons, where many detainees have spent years awaiting trial. The office of the parliament speaker announced approval of draft legislation to grant amnesty and, exceptionally, reduce the duration of certain specified sentences.

The issue of amnesty returned to discussion after the fall of former Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2024. The report said many prisoners in Lebanon had been jailed in connection with events related to the Syrian civil war. No immediate official estimate was provided on the total number of people expected to benefit from the newly passed law.

CNG-powered autorickshaw drivers blocked the Jamalpur-Tangail highway on Thursday, August 13, demanding a new gas station and a permanent solution to the ongoing gas shortage in Jamalpur. The protest began at 6am and caused long queues of vehicles on both sides of the highway, disrupting passengers and other drivers.

Drivers said Jamalpur has only one gas station, Javed Filling Station, supplying fuel to autorickshaws. About 3,000 CNG vehicles are registered with the BRTA, while the total number operating in the district, including vehicles arriving from outside, is about 5,000. They said the mismatch forces drivers to wait in long lines daily, yet fuel is often unavailable.

Driver Zainal Abedin said he had waited in line since 2am before learning there was no gas, describing the problem as recurring. He said drivers were compelled to block the road because of shortages and prolonged waits. Jamalpur Sadar police station officer-in-charge Nazmus Sakib said police were speaking with the protesters and trying to persuade them to restore normal traffic movement.

Students staged a sit-in outside the main gate of Dhaka College on Thursday at noon, demanding that students from all academic sessions of the seven colleges be included in Dhaka Central University. Demonstrators called for the inclusion of running sessions, academic migration and an end to delays over the central university. Their slogans also demanded freedom from affiliation arrangements.

Abdullah Al A Fahad, a 2022-23 session student of Dhaka College, said students had called for a protest march over running sessions and academic migration. He alleged that a group emerging from the college’s administrative building forced students who were gathered on campus to leave, locked the Dhaka College gate and said no protest march would be allowed from there.

Fahad said the government had passed the university law in support of students, with the aim of resolving academic complications for running sessions and addressing their lack of institutional identity. He said students were told a decision would follow a consultation meeting, but that the Education Ministry later sent a letter calling for mass signatures. He described this as unnecessary delay and said the sit-in at the main gate followed the alleged intimidation and removal of students from campus.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said Baghdad will not allow its territory or airspace to be used to launch attacks against neighboring countries. He made the statement while visiting Iraq’s Air Defense Command Operations Center on August 13, 2026.

Al-Zaidi said Iraq was working to protect its national security and sovereignty. He said the country would not permit its land or airspace to become a base for any attack directed against neighboring states.

The prime minister also described Iraq’s skies and sovereignty as inviolable. He said any violation of Iraqi airspace, or any form of interference with the country’s security, would not be tolerated. The remarks were delivered during his visit to the air defense command’s operations center.

A Pentagon review said US forces killed 153 civilians and injured another 243 in strikes targeting the Houthis in Yemen during 2025. The casualties occurred in three strikes in April 2025, according to the review. The attacks were carried out in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and at the Houthi-controlled Ras Isa fuel port.

The strike on Ras Isa port was the deadliest, killing 80 people and injuring 171. The US military had said the attack aimed to stop the Houthis’ fuel supply and revenue sources. After analysing intelligence, satellite and other imagery, and open-source information, the Pentagon review said civilians were likely harmed in the three strikes.

The Pentagon decided that compensation or condolence payments were not needed for the families of those killed and injured, without explaining the reason in the report. The 2025 toll was sharply higher than 2024, when the Pentagon reported two civilian deaths and two injuries in US operations. US Central Command is still reviewing 15 further civilian-casualty allegations, meaning the Yemen toll could rise.

Turkey has raised doubts over intelligence alleging an Iranian plot to kill US President Donald Trump during a NATO summit in Turkey last month. A report published on August 13, 2026 said some Turkish officials suspect Israeli intelligence may have shaped the information to derail possible US-Iranian diplomatic contacts or an eventual agreement. Israeli intelligence had reportedly warned Washington that Iranian operatives could target Trump’s Air Force One with shoulder-fired missiles.

Reports said special security measures were taken when Trump departed Turkey because of the alleged threat. Some Turkish officials, however, questioned how reliable the intelligence was. They believe the timing of the allegation could portray Iran as an immediate threat to the United States and create obstacles to renewed talks between Washington and Tehran.

Turkey is concerned that a possible US-Iran diplomatic settlement may not be comfortable for Israel, particularly if it creates new political conditions in the Middle East. No conclusive public evidence has been presented to support the Turkish suspicions, and Israel has made no public statement confirming them. US security officials reportedly treated the Iranian threat seriously, while media reports said changes were made to Trump’s travel route and aircraft arrangements.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Israel is trying to remove the Palestinian issue from international agendas by fuelling instability and new conflicts in the Middle East. Speaking at a joint news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ankara on August 13, Erdogan said the effort would not succeed and that Turkey would continue to take a strong pro-Palestinian position across international platforms.

Erdogan said Israeli occupation, forced displacement and policies to seize Palestinian land had intensified in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem. Citing United Nations data, he said nearly 3,800 Palestinians had been displaced and about 100 killed so far in 2026 because of settler violence, evictions and demolitions of structures.

He reaffirmed Turkey's commitment to an independent, sovereign and territorially contiguous Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Erdogan also opposed any attempt to alter the current status of holy sites, including Al-Aqsa Mosque. On Gaza, he called for security to be ensured and for reconstruction and rehabilitation to begin quickly. Abbas thanked Erdogan for Turkey's support for Palestinian rights and independence.

Online shopping startup Fia, co-founded by Bill Gates’ daughter Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, faces allegations of fraud involving “cookie stuffing,” an online advertising and commission scheme. A report published on August 13, 2026 said Fia allegedly used affiliate tracking codes in ways that could direct sales commissions to the company even when users did not buy products directly through it. Launched in 2025, Fia compares product prices across websites and finds discount codes.

According to the allegations, Fia’s browser extension activated affiliate links connected to online stores without users’ knowledge. This could allow Fia to claim commission credit even where another person or company had played the actual role in making a sale. Fia initially described the issue as a technical error, but questions later arose over published information and internal communications. Reports also said there is scrutiny over whether Gates and Kianni knew about the matter for months.

Fia said it removed the disputed feature on July 7. The company said it is reviewing transactions in which commissions were incorrectly attributed to it and is seeking to return money to relevant brands and partners. It also said it plans to hire a compliance officer to prevent similar incidents. The report said no formal criminal charge or sentence against Phoebe Gates has been identified.