Writer Fatima Bhutto has questioned the silence of influential Western feminist movements and figures as women’s health conditions worsen in Gaza amid war and a humanitarian crisis. In an article published Tuesday, she said miscarriages in Gaza nearly tripled during the first half of this year, while food shortages and malnutrition have left many Palestinian mothers unable to provide sufficient milk for their children.

Bhutto asked whether international women’s rights movements and Western feminists would have mounted widespread protests if comparable circumstances had emerged elsewhere. She contrasted the situation with solidarity shown by many Western women during protests against mandatory hijab rules in Iran, including social-media videos, petition signatures and hair-cutting demonstrations.

The writer also raised questions about the role of prominent women’s rights activists and media personalities in the West. She argued that their silence on increased miscarriages, malnutrition and maternal-health problems in Gaza has generated fresh debate about global feminism and women’s rights advocacy. The source says conditions for women and children are deteriorating amid prolonged war and shortages of food and medical supplies, with particular concern over risks to pregnant women and newborns.

Emigration from Israel is rising rapidly ahead of the next election, with studies indicating that many of those leaving are young, highly educated and relatively high-income citizens. An Israeli tax authority study found departures increased in 2023 and 2024 compared with previous years. Tel Aviv University estimated that about 270,000 Israelis left over the past three years, including 86,500 in 2023 and about 91,500 in 2024, with a similar figure in 2025.

Analysts link the trend to uncertainty over the future among educated and liberal Israelis, citing the right-wing policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, efforts to reduce judicial independence, political polarization and prolonged war. Large protests were held in 2023 against the government’s judicial reform initiative. Demographer Sergio Della Pergola said concerns about long-term insecurity and the country’s political direction appear to be the main drivers.

Experts warn that the loss of young and skilled citizens could pose economic risks, particularly for technology, research and development. Researcher Lilakh Lev Ari said the situation is worrying but not yet cause for panic. Opposition politician Gilad Kariv called it a “tsunami,” while analyst Shir Hever said attention should also include nurses and other essential workers leaving the country.

Traditional pottery is steadily disappearing in Cumilla as artisans struggle to sustain their livelihoods and move into other occupations, according to a report published on August 20, 2026. Potters in several areas, including Bijoypur, Kamarkhola, Aodhata, Kartala, Saitala, Atapur and Nuritala, once regularly produced earthen household goods but now only a handful of families continue the inherited work.

Clay pots, pitchers, plates, bowls, banks, dolls and stoves were once widely used in rural homes for cooking, serving food, storing water and decoration, as well as at weddings, religious festivals and social events. Their use has declined as aluminium, steel, plastic, melamine and ceramic products have become readily available, reducing both demand and the market space for traditional clayware.

Artisans say costs have risen at every stage, from collecting quality clay to making, drying, decorating and firing products, while sale prices do not match production costs. Nimay Pal said many workers have changed professions, while Sunil Pal said young people are unwilling to enter the trade and skilled labour is increasingly difficult to find. Gauri Rani Sharma said households now prefer plastic and steel products, making it hard to support families through pottery.

The family of five-year-old Palestinian child Hind Rajab has rejected an Israeli military investigation into her killing in Gaza and called for an independent international inquiry. Hind’s grandmother made the demand in comments to Anadolu after the Israeli military acknowledged for the first time that soldiers fired at the vehicle carrying the child. The article was published on August 20, 2026.

Her grandmother said the family has no trust in either the Israeli investigation or Israel’s judicial system. She said they seek justice not only for Hind as a child from Gaza, but also on behalf of all children killed in Gaza. The reported incident also killed six of Hind’s relatives and two Palestinian Red Crescent medical workers who tried to rescue her.

Hind was among seven family members traveling in a car in Gaza City in January 2024 while fleeing an Israeli attack on the devastated city. Her uncle, aunt and three cousins were killed in the vehicle, while Hind was trapped and made a phone call. The report says she was later killed by Israeli fire. Israel had previously said no soldiers were present at the location that day.

Bangladesh has set a $63.4 billion export earnings target for fiscal year 2026-27, but an intensifying gas and power shortage is casting doubt on whether it can be achieved. The target includes $55.2 billion from merchandise exports and $8.2 billion from services, Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir recently announced. It is about 15 percent above earnings in the outgoing fiscal year, with readymade garments expected to contribute $44.5 billion.

Export earnings during February-July 2026 reached about $24.30 billion, compared with $24.08 billion in the same six months of 2025, a rise of only about 0.9 percent, according to the Export Promotion Bureau. Monthly results were volatile: earnings fell in February, March and May, but rose sharply in April and June. July earnings stood at $4.72 billion, down 0.9 percent year on year, while garment exports declined 1.92 percent.

BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem welcomed measures allowing certain exporters to import raw materials duty-free against bank guarantees and cited tax-policy changes. He said gas and electricity shortages, unresolved banking problems and a deterioration in overall law and order remain major challenges. Merchandise export earnings in 2025-26 were about $48 billion, down 0.58 percent from the previous fiscal year.

A 45-year-old father, Baharul Islam Babul, was killed in a road crash on the Ishwardi-Pabna highway in the Dhulti area on Wednesday at about 8:30pm. He was returning to his home in Ishwardi with his two sons after visiting his 11-day-old newborn daughter at his in-laws’ home in Atmile, Pabna Sadar. A speeding truck struck their motorcycle, police and local sources said.

Babul, a resident of Purbo Tengri Mahtab Colony in Ishwardi municipality, worked as a covered-van driver at local RRP Agro Feed Mill. His wife gave birth to their daughter by surgery around 11 days earlier. The couple also has two sons, aged 12 and five. The impact threw Babul and the children onto the road, and he died at the scene after suffering a serious head injury.

Local people rescued the two injured children and sent them to hospital. RRP Group director Md Rafiqul Alam expressed sorrow, saying Babul had finished work and deposited his vehicle at the factory before going to see his newborn daughter. Ishwardi police recovered the body, while the truck driver fled with the vehicle. Police said efforts were under way to identify the truck and driver, and legal action was being processed.

Education at the historic Government Priti Primary School in Bogura town is being severely disrupted by bureaucratic complications, land encroachment and inadequate infrastructure, according to a report published on August 20, 2026. Classes are being held in a tin-shed structure after the school’s abandoned one-storey building was demolished. Part of its limited playground has also been occupied by construction materials for a multi-storey building.

The school was established in 1973 and nationalised in 1978. Its old building was demolished in 2013, with a new building planned but never completed. Of the 36 decimals of land allocated to the school, 19 decimals have allegedly been occupied by influential local people. Student enrolment has fallen from more than 300 to 72, while the school has five teachers against six posts.

Upazila Primary Education Officer Rezaul Islam visited the school on Wednesday following complaints and observed the playground occupation. A local BNP leader and former female councillor promised that the field would be cleared quickly. District Primary Education Officer Rezaowan Hossain said education engineering authorities were assigned to construct the building, but work has not started, and staff were sent to examine the construction materials stored on the field.

US President Donald Trump warned that countries providing assistance to Iran or conducting trade with it would face “severe economic consequences.” He issued the warning in a Truth Social post on Wednesday, according to the report published on August 20, 2026. Trump said he was launching the “most stringent economic measures” against Iran, without detailing the measures or naming any countries.

Trump said banks, businesses, airports and government entities in any country that offer Iran financial or commercial support would face strict US penalties. The announcement came as the US war with Iran has approached six months, with no immediate diplomatic solution in sight. Shipping through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz has also been heavily disrupted.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had previously said Washington would take tougher action to economically isolate Iran. The report says Russia is accused of providing Iran military assistance and drone technology, while China has continued buying Iranian oil and maintaining trade ties. Trump claimed Iran’s navy and air force had been extensively destroyed, but said talks could resume if Iran is prevented from developing nuclear weapons.

Bangladesh’s Agriculture Ministry says it has achieved three major commitments under the government’s first 180-day priority plan: farmer cards, canal excavation and re-excavation, and tree planting. The report, published on August 20, 2026, said about 1.25 million farmers have been added to a database, while 20,748 farmer cards have been issued during the pre-pilot phase. The ministry aims to bring about 25 million farmers under the programme over the next three years.

For canal works, the ministry had targeted 475 kilometres under the 180-day plan and says nearly 483 kilometres have been completed, exceeding the target by eight kilometres. The Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation is carrying out canal excavation and re-excavation in different areas to improve irrigation, drainage and reduce waterlogging. The ministry also says it met its six-month goal of planting 2.5 million saplings.

Agriculture Secretary Selim Khan said the ministry had achieved its assigned targets for farmer cards, tree planting and canal excavation. The ministry also highlighted expansion of BRRI dhan-118 in haor areas, revisions to fertiliser policy, and targets to reduce imported seed dependence, including jute seed self-sufficiency by 2029.

Bangladesh plans to launch a special Probashi Card for overseas workers as part of a government election pledge, with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expected to inaugurate distribution in the final week of August 2026. The ceremony is planned at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka. Workers travelling to Jordan through BOESL are expected to receive the first cards, while travellers to Malaysia and Brunei may also be included.

The government aims to distribute 200,000 cards in three stages by June 2027. The first phase will cover 5,000 people, including 500 on the launch day; 50,000 are targeted by December, followed by 150,000 by June 2027. The Wage Earners’ Welfare Board will bear the card cost. The Expatriates’ Welfare Ministry and Janata Bank signed an agreement on August 10, and Tk10 crore was approved for training, software development and publicity.

Cardholders are promised 10% off Biman tickets, 41% hotel-booking discounts, health-service discounts and remittance incentives of 3% to 3.5%. Initially issued as five-year debit cards through Janata Bank, the cards are intended to later support credit, prepaid and virtual functions. Experts urged trial monitoring, user training and awareness campaigns.

Indian authorities have removed security barricades and bollards positioned outside the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, according to the report published on August 20, 2026. The structures, including queue liners near the mission’s visa section, had reportedly been placed on a road beyond the designated boundary.

The removal came a day after Pakistan lodged an objection with the United States over comments by a US envoy concerning Kashmir. Video footage released by PTI showed broken barricades, security personnel and a damaged wall outside the Pakistan High Commission.

India’s government had not issued an official statement on whether the action was connected to Pakistan’s diplomatic objection. Authorities also had not publicly explained the specific reason for removing the barriers and bollards.

Yemen’s Houthi rebel group has threatened to intensify conflict against Saudi Arabia, saying it views maritime blockades, attacks on Saudi military facilities and defending Yemen’s sovereignty as central policies. The warning was issued by Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree in a report published on August 20, 2026. Saree said a major conflict would be met with a major response.

Saree said the group had attacked eight Saudi oil tankers since banning Saudi shipping on July 20. He said five attacks occurred in the Red Sea and three in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. He also claimed that Houthi threats had forced 48 Saudi oil tankers to turn back, including 34 from the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean and 14 from the Red Sea.

The spokesperson further claimed nine attacks in Yanbu, Najran, Jizan, Abha and Saudi Arabia’s eastern oil supply system, alongside 14 operations targeting Saudi military positions in Al-Ruwaik, Al-Abr, Al-Wadiah, Marib and Al-Makha. The Houthis demanded that Saudi Arabia lift the blockade, halt military operations in Yemen, pay public employees’ salaries, withdraw foreign forces and leave Yemenis in full control of their natural resources.

India has approved construction of a fourth railway line through the strategically important “Chicken’s Neck,” or Siliguri Corridor, according to Northeast Frontier Railway General Manager Chetan Kumar Srivastava. The announcement was made at a press conference reported on August 20, 2026. The Malda–New Jalpaiguri route was described as a crucial rail corridor linking India’s northeast with the rest of the country.

Srivastava said approval for the fourth line follows an earlier proposal for a third line, reflecting the corridor’s strategic importance. He also highlighted a proposed double-line underground railway project of about 29 kilometres from Tinmai Ghat to Bagdogra as an important infrastructure initiative.

The Chicken’s Neck is described as a 20–22 kilometre-wide and 60-kilometre-long stretch in northern West Bengal on which transport to the entire northeast depends. Track doubling is under way in the Barsoi section, while rail infrastructure is being expanded across the Katihar division to handle rising passenger and freight demand. Plans also include local trains from Jogbani, Radhikapur and Balurghat, and Vande Bharat services to Tinsukia and Agartala. NFR said its network is fully electrified.

Bangladesh’s 349 members of parliament are scheduled to vote on Thursday from 2pm to 5pm in the parliamentary chamber to elect the country’s 23rd president. The election marks a presidential vote after 35 years, according to the report. BNP and like-minded parties have nominated Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, while a Jamaat-led 11-party alliance has nominated Dr Oli Ahmad Bir Bikram.

The winner, chosen through direct voting by lawmakers, is due to take the oath at Bangabhaban at 7:30pm on Friday. Deputy Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal, serving as speaker, will administer the oath. Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed is expected to formally hand over responsibilities to the new president immediately after the ceremony, in keeping with convention.

The Election Commission says preparations have been completed. Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, the returning officer, said campaigning would not be permitted during the election. Voting will be counted immediately after polls close at 5pm, and the candidate receiving the highest number of valid votes will be declared elected. The Election Commission will subsequently publish a gazette of the result.

US government debt has exceeded $40 trillion for the first time, according to US Treasury Department data cited by the Associated Press. The milestone was reported on August 20, 2026, as federal spending continues to rise on defence, social programmes and interest payments tied to budget deficits.

The debt reached $39 trillion only five months earlier, in March, meaning it grew faster than forecasts had anticipated. The report said lower revenue from Trump administration tariffs that were cancelled was among the factors accelerating borrowing, as expected revenue worth several billion dollars did not materialise.

The increase highlights tensions among Trump administration priorities, including higher defence spending and efforts to reduce energy and food prices. Defence spending is also required for Trump’s continuing war against Iran, adding pressure on the government’s wider finances. AP said US government debt has more than doubled in less than a decade, during which Donald Trump and Joe Biden both served as president, and has quadrupled in less than 20 years.