Pakistan has strongly criticized Israel’s refusal to withdraw troops from Gaza, calling it a serious setback for a peace plan. At a press conference in Islamabad on August 13, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said the refusal would hinder peace efforts and urged Israel to honor its commitments.

Andrabi reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the establishment of a Palestinian state. He said such a state is founded under international law and United Nations resolutions and possesses established international legitimacy as a state. He argued that Israel’s refusal cannot alter the legal and diplomatic realities surrounding the Palestinian statehood issue.

According to Andrabi, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s refusal to withdraw Israeli troops from Gaza would create a major obstacle to implementing decisions adopted by the peace board. He said Hamas’s disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza were two joint commitments. Pakistan said it hopes Israel will comply with those commitments.

The World Health Organization has warned that a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo could become the deadliest in the disease’s history. In a report published on August 13, the outbreak was said to have caused more than 4,300 infections and over 2,000 deaths, with health authorities struggling to keep pace with transmission.

The Congolese government formally declared the outbreak on May 15, although genetic analysis indicated that transmission began in February. The outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccine or treatment has yet been approved. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the current pace could surpass the death toll of the 2014-16 West African Ebola epidemic, which killed more than 11,000 people.

Remote terrain, continuing conflict near the borders with South Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda, weak infrastructure and limited resources are obstructing access to affected communities. Misinformation and strikes by unpaid health workers have also slowed response efforts. WHO official Abdirahman Mahamud said a moderate forecast projects a peak within six months, while a worse scenario could last nine to 12 months.

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey have signed a military agreement in Mecca, prompting fresh debate over Middle East security and whether the arrangement could become an “Islamic NATO.” The pact says an attack on one country would be treated as an attack on all members, a provision compared with NATO’s Article 5. Analysts consider the alliance strategically significant, but question whether it can develop into an effective integrated military structure.

Turkey brings a strong military and advanced aircraft, drone and missile technology, while Saudi Arabia contributes major economic capacity and Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state using Chinese military equipment. Officials have indicated possible cooperation in military training, management costs and intelligence sharing. Alliance leaders say the initiative is not directed against any specific country and is intended to counter terrorism and strengthen regional security.

The agreement does not explicitly require Pakistan and Turkey to deploy troops if Saudi Arabia is attacked. Turkey’s NATO membership and Pakistan’s reliance on Chinese equipment could complicate coordination. The report says the alliance’s effectiveness will depend on how members act during an actual attack, how they share intelligence and technology, and whether their forces can operate together.

A meeting between Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and representatives of 25 US companies was highly productive and effective, according to Dr Mahdi Amin, an adviser to the prime minister and spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office. He made the remarks after a US-Bangladesh Business Council delegation met at the Prime Minister’s Office at 9:30am on Thursday.

The meeting discussed Bangladesh-US trade relations and their potential, the report said. Amin said Bangladesh was moving toward a future as a self-reliant and prosperous country. He did not provide details of any agreement, investment commitment, or specific project arising from the discussion.

The delegation was led by Oliver Simpson, senior vice president of the Business Council and chief commercial officer of Excelerate Energy, and Atul Keshap, president for South Asia at the US Chamber of Commerce. Former US ambassador Peter Haas, diplomat Nisha Desai and Business Council members also attended. On August 12, the delegation paid a courtesy call on Humayun Kabir, the prime minister’s foreign affairs adviser.

Students in India’s Jharkhand state have continued protests for 20 days over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. The protesters said they would maintain the movement until their demands are met. They are seeking transparency in recruitment tests, cancellation of several examinations, and an independent inquiry by the CBI or a panel of retired judges from outside Jharkhand.

A march toward the state assembly on Monday led to clashes between protesters and police. Police used baton charges, water cannons and tear gas to control the situation. The BJP called a statewide shutdown in protest and accused the state government of suppressing the movement. The ruling Congress countered that the BJP was using the protests for political gain.

Former chief minister Raghubar Das warned that he would begin a hunger strike if the demand for a CBI inquiry was not accepted within a week. JLKM leader Devendranath Mahato is receiving hospital treatment after falling ill during a hunger strike, while four student hunger strikers are also hospitalized. Six rounds of talks between the government and student representatives have not ended the deadlock. Chief Minister Hemant Soren promised recruitment-exam reforms and assured cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination.

Sailors and Marines aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have faced severe mental strain during an extended Middle East deployment, according to complaints from their families. The report, published on August 13, 2026, said the US aircraft carrier, carrying about 5,000 sailors and Marines, has been deployed for more than eight months. Its mission was expected to end under the original plan, but has been extended several times because of ongoing US military operations against Iran. No specific return date has been announced.

Families said prolonged time at sea, sustained workloads and inadequate rest were worsening personnel’s mental and physical condition. Reports have also indicated that several sailors attempted to jump into the sea, prompting renewed concern about mental health conditions on board. Families further alleged food shortages, broken toilets, hygiene-related problems and other mismanagement, saying members had become exhausted and discouraged under prolonged difficult conditions.

Several members of the US Congress have expressed concern and called for scrutiny of living conditions, mental health care and the extended deployment. The US Navy said necessary support and mental health services are available to personnel. Families, however, said sailors need prompt opportunities for rest and a clear decision on the deployment timeline.

Iran wants to take its bilateral relationship with Pakistan to a new level, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Major General Mohsen Rezaei said during a Wednesday meeting with Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. Rezaei said Tehran is committed to further strengthening security ties and mutual cooperation between the two neighboring countries.

He said the peoples of Iran and Pakistan have deep ties and that the two countries should work more closely to reinforce regional security and unity in the Muslim world. Rezaei also called on Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Indonesia to play important roles in establishing Muslim unity.

The Iranian official emphasized expanding trade and political relations between Iran and Pakistan many times over. In response, Naqvi said Iran-Pakistan relations had reached an unprecedented level in recent months. He expressed hope that the strong will of the two countries’ leaderships would further increase security, peace and mutual cooperation.

Palestinian digital rights group 7amleh, working with a Utrecht University research team, alleges that Meta has reduced the reach of Palestinian advocacy content, suspended accounts and limited live broadcasts on Facebook and Instagram. The Al Jazeera report, published on August 13, 2026, cites “The Platformside of Palestine 2021–2025,” which analyzed more than 3,500 verified incidents documented through 7amleh’s 7or monitoring system.

Researchers say the cases indicate a structural trend limiting Palestinians’ digital presence, visibility and participation rather than isolated technical errors. From January 2021 through December 2025, only 32.5 percent of documented incidents specified a policy violation. Among cases where a reason was identified, 57.2 percent cited Meta’s Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy; the figure was 71.1 percent for journalists.

Meta said reported content is now routed to moderators who understand relevant Arabic dialects and that its policy has been revised to allow more social and political speech in certain cases. But 7amleh said it filed 2,828 appeals for affected users over five years and received no response in nearly half. The report also warns that removed Gaza videos and testimony could be lost as potential evidence for future war-crimes investigations.

Bangladesh’s National Identity Registration Wing has instructed officials to process applications to correct birth dates on national identity cards under Category A when supported by online-verifiable JSC, secondary, or equivalent educational certificates. The directive was issued on Thursday. Relevant upazila or police-station election officers, senior district and district election officers, and NID Wing officials from assistant director to director level may settle these applications.

The instruction says existing standard operating procedures must be followed when accepting other supporting evidence alongside educational certificates. Processing must follow a notification issued on December 24, 2025. Director (Operations) Md Saiful Islam said officials may decide such applications under the prescribed category, but must properly follow procedures and verify evidence before approval or rejection. Officials must also enter a mandatory note in CMS when electronically approving or rejecting an application.

Regional and additional regional election officers were told to regularly monitor subordinate staff. Each month, at least three applications handled by every deciding officer must be randomly checked and reported to the Director (Operations). Applications based on Open University certificates, and applications seeking complete changes to birth date, personal name, and parents’ names, must be settled at director general level.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the disputed Kuril Islands, prompting a strong protest from Japan. Russian state media reported the visit on Thursday, saying Putin traveled to an island in the chain claimed by both Moscow and Tokyo. The island he visited is known as Iturup in Russia and Etorofu in Japan.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said in a statement on social media platform X that the islands are historically Japanese territory and belong to Japan under international law. He said the Japanese government was strongly protesting Putin’s visit.

The Kuril Islands dispute has persisted between Russia and Japan for decades. The disagreement was the main reason Moscow and Tokyo did not sign a peace treaty after World War II. The source did not provide further details about Putin’s activities during the visit or any response from Russian officials to Japan’s protest.

A new oral history project has begun to preserve the memories of Palestinian journalists killed amid the prolonged war and attacks in Gaza. Through voice notes submitted by colleagues, friends and relatives, the initiative records their lives, work, dreams and struggles. Published on August 13, 2026, the report says the project seeks to remember the dead as individuals rather than only as names or figures.

The collected recordings recount experiences of working with the journalists, personal relationships and their commitment to journalism. Gaza’s reporters documented war, destruction and the suffering of civilians while facing risks to their own lives. Many were both news workers and direct victims of war, confronting concerns for the safety of their families, homes and relatives while gathering news.

Organizers hope the recorded memories will become an important document for understanding the history of Palestinian journalism and the human reality of the Gaza war. The project’s distinguishing feature is its use of the voices of people close to the journalists, instead of written biographies or formal tributes. Recorded personal testimony has long been an important means of preserving Palestinian experiences, and this initiative connects that tradition to the memories of killed journalists.

Bangladesh has launched its online e-bail bond system in 12 additional districts, bringing the total number of covered districts to 28. Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman announced the expansion at a ceremony at the ministry's conference room on Thursday morning, August 13, 2026. The stated aim is to modernise the justice system, reduce hardship for court users and speed the release process for accused persons granted bail.

The newly added districts are Tangail, Kishoreganj, Munshiganj, Cox's Bazar, Chandpur, Rangamati, Sirajganj, Bagerhat, Patuakhali, Habiganj, Thakurgaon and Jamalpur. The system had already operated in 16 districts, where about 120,000 e-bail bonds were filed online over recent months, according to the minister.

Under the new process, filing and completing a bail bond requires two steps instead of 12 under the conventional method. Lawyers can submit bonds online from their chambers or elsewhere using smartphones, while acceptance will be confirmed immediately through OTP. The minister also called for contact with district legal aid offices regarding detainees in compoundable cases and said mediation, legal aid and efforts to reduce cases and raise disposal rates were being prioritised.

Apple is reportedly working on a special glass-focused design for its 2027 iPhone Pro models, marking 20 years since the first iPhone was introduced in 2007. Bloomberg technology journalist Mark Gurman said the company is not foregoing a major anniversary surprise, countering speculation that Apple would not make a significant change. Apple has not officially commented on the reported design plans.

Jefferies analyst Edison Lee had previously said Apple cancelled plans for an entirely glass iPhone for the 20th anniversary. Gurman’s information indicates that the idea has not been fully abandoned, but has shifted toward a design that gives glass greater prominence rather than using it throughout. Gurman said the more ambitious all-glass iPhone concept was dropped at an early stage of the design process.

The reported iPhone Pro models would have glass layers on the front and back extending to the device’s side edges, with a narrow metal ring or band between them. The devices are said to carry the internal codenames V73 and V74. If implemented, the plan could reduce the use of conventional metal frames and increase the use of curved glass, potentially creating a major exterior redesign.

Colombia has declared three days of national mourning after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the country’s west on Monday morning. President Abelardo de la Espriella said on Wednesday that 265 people had been killed and 496 remained missing. The epicentre was in the San Jose del Palmar area of the western Choco department.

The quake was felt across a broad western region, with major damage reported in cities including Cali, Pereira, Manizales and Quibdo. Many buildings partially collapsed or were reduced to rubble. Rescue workers are using heavy equipment to search debris for possible survivors, while more than 70 aftershocks have been recorded, including several above magnitude 4.

During the mourning period, national flags will fly at half-mast on government buildings and Colombian embassies abroad. Authorities have taken emergency measures to coordinate rescue and relief operations, sending emergency aid and medical services to affected areas while working to restore roads and other infrastructure. The United States has announced nearly $15.5 million in assistance, while Mexico and El Salvador are also preparing to send support.

Europe is now about 2.5 degrees Celsius warmer than in the pre-industrial era, nearly twice the global average warming rate, according to a report published on August 13, 2026. The article says climate change and fossil-fuel emissions are trapping additional heat in the atmosphere, while heatwaves during the current summer have killed thousands of people across Europe.

The report identifies four main factors behind Europe’s faster warming: changing weather patterns, proximity to the Arctic, declining snow cover and reduced air pollution. Shifts in atmospheric circulation have increased the frequency of intense, prolonged summer heatwaves, including a severe heatwave linked to a “heat dome” in June 2026. Europe is also strongly affected by rapid Arctic warming because of its geographic proximity.

Snow loss reduces the reflection of sunlight that helps keep land cool; in March 2025, European snow cover was about 1.3 million square kilometres below its long-term average. Lower air pollution has also reduced the cooling effect of particles that reflect sunlight. Scientists have not yet determined each factor’s precise contribution. UN climate chief Simon Stiell called for emissions cuts, a rapid transition to renewable energy and urgent protection from heatwaves.