Flash floods are sudden, powerful surges of water that can rapidly move through gorges, valleys and other low, narrow areas. The article cites recent severe losses and more than 800 missing people in Nepal, while noting that such floods have also been reported in Bangladesh and elsewhere. Unlike slower river flooding after prolonged rain, flash floods can turn dry riverbeds into overflowing channels after only three to four hours of rainfall.

Heavy rain linked to thunderstorms is a main trigger, while rapid snow and ice melt, dam failures and landslides can also cause flash floods. Steep terrain and impermeable surfaces such as rock, roads and roofs accelerate runoff toward lower areas. The report says warmer air can hold more moisture, potentially increasing heavy rainfall, though scientists say it is still too early to determine climate change's role in Nepal's event.

Experts say flash floods can be forecast, but warning time is limited and data are scarce in remote mountain basins. Radar, satellites and automatic sensors can provide real-time information on lake levels and dam conditions. Nepalese specialists called for stronger international data systems, satellite monitoring in uninhabited risk zones and avoiding settlement in vulnerable areas.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police will implement extensive security arrangements for Janmashtami celebrations in the capital on September 4, according to Additional Police Commissioner and DB chief Md Shafiqul Islam. He made the announcement at a coordination meeting held Thursday at 11am in the DMP Headquarters conference room, focusing on security, law and order, and traffic management for the Hindu religious festival.

The plan includes picket and patrol teams, CCTV cameras, foot patrols, rooftop teams, Honda mobile units, DB teams, plainclothes intelligence personnel, SWAT, bomb disposal units and traffic police. Deputy commissioners in each division will hold separate coordination meetings with relevant Janmashtami celebration committees and maintain regular communication.

Participants agreed that celebrations should follow designated routes and finish within specified times. Organizers and participants were asked not to use loudspeakers or microphones during prayer and azan, appoint their own volunteers, avoid joining Rath Yatra processions with bags or bundles, and report suspicious people or objects to police. Volunteers on duty must wear designated vests, while authorities also urged caution around electrical lines to prevent accidents.

Nearly 100 Chinese citizens are missing after severe flash floods in Nepal, China’s Foreign Ministry said, as Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited the disaster-hit Gyirong Township in Tibet on Thursday. The flooding and landslides have affected areas on both sides of the Nepal-China border, with rescue operations continuing for missing people.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China is maintaining close contact with Nepal and assisting searches and rescues for those missing. He said China would also provide emergency assistance according to Nepal’s needs. In Gyirong County in Tibet, the number of missing people rose to 558, including 260 foreign nationals, according to CCTV.

Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported 826 people missing in the country and confirmed 289 deaths on the Nepal side of the border. Chinese authorities confirmed three deaths after a landslide struck an important land port linking China and Nepal on Wednesday. More than 300 villagers near Gyirong Port were moved to safer locations, while Beijing activated its highest Level-1 emergency response.

Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said Bangladesh would positively consider joining the Mecca Pact if the countries already party to it express an intention to include Bangladesh. He made the remarks on Thursday during the parliamentary question-and-answer session, chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, in response to independent lawmaker Rumin Farhana.

Farhana said Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the Mecca Pact on August 7 and asked what benefits Bangladesh would gain by joining it. Rahman said the pact currently exists among those three countries and that Bangladesh views it positively. He said the question of Bangladesh joining has not yet arisen because it depends on the wishes of the signatory members.

The minister said it was probably not yet time to discuss the pact’s advantages and disadvantages, though Bangladesh would consider all such matters. If the pact expands, he said, it would serve as a self-defence arrangement for the global Muslim community. He described it as an internal matter of the Muslim family and said there was no scope for concern from others.

Neurosurgeons at London’s National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery successfully used artificial intelligence during surgery to remove a pituitary gland tumour from 48-year-old Rhys Hibbert. The operation was performed in May and disclosed on Thursday. Hibbert’s vision had progressively deteriorated because of the tumour, which was diagnosed in 2024, and he had feared becoming nearly blind. His eyesight returned after surgery, and he recovered quickly enough to return to work.

The AI system analysed live camera images from inside the brain during the operation. It identified critical nerves, blood vessels and other sensitive structures, marking them in different colours for surgeons. This gave the surgical team clearer guidance on where instruments could be used safely and which areas needed to be avoided.

The technology was developed under the leadership of UCL robotics and AI specialist Dr Sofia Bano and trained using hundreds of surgical videos. It had previously been used for research, but this was its first direct use in patient treatment. The procedure was part of a clinical trial funded by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research, while surgeons retained control of all key decisions.

Bangladesh’s Directorate General of Health Services reported on Thursday, August 27, that five more people died from measles and measles-related symptoms in the past 24 hours. Three deaths from symptoms were recorded in Dhaka division, while two children died with symptoms in Sylhet division. The agency also reported 1,031 new cases of measles or related symptoms during the period.

Since March 15, 955 children have died after being infected with measles or showing measles-related symptoms. Of the total deaths, 856 were attributed to symptoms and 99 to confirmed measles infection. Nationwide, 75 new measles cases were confirmed in the past 24 hours, while another 956 people showed symptoms of the disease.

From March 15 through Thursday, measles-related symptoms were identified in 153,692 people and 18,726 measles cases were confirmed. During the same period, 134,437 people were admitted to hospitals with measles or related symptoms. The health directorate said 129,489 of those admitted had been discharged after recovering.

International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Thursday showed dismissed Major General Ziaul Ahsan arrested and sent him to jail in a crimes against humanity case over the alleged disappearance of current Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed during the Awami League administration. The three-member judicial panel, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, also set 27 October for submission of the investigation report.

Prosecutor Gazi M H Tamim asked the tribunal to show Ziaul arrested in the case, send him to jail and allow two months for filing the investigation report. After a hearing, the tribunal granted the application. Prosecutors Shaikh Mahdi, Tasmiarul Islam and others were also present for the prosecution.

The tribunal had issued a production warrant for Ziaul Ahsan on 10 August following a prosecution application and fixed Thursday for his appearance. On 3 June 2025, Salahuddin filed a complaint with the chief prosecutor’s office against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and six others over his alleged disappearance.

More than a hundred Indian citizens are missing after severe flooding on the Nepal-Tibet border, where they were travelling through Nepal toward Tibet for the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage. The annual journey draws thousands of people along difficult Himalayan routes, but many pilgrims were waiting in different parts of Nepal to cross the border when the disaster struck.

Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar are sacred to Hindus, who visit to pray, perform religious rites and seek spiritual purification. The sites are also important to Buddhists and Jains, and many pilgrims view completing the journey at least once as a long-held spiritual aspiration. Indian travellers commonly enter Nepal before attempting to reach the Chinese-controlled Tibetan region via mountain roads.

The Rasuwa area is a key gateway for the pilgrimage route, but Wednesday's flooding washed away the Miteri Bridge at the Nepal-China border and damaged several roads. Mobile-phone and fibre communications were also disrupted, making it difficult to locate pilgrims, contact them or update their families. Rescue efforts to find the missing have become more complex as floodwaters, glacier ice and landslide debris damaged transport links and isolated border areas.

Bangladesh Bank has completed agreements with 17 banks to provide Tk41,000 crore for its Tk60,000 crore incentive package aimed at reopening closed factories and restoring momentum to the stagnant economy. The package was announced on May 23 to restart shut industrial units, increase private-sector investment and revive economic activity.

The participating banks are Sonali, Agrani, Rupali, BRAC, City, Jamuna, Dutch-Bangla, Mutual Trust, Uttara, Prime, Bank Asia, NCC, Pubali, Eastern, Mercantile, Trust and Southeast Bank. Commercial banks will contribute Tk41,000 crore under the package, while Bangladesh Bank will provide the remaining Tk19,000 crore.

The largest allocation, Tk20,000 crore, has been reserved for restarting industrial factories that have remained closed for a long time. Private-sector borrowers will receive loans from this fund at an average interest rate of 7.5 percent.

Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, said on Wednesday that Iran’s nuclear industry is advancing alongside leading countries in the field despite US sanctions and military attacks. He described the sector as operating at a level comparable with the world’s top nuclear-industry states.

Eslami said Tehran’s adversaries allege that Iran’s nuclear programme is not peaceful because they want to weaken the country. He argued that they know the reality of the programme and that their actions demonstrate an aim to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran from progressing.

Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and intended for civilian uses, particularly nuclear power generation. The source says US President Trump stated that he began a war against Iran with Israel to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, while US intelligence assessments had said Iran was not planning to build a nuclear bomb. Reports have also suggested Iran could become more interested in seeking nuclear weapons after the war.

Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board has extended the form submission deadline for the 2025 Dakhil Class Eight scholarship examination to November 13. The board issued a notice on Thursday announcing the revised schedule and detailed instructions for participating institutions.

Students of board-approved Dakhil, Alim, Fazil and Kamil madrasas may apply based on their Class Six registration records. The notice says that no more than 40 percent of eligible students from an institution can fill out forms to sit for the scholarship examination.

A provisional student list will be published on the board website on September 2. Online form submission is scheduled from September 2 to September 12, while the deadline for online payment of board fees is September 11. Each candidate must pay a Tk400 board fee online and a Tk200 centre fee to the relevant madrasa. Institutions must log into the Online Service-2 panel using their EIIN and password, select candidates, verify the temporary list, and print the final list within 24 hours of payment through Sonali Bank’s gateway.

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said he would perform his state duties in a fully nonpartisan manner and put the interests of the country, state and people first. Speaking at his first durbar with Bangabhaban officials and employees at 11:30am on Thursday in the Darbar Hall, he said he had resigned from positions in his party, parliament and the cabinet before assuming the presidency.

He said he would hold no personal anger or favour toward anyone while carrying out his responsibilities. The president stressed earning public trust and working with honesty, dedication, sincerity and responsibility. He urged Bangabhaban staff to show love, respect and loyalty to the country and its people, and described Bangabhaban as a symbol of state dignity and sovereignty whose prestige must be protected.

Mirza Fakhrul called for strict confidentiality in Bangabhaban’s daily activities and matters involving important state decisions so that state security is not disrupted. He also urged economical and responsible state spending, prevention of waste, and transparent, accountable use of public resources. He paid tribute to the 1971 war martyrs, remembered Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia, and said staff should work together as one family.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned that governments are not yet prepared for the social and economic changes expected from the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence. In an article of about 6,000 words, he said AI could eliminate large numbers of jobs within the next decade and deepen inequality if its development is poorly managed. He described the AI era as potentially one of the most disruptive periods in human history.

Gates said AI’s impact differs from earlier shifts from agricultural work to industrial and office employment because those transitions unfolded over generations. AI, he argued, could directly substitute human thinking. He identified law, healthcare, customer service, software and manufacturing as sectors likely to face major change, while reduced entry-level and mid-level opportunities could make it harder for young people to begin careers.

He also warned of risks from AI-enabled cyberattacks against hospitals, banks, water systems and power grids, and raised concerns about addictive chatbots affecting young people’s social development. Gates proposed considering taxes on AI and robots to fund retraining and social protection, while calling for international cooperation among major powers to establish a global AI governance framework.

Nepal’s flood death toll rose to 359 after bodies were recovered from eight districts by 5 p.m. Thursday, police said. The deadly flooding began Wednesday, and Nepal Police spokesperson Abhi Narayan Kafle confirmed the updated figure to The Post. The previous reported death toll on Thursday was 289.

Police reported 132 bodies in Chitwan, 82 in Nawalparasi East, 33 in Dhading, 30 in Gorkha, 28 in Nuwakot, 22 in Tanahun, 17 in Rasuwa and 15 in Nawalparasi West. Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said at least 826 people, including residents, security personnel and domestic and foreign tourists, remain missing.

The missing include 44 Nepal Army personnel, 28 Nepal Police members and 13 Armed Police Force members. Authorities said 644 tourists are missing, including 517 foreign nationals and 127 Nepalis. Reuters reported that about 1,500 people were missing across Himalayan areas of Nepal and Tibet in China. Government agencies and security forces continue rescue, search, relief, information collection and verification work in affected areas.

Traditional shitalpati mat-making in Kamarkhand, Sirajganj, is gradually disappearing as modern products, plastic materials and declining artisan interest weaken demand for the rural craft. Once widely used in homes during hot weather, for hosting guests and in everyday life, the mats were also important sources of supplementary income for women in artisan families.

Artisan Mononjoy Chandra said shitalpati once had much higher demand, but producers are leaving the trade because they do not receive fair prices despite spending several days to a week making a mat. Worker Anita Rani cited higher raw-material costs, low pay relative to labour and the dominance of modern mats and plastic goods. Elder Billu Chandra said the craft remains closely tied to rural culture and social customs, though its use has declined.

About 300 families in the upazila remain involved in the work, and artisans sell mats in different parts of the country, according to rural development officer Abdur Razzak. He called for modern equipment, training, marketing and low-interest loans. District Commissioner Aminul Islam said the administration would take steps to protect artisans, including credit access and marketing support to help secure fair prices.