Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said initiatives would be taken to establish army camps in necessary areas to curb kidnappings in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar, and elsewhere in the country. He made the remarks on Friday while answering journalists' questions after laying the foundation stone for a new building at the 500-bed Cox's Bazar Medical College Hospital. He said the GOC would review the situation and that the government would ask the army to set up camps where needed.

Ahmed said he hoped the measure would effectively suppress or significantly reduce kidnapping, which he described as a heinous crime. He also alleged that efforts were being made from abroad to create instability in Bangladesh, referring to Sheikh Hasina, and said Bangladeshis would not accept such politics. He said those responsible for genocide and crimes against humanity had shown no remorse and had not sought forgiveness from the people.

Earlier, at 11 a.m., the minister inaugurated the Cox's Bazar Development Authority's Flat Development Project-01. He urged officials to plan tourism development while preserving nature, saying tourism should not be limited to constructing tall buildings. He called for tourism-friendly activities across Cox's Bazar's full 100-kilometre beach stretch and said some ecologically critical areas would be reviewed through surveys for tourism development.

Saudi Arabia has appointed Rear Admiral Abdullah bin Salem al-Shehri as commander of a multinational maritime defence alliance comprising 14 countries, including Bangladesh. The Saudi Defence Ministry announced the appointment on Thursday, saying the move aims to protect shipping security in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Al-Shehri will oversee joint naval defence, coordinate with member states and other maritime alliances, and lead missions under the alliance’s charter. Bangladesh, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkey and Yemen announced the alliance’s formation on July 30.

Saudi Arabia described the grouping as an open international alliance for countries that agree with its goals and principles. It said applications for membership are being received regularly, with some countries having signed the joint declaration and others preparing to sign the declaration and charter. A planning meeting on August 12 and 13 is set to finalize the alliance’s institutional structure and create a path for additional countries to join. Its stated objectives include protecting freedom of navigation, trade routes and energy supply routes.

Authorities in Tembilahan, in Indonesia’s Indragiri Hilir Regency of Riau province, captured a wild monkey accused of carrying out attacks over several weeks that injured at least 17 people. The animal was caught in a joint operation involving police, military personnel, firefighters and wildlife officials on Thursday. Authorities had set traps in the area after attacks began on July 25.

Indragiri Hilir police chief Doni Eko Listiyanto said Riau’s natural resources conservation agency, BKSDA, placed three traps at locations where the monkey was believed to hide. One of them caught the animal. Officials believe the detained monkey was responsible for the incidents, which began after a group of long-tailed macaques was seen in Tembilahan.

The reported victims include children and older people. Attacks occurred on roads, outside homes and inside several houses, and some injured people required stitches. Officials had suspected a large adult male monkey. They said the captured animal’s size, aggressive behavior and a distinctive facial mark matched descriptions provided by victims and witnesses. All schools in Tembilahan district had been ordered to suspend in-person classes for three days and begin online learning from Wednesday for safety reasons.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General and former MP Mia Golam Parwar expressed deep grief over two separate road crashes in Bogura and Osmaninagar, Sylhet, that killed at least 15 people and seriously injured 34. In a condolence message sent to the media on August 7, he offered sympathy to bereaved families and prayed for the quick recovery of those receiving hospital treatment.

Parwar said seven people died after a bus lost control on the Bogura-Naogaon highway on Friday morning and ran over workers waiting for employment. Another eight people were killed when two passenger buses collided head-on at Kashikapan on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway. He described the deaths as heartbreaking and painful, saying such repeated loss of life on the roads was unacceptable.

He attributed recurring road accidents to uncontrolled speed, poor road conditions and a lack of effective oversight. Parwar called on the authorities to conduct proper investigations into both crashes, take strict legal action against those responsible, provide appropriate compensation to affected families, and ensure proper medical treatment for the injured.

Millions of camels now roam remote desert and grassland areas of Australia, far from their original Arab desert habitat. British colonizers brought camels to Australia for transport in the 19th century, but many were released when vehicles reduced their usefulness. Australia’s camel population is estimated at between 300,000 and one million, according to the report.

Many of the animals have become feral, and authorities say they create problems in desert areas. They compete with livestock for food, damage fences, contaminate water sources and harm cultural sites of Indigenous communities. At the same time, trained and domesticated camels have created a limited export market, with farmers selling camel milk and sometimes exporting live animals.

So far in 2026, Australia has exported 68 camels to Malaysia and Indonesia. Trade data showed Australian camel meat exports exceeded $3.9 million in 2024. Warwick Hill, owner of Humpalicious farm in Robe, South Australia, sells camel milk for 20 Australian dollars per litre but says high labour costs and relatively low milk output keep prices high. The annual Marree Camel Cup is held in the remote town of Marree, about 600 kilometres north of Adelaide.

BNP Secretary General and Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the party faces a “ruin” whenever it comes to power, arguing that it repeatedly inherits a damaged situation. He made the remarks on Friday, August 7, at a seminar titled “The Role of Media in Sustainable Democracy,” organized by the Television Editors Council at Hotel Holiday Inn in the capital.

Fakhrul alleged that the previous government conducted no gas exploration and instead created an import-dependent system. He said the power sector had been damaged through quick-rental power plants and that banks had been exhausted, leaving the government with difficult challenges in repairing them.

Calling democracy a culture, Fakhrul said sustainable democracy cannot be established unless it is reflected in people’s thinking and conduct. He urged tolerance of differing views, criticism of the government alongside time for it to work, and stronger institutional foundations for media outlets. In the keynote paper, Independent Television Chief News Editor Mostafa Akmal said political pressure, enforcement of digital laws and surveillance had prevented media from operating independently over the past decade and a half.

Jinjira Pir Mohammad Pilot Girls’ High School in Keraniganj, Dhaka, faces allegations of prolonged leadership vacancies, teacher factionalism, financial irregularities and rule violations in appointments. The report published on August 7, 2026 said parents and local residents believe the situation is negatively affecting administration and educational activities at the school, which has about 2,600 students.

Local sources said the head teacher post has remained vacant since former head teacher Abu Raihan was suspended in 2023. The assistant head teacher post has reportedly been vacant for two years and the physical education teacher post for four years. Despite senior teachers being employed, dress-making teacher Tahmina Akter is serving as acting head teacher, while concerned parties claim she does not meet requirements under teacher appointment rules.

The report also cited allegations concerning school income and spending, management of its bank account, and development work conducted without tenders. Tahmina Akter denied that any work was done without tenders. She declined to disclose the amount in the school fund or spending details, saying she would not show income and expenditure accounts to anyone outside the school management committee.

Israel’s Mossad dismissed two senior officials after a plan to change Iran’s government reportedly failed, according to a Thursday report by Israel’s Channel 12. The report said Mossad chief Roman Gofman removed the intelligence division head and the agency’s Iran division chief from their posts. Their identities were not disclosed, and one had been appointed to the intelligence role only months earlier.

Channel 12 said the plan, developed in coordination with the United States, sought to intensify internal activity against Iran’s current government and support opposition groups. It was reportedly designed to activate anti-government efforts inside Iran under the cover of possible joint Israeli-US air strikes. The report also said the possibility of establishing alternative political leadership had been considered.

According to the report, the plan either failed in implementation or was suspended before becoming operational. It cited poor relations between Gofman and the dismissed officials, as well as disagreements over Iran-related strategy and priorities. A separate Mossad-CIA plan involving Kurdish fighters was reportedly halted at an early stage and later cancelled. The Israeli government made no immediate comment.

The Chhattisgarh High Court has denied bail to retired IAS officer Jivankishore Dhruv in an alleged examination paper leak case involving the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission. The court said leaking, or attempting to leak, questions for competitive examinations is an offence more serious than murder because it jeopardises the futures and careers of millions of job seekers. Dhruv was serving as CGPSC secretary during the period covered by the allegations.

Irregularities have been alleged in CGPSC examinations held between 2020 and 2022, and the CBI is investigating the matter. The agency arrested Dhruv in September 2025 on allegations of involvement in the leak. Investigators allege that he gave examination questions to his son, who subsequently succeeded in the PSC process and was appointed an additional district magistrate.

Dhruv denied the allegations, arguing that he was being targeted because he was the PSC secretary at the time. Justice Bibhu Datta Guru reserved the order after a hearing on July 31 and announced the decision on Wednesday. The court said the allegations against the retired officer could not be treated as ordinary, citing the wider social impact of ruined careers.

Several Chinese and Indian oil refineries are seeking vessels to transport discounted Iraqi crude through the Strait of Hormuz from Iraq’s Basra Oil Terminal, according to multiple shipping-industry sources cited by Reuters. The effort was reported this week, but no vessel charter agreement has yet been finalized because of security risks in the strait.

The sources said Iraq’s state oil marketing company SOMO is offering discounts of up to about $30 per barrel on Basra Heavy and Basra Medium crude for August delivery. The large price reductions are driving refinery interest in purchasing the Iraqi oil.

Shipowners are reluctant to send vessels through the Strait of Hormuz because of concerns about security conditions. Kpler data showed that only six crude oil tankers exited the strait this week, while 21 vessels entered it, most using Iranian waterways. Iran closed the strait when the US-Israel war began on February 28. Before that closure, an average of 130 to 140 ships used the important sea route each day.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs said central government spending on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign trips totalled Rs 557 crore 51 lakh 34 thousand 18 rupees and 56 paise from 2021 through July this year. Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita provided the figures in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, responding to questions from AAP MP Sanjay Singh and CPI MP V Sivadasan.

The ministry said Modi’s bilateral overseas visits between January and July this year cost Rs 74 crore 58 lakh 93 thousand 797 rupees. During that period, he visited 13 countries: Malaysia, Israel, the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Italy, France, Slovakia, Seychelles, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. The most expensive trip this year was his Norway visit in the second half of May, costing Rs 17 crore 46 lakh 50 thousand 390 rupees.

His February visit to Israel cost Rs 11 crore 92 lakh 25 thousand 938 rupees, according to the ministry. It said a France trip in February last year cost Rs 25 crore 59 lakh 82 thousand 902 rupees. The ministry said the figures reflected actual expenditure and did not account for inflation or changes in currency exchange rates.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman said Sheikh Hasina should return to Bangladesh in December, as she reportedly said she would, and go to prison through legal process over responsibility for genocide. He made the remarks on Friday morning at the Shailkupa উপজেলা Parishad auditorium in Jhenaidah, while addressing an exchange meeting titled “Agami Shailkupa” and a memorial for late artist Mustafa Monowar.

The minister said it could not be denied that Hasina had been involved in killing, enforced disappearances and genocide, and said she must return if she wants to face those truths. Addressing people who speak frequently about her return, he asked whether she had apologized to the public after so many alleged crimes or ever felt that wrongdoing had been committed.

Asaduzzaman also outlined his vision for a judiciary that poor and helpless people can trust. He acknowledged reported concerns including corruption, brokers and structural shortcomings, but said the judiciary’s biggest crisis was a lack of judges with humane values. The event was attended by the district commissioner, police superintendent, Shailkupa upazila executive officer and the upazila BNP general secretary.

Most teenagers in the United Kingdom do not want the government’s proposed overnight social media curfew for 16- and 17-year-olds, according to a Censuswide survey published Friday. The plan, announced in mid-July under former prime minister Keir Starmer’s government, would introduce default overnight limits on teenagers’ social media accounts. Among respondents aged 16 to 18, 85% said the restriction should be scrapped.

Under the proposal, users aged 16 and 17 would be unable to use social media platforms between midnight and 6 a.m., although they could turn off the setting. Nearly half of surveyed teenagers said they would disable the feature to communicate with friends and family, while 37% said they would opt out to watch online content. The measure is intended to complement a ban announced in June for users under 16 on platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

Liane Proctor, head of regulation at the Online Responsibility Network, said a curfew alone was unlikely to prevent online harms. Of 1,000 teenagers surveyed, 2% said they avoid social media or short videos at night during school periods, while more than 18% said they watch content until 1 a.m. or later. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said changes to the voluntary approach would be considered if many teenagers disable the default setting.

Bangladesh received $602 million in remittances during the first five days of August in fiscal year 2026-27, according to the latest updated data from Bangladesh Bank. The amount was 83.7 percent higher than remittance inflows recorded during the same period of the previous fiscal year. The report said the upward trend in expatriate income continued into August, following the first month of the fiscal year.

Expatriates sent $196 million to the country on August 4 and 5 alone. From July 1, the start of the current fiscal year, through August 5, total remittance inflows reached $3.461 billion. During the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, the amount was $2.806 billion.

Total remittance inflows up to August 5 in fiscal year 2026-27 rose by 23.3 percent year on year. Bangladesh Bank said the continued tendency to send expatriate income through formal banking channels is strengthening the country’s foreign currency inflow. According to the central bank’s data, this is playing a positive role in foreign exchange reserves and the broader macroeconomy.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is visiting Saudi Arabia, a trip described as significant as the region passes through a critical period. The report, published on August 7, 2026, says regional security is a top priority for Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. Turkey and Pakistan both share borders with Iran, making instability in the region a direct concern for them.

Preparations for the initiative began in April, when the so-called R-4 countries—Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey—met in Riyadh for the first time. According to the report, Pakistan was assigned responsibility for mediating efforts to ease ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States.

The foreign ministers of the four countries have held several meetings over the past 24 hours, with the report suggesting that discussion points were largely finalized there. It says regional powers are moving toward cooperation by combining military capabilities, technology, energy resources and Saudi Arabia’s financial strength. The move is viewed as important in light of the Middle East situation following the Iran war.