A devastating flash flood in Nepal’s Rasuwa area near the Nepal-Tibet border on 26 August has renewed concern over climate change impacts on the Himalayas. Scientists say rapidly melting glaciers and permafrost are weakening mountain slopes, increasing the risk of glacier collapses, landslides and sudden floods. Hundreds of people were killed and many others went missing in the border-area disaster.

The US Geological Survey said a 5.2-magnitude tremor recorded during the event was not an earthquake, but resulted from a glacier collapse and a massive movement of ice and rock downhill. Scientists said the debris entered a river, creating a powerful flow of water, ice, mud and rocks. River levels rose by about nine metres within 30 minutes, submerging nearby settlements, roads, bridges, power facilities and other infrastructure.

Scientists cautioned that further research is needed to determine the disaster’s direct link to climate change. They urged regular monitoring of glaciers and river levels, satellite surveillance, stronger early-warning systems and faster information-sharing among Nepal, China and downstream countries. Rivers originating in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region support the lives and economies of about 2.1 billion people.

On International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, observed on August 30, an account has revisited the 2015 disappearance of current Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed. According to Syed Habib Hasnat, the owner of the Uttara flat, Ahmed was taken from the residence in Dhaka on March 10 while serving as BNP spokesperson during anti-government protests. Ahmed, who had moved there from Gulshan, was found in Shillong, Meghalaya, on May 11 after about two months missing.

Hasnat said Ahmed had shifted between Gulshan flats as government agencies, intelligence bodies, RAB and police searched for him. On March 10, Hasnat said he found an unusually deserted area, a strong law-enforcement presence near the building, a broken flat door, and staff saying their “guest” had been taken away. He left Bangladesh soon afterward, fearing arrest or disappearance.

The government denied that law-enforcement personnel had taken Ahmed and said he had gone into hiding. Reports in two national dailies on March 18 cited witnesses who said law-enforcement members took him. Hasnat also said intelligence officials later threatened him to remain silent when he prepared to hold a press conference abroad.

A Dhaka court has ordered former member of parliament Barrister Muhammad Shahjahan Omar to be shown arrested as a suspected accused in the murder case of local BNP leader Ishaq Jomaddar. Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbub Alam issued the order on Sunday, August 30, following an application by Adabar police sub-inspector and case investigation officer Mahesh Chandra Singh.

According to the case allegations, Ishaq Jomaddar, 50, was the organisational secretary of the former Ward No. 30 in the Adabar police area. He was shot during an anti-discrimination student movement near Shyamoli Club field in Adabar on the afternoon of August 5, 2024. He was taken in critical condition to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

The investigator's application alleged that Jomaddar was killed in indiscriminate firing on protesters on the instructions of Sheikh Hasina and senior Awami League leaders. It said showing Omar arrested was necessary for a proper investigation and to prevent him from going into hiding if released on bail. The application also said multiple murder, corruption and explosives law cases against Omar are pending at several police stations, including New Market and Rajapur in Jhalakathi.

Police seized a covered van carrying 10,000 yaba tablets in the Mahajanghata area of South Jaldi on the Chattogram-Banshkhali main road in Banshkhali, Chattogram, at about 7:30am on Sunday. The driver fled after noticing a police checkpoint, leaving the vehicle behind during the operation near Sajal Sanitary Home Service.

According to police sources, officers signalled the Chattogram-bound covered van, bearing registration number Dhaka Metro-A-14-0552, to stop. The driver then quickly abandoned the vehicle and escaped. Police searched the van and recovered the 10,000 yaba tablets from behind the driver's seat. The vehicle, allegedly used to transport the drugs, was also seized.

Banshkhali police station Officer-in-Charge Md. Rabiul Haque said police are working to identify and arrest those involved in transporting the narcotics. A case has been filed at Banshkhali police station under the Narcotics Control Act. Operations to arrest the absconding driver are continuing, police said.

Residents of Middle Char in Paba upazila of Rajshahi, locally known as “Mini Switzerland” for its scenic Padma River landscape, say they endure severe shortages of basic public services. The char, part of Charkhidipur in Harian Union’s Ward 8, has about 140 to 150 households and more than 700 residents. Despite farming and livestock rearing being the main livelihoods, residents lack healthcare, markets, grid electricity, a cemetery, higher-level education and flood shelters.

There is no hospital, clinic, pharmacy or basic treatment facility on the char, forcing emergency patients and snakebite victims to cross the river by boat for care. Residents say pregnant women, children and critically ill patients face particular danger, especially at night or during poor weather. Deaths require burial across the river in cemeteries in Khojapur and Dasmari, while household supplies must be bought from markets on the mainland.

Flooding during Bhadra and Ashwin submerges large areas for up to two months, displacing families and livestock and damaging crops. Locals have requested a hospital, high school, sufficient solar panels and an elevated shelter for people and animals. They also report uncertainty over land records, rent payments and mutation procedures for ancestral holdings.

Young entrepreneur Saifuddin Hiru has developed a date-palm garden on 33 decimals of land in Atgharia, Pabna, after beginning with four saplings in 2022. Four years later, his garden contains 60 trees, including Ajwa, Maryam, Medjool, Sukkari, Warhish and Barhi varieties. Local farmers and agriculture officials have expressed optimism after seeing fruit on the trees.

Hiru said he faced discouragement from experienced local farmers because Bangladesh’s humid climate and heavy rainfall present major obstacles for date cultivation. Without institutional training, he used internet and YouTube resources to learn cultivation methods and sought varieties that could adapt to local conditions. Visitors now come from distant areas after seeing videos of the orchard on social media, though questions remain over whether the dates will match desert-grown fruit in taste.

Hiru plans to expand the garden using new offshoots, or suckers, produced by the trees and has sought government support and easy-term loans for commercial growth. Agricultural Extension Department Deputy Director Jahangir Alam Pramanik said the garden is under close observation. He said cultivation could be expanded across the district after scientific assessment if taste and market prices are satisfactory.

Icelandic voters have rejected a government proposal to begin formal negotiations on joining the European Union, according to the country’s public broadcaster RUV. Results published online on Sunday, with counting nearly complete, showed 52.5 percent voting no and 47.5 percent voting yes. Only a small number of ballots remained to be counted in one of Iceland’s six electoral districts.

RUV said the public had rejected the proposal to start membership talks with the EU. The government had presented the initiative as an important “now or never” opportunity. Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir told voters in August that a no vote would end all discussion of joining the EU for the time being.

Supporters of the yes campaign argued that EU membership could help reduce Iceland’s high interest rates and strengthen security amid international instability linked to the Ukraine war and US President Donald Trump’s comments about bringing Greenland into the United States. Opponents said membership could threaten Iceland’s sovereignty and control over its important fisheries resources. Iceland first applied to join the EU in 2009 during economic pressure from the global financial crisis, but a Eurosceptic government halted talks in 2013.

Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said private-sector firms and NGOs are being included in long-term rehabilitation for people affected by flooding. Speaking on Sunday morning at the launch of a rehabilitation assistance project for flood-hit families at Chattogram Circuit House auditorium, he said allocated aid must reach genuinely affected people with full transparency.

The minister said the government provides immediate assistance, while NGOs and private-sector partners are being engaged for longer-term work including educational institution development, support for persons with disabilities and rehabilitation. He said the government alone faces difficulties in distributing all assistance properly, creating scope for corruption and waste. Involving private actors and NGOs can make delivery more efficient and reduce such risks, he added.

The BRAC project, financed by HSBC Bank, runs from July 26, 2026 to February 25, 2027 in Banshkhali, Satkania, Chattogram City Corporation’s Ward 38 and Chakaria. It will provide sanitation, housing, livelihood, agriculture, school rehabilitation and awareness support. Heavy rainfall in the first two weeks of July affected about 866,000 people across 10 districts, including Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachhari.

The United States does not currently want to impose secondary sanctions on Chinese buyers over their purchases of Iranian crude oil, but is keeping the measure available as a precautionary option. Former US national security official Mark Pfielfer made the comments in an interview with Al Jazeera. He said the Trump administration and the Treasury Department appear to be keeping the measure ready for use if needed.

Pfielfer said broad direct economic action against Beijing would be diplomatically difficult because the US and Chinese economies remain deeply interdependent. According to him, Washington’s current main objective is to create conditions in which China feels comfortable buying fuel oil from alternative sources.

He said Chinese refineries are purchasing sanctioned Iranian oil at discounted prices, giving them an economic advantage over global competitors. He also said Beijing has no interest in helping Washington during the international crisis and may be assisting Tehran behind the scenes. Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Washington for a meeting with President Donald Trump on September 24.

Rescue efforts to reach hydropower workers believed trapped alive in tunnels in Nepal have been disrupted by overnight heavy rain and rising river water. The government said more than 100 workers may remain alive in several tunnels at hydropower projects, while operations have been intensified around the Trishuli-3A and Trishuli-3B project areas. Since mud and debris flows began on Wednesday morning, 933 hydropower workers have been reported missing.

At the Trishuli-3A project, an army rescue team reached the upper section of a tunnel buried in mud on Saturday evening using drilling equipment. The team began pumping air into the tunnel and sending in cameras. Nepal Army said on Sunday morning that, after 2 a.m. local time, heavy rainfall raised river levels and flooded the excavated area on the fifth day of the operation.

The Prime Minister’s Office said rescuers faced continuous rain and difficult conditions but worked through the night to locate and rescue people who may be inside the tunnels. Specialist tunnel rescue teams from India and China have joined the operation. Eleven hydropower plants and one solar plant, with combined capacity of 431.1 megawatts, have stopped operating.

Jagannath University launched the “Pubali Bank PLC Presents Jagannath University AI & IT Fest 2026” on Sunday, August 30, at the Shaheed Sajid Building premises. Organised by the Jagannath University IT Society, the day-long festival brings together students from about 20 universities and 40 technology clubs. Daily Amar Desh is the event’s media partner.

The festival includes programmes on artificial intelligence, robotics, innovation, project showcases and olympiads. In the AI Ad-Venture—Prompt to Production Challenge, participants are using AI to turn an idea into a realistic production. The AI & IT Olympiad has junior and senior divisions, while BrainChild Season 2.0 displays apps, websites and AI-based projects developed by young innovators from across the country.

TechUncut, Industry Talk and Live Pitch sessions are intended to provide practical industry and career insights through CEOs, industry representatives, technologists, content creators and mentors. A TechCare Zone is also offering software installation, system setup and other technical assistance. Organisers say the event will help students display skills, build networks and connect university innovation initiatives with a national platform.

The family of slain journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi says it will submit a complaint to the International Crimes Tribunal on Monday, seeking progress in the unresolved murder case. Their son, Mahir Sarowar Megh, and Runi’s brother, Nausher Alam Roman, announced the plan after meeting chief prosecutor Aminul Islam at his office on Sunday. The killings occurred at the couple’s rented home in West Rajabazar, Dhaka, on the night of February 11, 2012.

Aminul Islam said a lead suggesting the involvement of a cultural figure had emerged while investigators reviewed call detail records during an investigation into another case. He did not disclose the person’s identity. Megh said he wanted proper justice and did not want any innocent person to be implicated. Roman said the family wanted those genuinely involved to be identified.

Roman criticised the lack of visible progress by the court-ordered task force and called for the release of people detained by RAB if no evidence of involvement has been found over a long period. He also sought steps to prevent newly named individuals from leaving the country. The chief prosecutor said any formal complaint would be assessed, accepted if within the tribunal’s jurisdiction, or sent to the relevant authority if outside it.

The Middle East could become one of the world’s leading technology hubs by increasing investment in artificial intelligence and financial technology, according to an analysis. The region’s large financial resources, young population, energy advantages, expanding digital infrastructure and location between Europe, Asia and Africa are cited as key strengths. Global AI markets could grow from $407 billion to $990 billion by 2027, while fintech revenue may reach $2 trillion by 2030.

A major advantage is the region’s youthful population, with people under 30 accounting for nearly half of residents in many countries. Gulf sovereign wealth funds can support long-term technology and infrastructure projects. Relatively cheap and abundant energy also benefits AI data centres, while 5G networks, cloud technology and data-centre expansion are strengthening digital capacity.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have begun major AI and fintech investments. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 seeks a knowledge- and technology-based economy, and the country has declared 2026 the Year of AI. The UAE aims to establish AI leadership by 2031. Experts say other regional states should adopt clear strategies, invest in education and skills, and build on Arabic-language AI and Islamic fintech.

Dr Md Shahjahan, acting director of Cumilla Medical College Hospital, faces allegations of opposing anti-discrimination students during the July-August 2024 uprising and describing BNP rallies as terrorist activities. The report says he actively joined a “peace march” at the hospital on August 3 last year, organised by the group Shantipriyo Chikitsok O Narsra under then director Dr Azizur Rahman Siddiqui.

Sources among physicians alleged that the march positioned participants against students while law-enforcement agencies were suppressing the movement. Local allegations also say Shahjahan was close to former Cumilla Sadar lawmaker and local leader Bahar, and used that influence to marginalise BNP-aligned doctors. The report alleges that after the political change, he presented himself as being from a BNP family.

The report further claims Shahjahan is lobbying for the permanent director’s post with a recommendation linked to Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher. Former Cumilla district DAB president Dr M M Hasan said opponents of the 2024 uprising were receiving benefits while sidelining genuine BNP supporters. Shahjahan did not respond to repeated requests for comment, the report said.

Jharakata Multipurpose High School in Jharakata, Char Pakerdaha Union of Madarganj upazila, Jamalpur, continues its 119-year educational legacy. Founded as a minor school in 1907, the institution was built with support from local residents and now serves about 350 students. It stands on nearly five acres and has become associated with the region’s educational, cultural and social history.

A local oral tradition says a wandering woman known as Casho Pagli donated one paisa during discussions on establishing the school and requested that it be built at that location. Residents consider it the school’s first donation. Local sources say several residents later donated land and cash, while Abul Hossain of Mymensingh was the first head teacher. The school first took part in matriculation examinations in 1959.

The school has two three-storey academic buildings, one single-storey building, a library and multimedia classrooms, with 13 teachers and six staff members. Forty-seven students sat for the 2026 SSC examination, compared with 50 in 2025. Head teacher Shah Anichur Rahman said the institution is prioritising educational quality and extracurricular activities.