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.

A severe traffic jam developed on the Cumilla section of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway on Friday, stretching nearly 30 kilometres from the Cantonment area to Miah Bazar in Chauddagram upazila. Passenger buses, cargo trucks, covered vans and other vehicles were stranded for hours, causing major hardship for drivers and passengers. Patients travelling to Dhaka from the southeast region were reported to be particularly affected.

Abdul Mumin, officer-in-charge of Cumilla Mainamati Highway Police Station, said ongoing road repair work by the Roads and Highways Department at Amtali Bishwaroad was disrupting traffic. Large potholes had formed about one kilometre east of the Cantonment area after several days of rain, and repairs were under way. The congestion began early Friday and extended beyond Chauddagram by noon, described by authorities as the largest traffic jam in recent years.

Hundreds of buses and other vehicles used the old road via Chaura-Gomti and Amtali Bishwaroad to avoid the jam, increasing pressure on alternative routes. Highway police deployed multiple teams to ease congestion. Police Superintendent Mohammad Shahinur Alam said traffic ahead was moving slowly, so normal conditions would take time to return. An ambulance driver carrying a patient to Dhaka said he had been stuck for an hour.

US Vice President JD Vance has drawn renewed attention for using personal attacks, sarcasm and ridicule on social media when responding to critics. A report published on August 7, 2026 said Vance commented on conservative columnist Marc Thiessen’s physical appearance after Thiessen criticized his position on Iran. Responding to Thiessen’s post about burritos on university menus, Vance suggested that Thiessen may have taken burritos from a cafeteria more than once.

The report says Vance has long used direct and aggressive language against left-wing critics, journalists and conservatives in his own party, calling opponents “stupid,” “incompetent” or “shameful.” Kevin Kellems, communications director to former Vice President Dick Cheney, said such behavior was not fitting for the office. Jamal Simmons, former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris, suggested Vance may be positioning himself for support in the 2028 presidential election.

Vance’s aides and supporters defend the approach as candid politics, saying he speaks directly like ordinary people and challenges elite conventions. Vance has said social media lets him hear unfiltered public views. He previously removed the X app from his phone for a period as part of religious practice, saying time away made him more focused and productive. The recent Thiessen exchange indicates he remains active in confrontational online engagement.

The government has launched a major plan to build modern playgrounds in every union across Bangladesh, aiming to expand grassroots sports and support children’s physical and mental development. The Youth and Sports Ministry, under a high-level committee formed with the Prime Minister’s Office, is advancing implementation. As reported on August 7, 2026, the ministry has written to members of parliament to identify suitable land for construction, renovation or upgrading of playgrounds in 4,499 unions. Each union is expected to have a central playground on at least eight bighas of land.

The plan prioritises protecting agricultural land. Where a union lacks a field, authorities will give preference to government-owned land near the union centre or a growth centre. The sites are intended as open play grounds for football, cricket, volleyball, kabaddi and local traditional sports. Proposed features include security fencing and a maintenance structure or committee formed with input from upazila authorities, local government and local MPs.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque said district commissioners and upazila executive officers have been instructed to identify one central field per union and submit proposals for renovation and development. The government also plans international-standard sports villages in 10 regions in the next fiscal year, including all eight divisions, Faridpur and Cumilla.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Dr Shafiqur Rahman MP urged journalists to deliver truthful, objective and public-interest news at a meeting with reporters and media workers in Bagerhat on Friday morning. He spoke as chief guest at the event held in the Bagerhat Circuit House conference room and organised by the party’s Bagerhat district branch.

Rahman described journalists as a mirror of society and said they have an important role in serving the country and the nation. He said independent and responsible media are indispensable for national development, good governance and accountability. He also called for an environment in which journalists can publish the truth without fear, while urging people to remain cautious about misleading information and propaganda.

He said political parties, civil society and the media must work together to build Bangladesh as a just, humane and discrimination-free state. Journalists from print, electronic and online outlets attended the meeting, raising questions on local and national matters. Discussions covered media freedom, good governance, corruption prevention, development and public-interest issues. Bagerhat district Ameer Maulana Rezaul Karim chaired the event.

At least nine people were killed and several others injured after two passenger buses collided head-on on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Kashikapon, Osmaninagar upazila of Sylhet. The crash occurred at about 7am on Friday between a Unique Paribahan bus travelling from Sylhet to Dhaka and a Bengal sleeper coach travelling from Dhaka to Sylhet. Several injured passengers were reported to be in critical condition.

Among those killed at the scene were Unique Paribahan passenger Saiful Islam, 50, from Goborina Lakshmipur village in Kuliarchar, Kishoreganj, and Safi Mia of Kuliarchar. Jaifa Islam, 3, daughter of Jahangir Sheikh of Dhaka’s Bikrampur, and Saptam Ray Pritom, 22, son of Uttam Ray from Sobhanighat in Sylhet city, were declared dead after being taken to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital.

Fire service personnel, police and highway police conducted rescue operations and sent injured people to hospitals. The bodies were handed over to Sherpur Highway Police custody. Police said traffic on the highway was later restored, both buses were seized, and the cause of the accident is under investigation.

Bangladesh Bank will appoint administrators on Sunday as it moves to close five weak non-bank financial institutions, according to sources cited by Amar Desh. The government has already given final approval for the closures. The institutions are Peoples Leasing and Financial Services, International Leasing and Financial Services, Aviva Finance, FAS Finance and Investment, and Fareast Finance and Investment. Their existing boards will be suspended and managing directors’ contracts cancelled when administrators are appointed.

Administrators are initially expected at four institutions, excluding Peoples Leasing because of pending litigation and the absence of a court order. A Bangladesh Bank spokesperson, Arif Hossain Khan, said the closure process was under way and administrators would be appointed soon. At the end of last December, non-performing loan ratios at the five institutions ranged from 93 percent to nearly 100 percent.

The five institutions hold total deposits of Tk16,076 crore, including about Tk2,700 crore in individual deposits. Individual depositors are to receive priority repayment of up to Tk10 lakh. Four other institutions have been given three months to recover; if they fail, they will automatically enter the resolution process.

A New Mexico court has fined Meta $567 million over allegations that it failed to protect children on its social media platforms. Judge Bryan Biedscheid issued the order on Thursday, according to the report. It described the penalty as the largest financial sanction yet imposed on Meta in a child-safety case and said the amount is roughly 70,000 crore taka.

The New Mexico case began in 2023, when state lawyers alleged Meta’s platforms exposed children to risks including sexual content and contact with sexual offenders. In an earlier phase, the court found that Meta repeatedly violated New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act. The court said Meta’s recommendation algorithms pushed younger users toward harmful content and risky communications.

Meta had previously been fined $375 million in the same case, bringing its total penalty to $942 million. The court ordered Meta to establish a fund to reduce social media-related harm to children, with about $420 million for clinical and behavioral health services. Meta said it disagreed with the ruling and would appeal. The court also ordered measures affecting recommendations, adult messaging, nude images, notifications and usage limits for users under 18.

At least six people were killed and 15 injured in a shooting at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Bang Kruai district, on Bangkok’s northwestern outskirts, Thailand. National police spokesperson Trairong Piwphan said the incident occurred on Friday. The suspected gunman was also killed in the incident.

Police identified the suspected attacker as a student, but provided no further details. State broadcaster Thai PBS reported that the dead included three teachers and three students. The source did not provide further information about the suspected attacker or the circumstances of the shooting.

An 18-year-old student told Reuters that he initially thought the sounds were fireworks or someone striking an object. He said he did not first realize they were gunshots, describing multiple shots that stopped and then began again. The report cited Al Jazeera as its source.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are set to sign a joint defense agreement at a trilateral summit in Saudi Arabia on Friday, August 7, 2026, amid the ongoing Middle East crisis. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir are in Saudi Arabia on an official visit. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday to attend the meeting.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the prime minister’s visit aims to strengthen a coordinated strategy for regional peace, diplomatic cooperation and stability. It said Islamabad has continued diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions in the Middle East and pursue peaceful settlement of disputes.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia previously signed a mutual defense agreement in September 2025. Under that agreement, Pakistan deployed fighter aircraft and military personnel to Saudi Arabia in April this year. The report says Pakistan has long provided military cooperation to Saudi Arabia, while Saudi Arabia has repeatedly offered Pakistan financial support during periods of economic crisis.

Europe’s Rhine River, a major transport route for industry and trade, is facing severe drought and record-low water levels, disrupting cargo movement and raising costs. The report, published on August 7, 2026, said water levels fell this week to their lowest since official measurements began in 1880. Large vessels are carrying less freight, while cargo is being shifted in some places to smaller boats, trucks and rail, adding pressure to German industrial production.

The roughly 800-mile Rhine runs from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea through six countries and carries about 300 million tons of goods annually. In parts near Duisburg, water is only slightly more than four feet deep, forcing some ships to unload up to two-thirds of their cargo. The 564-foot W. D. Beijers Senior, which normally carries 5,000 tons of iron ore, is currently limited to 1,200 tons.

Low water has also affected the Danube, raising concerns over water used to cool nuclear reactors in Hungary and Romania. Research cited by the report estimates that a month of low-water conditions could cut German industrial output by about 1 percent. Companies have expanded storage and other preparations, but only a few of roughly 8,000 cargo ships on the Rhine are specially designed for shallow water.