South Korea said it will conduct a joint military exercise with the United States and Japan from September 7 to 11 in international waters east and south of Jeju Island. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said the Freedom Edge exercise is aimed at responding to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats while maintaining regional peace and stability.

Yonhap reported that the multi-domain drill may include maritime missile defense, air and air-defense exercises, anti-submarine operations and cyber defense activities. Freedom Edge was first held in June 2024 after an agreement among the three countries’ leaders at the 2023 Camp David summit.

The announcement follows US moves to reduce or cancel other joint exercises with South Korea. President Donald Trump ordered the regular Ulchi Freedom Shield drill shortened from 11 days to five days, while another biennial exercise, Ssangyong, was canceled amid pressure on US deployment capacity due to the war with Iran. North Korea has launched missiles and criticized the reduced drills and other US-related measures.

A US federal court has ruled that the Trump administration’s February restrictions against AI company Anthropic were unlawful. In a 59-page ruling issued Thursday, Judge Rita Lin said Anthropic had been publicly punished for criticizing the Pentagon. She ordered federal agencies named as defendants not to enforce President Donald Trump’s order barring use of Anthropic’s Claude AI model.

The judge also invalidated Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s designation of Anthropic as a “supply chain risk.” Lin said invoking national security did not give the government unrestricted power to punish or retaliate against critics. The dispute began after Anthropic refused to permit the US military to use Claude for fully autonomous lethal weapons or mass surveillance of American citizens.

Thursday’s ruling makes permanent a temporary injunction issued in March and takes effect immediately, though the US government may appeal. Anthropic welcomed the decision and said it remained focused on working constructively with the government on AI and national security. A separate Pentagon restriction issued under federal procurement rules remains in force and is being challenged in another Washington court.

Australia plans to remove 24 technical staff, scientists and support personnel from its research station on remote Macquarie Island because of psychosocial risks linked to a possible H5N1 bird flu outbreak. The island lies between Tasmania and Antarctica and is home to thousands of elephant seals. The evacuation is scheduled for September or early October aboard the RSV Nuyina icebreaker.

No H5N1 infections have yet been detected on Macquarie Island. However, officials say many elephant seals could die during the breeding season from September to November, as the mammals are highly vulnerable to the virus. Sean Sullivan, deputy secretary at Canberra’s climate change, energy, environment and water department, said the human risk from H5 bird flu is considered low.

Sullivan said authorities could not ignore the psychosocial effects of living near potentially large numbers of infected animals, particularly for expedition members working in an isolated and difficult environment. In June, officials reported that thousands of elephant seal pups had died from bird flu on the remote Heard and McDonald Islands. Authorities have reported 341 confirmed or probable H5 positive infections in Australia, with none detected in poultry or the agricultural production sector.

Two young men died following a clash involving intoxicated youths at the bar of Renaissance Hotel in Cox’s Bazar city’s Jhautala area at about 10:30pm on Thursday. Najibul Haque Rashed was declared dead after suffering a neck injury from a broken glass. Solaiman, also known as Salman, later died while being taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital after a mob beating.

Police said Rashed and several others had been drinking when an argument and fight began, with some youths calling additional people to the scene. Sources said the initial argument involved a youth named Ansar, who called Radi and Salman. Witnesses said Rashed’s throat was cut by broken glass during the fight, while Salman was beaten by people below the hotel and handed to police.

Cox’s Bazar police and the district hospital’s resident medical officer confirmed both deaths. Additional Superintendent of Police Ahidul Islam said police had begun operations to detain those involved and said one person taken into custody had also died. He described the bar as unlicensed, while hotel manager Faizul Haque said it held a valid licence renewed until June 2027. Police also reported attacks and vandalism at homes of people linked to the incident.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing that Lake Ontario be renamed “Lake America,” amid an escalating trade dispute with Canada. Speaking at the White House, Trump said the change would take effect immediately. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the move, saying the lake’s name would always remain Lake Ontario.

The lake, the smallest of the five Great Lakes by area, lies along the US-Canada border and is connected to Ontario province and New York state. Carney said the nearly 400-year-old name predates both countries and comes from an Indigenous word meaning “the lake is beautiful, the lake is big.” He said on X that America was changing.

Trump’s order instructs the US Interior Department to update all entries for the lake in the federal geographic naming system within 30 days. It also directs all federal agencies to use “Lake America.” The order argues that the lake’s deepest point is on the US side and that the United States therefore claims most of its water volume.

India’s planned cricket tour of Bangladesh, originally scheduled for September this year, may be shifted to January next year amid renewed uncertainty over the bilateral series. According to a recent report by Indian news agency ANI, the Bangladesh Cricket Board is seeking a suitable window early next year, while discussions continue with the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Indian government.

A BCCI source said talks involving the two cricket boards and the Indian government are under way, with a strong possibility that the series could be held in January. Under the earlier plan, India were scheduled to play three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches in Dhaka and Chattogram.

BCB president Tamim Iqbal told journalists that discussions between the boards were positive and that match dates could be adjusted to ensure the series is successfully staged. Both boards are now working jointly to determine a new final schedule, but the BCCI has not yet issued an official announcement confirming the tour.

Norway’s King Harald V has died at the age of 89, the Norwegian royal palace said. He died at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35 a.m. local time on Friday. At the time of his death, he was Europe’s oldest living monarch. Harald had served as Norway’s king for 35 years after ascending the throne in 1991.

Norway is a constitutional monarchy, where the king’s powers are largely ceremonial. Harald was widely popular for his close connection with ordinary people and his role in seeking to unite the nation during crises. He was also known for supporting tolerance, inclusion and modern values, including through an address following Norway’s devastating 2011 terrorist attacks.

During World War II, Harald left Norway with his family and lived in exile in the United States as a child. He later trained in the navy and competed in sailing at Olympic level. In his final years, he was repeatedly hospitalized and developed a bacterial blood infection while receiving treatment after being taken to hospital on August 17. His son, Crown Prince Haakon, 53, has assumed the throne as King Haakon VIII.

US and NATO officials told the Associated Press that stocks of advanced missile-defence systems in Europe have fallen sharply because of the Iran war, with Patriot interceptor shortages described as the most serious concern. A US defence official deployed in Europe said available Patriots could not sustain a prolonged ballistic-missile attack and that capacity even against a single attack is now limited.

Officials said extensive interceptor use by the United States and its allies in the Middle East, including transfers of some European stocks, contributed to the reported shortage. Earlier Patriot deliveries to Ukraine also reduced US inventories. The shortfall has raised concern over NATO countries’ vulnerability to possible Russian ballistic-missile attacks, although such an attack is not considered imminent.

NATO and the Pentagon disputed the severity of the claims. NATO spokesperson Colonel Martin O’Donnell said European defence capability had not reached a critical level and that sufficient weapons remained for NATO defence and support for Ukraine. The Pentagon rejected claims of an inventory crisis as false. Experts said alternatives are limited; France and Italy’s SAMP/T NG could provide some help but has shorter range than Patriot and its newer version has not been battle-tested.

China has temporarily suspended its rescue operation in the Tibetan section near the China-Nepal border, fearing another severe flood. The decision came on Wednesday, two days after a landslide left hundreds of people missing in the border area.

China Central Television reported that a large amount of mud and debris from the landslide formed a lake. Water from that lake began overflowing toward the area where rescue teams were advancing, creating a renewed risk of flooding.

All rescue teams have been told to remain in their current positions, while emergency personnel who had reached the site were ordered to move back one kilometre. Emergency engineering teams are monitoring conditions. Authorities are using drones to create three-dimensional models, thermal detection technology and direct searches to locate those missing. The rescue operation is expected to resume after weather conditions and water levels return to normal.

Residents in Islampur, Jamalpur, have alleged widespread irregularities and corruption in government food-for-work rural infrastructure projects. The project period ended on June 30, nearly two months before the report, but work on several schemes remained incomplete. Locals also alleged that in some locations only nominal work was completed before allocated rice and wheat were withdrawn.

According to the district Relief and Rehabilitation Office, Islampur received 48 tonnes 320 kilograms of rice and 38 tonnes 680 kilograms of wheat in the second phase of the Department of Disaster Management’s Kabikha programme for fiscal year 2025-26. Residents questioned work and spending on several road and guide-wall projects, while project presidents and union parishad representatives generally said work had been properly completed or matched the allocation.

Current UNO শাহ্ মো. জুবায়ের said allocations were released before he joined and that those responsible for supervision should investigate. Former UNO নামজুল হুসাইন said he had instructed the PIO not to release bills if work was not properly implemented. Acting PIO মো. হাবীবুর রহমান সুমন said bills were issued after inspections, but added that work would be completed where needed; he also said final reports had not been sent and fieldwork was continuing.

A large barrier lake has formed in Nepal’s mountainous region after the natural flow of a river was obstructed. The lake’s dam could break at any time, potentially releasing a sudden, large volume of water downstream and placing nearby settlements and infrastructure at renewed severe risk.

On Thursday morning, the lake held about 2 million cubic metres of water. A further 3 million cubic metres could enter the lake over the next three days, bringing its total volume to an estimated 5 million cubic metres.

The expected increase in water is reported to have greatly raised concerns that the lake’s natural dam may fail. If a breach occurs, water could move rapidly along the river corridor, threatening communities and infrastructure around the river.

Global crude oil prices fell again early Friday in Bangladesh time as prospects emerged for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude declined by 25 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $89.45 a barrel, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate fell 22 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $83.31, according to Al Jazeera.

So far this week, Brent has dropped about 5.3 percent and WTI has declined 4.3 percent. Prices had recovered somewhat in international trading the previous day, but fell again Friday. Possible diplomatic progress over the Strait of Hormuz was cited as a key reason for the renewed decline.

Iran has begun talks with Qatar on reopening the waterway following requests from mediators. Tehran has set several conditions for the United States, including lifting sanctions and economic pressure. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Washington must take practical steps before Iran decides on reopening. He also cited ending the Middle East war, lifting a US naval blockade and providing compensation. No decision has yet been made on when the strait will reopen.

Residents of Longkar Char Nichupara in Ghoshpur ইউনিয়ন of Boalmari upazila, Faridpur, say continuing erosion by the Madhumati River has left them close to destitution. Nearly two acres of homesteads and cropland have already been swallowed by the river, while about one acre remains at risk. Fresh, though comparatively limited, erosion has begun in the area this year, leaving riverside families fearful of losing their remaining land and homes.

Affected resident Arati Goali said erosion has taken houses and farmland since her marriage around 30 years ago, forcing her family to buy a small roadside plot for a home. Residents allege that unplanned sand extraction from the river worsens erosion during the monsoon. Locals said homes and farmland belonging to an estimated 50 to 60 families have been lost, including plots used for chilli, grass, rice and jute cultivation.

Residents have called for an embankment or permanent river-protection measures to save their remaining assets. Ghoshpur Union Parishad chairman Imran Hossain Nawab said proper rules for sand extraction could prevent such damage. Boalmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer SM Rakibul Hasan said the Water Development Board has undertaken river-management work in parts of Madhukhali and Alfadanga, and relevant authorities would be informed if erosion appears in Boalmari.

Salt workers at several jetties in Kutubdia say they are being denied fair wages despite carrying heavy salt sacks for long hours. Workers at Satruddin Peyara Kata New Jetty Ghat said they carry sacks described as 40 kilograms but weighing about 50 kilograms, earning Tk7.50 per sack. Working from 6am to 5pm, they carry 80 to 90 sacks and receive Tk600 to Tk650 daily.

Worker Manik said the wage has remained unchanged for four years and no meal is provided during the workday. He said food, tea and snacks consume about half their earnings. Workers average 20 working days a month, while work stops during storms and rain. They demand Tk10 per sack. At Darbar Ghat, workers receive Tk7 per maund, up from Tk6 six months ago, though rainy-season work is irregular.

Salt trader Akhtar Company said mill owners are not buying salt at increased prices, prompting many traders to avoid transporting it. Another trader, Ibrahim, said workers receive Tk23 per maund for moving salt from fields to roads and trawlers. Union acting chairman Shafiul Alam said more workers join jetty work during the rainy season, reducing available work and contributing to wage disparities.

Nepalese authorities and experts have warned of renewed landslides and flash flooding in the coming days, citing unstable gorge walls and a partially collapsed glacier. The alert follows recent flooding and an earthquake, with the Lende Khola gorge, Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river lower reaches designated high-risk areas. Wednesday’s devastating flash flood death toll has risen to 475, police confirmed, while many people remain missing.

Glacier specialists and emergency service team members from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development identified two principal threats after the recent disasters. Floodwaters rose as high as 10 metres and severely eroded the base of steep rocky and moraine slopes in the Lende Khola gorge. Satellite imagery later showed signs of small landslides, raising concern that larger rockfalls could block river channels and create dangerous downstream conditions.

Experts also expressed concern over the remaining section of the Gangbu glacier, whose unstable remnant could collapse into the gorge following aftershocks or a strong earthquake tremor. Chinese and Nepalese specialists are monitoring nearby glacier-fed lakes by radar satellite amid concerns that moraine dams may have weakened. Residents and rescue teams have been strictly barred from approaching riverbanks.