UNRWA chief Christian Saunders said Israel wants to dissolve the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and “erase” the Palestinian refugee issue. In an interview with Al Jazeera, he described an Israeli raid on UNRWA’s Qalandiya training centre near occupied East Jerusalem as part of a broader effort to eliminate the United Nations’ presence in the occupied Palestinian territory. Israeli forces took control of the centre in the Kafr Aqab area on Tuesday, forcing UNRWA staff to leave.

At least seven Palestinians were injured by Israeli fire during the operation, according to the source. Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir took part in the raid and declared that the agency has no place in Jerusalem or Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported the operation and the decision to evacuate the facility, saying the step was legal under Israeli law and accusing UNRWA of assisting Hamas in the October 7, 2023 attack.

Saunders rejected the idea that the issue concerned only one facility. He said cutting UNRWA funding and dissolving it would be intended to end refugee claims, including return, restitution and compensation. The closure will also deprive 340 young people of education and vocational training provided by the centre.

Qatar’s Foreign Minister and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani is visiting Tehran today as diplomatic activity intensifies to reduce tensions between Iran and the United States. He is scheduled to meet senior Iranian officials. Qatar said the visit is primarily aimed at easing tensions and establishing a basis for dialogue.

Diplomatic engagement surrounding Iran has increased over the past week. Pakistan’s army chief visited Tehran first, followed by Oman’s foreign minister. Qatar hopes these contacts can help create a platform for dialogue between Iran and the United States. Omani and Iranian officials have also said they agreed on a temporary framework for maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, while discussions on clearing mines from the waterway continue.

Qatar believes the efforts could help reopen talks between Tehran and Washington, though the source says excessive optimism is unwarranted because their views on communication still differ. Iran has stressed that the contacts should not be considered direct bilateral negotiations, as they are being conducted through mediators. Parties involved nevertheless see the recent diplomacy as important progress after months of military conflict.

International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane said on Wednesday that the court would not retreat under US pressure and would continue its work even if sanctions were imposed on the institution. Akane told reporters that US sanctions imposed on her last week had prevented her from using her credit card, but said the ICC would not give up.

She said a permanent institution such as the ICC should never be shut down and that its officials would resist with all their strength. The US action follows President Donald Trump’s stated effort to effectively disable the court over investigations concerning alleged war crimes by Israeli and potentially US officials. Washington also sanctioned senior Senegalese ICC trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye last week.

Akane called for support from Japan, the ICC’s largest financial contributor, and expressed hope that Tokyo would act under US pressure. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan had a responsibility to protect such an important institution and would intervene when and where necessary. Akane said she hoped Japan would encourage less powerful member states not to yield to US pressure to leave the ICC and to remain united.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the USS Abraham Lincoln had failed its mission of projecting US power in the Middle East. In a post on X on Wednesday, he said the carrier’s sailors had become fatigued after a lengthy regional deployment and that the ship was heading to Thailand for rest and recreation.

Baghaei said the United States had sent the aircraft carrier to the region to demonstrate strength. He argued that, after months of war and more than 200 days without calling at a port, the vessel was now travelling to Thailand. His remarks presented the planned stop as evidence that the mission had not succeeded.

Thai officials said the USS Abraham Lincoln would make a short stop in Thailand next week after a prolonged Middle East military mission. The carrier is expected to anchor after more than 250 consecutive days at sea. Thai defence officials said the visit is primarily intended for crew rest and recovery, with no joint military exercise or operation planned with the Thai navy. Concerns have also emerged over the physical and mental wellbeing of nearly 5,000 sailors and Marines, while family members cited mental health deterioration and shortages of food and personal hygiene supplies.

An article cited by Middle East Eye challenges Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s description of Britain as an “Islamic Republic of Britain” and the first Islamic republic to obtain nuclear weapons. It argues that the remark, made in an interview with Israeli Army Radio, reflects a political framing that casts Muslim public visibility as domination rather than ordinary democratic participation.

The article says Muslims account for about 6% of Britain’s population, or roughly four million people, and rejects the suggestion that they are building an Islamic state or caliphate. It states that Britain’s institutions and laws remain British, with Parliament not replaced by a shura council or British law displaced by Islamic law. It also contrasts concern over Muslims with the absence of similar claims about Hindu, Jewish or Catholic influence in British leadership.

Citing 2019 data, it says about 13,000 Muslim doctors worked in England, around 10% of all doctors. The article also highlights Muslim contributions to Britain and allied forces in both world wars, postwar reconstruction and contemporary civic life, arguing that political participation by British Muslims demonstrates citizenship rather than takeover.

Qatar has told the UN Security Council that ending Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is necessary to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting peace. Qatar’s UN ambassador, Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, made the remarks during a council session on escalating tensions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group.

Al-Thani condemned what she described as Israel’s ongoing serious violations in Gaza and the West Bank. She said Israel had rejected both a Palestinian state and a broad plan for 2025 involving an end to war, the release of hostages and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip through a US-led multilateral agreement.

She said these actions were fundamentally weakening collective efforts to implement the plan and called for its full implementation. The Qatari ambassador also said Palestinians’ right to self-determination must be ensured. She welcomed the growing international recognition of the State of Palestine.

A Yemeni military source said the Iran-backed Houthi armed group launched ballistic missile attacks on the port area of Al-Makha, also known as Mokha, in Yemen on Wednesday. At least three missiles struck the city’s port area, while another landed near the Al-Barah junction, according to the report cited by Al Jazeera.

The extent of damage and any casualties from the strikes was not immediately known. The Houthis had not claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of the report. Sources said the missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled areas east of Taiz.

At least five missiles also struck the Al-Khawkhah area in Yemen’s western coastal Hodeidah governorate. Houthi attacks on Mokha and its port area have increased in recent weeks, the report said. Earlier in August, Houthi missile and drone attacks in the port city caused casualties.

Bangladeshi-origin midfielder Hamza Choudhury is the subject of transfer discussion in English football, with Derby County reportedly interested in signing him before the transfer window closes on 1 September. The 28-year-old Leicester City academy graduate has made 166 appearances for the club, but his immediate future remains uncertain.

Choudhury was left out of Leicester’s squad for a Carabao Cup match against Ipswich Town. Leicester coach Russell Martin said ongoing transfer discussions can make it difficult for players to maintain full mental focus, which was why Choudhury was excluded from the match squad. Martin stressed that the omission was not a punishment.

The coach said a decision beneficial to both sides would be taken whether Choudhury stays at Leicester or moves elsewhere. He added that the midfielder could return to consideration after the transfer window closes. Leicester are currently competing in League One, the third tier, while Derby County play in the Championship, English football’s second tier.

Sudden floods and landslides have caused heavy loss of life in Rasuwa and several neighbouring districts of Nepal’s central Bagmati Province. AFP has released photographs showing scenes from flood-affected parts of the country.

The source describes the disaster as affecting central Nepal, with Rasuwa identified as one of the areas hit. It says the flooding and landslides caused widespread fatalities, but provides no figures, dates, or further details about the victims.

The published AFP images document the flood-ravaged conditions in Nepal. The source does not provide information on rescue operations, official assessments, damage estimates, or planned next steps.

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi criticised an Allahabad High Court decision rejecting a schoolgirl’s request to wear a hijab with her uniform in India. Speaking on Tuesday at an Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi event, “Jalsa-e-Rahmatul Lil Alamin,” at the party’s Darussalam office, he described the ruling as an attack on Islam.

Owaisi said he disagreed with a decision that a girl could not wear a hijab at school. He questioned why the high court had ruled on whether a religious practice was essential to Islam while a Sabarimala-related matter was pending before a nine-judge Supreme Court bench. He said the ruling violated Articles 25 and 19 of India’s Constitution.

The high court had said that a uniform policy set without discrimination and in good faith falls within a school authority’s jurisdiction. The student had worn a headscarf in earlier years without objection but was denied admission to class 11 this year citing the dress code. Owaisi also criticised initiatives for a Uniform Civil Code in Assam and Uttarakhand, and criticised the RSS and BJP during his speech.

An exhibition titled “Islamic Heritage of Russia: People and Traditions” has opened at the Moscow Cathedral Mosque, presenting 1,100 years of Islamic history and heritage in Russia. The event was inaugurated in the presence of prominent figures from religious, diplomatic and cultural circles. Its stated aim is to highlight the history of Muslims in Russia and their contribution to shaping the country’s cultural identity.

The opening was attended by Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin, head of Russia’s Muslim Religious Board, as well as ambassadors and diplomats from Muslim countries, officials from the Republic of Tatarstan and Russian cultural figures. The exhibition features the history of Quran dissemination in Russia, writing culture, historical traditions, ornaments, handicrafts and fine arts of Muslim communities from different regions.

Running until September 27, the exhibition introduces visitors to Muslim cultures and traditions from the Volga region, the Caucasus and Siberia, according to Gaynutdin. Tatarstan Culture Minister Irada Ayupova praised the initiative, while Moscow official Konstantin Blasenov stressed Muslims’ role in the capital’s cultural landscape and cited city efforts to preserve their heritage. The programme is linked to events commemorating the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad.

Bangladesh National Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad expressed grief and sorrow over the extensive loss of life caused by severe floods and landslides in Nepal. He conveyed his condolences in a message issued on Thursday.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres also expressed deep sorrow over the destruction in Nepal. He offered condolences to the families of those killed in the flooding and wished injured people a speedy recovery.

In a statement, Guterres said the devastating floods had killed many people, left others missing and caused widespread destruction. The source did not provide figures for fatalities, missing people, injuries or damage, nor did it specify affected locations within Nepal.

Severe floods and landslides in Himalayan areas along the Nepal-China border have left about 1,500 people missing, including at least 800 foreign nationals from 28 countries. Nepal police said the death toll could exceed 165 after flash flooding inundated border settlements and valleys on Wednesday. In Nepal, 826 people are missing, while Tibet’s Gyirong County has reported another 558 missing people.

Nearly 600 of those missing in Nepal are foreign citizens. They include 177 Indians, 63 Americans, 34 Australians, 33 Britons and 25 Canadians. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said 260 of the missing people in Gyirong County are foreigners. The affected region is an important route for pilgrims and tourists travelling to Kailash-Manasarovar.

More than 5,000 army and police personnel have been deployed for rescue operations in Nepal. Food, tents and emergency supplies are being delivered by helicopter to remote areas, while neighbouring India has sent relief assistance. US geological survey officials said the event was primarily caused by tremors from collapsing glacier rock and ice, followed by landslides. The United States pledged $500,000, and the United Nations and other countries are supporting rescue and relief work.

Nepal is investigating the cause of a severe sudden flood in the Bhotekoshi area after a 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck Tibet at 8:37 a.m. local time. Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal told parliament on Wednesday that reports of flooding emerged three minutes later, at 8:40 a.m., though he said the apparent timing link requires further verification.

Preliminary analysis by Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority found satellite evidence of a glacier and rock collapse about 20 kilometres northeast of the Rasuwagadhi border point. Water carrying debris reportedly entered the Lhende River before flowing through Timure into the Trishuli River. Authorities in both Nepal and China have not confirmed the flood’s cause.

The flooding inundated several border villages, damaged important infrastructure and caused several deaths. Heavy rainfall in the Mansarovar and Ali areas on Tuesday is also being examined as a possible factor. Nepal has issued repeated warnings to residents along the Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers, urging them to move to safer locations amid fears of further flooding.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police has prohibited meetings, rallies, processions and demonstrations in and around the National Parliament complex as the third session of the 13th National Parliament begins on Thursday. The order took effect from 12am on Wednesday and will remain in force until the parliamentary session concludes.

Police said the measure aims to maintain peace and order around the parliament and ensure that the session is conducted without disruption. Carrying weapons, explosives and other harmful or polluting materials is also prohibited within the designated areas. Traffic movement on relevant roads may face controls because of the restrictions.

The order, announced in a public notice signed by DMP Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed on Monday, covers areas including routes from Mohakhali Crossing to Banglamotor, Panthapath to Farmgate, and parts of Mirpur Road, Rokeya Sarani, Indira Road and Manik Mia Avenue. It also applies to all roads and lanes within the boundaries, including the protected parliament area. People and vehicles travelling there must follow police instructions.