Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman said artificial intelligence is creating new challenges for the judiciary and urged judges to become aware of the technology’s risks. He made the remarks on Wednesday afternoon as chief guest at the closing ceremony of a training programme organized by the University of Dhaka at the Asiatic Society Bangladesh auditorium in the capital.

The minister said AI can imitate voices, alter or superimpose images, and make misleading information appear credible. It can also affect human thinking and decision-making, he said. Judges should carefully assess whether information or materials used in analysing evidence are AI-dependent, because attempts to influence or mislead judges through AI could affect judicial decisions.

He said Bangladesh and the wider world have entered the AI era, while appropriate risk controls remain insufficient. The government has no plan to ban AI, he said, but will seek to ensure its positive use and prevent misuse. He also referred to efforts to enact AI-related laws, calling for updated laws and policies and input from experts, teachers, researchers and professionals.

Apple changed the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in its Maps app for users in the United States after direct intervention by President Donald Trump, according to the report. The change was made on Tuesday, 1 September, the same day John Ternus assumed office as Apple’s new chief executive officer.

Apple is described as the second US technology giant to comply with Trump’s controversial executive order on the name change. Google had previously announced on Saturday that Google Maps would display Lake Ontario as Lake America for users in the United States.

The report does not provide further details about the executive order, Apple’s rationale for the change, or whether the revised name will appear for users outside the United States. It also does not state whether Apple or Google issued comments on the matter.

The Department of Narcotics Control arrested a 47-year-old man, Samrajul Islam Sohel, during a raid in Chhoto Mirzapur village of Pirganj, Rangpur. The operation was conducted on Tuesday night by a team from the department’s Mithapukur Circle. Authorities said they recovered 50 yaba tablets and 5,400 tablets resembling yaba.

Department of Narcotics Control Sub-Inspector Md Matiar Rahman said 50 yaba tablets were recovered from the detainee’s pocket. A subsequent search of a wooden box at his home led to the recovery of the 5,400 yaba-like tablets, according to the official.

Sohel was arrested after the operation, and a regular case has been filed against him at Pirganj police station. Pirganj police station Officer-in-Charge Nazmul Haque said the accused is being sent to court. Further investigation will be conducted by the Department of Narcotics Control.

Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission has begun an inquiry into former adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan and three other officials over allegations of irregularities and corruption during his time overseeing the Ministry of Youth and Sports. A senior ACC official, speaking anonymously, confirmed the development to the media on Wednesday.

The commission has already formed a four-member inquiry team to examine the allegations. The special team is headed by ACC Deputy Director Md Zahid Kalam, according to the information provided.

Others named in connection with the allegations are former Youth and Sports Ministry Secretary Md Mahbub-ul-Alam, Joint Secretary Dr Sheikh Mohammad Zubaid Hossain, and Deputy Secretary Md Masum Ahmed. The source did not provide details of the specific alleged irregularities or any findings from the inquiry.

Police have obtained a two-day remand for Tamal Sarkar, the main suspect in an attack and vandalism case involving the vehicle of Sirajganj-3 MP VP Ainul Haque. Police presented him before the Raiganj Amli Court at about 11:30am on Wednesday and sought five days of remand for questioning. Judge Omar Faruk granted a two-day remand.

Court Additional Public Prosecutor Rafiqul Islam, also known as Rafik Akand, confirmed the order. He said the attack had been carried out with the intention of killing MP Ainul Haque and that questioning Tamal could reveal the actual motive. The incident occurred on the evening of August 15 at Dhangara Bazar in Raiganj upazila, as the MP’s convoy was returning after a meeting.

The MP was unharmed, although the rear portion of his vehicle was damaged. Former Chandai Kona Union BNP vice-president Shamimul Hasan filed the case, naming Tamal as the main accused along with 15 named and 30 to 40 unidentified accused. Police arrested Tamal during an operation in Dhangara Bazar on August 24. Two other accused were previously remanded for one day and released on bail Tuesday.

Families in Nepal are conducting symbolic funeral rites for relatives missing after a devastating flash flood in the Himalayan region a week earlier. On August 26, a glacier collapse in the high mountains near the China-Nepal border unleashed icy water, rocks and debris, causing extensive loss of life. Rescue teams have recovered more than 1,000 bodies, while about 4,500 people remain missing.

After days of searching shelters and morgues, many families have begun religious rites for their missing relatives. Dolma Noyar Tamang said the ceremony for her husband was intended to free his soul; he had been travelling toward China during the disaster. She said she repeatedly called him after seeing news of the incident, but he did not answer.

Rescuers have not abandoned hope of finding survivors, particularly people believed trapped in tunnels at hydropower plants in the affected area. Bodies alone have been recovered from mud-blocked tunnels so far, while teams clear debris through excavation, drilling and blasting. Prime Minister Balendra Shah called the disaster a serious warning of mounting climate risks in the Himalayas.

The US State Department has proposed requiring parents to submit proof of citizenship or immigration status when applying for passports for children born in the United States. The draft guidance, reviewed by Reuters, is described as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to limit birthright citizenship. It would use parental documents to determine whether a child qualifies for citizenship under an executive order.

Parents could be asked to provide documents such as US passports, birth certificates, I-94 forms or green cards. The initiative is aimed largely at stopping “birth tourism,” or travel to the United States to give birth in pursuit of citizenship for a child. The guidance says citizenship would be denied to children of people working for foreign governments, those involved in fraud or commercial arrangements to obtain citizenship, and people classified as “foreign enemies.”

Under Trump’s earlier executive order, automatic citizenship at birth would have applied only where at least one parent was a US citizen or a lawful permanent resident with a green card. The Supreme Court ruled that order unconstitutional by a 6-3 vote. The latest order is also facing a court challenge, and Maryland federal judge Deborah Boardman has expressed doubts and allowed the case to be amended. Currently, separate proof of parental status is generally not required for such passport applications.

Police in Daulatkhan, Bhola, detained a young man identified as Md. Nahid Hossain after allegedly recovering a foreign-made pistol during an operation early Wednesday. Police said the weapon was a China-made 7.62mm pistol.

Nahid Hossain is the son of Abdul Mannan of Patowari Bari in the Kazirhat area of Charpata Union under Daulatkhan upazila. The detention was carried out by Daulatkhan police, according to police sources.

Daulatkhan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Fakhrul Islam confirmed the incident. He said a press briefing would be held at the Bhola superintendent of police’s office in the afternoon to provide journalists with further details.

Iran has welcomed Dhaka’s position on the Mecca defense agreement, known as the Mecca Pact, Iranian Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr. Jalil Rahimi Jahanabadi said on Wednesday. Speaking after a meeting with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir at the Foreign Ministry in Dhaka, he said Tehran would view the prospect of joining the pact positively if it received a formal invitation.

The ambassador said the meeting covered various matters of mutual interest between Bangladesh and Iran. He argued that the Mecca Pact demonstrated that the United States had failed to provide security to Muslim countries, and said Muslim nations needed to establish their own security arrangements.

Addressing the recent conflict in the Middle East, Jahanabadi said Iran had targeted only United States military bases. He said Iran had not attacked any Islamic or Arab country. The source did not provide further details about Dhaka’s stated position, the terms of the pact, or any formal invitation to Iran.

At least 16 people were killed and 28 others injured after a passenger bus overturned in Egypt’s South Sinai province, the Health Ministry confirmed on Wednesday, September 2. The crash occurred near the Al-Sada area on the Dahab-Nuweiba road while the bus was heading toward Nuweiba.

The ministry said 20 ambulances were dispatched to the scene after the accident was reported. Preliminary information indicated that all 16 victims died at the scene, while the 28 injured passengers were admitted to different hospitals for treatment.

Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar instructed medical facilities to remain prepared and ordered that necessary treatment and medicines be provided to the injured. The ministry also said multiple teams of doctors were working to monitor the situation.

An unidentified woman aged over 40 was killed after being struck by a speeding ambulance on the Faridpur-Barishal highway in Bhanga upazila. The crash occurred around 8:30pm on Tuesday in front of the Sardardi Fire Service office, according to Bhanga Fire Service Station Officer Md Abu Jafar.

Fire service sources said the ambulance hit the woman in the darkness and fled the scene. After receiving the report, fire service personnel informed Bhanga Highway Police, who recovered the body and took it to the police station for investigation.

Police visited the site and attempted to establish the victim’s identity, but she had not been identified. Bhanga Highway Police Sergeant Azad Rahman asked anyone who recognizes the woman to contact Bhanga Highway Police Station promptly.

Nepal has sought climate compensation from India, China and the United States after devastating floods killed more than 1,130 people. Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal made the appeal, describing assistance not as charity but as a moral obligation. Times Now confirmed the development on Wednesday, September 2, citing The Kathmandu Post.

Khanal said countries with the largest carbon dioxide emissions have a historic responsibility to compensate vulnerable states such as Nepal. In an interview with Kantipur TV, he compared the disaster to a “mountain tsunami” and said Nepal was paying an extreme price for a crisis created by others.

Nepal’s contribution to global emissions is only 0.04 percent, according to Khanal. He said the country is changing its climate diplomacy by moving away from seeking donations and toward demanding justice and compensation. Nepal has already sent compensation requests to its international partners and plans to take a firm position on the issue in international forums.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Tuesday night address that Russian airspace has become “completely unsafe” for aviation because of Ukrainian drones. He warned airlines, insurers and users of Russia’s key airports to consider the growing drone presence, while saying Ukraine was not threatening civilian aviation or any civilian aircraft.

Zelenskyy said skies filled with drones could not be safe for civilian flights and would remain under drone pressure as long as the war continued. Ukrainian drone activity has repeatedly disrupted flights at Russian airports in recent months, alongside an increase in such attacks. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Zelenskyy’s remarks a declaration of “state terrorism” and said terrorists could not be negotiated with.

The exchange came as renewed Russian missile and drone attacks killed at least 12 people in Kyiv and nearby areas. Zelenskyy said Ukraine did not want innocent people to die and was warning partners that safe days in Russian skies were over. Putin acknowledged damage inside Russia from Ukrainian strikes, including against oil refineries and civilian facilities, saying the sites had not been adequately protected. He also claimed Russia was advancing on the battlefield.

Bahrain’s government and military strongly condemned what they described as Iranian airstrikes on Bahraini territory on Wednesday, September 2. The Bahraini military said its air defense systems successfully destroyed multiple incoming Iranian missiles and projectiles. In a statement, it accused Iran of carrying out “heinous and continuous aggression” targeting civilians in the kingdom.

The military said all units and weapons were at the highest state of alert to protect Bahrain’s sovereignty and security. As tensions continued, the Interior Ministry issued its third emergency alert within six hours, urging residents to remain calm and take shelter in the nearest safe location. It also asked the public, in a post on X, to follow updates only through official channels.

Separately, IRGC political deputy chief General Yadollah Javani urged Arab countries to expel US forces and reclaim military bases. In a statement carried by Tasnim, he warned that Tehran would not hesitate to launch devastating attacks on territory used for attacks against Iran, specifically naming Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.

French President Emmanuel Macron begins a two-day visit to Britain on Wednesday. On the first day, he will attend the formal opening of a special exhibition of the historic Bayeux Tapestry. On Thursday, Macron is scheduled to hold bilateral talks at Downing Street with Britain’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, becoming the first European Union leader to meet Burnham there.

Macron played an important role in recent years in efforts to lend the nearly 950-year-old tapestry from France for display at the British Museum. The work will remain on show at the museum until July next year. The visit also carries symbolic importance as Burnham seeks to build closer relations between Britain and the European Union after Brexit.

Burnham is hoping for practical outcomes from the meeting, including French cooperation to curb migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats and support efforts to improve slow British economic growth. King’s College London professor Anand Menon cautioned that the visit could be more ceremonial than substantive, citing continuing economic differences. A French presidential official said coordination with Burnham on Ukraine and the Middle East was expected to be equally important and regular.