Google has added several artificial intelligence-powered features to Google Maps, including the Gemini-based Ask Maps assistant, according to a report published on August 9, 2026. The tools are designed to help users order food, check live public-transport delays and plan trips. Users can give multi-step instructions in natural language, such as requesting a specific food item while returning home, and Ask Maps can find nearby restaurants, allow a selection and add the item to a cart for review and payment.

The food-ordering feature is being launched through partnerships with restaurant technology companies Square and Toast, with Uber Eats expected to join soon. Ask Maps can also compare real-time hotel prices and room availability, while suggesting nearby attractions and activities. A new transit widget provides immediate information on delays affecting buses, trains, metro services and ferries.

Google has also introduced Personal Intelligence in Ask Maps, allowing users to optionally connect Gmail for upcoming travel information and more tailored recommendations. Gmail access is off by default. Ask Maps is expanding to Australia, Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico and more than 150 English-supported countries and regions. Some features will initially be available only to US users, while transit updates, conversation memory and personalized responses will roll out gradually in supported areas on web and iOS.

Nineteen bodies, most of them women and children, were recovered from the rubble of a residential building in Gaza City, the civil defence department said. The building, known as Karam, had been destroyed in an Israeli attack. The bodies were recovered on Saturday after a four-day search and rescue operation in western Gaza.

Mohammed Abu Dan, who supervised the operation, said the search at the Karam building had ended after four consecutive days. Rescue work has been hindered by a persistent shortage of heavy machinery needed to remove broken concrete. Civil defence officials said rescuers are using basic and inadequate equipment, along with intense physical labour, because they lack tools capable of moving heavy concrete slabs.

Abu Dan said specialised medical personnel and civil defence rescuers would move to another location in Gaza City to begin search and recovery work. Gaza's Health Ministry said more than 8,000 people remain missing beneath rubble across the territory. Its latest figures said that since a ceasefire took effect on October 11 last year, at least 1,254 people have been killed, 4,121 injured and 804 bodies recovered from rubble.

Bangladesh’s CMSME lending shifted toward trade by the end of March this year, with 44.93% of loans going to the sector, above the central bank’s 40% ceiling. Manufacturing received 34.96%, below the minimum 40% target, while services received 20%. The allocation highlights a move away from the financing goal of expanding production capacity among cottage, micro, small and medium enterprises.

A senior Bangladesh Bank official said banks are more comfortable lending to traders because repayment risk is relatively easier to assess. The central bank, however, aims to reduce trade lending and increase financing for production and manufacturing. Former BIBM director general Taufiq Ahmad Chowdhury said greater lending to manufacturing and services is needed to strengthen production, technological capacity and employment.

CMSME loan outstanding fell from Tk314,273 crore at the end of 2025 to Tk298,089 crore at the end of March. Banks disbursed Tk52,108 crore in the first three months, while recoveries totalled Tk65,291 crore. Non-performing CMSME loans reached 26.04% in March. Bangladesh Bank issued a circular on February 12 for a separate cluster-based industry fund, whose full amount is intended for manufacturing.

Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency released a video of Mojtaba Khamenei, who assumed duties as Iran’s new supreme leader after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The video was published on Telegram on Saturday. It shows Mojtaba Khamenei surrounded by several people and speaking with those nearby.

Mehr’s report did not say when or where the footage was recorded. It also did not identify the people surrounding Mojtaba Khamenei. As a result, no confirmed details were provided about the timing, location, or participants shown in the video.

According to the report, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint United States and Israeli attack on Tehran and other Iranian cities on February 28. In early March, Iran’s Assembly of Experts selected his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the country’s new supreme leader. Iran later carried out repeated missile and drone strikes against US and Israeli military bases and other facilities in the region in response to the attack.

A recent study has found high levels of microplastics and toxic heavy metals in sediment from the Kushiyara River in Beanibazar, Sylhet. Reported on August 9, researchers from the Environmental Science and Technology Department collected samples down to 30 centimetres deep from nine populated points along the river. Tests found up to 4,300 microplastic particles per kilogram of sediment, with an average of 2,800 particles per kilogram.

Microplastics were detected at depths of 10 to 30 centimetres, alongside high toxicity levels of chromium, nickel, copper, lead and cadmium. The river sediment was classified as having “very high” pollution, or Class V, under the environmental risk index. The report said fish and other aquatic animals consume microplastics, allowing toxic metals to enter the human food chain and potentially contribute to cancer and other complex illnesses.

Waste from riverbank areas and connected canals is entering the Kushiyara, the report said. Fisherman Javed said catches have declined and water quality has worsened. Fisheries officer Hasibul Hasan called for scientific waste management and pollution-free river flow. Water Development Board engineer Amir Hossain Khan said reduced current has lowered the river's erosion, transport capacity and depth, urging waste removal, public awareness and an end to dumping.

Allegations of irregularities and corruption have emerged over the excavation of the Basbaria canal in Keshabpur, Jashore. The canal was allegedly excavated in fiscal year 2023-24, yet funds were allocated again in fiscal year 2025-26 for the same work. Under an employment programme for the ultra-poor, Tk 5,154,189 was allocated to excavate a 3.350-metre stretch from Dharmapur Bridge. Work began on May 23 and was completed by June 30.

Project chairman and Sagardari Union Parishad member Md Kamrul Islam said administration and Project Implementation Office officials instructed subcontractor Moklesur Rahman Mukul to use an excavator. Workers said they were supposed to receive Tk 500 daily but were paid Tk 300. They also alleged that only 50 to 60 workers were employed for eight to 10 days.

Mukul said his work bill was about Tk 2.1 million but he received Tk 1.45 million, alleging the remainder was shared by relevant officials. Kamrul Islam said Mukul was paid Tk 1.45 million under the agreement and handled earthwork with labourers. Project Implementation Officer Istiaq Hossain denied corruption allegations, saying the work followed the project plan, and said he did not know whether the canal had been excavated in 2023-24.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has faced strong criticism over a plan to sell part of the World Cup’s commercial rights, according to the report published on August 9, 2026. The issue has divided the football world into supporters and opponents. Bangladesh is listed among countries that have not publicly criticized Infantino, with the report portraying its strategic silence as an indication of support for the FIFA president.

The Union of European Football Associations, UEFA, remains firmly opposed to Infantino, the report says, while the Asian Football Confederation is also against him. Norway has directly called for his resignation. Germany, Wales, Serbia, Sweden, Greece, Albania, England, Jordan, the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Croatia and Romania are named as countries clearly opposed to the FIFA president.

Countries listed as publicly supporting Infantino include Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Egypt, Sri Lanka, DR Congo, Djibouti, Lebanon, Indonesia, the Philippines, Kuwait, Gambia, Mexico, Argentina, Paraguay and Bhutan. The report says countries that have remained silent have not spoken against him and have instead maintained support and loyalty, placing Bangladesh within that group.

At least five Bangladeshi universities have formed inquiry committees after allegations that 404 teachers from 22 public universities were secretly working to create conditions for Sheikh Hasina’s return and to revive Awami League politics. The report alleges that the activities were coordinated through an encrypted Telegram group called “Bangladesh Public University Progressive Teachers Society.” The allegations remain under investigation.

Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr ABM Obaidul Islam said the 404 teachers were being monitored and that those involved in wrongdoing should face action. Professor Dr Mohammad Bilal Hossain of the University Teachers Link said any teacher genuinely involved should face an investigation and trial, while warning against deliberate harassment. Islamic University’s Green Forum also called for a fair inquiry and necessary measures.

Jagannath University gave its four-member committee until August 13 to report on allegations against 68 teachers. Islamic University set an August 12 deadline for its committee examining 44 teachers. Rajshahi University formed a fact-finding panel concerning 42 teachers, while Begum Rokeya University and Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University also created committees to verify whether their teachers were involved and to determine responsibility.

Bangladesh’s Meteorological Department said Saturday that a new low-pressure system has formed over the Bay of Bengal, with rainfall likely to increase nationwide after August 12. Another low-pressure system could bring heavy to very heavy rain across the country from August 15 for several days. The system was located over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Odisha coast.

Meteorologist Dr Abul Kalam Mallik said rainfall may remain relatively limited for the next three to four days under the influence of monsoon winds and the low pressure, before increasing on August 12 or 13. He said rain in the capital is unlikely before August 15, apart from occasional light showers. In the 24 hours ending 6pm Saturday, Dhaka recorded one millimetre of rain, while Bhola recorded the highest total, 74 millimetres.

The Kushiyara River was flowing above the danger level at Fenchuganj in Sylhet, although flooding in adjacent low-lying areas may remain stable over the next 24 to 48 hours. Water levels in the Brahmaputra-Jamuna are rising and may cross warning levels in several districts, prompting authorities to urge caution in river basins.

Bangladesh’s Parliament Secretariat faces allegations of major irregularities in a newly gazetted seniority list for officers, published on July 23. Disadvantaged officers claim that the revised list ignored an earlier, corrected list prepared during the interim government period and elevated several junior officials above senior colleagues. The allegations concern promotions to deputy secretary and equivalent fifth-grade posts under the National Pay Scale 2015.

According to the report’s review of the lists, Senior Committee Officer Rahat Ara Imam moved from 11th place in the draft list to first place in the final version. Officers alleged that a June 11 notification brought forward her sixth-grade joining date from March 29, 2023 by two years, while her ninth-grade joining date was shown as December 24, 2013 instead of June 22, 2015. Imam said the Human Resources Division prepared the list and said she had not received promotion on time in the past.

Several senior officers were pushed down the final ranking, the report said. Experienced Public Administration Ministry rules officials said seniority in feeder posts should guide promotion seniority. Parliament Secretariat Secretary Barrister Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan declined comment without reviewing documents. TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said departures from genuine seniority would constitute administrative irregularity and any improper influence should be investigated.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam said the government aims to raise tourism’s contribution to Bangladesh’s GDP from about 3 percent to between 6 and 7 percent. She made the remarks as chief guest at the inauguration of the Travel Tourism Development Center at Hotel InterContinental in Dhaka on August 9.

Khanam said the country’s tourism sector had seen no significant development over the past 17 years. She said the government is working under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s instructions to bring the sector to international standards. The minister called for coordinated action across travel, tourism, aviation and hospitality to meet that goal.

She said the new platform could play an important and effective role in enabling stakeholders to work together. Khanam stressed that sustainable tourism development requires active participation by private-sector stakeholders alongside government initiatives. She said the government is ready to provide policy support and necessary assistance, and emphasized cooperation from all stakeholders to establish Bangladesh as an international tourism destination.

Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman departed on Saturday for a five-day official visit to South Sudan and Abyei. During the trip, he will inspect Bangladeshi contingents deployed with United Nations peacekeeping missions in both locations.

The Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate, or ISPR, announced the visit in a press release on Saturday. According to the release, the programme includes visits to the Bangladeshi personnel serving under the UN peacekeeping missions in South Sudan and Abyei.

The army chief will also hold courtesy meetings and exchange views with state authorities and mission-related officials in both places. The ISPR release did not provide further details about the itinerary, the meetings' schedule, or other members of the visiting delegation.

Three judges of International Crimes Tribunal-1 visited the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence's Joint Interrogation Cell, known as Aynaghar, on Saturday afternoon as part of a judicial process. Tribunal-1 Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, Justice Md Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Judge Md Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury took part in the inspection of the facility in a former two-storey building inside Dhaka Cantonment's Kafrul police station area.

The prosecution confirmed that the facility contained 26 permanent cells of varying sizes. Two larger rooms were known as VIP cells and had no windows, the report said. The complex also had cells with one or two exhaust fans, iron-barred doors with wooden doors, toilets and bathrooms. It included two soundproof rooms for interrogation, described as specially equipped with various materials for questioning and torture of victims.

Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam, other prosecution members and defence lawyers attended the visit. The report alleges that important figures and Islamists were unlawfully detained and tortured there between 2009 and 2024. A crimes-against-humanity case over the alleged disappearances and torture is being tried at Tribunal-1 against Hasina and 12 military officers; three officers are in custody.

State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad said work on a pilot project under the Teesta Master Plan will begin within a short time. He made the announcement to journalists at Chilmari Port on Saturday afternoon after visiting river erosion-affected areas in Chilmari, Ulipur, Roumari and Rajibpur of Kurigram. A technical committee has started work on implementing the master plan, while advice is being sought from specialists from different countries.

Azad said the Teesta project is large and cannot be implemented in a single day. He noted that the government is only five months old and asked for some time. He said work on the master plan would soon start as a pilot project.

The minister also said two projects have been taken up in Kurigram for permanent embankment construction and river erosion prevention. Emergency work is already under way in nearly 100 erosion-affected locations in the district. He said no partisan consideration would be applied in efforts to prevent river erosion. Local lawmakers, district administration officials, a Water Development Board engineer and political leaders were present during the visit.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has decided to participate in the upcoming presidential election, the party said in a notice issued Saturday night. The decision was made at a meeting of its central executive council at the party’s central office in the capital at 7pm Saturday, chaired by Jamaat chief and opposition leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman.

The meeting was attended by the party’s secretary general and former MP Mia Golam Parwar, along with other council members. According to the notice, Jamaat has called a top-level meeting of the 11-party alliance for Sunday as part of its preparations to take part in the presidential election.

The issue of nominating an opposition candidate will be finalized at the 11-party alliance meeting, the notice said. The central executive council also discussed the country’s overall political situation, the issue of constitutional reform, and political programmes announced by the 11-party alliance.