The Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur has urged Bangladeshi expatriates in Malaysia to act cautiously and responsibly on Facebook and other social media platforms. In a notice posted on its Facebook page on Saturday, citing the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, it warned against sharing or promoting provocative or controversial content on international conflicts, including Israel-Palestine and Iran-Israel, that could violate local laws.

The mission said expatriates must comply with the laws of their host country, workplace policies and social-media restrictions. It advised them to respect religious, social and cultural values and use social platforms for family, friends and constructive communication. Users were also urged to verify information before sharing it and to remain alert to unknown people, links, files and messages, as well as fraud and phishing attempts.

The guidance prohibits sharing, liking, commenting on or promoting content tied to terrorism, extremism or banned organisations, along with rumours, misinformation and hate speech. It also advises against prohibited political campaigns, unverified donations, publishing sensitive-site images, exposing personal documents, and engaging with fraudulent job, visa, investment or cryptocurrency offers.

An armed robbery was reported at the home of Saudi expatriate businessman Faridul Alam, a member of Ramu Upazila BNP’s convening committee, in the Chailatali area of Ramu, Cox’s Bazar. Family members said a group of about 12 robbers arrived in a microbus around 2am on Friday, broke down the door and entered the house. They allegedly took gold jewellery, cash and Saudi riyals.

Faridul Alam alleged that the robbers carried guns, pistols, knives and other locally made weapons. He said they threatened family members while searching the home and stole about 18 bhori of gold jewellery, Tk500,000 in cash and 7,000 Saudi riyals. Several people, including a homemaker, were allegedly beaten and injured during the robbery.

Villagers reportedly approached after learning of the robbers’ presence, prompting the group to flee in the microbus. Ramu police visited the scene, and Officer-in-Charge Fazlul Haque said the incident would be investigated to identify those involved and take legal action. Faridul Alam said preparations were under way to file a case.

Bangladesh’s National Board of Revenue said Saturday that Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate officers took control of 10 trucks carrying about 81 tonnes of duplex board imported duty-free under bond facilities. The cargo, imported from India’s Mehali Papers Private Limited in the name of Khulna-based Shree Flexopack Limited, was meant for the company’s Telighati facility in Khulna but was allegedly being prepared for sale in Nayabazar, Old Dhaka.

The trucks had been expected to follow the designated bypass route from Chattogram port through Kanchpur, Signboard, Postogola, the Mawa Expressway and Padma Bridge toward the southwest. Instead, the convoy entered Nayabazar. Customs officers, supported directly and indirectly by RAB-10 and Lalbagh police division, launched the operation following intelligence that bonded paper would be unloaded at a local warehouse.

One truck left the area after detecting officers, and authorities are trying to locate it. Officials are checking cargo quantities, ownership, import and transport records, bond licences and approvals. They will also investigate the intended warehouse recipient, possible wider involvement and potential revenue loss. Legal action may follow if misuse of bond facilities or tax evasion is established.

A former Mujib Killa in Alokdia, Shibaloy has allegedly become a gathering place for drug users and gamblers instead of serving its intended disaster-related purpose. The facility, now called a disaster shelter after a name change following the fall of the Awami League government, was built about five years ago at a cost of nearly Tk7 crore, according to the report.

District disaster and relief office sources said the facility was funded by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief to house livestock during floods and to be used for social events at other times. Local residents reportedly do not know the project’s purpose, while the building has remained largely unused and poorly maintained, with rubbish and damaged items inside.

Alokdia Union Parishad member Motaleb Hossain said he had heard of drug use, gambling and other alleged antisocial activity at the centre. The report said several people were seen using drugs inside. Manikganj district relief, rehabilitation and disaster management officer Lutfar Rahman said the site is no longer called Mujib Killa and is now named a disaster shelter.

Moderna and Merck said their personalized mRNA cancer vaccine, intismeran autogene, showed promising results in a late-stage clinical trial involving more than 1,000 patients. Used after surgery for localized melanoma, the vaccine reduced the risk of cancer recurrence or spread to other parts of the body. Full trial data have not yet been released, but researchers and cancer specialists see the result as a possible breakthrough for patient-specific therapeutic vaccines.

The companies formally partnered on cancer vaccines in 2016, with Merck investing $200 million that year and another $250 million in 2022. The vaccine was used with Keytruda, which helps immune T-cells become active against cancer cells. Researchers say the treatment analyzes a patient’s tumor genetics and trains the immune system to recognize up to 34 cancer targets.

US approval could be possible next year if the vaccine is successfully cleared. Researchers are also examining whether the method can work in cancers with fewer genetic mutations, including lung, kidney and pancreatic cancers. Moderna and Merck are further analyzing melanoma data to improve effectiveness, while Moderna’s chief executive said the current version is not the final version.

Former High Court justice and former chair of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances Moinul Islam Chowdhury described enforced disappearance as more horrifying than death at a Saturday symposium in the capital. Speaking at the event titled “Human Rights Situation in Bangladesh: A Review,” he said families of disappeared people do not know where their relatives are and remain trapped in prolonged uncertainty.

Chowdhury said death allows families to grieve and complete burial rites, while disappearance leaves them suspended between hope and despair. He said affected families can face social stigma, financial hardship and isolation as they live with unanswered questions about their loved ones.

He said enforced disappearances became widespread during the previous Awami League government, when, in his view, state repression centered on the practice. He said the situation ended through the July movement of 2024. Chowdhury also alleged that the state apparatus often portrayed victims as criminals to justify such actions, while law-enforcement and intelligence officials were dehumanized under high-level instructions to facilitate them.

At least six Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, according to the report. Those killed included people targeted in drone attacks. Heavy shelling was heard from the southeastern direction of Gaza City’s Zeitoun area, where preliminary reports said at least three mortar shells were fired.

Loud explosions followed the reported shelling in Zeitoun, with plumes of smoke seen in the sky. Five of the six deaths occurred yesterday. Three people killed in Khan Younis were members of the same family, while several others were killed in separate attacks in Gaza City.

Several people injured in the attacks received treatment at Al-Shifa Hospital. A fragile ceasefire is currently in place in Gaza, but concerns remain over whether it can endure as Israel is reported to continue violating its terms. Various reports have claimed that more than 4,700 violations by Israel have occurred since the ceasefire took effect.

A Russian drone strike on a warehouse in Mila, west of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, killed at least 27 people, according to the source. The attack triggered a fire at the facility, followed by a series of explosions. Ukrainian prosecutors said they believe explosive materials had been stored at the site.

Kyiv regional governor Timur Tkachenko said the death toll could rise. Among those killed was Taras Didych, the mayor of Dmytrivska village. The source did not provide a date for the attack or further details about the people injured.

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office has opened a criminal investigation into the incident. Investigators are examining whether storing explosive materials at the warehouse was legal and whether the relevant organization had the required permits. The report comes as Russia and Ukraine have intensified long-range strikes on each other’s territory in recent months.

National Parliament Whip and Natore-2 MP Advocate Ruhul Quddus Talukdar Dulu accused the Awami League of turning Bangladesh into an “empty basket” during what he described as 17 years of misrule and then fleeing to India. He made the remarks on Saturday at about 11 a.m. during a cheque-distribution event for development institutions and poor patients at the Natore District Council premises.

Dulu alleged that major projects during the Awami League period were undertaken to enable party leaders, activists and relatives of Sheikh Hasina to loot public money. He claimed that funds were embezzled and transferred abroad, and said people who steal government money would be sent to jail. He also alleged that Awami League-linked figures were spreading misinformation from a neighbouring country.

He said there would be no place for terrorists or extortionists in Natore, and pledged to establish a medical college and university there and arrange jobs for educated unemployed youth. The event was chaired by District Council administrator and district BNP convener Rahim Newaz, with local officials and BNP leaders among the speakers.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has again rejected the framework agreement reached between Lebanon and Israel, saying his Iran-backed group will not surrender. In a Friday speech broadcast by Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television, nearly six months after the war began, Qassem called for the agreement to be cancelled.

The US-mediated direct talks produced a framework deal in late June. It provides for Hezbollah’s disarmament, a phased Israeli troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon and deployment of the Lebanese army there, initially in designated “pilot areas.” Qassem described the deal as illegal, humiliating and destructive to Lebanese sovereignty, rejecting both the pilot-area arrangement and any proposed verification mechanism.

A Lebanese official said after talks in Rome earlier this month that there was agreement on a shortlist of possible countries to oversee implementation in the pilot areas, where the Lebanese army would remove Hezbollah infrastructure. Another round of talks is expected in early September, though no date has been announced. Lebanon reported Israeli air strikes in the south on Friday, including in Nabatieh, while Israeli forces remain in a self-declared security zone up to about 10 kilometres inside Lebanese territory.

Iran has achieved its oil-revenue and budget targets despite war and a naval blockade, according to a Fars report cited by Al Jazeera. Petroleum Ministry data showed that 99 percent of the oil-revenue target set in the budget was realized during the first four months of the current year.

The report said Iran has sufficient oil stocks available for sale to finance its budget. During the four-month period, the Petroleum Ministry transferred $7.5 billion in foreign-currency earnings from oil sales to the central bank.

According to the report, the transferred funds can cover the government’s foreign-currency-denominated spending through next January. The source text did not provide further details on oil volumes, sales destinations, the nature of the blockade, or the budget target amount.

Nepal may need $4 billion to $5 billion to rebuild after devastating floods triggered by a glacier collapse in the Himalayan region, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle told Reuters on Saturday. The collapse occurred last Wednesday, sending rocks, ice, mud and debris downstream and causing severe flooding in Nepal and China’s Tibet. Damage assessments are still under way, and Wagle said the estimate remains preliminary.

More than 600 people have been killed across the two countries, while over 2,000 remain missing. Strong flood currents damaged several towns and settlements near the border, washing away bridges and roads. Important hydropower plants were also affected, adding to the scale of the disaster.

Wagle said the reconstruction requirement could be lower than the amount needed after Nepal’s 2015 earthquake, when about $9 billion was spent on rebuilding. The floods have damaged hydropower projects responsible for more than 12 percent of Nepal’s total electricity-generation capacity. Securing reconstruction funds, restoring infrastructure, normalizing electricity production and reviving economic activity are identified as major challenges.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said a special police unit has been formed to recover illegal and looted weapons, with rewards of up to Tk200,000 for people who help locate them. He announced the measure on Saturday afternoon after a quarterly crime review meeting at the Rajarbagh Police Auditorium.

Ahmed said the operation has already begun with intelligence support from various agencies. He said nationwide drives are also under way to arrest extortionists and terrorists, and warned that police officers who fail to take appropriate action against them will face measures.

The minister said efforts are being made to make police a force that meets public expectations and is friendly to citizens, while improving its image and law-and-order conditions. He said police stations damaged during the July mass uprising have resumed operations and many conditions have returned to normal. However, 1,326 weapons looted from police during that period remain untraced.

The National Citizen Party, or NCP, ultimately held its organisational coordination meeting at the Brahmanbaria District Shilpakala Academy on Saturday night after a day of uncertainty over the venue. The event received renewed approval at 5:30pm and began at 7pm, with central chief organiser Sarjis Alam and leaders from central and local levels in attendance.

The meeting had initially been planned for the Shilpakala Academy, but tensions arose after the Qaumi Chhatra Oikya Parishad announced a programme at the same location. The administration later informed organisers that the academy venue had been cancelled, prompting consideration of Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Bhasha Chattar and then the District Council auditorium.

Earlier on Saturday afternoon, NCP leaders met Qaumi students at Jamia Islamia Yunusia Madrasa. Following the meeting, the Qaumi students withdrew their announced programme at the academy and said they would not obstruct the NCP event. After prolonged discussions and several venue changes, the academy was again designated as the meeting site.

Speakers at an AB Party seminar in the Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah Hall of the National Press Club on Saturday warned that replacing the disappearance ordinance with a new law could create opportunities for immunity rather than ensure justice for enforced disappearances. They said ending the culture of disappearances requires a strong law, an independent investigation system and prosecution of every responsible person, including those who gave orders.

BNP media cell convener Dr. Moudud Hossain Alamgir Pavel said a weak police system could not effectively investigate or prosecute an offence as serious as disappearance. FSDS chairman Fazle Elahi Akbar welcomed the government’s committee on the issue but said committees alone would not solve the problem, citing past failures of committees formed on various issues.

BNP lawmaker Hummam Qader Chowdhury said rumours had circulated about the proposed anti-disappearance law, while extensive research had been conducted before drafting it. He said the force accused of a disappearance would not investigate the allegation and that bringing those who ordered disappearances to justice had been considered. Barrister Zubayer Ahmed Bhuiyan said disappearances also leave families in prolonged fear, uncertainty and mental suffering.