Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator and freedom fighter Md Abdus Salam said meat sold without a health officer’s inspection seal will be seized, while shops selling meat from illegally slaughtered animals will be closed. He announced the measures on Monday, August 31, after inaugurating a modern slaughterhouse in Hazaribagh, Dhaka.

Salam said meat may be sold only at designated shops and must be inspected before sale. Every piece of meat must carry the city corporation health officer’s seal so buyers can identify whether it has been inspected. Animals may not be slaughtered in markets or other locations outside designated slaughterhouses, and unauthorized slaughter will result in fines.

He said meat brought from other places cannot reliably be checked to determine whether the animal was slaughtered properly, was healthy, or had a disease. It is also not possible to verify whether buffalo meat is being sold as beef. Health officers and staff will be required to be present during slaughter at modern facilities, and absent personnel will face disciplinary action.

Karwan Bazar traders held a press conference at the kitchen market at 11am on Monday, opposing announcements to evict the market and relocate it to Gabtali. They said the move was made without discussion and described it as a deep conspiracy by a particular group. The traders urged that they be rehabilitated within Karwan Bazar in a modern market while retaining their current allocated space.

The relocation decision was made at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon on Saturday, August 29, according to the report. The meeting focused on easing Dhaka traffic congestion, modernising traffic management and restoring discipline in transport. Relevant authorities were instructed to take necessary action, and media reports of the decision prompted concern among traders.

In a written statement, Alhaj Mohammad Shahjahan Bhuiyan said Karwan Bazar’s trading history spans about 150 years. He said roughly 2,500 shops with permanent allocations support the livelihoods of about one million traders, workers and wholesale vendors. Traders also demanded a direct meeting with the prime minister, removal of illegal road encroachments, and submission of a memorandum.

At least one person has died and about 15 others are missing after a flash flood struck Arizona’s Grand Canyon in the United States, the National Park Service said. The flooding hit the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch areas on Saturday afternoon, prompting the evacuation of at least 62 people. The body of a 46-year-old man was recovered from the Colorado River near Crystal Rapids on Sunday evening.

Floodwaters carried large rocks, metal structures and other debris into the Colorado River. Authorities have closed the Bright Angel Campground, Phantom Ranch and parts of the North Kaibab Trail, all important areas for visitors. Rafting operations on the Colorado River have also been temporarily suspended.

The flood damaged the park’s only main water pipeline. As a result, overnight stays for tourists at lodges and hotels in Grand Canyon National Park will be halted from Monday. More rain and thunderstorms are forecast for the area through next Monday.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where Russian President Vladimir Putin is also due to participate. A bilateral meeting between Pezeshkian and Putin may take place on the sidelines of the gathering.

The two-day summit is set to begin on Monday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also expected to join the event, bringing together leaders connected to the regional organisation in the Kyrgyz capital.

Iran joined the SCO in 2023. The country has maintained close military relations with Russia and an energy partnership with China. Iranian and Russian foreign ministers previously met during an SCO foreign ministers' meeting in July.

Kaptai উপজেলা authorities in Rangamati have decided to install warning signboards for tourists near the high Sitar Hill after four visitors from Chattogram became stranded there on August 28. The decision was made at the monthly law-and-order committee meeting on Monday morning at the Kinnori meeting room of the Upazila Parishad building, chaired by UNO Md Rayhanul Islam.

The representatives of Kaptai and Chandraghona police stations said the overall law-and-order situation in the upazila was good, though drug-related problems had emerged in Kaptai and Chandraghona unions. They said police were making maximum efforts to control the issue. Upazila BNP president Md Lokman Ahmed said drugs must be brought under control quickly regardless of political affiliation.

Upazila Press Club president Kabir Hossain said the four tourists had climbed the hilltop without informing anyone and sought help through the national emergency service 999. Kaptai Fire Service rescued them and brought them to safety. He cited a possible risk of wild-elephant attacks, after which the UNO instructed the Wagga Union Parishad chairman to install signboards and asked committee members to alert local boat and sampan operators.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have returned to the United Kingdom for an extended period, entering through Birmingham Airport this week with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The children have enrolled in schools in the UK. It is their first long-term stay in Britain since they stepped back from working royal duties and moved to California in 2020, although they are not resuming official royal roles.

Former Guardian royal correspondent Stephen Bates said the couple face challenges stemming from their distance from the royal family, tensions with British media and questions among the public. He advised them to hire experienced advisers, rebuild trust with the royal family, particularly Prince William and Catherine, and take part consistently in charitable and public activities.

Bates also urged a more open and pragmatic approach toward British media and warned against presenting themselves as continually wronged. Questions have also arisen over security costs because they are no longer working royals, with arrangements reportedly decided according to circumstances. They plan to retain their Montecito home, live in a non-royal residence outside the UK, and allow Meghan to continue business activities while travelling to the United States when needed.

The United Arab Emirates’ Defence Ministry said it intercepted a drone approaching UAE airspace from Iran over the country’s territorial waters. The ministry said the UAE Air Force responded as the drone advanced, but did not provide details on whether it was shot down or whether it reached its intended target.

In a statement, the ministry said the armed forces were at “maximum readiness” to address any potential threat. It said air-defence systems were continuously monitoring the country’s airspace and working to keep it secure.

The statement came amid military tensions between Iran and the United States. Iran’s military had earlier claimed it launched a drone attack targeting US military facilities at Al Minhad air base in the UAE, saying the action responded to a US attack on Larak Island. The developments have renewed security concerns over UAE airspace and territorial waters, while the UAE said its air-defence systems remain active around the clock.

Iran said it launched missile strikes at a US military base in Jordan after a US attack on Iran’s Larak Island. The exchange has raised fears that the conflict could spread further across the Middle East. No date was provided in the source for either attack.

US Central Command said its operation on Larak Island was limited and precise, citing an imminent threat from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ ability to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran described the US attack as aggression and claimed it responded by targeting the American base in Jordan.

Sina Azodi, director of George Washington University’s Middle East Studies Program, told Al Jazeera that whether the confrontation escalates now largely depends on the United States. He said that if Washington attacks Iran again, Tehran would have little option but to respond, potentially returning the situation to full-scale military conflict. Analysts similarly said the next US move will be crucial in determining the conflict’s direction.

The Puthia upazila administration conducted an overnight operation against the illegal cutting of fertile topsoil from cropland in Kaiharia, Shilmaria and Baropakhia areas of Rajshahi. The operation ran from 10pm Sunday until 1:10am Monday. Officials detained two people allegedly involved and handed them to police custody for further legal action.

During the operation, authorities found two excavators being used to cut soil at two separate locations. As transport was not available, both machines were rendered completely inoperable on site. Four batteries were seized from the locations and two additional batteries were destroyed.

The drive followed allegations that topsoil was being removed from various agricultural fields under cover of darkness, reducing land fertility and damaging its natural structure. Puthia Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Shibu Das led the operation. The administration said such operations would continue and that legal action would be taken against people involved in illegal soil cutting from cropland.

Libya’s rival political factions agreed on a two-year roadmap aimed at clearing the way for national elections, following UN-mediated talks in Tripoli on Sunday. Representatives of the Government of National Unity, High Council of State, House of Representatives and Libyan National Army signed the agreement at the UN Support Mission in Libya office.

The deal sets a target of holding presidential and parliamentary elections within a maximum of 24 months. It also calls for resolving disputes over election laws and reforming the national election authority. The elections are intended to take place under a single executive authority and unified national institutions.

State Minister for Political Affairs and Communication Walid El Lafi said the legislative and presidential polls should not take more than 24 months. Libyan National Army representative Shibani Abu Hamoud said the four sides would work with the UN on implementation and seek to establish a framework within one month. If the House of Representatives and High Council of State fail to approve the agreement within a month, parties will seek to adopt it as a constitutional document through a broader national process, with possible international backing from the UN Security Council.

China has provided flood-hit Nepal with financial assistance totaling $2.2 million, as the country faces widespread destruction from severe flash floods. Nepal’s government said China contributed 350 million Nepali rupees, valued at about $2 million, while the Chinese Red Cross provided a further $200,000. On Sunday, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Maoming handed a cheque for 350 million Nepali rupees to Nepalese Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, and the Red Cross aid was also transferred to the government.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang expressed deep sorrow over the deaths and property losses caused by the disaster. Through Ambassador Zhang, they conveyed condolences to families of those killed and said Nepal was not alone in the crisis, adding that China would always stand beside Nepal.

The flash floods struck northern and central Nepal last Wednesday, possibly after a major collapse of ice and rocks or an avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border. The Bhote Koshi River carried floodwaters southward, sweeping away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects. Nepal’s death toll has reached 919, with about 4,250 people still missing. In Tibet, flooding killed 16 people and left around 550 missing.

Palestinian children and teenagers have been killed at a sharply higher rate in the occupied West Bank since October 7, 2023, according to Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem. It said at least 235 minors were killed by Israeli forces through June 2026, including five killed in attacks by Israeli settlers. A Palestinian Authority body put the death toll at 250.

B’Tselem said the monthly average of Palestinian children and teenagers killed by Israeli forces rose from about one between 2005 and 2021 to nearly seven after October 2023. Twelve bereaved Palestinian mothers said the deaths had halted their family lives and alleged a lack of accountability. Many teenagers were killed during confrontations involving Palestinian youths and Israeli forces, including incidents involving stone throwing.

The report said not all deaths were linked to clashes. In June, seven-month-old Sam Abu Haikal was killed by Israeli gunfire in Hebron while in a car with his mother, who was wounded. The military said a soldier fired after the vehicle moved toward troops, while the mother disputed that account. Families are demanding full investigations and justice.

Bangladesh Bank issued a fresh warning on August 27 over fake loan apps that offer fast, easy credit through apps, online platforms and social media. The central bank said unauthorized lenders may collect users’ personal information and later use it to demand excessive payments, intimidate borrowers or threaten to disclose private data. The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit identified 31 unauthorized loan apps, including Sathi Loan, PopCash, FinCash, Quick Loan, Quick Taka and LoanBuddy.

The warning highlights risks linked to app permissions, including access to photographs, contacts, files, cameras, microphones and location data. Users who accept such permissions without reviewing them may expose phone numbers, messages, identity document images and financial details. Contact lists can also be used to pressure borrowers by informing relatives, friends or colleagues about alleged debts.

Bangladesh Bank advised people not to provide national identity card details, bank account information, mobile financial service data or other sensitive phone data to unfamiliar loan apps. It also urged caution where lenders seek advance payments, processing fees or registration fees. Users should verify a provider’s identity, address, authorization and loan terms, and should not share PINs, passwords or one-time security codes.

India’s opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded the removal of Karnataka Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy after he described Islam as greater than all other religions at an event in Kukunur, Koppal district. Rayareddy called Islam a great and humane religion, saying it is science-based and teaches people how to live. He said Islam was superior because it begins with humanity.

Rayareddy said people unfamiliar with Islam hold misconceptions and form mistaken opinions about it. Discussing the Quran, he said he had not extensively studied Abrahamic religions, although he reads about different religions and history. He also said he does not frequently visit temples or monasteries.

Karnataka BJP president R. Ashok alleged that Rayareddy had made disrespectful remarks about Hinduism and temples and monasteries. He asked Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar to ensure the minister withdraws his statements and apologizes to the Hindu community. Ashok said Rayareddy should be removed from the cabinet if he does not apologize. BJP spokesperson Ashok Gowda said no religion should be called superior without reading the scriptures of different faiths.

Iran’s army has claimed it launched a drone attack targeting a US military installation at Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. Iranian news agencies, citing an army public relations statement, reported that numerous drones had been launched at the base since before dawn. The statement said locations where US troops and helicopters were deployed were among the targets.

Iran said the operation was retaliation for what it described as a US attack on Larak Island. Tehran claimed that members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and civilians were killed in that attack. The army statement said the strike on Al Minhad was intended to avenge the deaths of the IRGC members and civilians on Larak Island.

The claimed attack comes amid heightened military tensions between Iran and the United States following the reported US attack on Larak Island. Iran had earlier claimed to have attacked a US military base in Jordan. The successive Iranian claims of retaliatory strikes coincide with intense tensions involving the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns that conflict in the Middle East could widen.