Yemen’s Houthi rebel group has threatened to intensify conflict against Saudi Arabia, saying it views maritime blockades, attacks on Saudi military facilities and defending Yemen’s sovereignty as central policies. The warning was issued by Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree in a report published on August 20, 2026. Saree said a major conflict would be met with a major response.

Saree said the group had attacked eight Saudi oil tankers since banning Saudi shipping on July 20. He said five attacks occurred in the Red Sea and three in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. He also claimed that Houthi threats had forced 48 Saudi oil tankers to turn back, including 34 from the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean and 14 from the Red Sea.

The spokesperson further claimed nine attacks in Yanbu, Najran, Jizan, Abha and Saudi Arabia’s eastern oil supply system, alongside 14 operations targeting Saudi military positions in Al-Ruwaik, Al-Abr, Al-Wadiah, Marib and Al-Makha. The Houthis demanded that Saudi Arabia lift the blockade, halt military operations in Yemen, pay public employees’ salaries, withdraw foreign forces and leave Yemenis in full control of their natural resources.

India has approved construction of a fourth railway line through the strategically important “Chicken’s Neck,” or Siliguri Corridor, according to Northeast Frontier Railway General Manager Chetan Kumar Srivastava. The announcement was made at a press conference reported on August 20, 2026. The Malda–New Jalpaiguri route was described as a crucial rail corridor linking India’s northeast with the rest of the country.

Srivastava said approval for the fourth line follows an earlier proposal for a third line, reflecting the corridor’s strategic importance. He also highlighted a proposed double-line underground railway project of about 29 kilometres from Tinmai Ghat to Bagdogra as an important infrastructure initiative.

The Chicken’s Neck is described as a 20–22 kilometre-wide and 60-kilometre-long stretch in northern West Bengal on which transport to the entire northeast depends. Track doubling is under way in the Barsoi section, while rail infrastructure is being expanded across the Katihar division to handle rising passenger and freight demand. Plans also include local trains from Jogbani, Radhikapur and Balurghat, and Vande Bharat services to Tinsukia and Agartala. NFR said its network is fully electrified.

Bangladesh’s 349 members of parliament are scheduled to vote on Thursday from 2pm to 5pm in the parliamentary chamber to elect the country’s 23rd president. The election marks a presidential vote after 35 years, according to the report. BNP and like-minded parties have nominated Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, while a Jamaat-led 11-party alliance has nominated Dr Oli Ahmad Bir Bikram.

The winner, chosen through direct voting by lawmakers, is due to take the oath at Bangabhaban at 7:30pm on Friday. Deputy Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal, serving as speaker, will administer the oath. Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed is expected to formally hand over responsibilities to the new president immediately after the ceremony, in keeping with convention.

The Election Commission says preparations have been completed. Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, the returning officer, said campaigning would not be permitted during the election. Voting will be counted immediately after polls close at 5pm, and the candidate receiving the highest number of valid votes will be declared elected. The Election Commission will subsequently publish a gazette of the result.

US government debt has exceeded $40 trillion for the first time, according to US Treasury Department data cited by the Associated Press. The milestone was reported on August 20, 2026, as federal spending continues to rise on defence, social programmes and interest payments tied to budget deficits.

The debt reached $39 trillion only five months earlier, in March, meaning it grew faster than forecasts had anticipated. The report said lower revenue from Trump administration tariffs that were cancelled was among the factors accelerating borrowing, as expected revenue worth several billion dollars did not materialise.

The increase highlights tensions among Trump administration priorities, including higher defence spending and efforts to reduce energy and food prices. Defence spending is also required for Trump’s continuing war against Iran, adding pressure on the government’s wider finances. AP said US government debt has more than doubled in less than a decade, during which Donald Trump and Joe Biden both served as president, and has quadrupled in less than 20 years.

US President Donald Trump has threatened what he called an unprecedented economic campaign and isolation against Iran, as talks to end a conflict lasting more than five months remain deadlocked. In a Wednesday Truth Social post, Trump said Iran had failed to take an opportunity for a deal and warned of severe economic consequences for countries providing any form of support to Tehran through financial institutions, businesses, airports or government bodies.

Trump called for action against oil smuggling, barter arrangements, cash transfers, currency exchange centers, ship registration and front companies working for Iran. He described the planned effort as an “economic D-Day” and urged US allies to join efforts to confront and isolate Iran. Since April, his administration has pursued “Operation Economic Fury,” imposing broad measures on Iran’s oil, shipping and financial sectors, as well as a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Iran’s government did not immediately comment, while Iranian media dismissed the announcement as insignificant and said Tehran had learned to evade sanctions. Analysts said possible secondary sanctions could target Chinese institutions serving independent refineries that buy Iranian oil, but warned such moves could provoke significant international reactions and complicate ongoing US-China trade talks.

Former education minister Dr Dipu Moni was released on parole from Munshiganj District Jail and sent to Dhaka on Thursday morning, according to jail superintendent Md Jannat-ul Farhad. The parole was granted for 12 hours, with the authorised period set from 6am until 6pm.

Her daughter, Tani Dipabali Nawar, submitted an application to the district administrator seeking her mother’s parole, the jail superintendent said. The application resulted in the temporary release of the former minister. The source did not specify the purpose of the parole request.

Dipu Moni left Munshiganj District Jail for Dhaka at 6:15am under police escort and tight security, following prison procedures, Farhad said. She is scheduled to be returned to the jail after the authorised parole period ends.

Seven people, including Ecuador’s intelligence chief Michel Sensi-Contugi and his wife Stephanie Holihan, were killed when a tourist helicopter crashed during a safari trip in Kenya’s Samburu County. The accident occurred at about 9:15 a.m. local time on Wednesday. The five other victims were US citizens, according to the report.

Kenya’s Civil Aviation Authority said the helicopter’s passengers were touring a wildlife conservation area and viewing its natural scenery. Images from the scene showed smoke rising from the crash site in the Mount Ololokwe forest, while Kenya Red Cross personnel approached burning wreckage. Sensi-Contugi, 44, had been appointed director-general of Ecuador’s Strategic Intelligence Center in 2024.

Ecuador’s government did not provide detailed information on his death, but the president’s office expressed condolences. One of the five US victims was NBCUniversal journalist Jose Alberto Suarez; the identities of the remaining four had not been fully released. A US State Department spokesperson confirmed the deaths of five Americans. The cause of the crash was not immediately known, and authorities have begun an investigation.

Bangladesh has reported a sharp rise in dengue hospital admissions, with nearly 11,000 patients admitted by August 19, exceeding July’s total of more than 9,200. Since January, more than 26,500 people have been hospitalized with dengue and 76 have died, according to Directorate General of Health Services data. The increase is no longer concentrated only in Dhaka, raising concern about faster transmission in districts outside the capital during the monsoon season.

Dhaka recorded more than 7,000 hospital admissions and 34 deaths, remaining the most affected area overall. Outside Dhaka, Khulna reported more than 1,600 patients and 14 deaths, followed by Chattogram with 1,391 admissions and three deaths. Pirojpur recorded more than 1,200 cases and one death, while Mymensingh reported 924 admissions and six deaths. Gazipur had 720 admissions with no reported deaths.

Experts cited standing water, rain, dense settlements, poor sanitation and water storage as factors supporting Aedes mosquito breeding. They said coastal salinity can require households to store rainwater in containers, while urbanisation and increased use of disposable containers have expanded breeding sites in rural and urban areas. They also pointed to high temperatures, frequent rainfall and gaps in mosquito-control work as contributing factors.

Bus services on the Rajbari-Daulatdia-Faridpur route resumed at 8am on Thursday after being suspended for about 44 and a half hours. The disruption began after noon on Tuesday following a dispute between Golden Line Transport and owners of local buses. Services restarted after the administration assured operators of security, though the underlying dispute remains unresolved.

The stoppage caused severe hardship for passengers in Rajbari and Faridpur districts, with many using three-wheelers, Mahendras and autorickshaws at higher fares. The conflict concerns Golden Line’s operations through Rajbari. A previous decision made at the Dhaka divisional commissioner’s office allowed the company to operate a maximum of four trips through the district.

Rajbari transport owners allege Golden Line increased its buses and trips after the government changed on August 5, at times operating nearly 28 trips a day. Local workers blocked extra buses on Tuesday, while Rajbari buses were reportedly stopped in Faridpur. The district administration said it would hold talks with the parties soon to seek a permanent solution.

Acting Speaker Kaiser Kamal will administer the oath of office to Bangladesh’s newly elected president, according to the Law Ministry’s interpretation of relevant constitutional provisions. Voting for the country’s 23rd presidential election is scheduled for Thursday from 2pm to 5pm at the Jatiya Sangsad, marking the first presidential election by vote in 35 years.

The Cabinet Division sought the Law Ministry’s opinion on who should administer the oath. The ministry said Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram is serving as acting president under Article 54 of the constitution. Under Article 74(3), the deputy speaker is therefore carrying out the speaker’s duties and is constitutionally the appropriate authority to administer the oath.

BNP nominee Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will contest the election against Colonel (Retd) Oli Ahmed Bir Bikram, candidate of an 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami. Of the 349 lawmakers eligible to vote, 50 hold reserved seats for women; the Chattogram-4 seat is vacant. The oath ceremony is scheduled for 7:30pm Friday at Bangabhaban’s Darbar Hall.

A commentary published by Amar Desh on August 20, 2026, questioned the delayed commissioning and operations tender for Bangladesh’s Single Point Mooring (SPM) project off Maheshkhali-Matarbari. The article says the offshore facility is intended to transfer oil from large tankers through pipelines to storage at Maheshkhali and then to Chattogram’s Eastern Refinery. It argues that the project remains uncommissioned after unsuccessful testing and calls for government intervention.

According to the article, the project was contracted in 2015 for about Tk4,936 crore and was due for completion by 2018. After three extensions, its cost reportedly rose to about Tk8,341 crore. The writer says a June 24, 2024 test involving roughly 82,000 tonnes of Saudi crude encountered a pipeline leak, spilling oil at sea. The article states that successful testing, commissioning and the project completion report have not been finalized.

The commentary alleges that the December 2025 operations and maintenance tender was restrictive, leaving one technically responsive bidder from three submissions. It urges a full independent test run, defect assessment, determination of prior contractor liabilities, review under procurement rules and, if needed, an open international retender for an experienced operator.

Ansar personnel rescued dentist Hasibur Hasan, 43, unharmed from a secluded forest in Sector 19 of Purbachal on Wednesday night, according to the Ansar and Village Defence Force. Hasan was allegedly abducted from Kuril Bishwaroad in the capital while waiting to travel to Jalsiri Master Pharmacy to see patients.

The report said a driver of a white microbus offered to take him to Jalsiri, after which people inside the vehicle tied his hands, legs, eyes and mouth. The alleged kidnappers demanded Tk100,000 in ransom from his family and took Tk12,000 through mobile banking using his Android phone.

The group later left Hasan bound in the forest and fled. A Rajuk Ansar Guard patrol led by PC Md Siddiqur Rahman heard groaning and found him, with Hafizur Rahman, Md Sakibul, Ratan Mia and Md Jubayer taking part in the rescue. Ansar members then took him safely to his destination. Hasan expressed gratitude for their humanitarian, prudent and responsible role.

Police recovered the body of a 25-year-old man, identified as Nazmul, after he was shot in the Harintana 80 Bigha culvert area under Khulna city’s Labanchara police station on Wednesday night. The shooting occurred around 9:30pm. Nazmul reportedly ran into an alley beside a house after being shot, where he collapsed and died.

Labanchara police station Officer-in-Charge Md Syed Mosharraf Hossain confirmed the incident and said police were at the scene. He said it was not yet known who shot Nazmul. Police had confirmed only the victim’s name at that stage.

Earlier the same day, at about 5:45pm, 23-year-old construction worker Md Manzurul Islam was attacked in front of Sujan Hawladar’s tea stall in the same area. Locals alleged that a group of eight to 10 attackers led by Alamin Hasan Saifi shot and assaulted him with sharp weapons. The two shooting-related deaths within hours caused fear among residents, while police worked to determine the motive and identify those involved.

Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir completed the final and prize-giving ceremony of its July Martyrs Memorial Football Tournament 2026 on Wednesday at the A and AMS Ground in Lake City, Khilkhet, Dhaka. Narsingdi district branch defeated Noakhali city branch in the final to become champions of the competition organized by the group’s central sports department.

The tournament began on June 15 with participation from 138 branches nationwide under the theme, “July’s commitment, building a Bangladesh of justice.” It used a knockout format. Noakhali city branch reached the final after facing Dinajpur city branch in the semifinal, while Narsingdi district branch advanced after playing the Islamic University branch.

Central Shibir president Nurul Islam attended as chief guest and thanked participants in the organization’s month-long July-related programmes. He said the programmes aimed to ensure justice for killings associated with the July mass uprising. Champion Narsingdi received Tk50,000, while runner-up Noakhali received Tk30,000; both teams were also awarded medals and trophies.

Abul Kalam Azad, a Godagari resident in Rajshahi accused in a case over attacks on students and civilians during the July movement, was granted bail by the Rajshahi District and Sessions Judge Court on August 12 after two certificates were submitted with his bail petition. One certificate identified him as an active BNP worker and bore the purported signature and seal of former Godagari municipal BNP general secretary and former mayor Anwarul Islam. Islam said both the signature and seal were forged.

A second certificate was signed by Hanif Ali, president of BNP’s municipal ward 2 unit. Hanif acknowledged issuing it after Azad’s wife approached him as a neighbour, but called the decision a mistake. Azad’s lawyer, Tawsik Ahmed Masum, said relatives had brought the documents and he had certified and submitted them without knowing whether they were genuine. The state lawyer described filing forged certificates as deception of the court.

Police and local sources allege Azad has long been involved in heroin trafficking and faces seven narcotics cases. Student movement leaders demanded his re-arrest. Godagari police said he had been arrested on specific evidence of links to attacks on students and civilians, and that he would be arrested if involvement in any offence is established.