A lineman at the Mohanganj Palli Bidyut Samity zonal office in Netrokona has been accused of taking money from customers for meter replacement, connection section changes and shifting connections between poles. The accused, Dipak Chandra Das, allegedly collected thousands of taka while promising services outside official procedures, but in some cases neither completed the work nor returned the money. Kaziyati resident Ratan Mia submitted a written complaint to the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board chairman on August 19.

Ratan said his home’s electric meter was damaged in a storm on June 3. He alleged that Dipak took Tk2,000 at a tea stall the following day, citing an application and compensation, and promised a replacement meter. After Ratan raised the matter with Deputy General Manager Md Emdadul Haque, a new meter was installed, but he said the Tk2,000 has not been returned.

Other customers made similar claims. Priya Akhtar alleged Dipak took Tk7,500 for five damaged meters, while Ujjwal Mia said he paid Tk12,000 to Tk14,000 to move a fisheries connection to another pole. The general manager said an REB letter had been received and an investigation committee would be formed.

Athena Rayburn, executive director of the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA), told the UN Security Council that US President Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace is failing to protect the basic rights of Palestinians in Gaza. She said its performance should be judged by civilian protection, ending Israel’s illegal presence and progress toward Palestinian self-determination.

AIDA represents more than 100 international relief and aid agencies working in the occupied Palestinian territory. Rayburn said the Board of Peace was formed under UN Security Council Resolution 2803, which created an opportunity to reduce violence. However, she argued that the same arrangement has further entrenched Israel’s “illegal presence.”

Rayburn said Palestinians’ rights in Gaza have been subordinated to what she described as far-reaching, arbitrary and unilateral conditions imposed by the party controlling them. She said nearly two million people are trapped in Gaza and dependent on humanitarian aid for survival, while the entry and distribution of that aid are controlled and restricted by the state she blamed for creating the crisis and shortages. She said civilian protection and Palestinian self-determination should be the central goals of any international arrangement.

Rajshahi University has formed a three-member investigation committee following a clash between students of its Management Studies and Chemistry departments. The university’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Administration, Professor Dr Abdul Alim, confirmed the development late Wednesday night. The conflict reportedly began over seating on a chair and involved confrontations and vandalism.

Professor Saiful Islam of the Crop Science and Technology Department, a former dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, will convene the committee. Its other members are Professor Ariful Islam, chair of the Philosophy Department, and Dr Shahal Uddin, chair of the Land and Law Administration Department.

The committee has been tasked with investigating the incident, identifying those involved and determining its actual cause. At least four Chemistry Department students were injured in the clash. After receiving primary treatment at the university medical centre, they were sent to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. The incident occurred around 10pm Tuesday behind Nawab Abdul Latif Hall and at the academic buildings of the two departments.

A converted artisanal trawling boat caught about 80 maunds of hilsa in two days in the Bay of Bengal near Kuakata, Patuakhali. The FB Abdullah arrived at Alipur Fish Landing Centre on Wednesday afternoon with the catch, which was auctioned by Sifat Fish for about Tk20 lakh. Its skipper Badsha said 18 fishers went to deep sea four days earlier and netted the large haul near the last buoy of Payra Port on Tuesday. He said the fish were comparatively small.

Fishers from Kuakata, Mohipur, Alipur and Ashakhali said they often return at a loss after failing to cover fuel, ice, food and labour costs. They allege that illegal trawling boats use fish finders, GPS, radar and fine-mesh nets to locate shoals and catch large quantities at once, reducing opportunities for ordinary fishers.

Experts warn that catching small hilsa, fry and other marine animals could reduce breeding stock and harm biodiversity. Fisheries official Apu Saha said legal action is being taken under the marine fisheries law, with boat owners warned and several boats previously seized and prosecuted.

UNRWA chief Christian Saunders said the agency will continue its work for Palestinian refugees despite Israel’s takeover of the Qalandiya Training Centre. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Saunders said UNRWA has no plans to leave and will continue providing humanitarian and public services until the UN General Assembly decides otherwise or a permanent solution to the Palestinian question is reached.

Israeli authorities have said the Qalandiya centre belongs to the Jewish National Fund and had been allocated to the Jerusalem municipality for a planned complex. They also cited a law passed in October 2024 that restricts UNRWA’s activities. UNRWA firmly rejected those claims, saying the training centre is a United Nations facility protected under international law.

Saunders said the UN General Assembly had directly assigned UNRWA its mandate to provide humanitarian assistance, development work and essential services while the political crisis remains unresolved. He said the agency is taking steps to protect staff and facilities after the Israeli operation, including security assessments, staff training and risk-reduction measures. He also criticised the use of force at UN premises and called for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians.

A fire broke out aboard an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). Citing local authorities, UKMTO said the fire was later extinguished and that all crew members were safe and their whereabouts had been confirmed.

The object that struck the tanker was not immediately identified. UKMTO described the incident as an impact involving an “unknown object,” with no further information available about what caused the strike.

No harmful environmental impact has been reported so far. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s important energy transport routes, and the tanker fire has renewed questions over the safety of shipping using the waterway.

UNRWA chief Christian Saunders said Israel wants to dissolve the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and “erase” the Palestinian refugee issue. In an interview with Al Jazeera, he described an Israeli raid on UNRWA’s Qalandiya training centre near occupied East Jerusalem as part of a broader effort to eliminate the United Nations’ presence in the occupied Palestinian territory. Israeli forces took control of the centre in the Kafr Aqab area on Tuesday, forcing UNRWA staff to leave.

At least seven Palestinians were injured by Israeli fire during the operation, according to the source. Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir took part in the raid and declared that the agency has no place in Jerusalem or Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported the operation and the decision to evacuate the facility, saying the step was legal under Israeli law and accusing UNRWA of assisting Hamas in the October 7, 2023 attack.

Saunders rejected the idea that the issue concerned only one facility. He said cutting UNRWA funding and dissolving it would be intended to end refugee claims, including return, restitution and compensation. The closure will also deprive 340 young people of education and vocational training provided by the centre.

Qatar’s Foreign Minister and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani is visiting Tehran today as diplomatic activity intensifies to reduce tensions between Iran and the United States. He is scheduled to meet senior Iranian officials. Qatar said the visit is primarily aimed at easing tensions and establishing a basis for dialogue.

Diplomatic engagement surrounding Iran has increased over the past week. Pakistan’s army chief visited Tehran first, followed by Oman’s foreign minister. Qatar hopes these contacts can help create a platform for dialogue between Iran and the United States. Omani and Iranian officials have also said they agreed on a temporary framework for maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, while discussions on clearing mines from the waterway continue.

Qatar believes the efforts could help reopen talks between Tehran and Washington, though the source says excessive optimism is unwarranted because their views on communication still differ. Iran has stressed that the contacts should not be considered direct bilateral negotiations, as they are being conducted through mediators. Parties involved nevertheless see the recent diplomacy as important progress after months of military conflict.

International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane said on Wednesday that the court would not retreat under US pressure and would continue its work even if sanctions were imposed on the institution. Akane told reporters that US sanctions imposed on her last week had prevented her from using her credit card, but said the ICC would not give up.

She said a permanent institution such as the ICC should never be shut down and that its officials would resist with all their strength. The US action follows President Donald Trump’s stated effort to effectively disable the court over investigations concerning alleged war crimes by Israeli and potentially US officials. Washington also sanctioned senior Senegalese ICC trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye last week.

Akane called for support from Japan, the ICC’s largest financial contributor, and expressed hope that Tokyo would act under US pressure. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan had a responsibility to protect such an important institution and would intervene when and where necessary. Akane said she hoped Japan would encourage less powerful member states not to yield to US pressure to leave the ICC and to remain united.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the USS Abraham Lincoln had failed its mission of projecting US power in the Middle East. In a post on X on Wednesday, he said the carrier’s sailors had become fatigued after a lengthy regional deployment and that the ship was heading to Thailand for rest and recreation.

Baghaei said the United States had sent the aircraft carrier to the region to demonstrate strength. He argued that, after months of war and more than 200 days without calling at a port, the vessel was now travelling to Thailand. His remarks presented the planned stop as evidence that the mission had not succeeded.

Thai officials said the USS Abraham Lincoln would make a short stop in Thailand next week after a prolonged Middle East military mission. The carrier is expected to anchor after more than 250 consecutive days at sea. Thai defence officials said the visit is primarily intended for crew rest and recovery, with no joint military exercise or operation planned with the Thai navy. Concerns have also emerged over the physical and mental wellbeing of nearly 5,000 sailors and Marines, while family members cited mental health deterioration and shortages of food and personal hygiene supplies.

An article cited by Middle East Eye challenges Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s description of Britain as an “Islamic Republic of Britain” and the first Islamic republic to obtain nuclear weapons. It argues that the remark, made in an interview with Israeli Army Radio, reflects a political framing that casts Muslim public visibility as domination rather than ordinary democratic participation.

The article says Muslims account for about 6% of Britain’s population, or roughly four million people, and rejects the suggestion that they are building an Islamic state or caliphate. It states that Britain’s institutions and laws remain British, with Parliament not replaced by a shura council or British law displaced by Islamic law. It also contrasts concern over Muslims with the absence of similar claims about Hindu, Jewish or Catholic influence in British leadership.

Citing 2019 data, it says about 13,000 Muslim doctors worked in England, around 10% of all doctors. The article also highlights Muslim contributions to Britain and allied forces in both world wars, postwar reconstruction and contemporary civic life, arguing that political participation by British Muslims demonstrates citizenship rather than takeover.

Qatar has told the UN Security Council that ending Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is necessary to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting peace. Qatar’s UN ambassador, Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, made the remarks during a council session on escalating tensions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group.

Al-Thani condemned what she described as Israel’s ongoing serious violations in Gaza and the West Bank. She said Israel had rejected both a Palestinian state and a broad plan for 2025 involving an end to war, the release of hostages and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip through a US-led multilateral agreement.

She said these actions were fundamentally weakening collective efforts to implement the plan and called for its full implementation. The Qatari ambassador also said Palestinians’ right to self-determination must be ensured. She welcomed the growing international recognition of the State of Palestine.

A Yemeni military source said the Iran-backed Houthi armed group launched ballistic missile attacks on the port area of Al-Makha, also known as Mokha, in Yemen on Wednesday. At least three missiles struck the city’s port area, while another landed near the Al-Barah junction, according to the report cited by Al Jazeera.

The extent of damage and any casualties from the strikes was not immediately known. The Houthis had not claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of the report. Sources said the missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled areas east of Taiz.

At least five missiles also struck the Al-Khawkhah area in Yemen’s western coastal Hodeidah governorate. Houthi attacks on Mokha and its port area have increased in recent weeks, the report said. Earlier in August, Houthi missile and drone attacks in the port city caused casualties.

Bangladeshi-origin midfielder Hamza Choudhury is the subject of transfer discussion in English football, with Derby County reportedly interested in signing him before the transfer window closes on 1 September. The 28-year-old Leicester City academy graduate has made 166 appearances for the club, but his immediate future remains uncertain.

Choudhury was left out of Leicester’s squad for a Carabao Cup match against Ipswich Town. Leicester coach Russell Martin said ongoing transfer discussions can make it difficult for players to maintain full mental focus, which was why Choudhury was excluded from the match squad. Martin stressed that the omission was not a punishment.

The coach said a decision beneficial to both sides would be taken whether Choudhury stays at Leicester or moves elsewhere. He added that the midfielder could return to consideration after the transfer window closes. Leicester are currently competing in League One, the third tier, while Derby County play in the Championship, English football’s second tier.

Sudden floods and landslides have caused heavy loss of life in Rasuwa and several neighbouring districts of Nepal’s central Bagmati Province. AFP has released photographs showing scenes from flood-affected parts of the country.

The source describes the disaster as affecting central Nepal, with Rasuwa identified as one of the areas hit. It says the flooding and landslides caused widespread fatalities, but provides no figures, dates, or further details about the victims.

The published AFP images document the flood-ravaged conditions in Nepal. The source does not provide information on rescue operations, official assessments, damage estimates, or planned next steps.