UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed concern about the risk of renewed conflict and escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, according to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. The concern was conveyed amid fears that developments between the two countries could worsen.

Dujarric said the secretary-general was concerned about any action or statement that could increase tensions. He added that disruptions to energy supplies and food supplies were still being observed. His comments came in response to a question about whether Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had sent Guterres a letter concerning new sanctions against Iran.

Dujarric confirmed that the letter had reached the United Nations. He said it was circulated to members of the Security Council and the General Assembly at Iran's request. The source text did not provide further details about the letter, the sanctions, or any response from the United States.

The bodies of seven Bangladeshi workers killed in a fire at a sofa factory in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, have reached their home area of Atrai in Naogaon. The bodies arrived in Bangladesh from Saudi Arabia on a Bangladesh Airlines flight at 4pm and were transported by refrigerated ambulances from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, reaching Atrai around 1:30am on Thursday night.

Relatives and local residents gathered at the Atrai police station compound to see the bodies, as grief spread among the families. The deceased were identified as Md Farid, Rubel Pramanik, Mohan Ali, Suman Ali, Kalimuddin, Sohel Rana and Abdul Jalil Sardar, all from villages in Atrai Upazila.

Atrai Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Moniruzzaman said the administration remained in regular contact with the victims’ families and arranged ambulance transport without cost. A joint funeral prayer was scheduled for 10am on Friday at Molla Azad Memorial College field before the bodies were handed over to relatives. Authorities said 11 victims from Atrai and one from Naogaon Sadar have so far been identified, while efforts continue to bring back the remaining bodies.

China has warned of a high risk that a lake formed by a landslide near the China-Nepal border could overflow and send floodwaters downstream. State media, citing water resources authorities, said the lake was created after a large flow of mud and debris struck the Gyirong area bordering Tibet on Wednesday. Reports said hundreds of people remain missing after the incident.

CCTV said water levels could rise over the next three days and may reach their highest level around September 1. Xinhua, citing water authorities on Thursday night, reported that continued rainfall could bring about 3 million cubic metres of water into the lake during that period.

Authorities said the increased inflow would raise the danger of the lake’s barrier breaking, potentially causing further damage in downstream areas, including Gyirong port. Rain is forecast in the area for the next three days. By Friday morning, 499 local residents and 555 tourists had been moved to safer locations, CCTV reported. The nationalities of the tourists were not disclosed.

Bangladesh’s government has launched an initiative to expand rooftop solar nationwide, create local entrepreneurs and build an effective solar service network. The move is part of the National Renewable Energy Development Strategy 2026–30, according to a Thursday press release from the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

All electricity distribution agencies have simultaneously issued notices to enlist qualified service providers by district and geographic area. Selected providers will offer technical support for rooftop solar and other renewable-energy installations, investment and business packages, customer service, and operation and maintenance facilities. Local businesses, small and medium enterprises, young people, women entrepreneurs and technology-based firms will be able to participate.

Providers will be selected through a transparent and competitive process, with applications allowed from individual firms and joint ventures. The government is also working on incentives, tax and duty benefits, easier low-interest financing and startup funding, with emphasis on rural and remote areas. The strategy targets a 20% renewable share in power generation by 2030, including 5,500 megawatts from rooftop solar.

La Grande-Motte, a seaside city on France’s southern coast, is known chiefly for its distinctive architecture. Its urban landscape includes pyramid-shaped apartment blocks, curved buildings, theatre-box-like balconies and green-lined walkways, making it a notable destination for admirers of modern architecture.

Architect Jean Balladur was the principal figure behind the city’s design and vision. La Grande-Motte’s main beach is Pointe Zéro, while a Ferris wheel in the city operates on solar power. Curving walls, sloping forms and unusual geometric features are prominent across the resort city.

Balconies at one hotel project outward from the building in a style compared with theatre boxes. French fashion designer Simon Porte Jacquemus published a book about La Grande-Motte in 2014. The city’s architectural character remains its central attraction, according to the source.

Student organisations and general students at the University of Chittagong have called for a prompt roadmap for the next Chittagong University Central Students’ Union, or ChakSU, and hall union elections after the current committee’s term ends on October 23. They asked the university administration to announce a schedule quickly, ensure a fair environment and hold voting impartially. The administration said it would discuss the matter with relevant parties and arrange the election at an appropriate time.

The seventh central and hall union elections were held on October 15, 2025, after a 35-year gap. Students said the current committee has worked on several problems during its 10 months in office, although it has not fully met expectations. Groups argued that regular elections are needed to preserve effective student representation and prevent democratic conditions on campus from being undermined by long delays.

Several organisations want a new election within three months of the current committee’s expiry and warned of tougher protests if that does not happen. Current vice-president Ibrahim Hossain Rony urged the administration to announce a schedule before the term ends. Vice-Chancellor Mohammad Al-Forkan said an election would be arranged in due time after the term expires.

Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be “sent to hell” and claimed Netanyahu’s “major mistakes” had accelerated Israel’s decline. In an interview with Lebanon’s Al-Manar television, Rezaei also described Beirut and its southern areas as Iranian “red lines,” saying aggression there would not be accepted.

Rezaei said Iran does not seek war, but warned that any new conflict would differ from previous wars and draw an unprecedented Iranian response. He said countries from which US aircraft take off or from which US missiles are launched against Iran would also be regarded as enemies.

He identified an end to war in Gaza and Lebanon, an Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory, and an end to Israeli attacks in Damascus as important conditions. Rezaei said West Asia’s situation is interconnected and its crises must be resolved together. Iran’s contacts with the United States are currently suspended, with Tehran saying no new talks will occur until US military attacks and hostile statements stop.

Bangladesh’s Agriculture Ministry has dismissed reports of a nationwide fertilizer shortage as “completely rumour” and said authorities are conducting field-level operations against traders accused of creating artificial scarcity. From Monday through Thursday, dealers and businesses in Manikganj, Chapainawabganj, Rangpur and Jashore faced fines and fertilizer seizures over allegations including adulteration, overcharging and illegal stockpiling.

Additional Agriculture Secretary Ahmed Faisal Imam said 64 ministry officials, one for each district, are monitoring the situation. He said mobile courts are regularly deployed following allegations of overpricing or black-market sales, while dealerships can be suspended or cancelled according to the severity of offences. Rangpur agricultural official Sirajul Islam said some dealers were fined for failing to store fertilizer in warehouses according to government rules and for procedural violations.

Authorities fined a dealer in Saturia Tk200,000 and seized five sacks of allegedly adulterated DAP fertilizer. In Chapainawabganj, a trader was fined Tk100,000 over overpricing and illegal stocks, while Jashore authorities fined another trader over unlicensed storage. The source also reported shortfalls in stated safety-stock targets for urea, TSP, DAP and MOP, citing gas shortages as a factor.

Allegations of discrepancies in holding or household tax collection have emerged at Nilগঞ্জ Union Parishad in Kalapara, Patuakhali. Union members, village police and residents claim more than Tk 900,000 was collected from nine wards this year, while only Tk 550,000 was deposited in the parishad’s accounts. They have questioned the whereabouts of about Tk 350,000 or more and demanded an investigation and public disclosure of the full accounts.

Tax collection was assigned to a third party for an agreed commission, while Secretary Hasnat Titu was responsible for receiving the money and accounts, according to the report. Critics allege that union members and village police were not shown a complete account and were not informed when money was received or deposited. Village police said tax revenue helps cover their salaries, allowances and other expenses.

Secretary Titu said he deposited the amount he received, and knew nothing beyond that. Administrator Nahidul Islam said the third party’s account given to the secretary may have been around Tk 550,000, and said explanations had been sought from those contracted to collect taxes. Kalapara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Arifuzzaman said he would visit the union parishad to verify the matter.

Rangpur Metropolitan Police said two arrested suspects confessed in court to killing retired Rangpur Zilla School teacher Ganapati Chakraborty and three family members at their home in Machhuapara, Rangpur. Police Commissioner Abdul Mabud said the suspects, Siddhartha Das and Mugdha Das, stated that Ganapati saw them consuming yaba on the roof after dawn on 20 August, after which they allegedly strangled him, his wife, daughter and 12-year-old son Ayush.

According to the police briefing, Ganapati, his wife and daughter were killed on the roof, while Ayush was killed after waking up downstairs and recognizing Siddhartha. The suspects allegedly moved bodies to conceal them, cut an electric wire because they feared CCTV surveillance, and ransacked rooms to make the killings appear to be a robbery. Police said they took gold ornaments and Tk15,000 in cash.

Police said Mugdha was arrested at a cremation ground about three kilometres away after allegedly admitting the killings to caretaker Bidyut Das, who later gave a statement under Section 164. Post-mortem reports confirmed all four deaths were caused by strangulation, police said. Drug tests and DNA sampling of the two accused are under way. Police also said tests found no evidence of rape involving two victims.

North Korea condemned US plans to supply South Korea with AIM-9X Sidewinder Block-2 missiles and fund human rights and information-flow programmes related to the North. Pyongyang said it would deliver a “serious, immediate and strong response” to what it described as continuing hostile actions by Washington.

The US State Department said Friday that a possible sale of the missiles and related equipment to South Korea had been approved, with an estimated value of $125 million. A North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the adverse effects of US arms sales on the regional security environment could not be ignored.

Pyongyang also criticised Washington’s planned funding for organisations documenting human rights violations in North Korea. The State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor announced an open competition last week, saying the initiatives aimed to challenge North Korea’s monopoly over information. The North said the measures were intended to create instability in its social system.

At least 389 people have died and nearly 1,500, including foreign nationals, remain missing after sudden flooding and landslides in Nepal near the Tibetan border. The disaster struck around 9 a.m. local time on Wednesday, with water, mud and rocks surging through the Lende Khola valley and inundating villages. Authorities fear the casualty and missing-person totals could rise; across the border in Tibet, at least 558 people were reported missing and three dead.

The flooding is preliminarily linked to a glacier collapse in the Bhote Koshi River valley of Nepal’s border district of Rasuwa. The torrent destroyed homes, power towers and other infrastructure, washing away at least 19 bridges and about 40 kilometres of road. More than 500 tourists from several countries are among those missing, including 177 Indians, 100 Chinese and 63 Americans. Nepal’s embassy in Bangladesh said no Bangladeshi citizen had been reported killed, injured or missing.

A new lake formed by the collapse about 40 miles north of Kathmandu holds about 2 million cubic metres of water, with another 3 million cubic metres potentially entering within three days. Nepal has divided rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations into 12 teams, while military personnel use helicopters, drones and search dogs despite blocked roads, high water and deep mud.

Australia has announced A$5 million, about US$3.6 million, in relief and humanitarian assistance for people affected by flooding in Nepal, AFP reported. The announcement comes as the country deals with the impact of severe flooding and efforts continue to locate Australians who remain unaccounted for.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said finding missing Australian nationals had become extremely difficult because of the scale and severity of the disaster. In an interview with Australia’s Today Show on Friday, she said the number of Australians who had lost contact with their families after the floods had risen to 39.

Wong said many people had been killed and many others remained missing in the disaster. She said about 20 officials from Australia’s foreign ministry were currently in Nepal. Australia plans to send further assistance and personnel to Nepal over the coming days.

A Chinese company is set to begin generating electricity from waste at Dhaka’s Aminbazar landfill within the next year and a half, according to State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam. The government plans to buy the electricity at Tk25 per unit. The project is expected to generate 42 megawatts and feed it into the national grid.

Shahe Alam disclosed the plans after Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen met Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moin Khan at the Secretariat on Thursday. A formal tripartite agreement is scheduled to be signed in Beijing on September 2, while a final financing agreement will involve the investor bank, the company and relevant Bangladeshi parties.

The state minister said the price appears high compared with other generation sources, but argued that waste disposal and organic fertiliser production would provide additional benefits. He said the Chinese company would pay monthly rent to the city corporation for use of the landfill, with no government investment required. China also expressed interest in Chattogram’s economic zone and Mongla port development.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies on Thursday appealed for $31 million to provide emergency assistance to people affected by devastating flash floods and landslides along Nepal’s border with Tibet. The Switzerland-based federation said the funding would support immediate disaster response and later help with medium- and long-term recovery and rehabilitation over the next two years.

The IFRC had previously released 1 million Swiss francs for immediate life-saving operations. Its secretary general, Jagan Chapagain, said the scale of the disaster was gradually becoming clearer, with entire villages known to have been swept away. He said needs would increase in the coming hours and days, while people who lost homes and livelihoods would require long-term support.

The cold water and mud surge struck on Wednesday with force compared to a tsunami wave, submerging settlements and damaging homes, bridges and dams. About 93,000 people may have been affected, although assessments continue in remote areas. Damaged transport infrastructure is complicating damage assessments and aid delivery. Nepal Red Cross teams are already distributing food, water, tarpaulins, blankets, first-aid supplies, stretchers and body bags.