Jagannath University joined a colourful procession on Friday, 28 August, for “Dhaka Day 2026—Hridoye Dhaka,” marking the capital’s 416 years. Organised by Dhaka South City Corporation, the event began at the university campus and featured symbolic displays of Old Dhaka’s history, heritage, culture, food traditions and folk life.

Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator freedom fighter Md Abdus Salam led the procession, while Jagannath University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Ruis Uddin led the university delegation. Teachers, students, staff, police personnel and representatives of various groups participated. Large replicas of steamers, bakarkhani, jalebi, kites and reels drew attention, alongside models of Lalbagh Fort, Ahsan Manzil, Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, Central Shaheed Minar and other landmarks.

The route passed Bahadur Shah Park, the court area, Ray Saheb Bazar and Gulistan Zero Point before ending at the city corporation’s Nagar Bhaban. Cultural performances by university music and drama students accompanied the event. Abdus Salam said the month-long “Hridoye Dhaka 416” festival was launched to foster residents’ love, affection and sense of responsibility toward Dhaka and present its heritage to wider audiences.

The Trump administration has sent a proposed civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to the US Congress for review, according to reports cited by Middle East Monitor. Washington has said the agreement will not take effect unless Riyadh normalizes relations with Israel and joins the Abraham Accords.

A US administration source said President Donald Trump’s position has not changed: Saudi Arabia must join the Abraham Accords before the nuclear cooperation deal can be implemented. The condition links the proposed civilian nuclear arrangement to a broader diplomatic normalization process involving Israel.

A Saudi source told Israel’s Channel 12 that Riyadh’s policy on diplomatic relations with Israel remains unchanged and firm. The source said Saudi Arabia will not establish diplomatic ties until an independent Palestinian state is created along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The source also described the civilian nuclear program as part of the long-term strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and the United States, saying it should not be tied to normalization with Israel.

Water Resources Minister and BNP Joint Secretary General Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anny said the government should be given time and supported in efforts to develop the country, adding that there is no need for protests or marches at present. He made the remarks on Friday evening at an awareness programme in Lakshmipur Town Hall auditorium.

The event was organised by the social and volunteer organisation Abhedyo and focused on inclusive education, skills development, social employment and awareness of hearing impairment. Speaking as chief guest, Anny said his side had pledged to remain with the public and work for them, and that work had already begun.

He said implementation would require some time and called for both time and opportunity. Anny also said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was working on national development and various humanitarian and social activities, urging cooperation with the government under his leadership for the country’s development. The programme was chaired by Abhedyo President Tanzimuzzaman Tishan and attended by local officials, educators, student leaders and people from different professions.

Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee said her party would return to government soon, four months after losing the West Bengal assembly election. Speaking on Friday at the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad foundation anniversary programme on Cathedral Road, she urged supporters not to worry and said BJP members themselves would answer for what she described as the party’s injustices.

The event also highlighted divisions between two Trinamool camps. Banerjee’s faction held its gathering on Cathedral Road, while the camp of opposition leader Ritabrata Banerjee organised a programme on Rani Rashmoni Road. Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee’s Kalighat camp drew comparatively more people, according to the report. Leaders from Ritabrata’s side said they complied with a court-set attendance limit and described their event as successful.

Banerjee accused police of politically motivated actions and said she would travel to districts and hold programmes with public permission if police approval was denied. Abhishek Banerjee also criticised police over the removal of billboards from his Camac Street office. Trinamool leaders called Ritabrata’s camp and 20 MPs who joined NCPI in Delhi disloyal, while Banerjee said legal action was under way.

US President Donald Trump issued a sharp warning to Canada days after bilateral trade negotiations collapsed, saying it was time to “teach” Canada a lesson and that Washington could choose another path. In a Wednesday interview with Glenn Beck, Trump said a deal had been reached but Canada did not join the arrangement. He said the United States did not need goods that could not be sourced elsewhere.

Last Saturday, the United States imposed new 50 percent tariffs on about $20 billion in Canadian goods. Canada responded on Tuesday by announcing reciprocal 50 percent tariffs on roughly $20 billion in US imports, due to take effect on September 8. Ottawa also adopted measures to support affected businesses and workers.

Trump had previously announced 50 percent tariffs on Canadian vehicles and auto parts, scheduled to begin on January 1. Canada said US reluctance to expand tariff exemptions for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles was a key reason no agreement was reached. White House adviser Peter Navarro said Canada could ultimately receive a less favorable deal than the proposal it rejected. Canada's embassy in Washington did not immediately comment on Trump’s remarks.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment said Friday that Malaysia’s labour market for Bangladeshi workers is set to reopen soon through what it described as a transparent process. The ministry said ministerial meetings between the two countries, as well as discussions during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s first foreign visit with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, helped create the prospect of reopening the market.

Malaysia has agreed in principle, at Bangladesh’s request, to take 10,000 workers free of all migration costs under a “zero cost” arrangement. The first group will be sent by a special chartered flight through the state agency Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited, or BOESL. Malaysia has directly selected 25 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies and will allow another 312 agencies to work as associate recruitment agencies, alongside BOESL.

The ministry said the worker-sending process remains under preparation and details will be announced later. It urged people not to make payments, undergo medical tests or submit passports before an official notice. Operations will initially use 16 medical centres, while a Malaysian delegation will later review centres under a new policy.

Islami Andolon Ameer and Charmonai Pir Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim said people shaped by Islamic principles could raise Islam’s flag at the state level. He made the remarks on Friday afternoon as chief guest at a student rally in Shahbagh’s Historic Shaheed Osman Hadi Square in the capital, marking the 35th founding anniversary of Islami Chhatra Andolon Bangladesh.

Karim said student life is the best time for self-development and urged activists to gain knowledge, character, skills and leadership qualities. He described Islami Chhatra Andolon Bangladesh as an ideology-based student organisation, contrasting it with the disorder, violence, occupation and other wrongdoing he said had resulted from activities of many other student groups.

The rally was chaired by the organisation’s central president, Muntachir Ahmad, and moderated by Secretary General Sultan Mahmud. Islami Andolon Secretary General Maulana Gazi Ataur Rahman urged the government to establish the practice of referendums and fulfil commitments related to the July Charter. Speakers also called on students to oppose drugs, terrorism, corruption and moral decline while pursuing education, research, skills and public welfare.

Deputy Speaker and Netrokona-1 lawmaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal called for those involved in uprooting and cutting planted saplings to be identified and brought under the law. Speaking on Friday afternoon at a tree-planting programme near Babni Bridge in Kalmakanda Sadar Union, Netrokona, he urged local authorities to take necessary action.

Kamal said saplings planted along both sides of the Thakurakona-Kalmakanda road on August 1 had been damaged by unidentified people at night two days earlier. The planting, involving more than 1,200 forest, fruit and medicinal saplings, was organised by Kalmakanda উপজেলা BNP and its affiliated organisations as part of the prime minister’s announced national tree-planting programme.

He said tree planting is necessary to address adverse climate impacts, maintain environmental balance and ensure a safe, livable environment for future generations. He also stressed that planting alone is insufficient and that saplings must be cared for and protected. More than 100 forest, fruit and medicinal saplings were planted beside the Babni Bridge road during Friday’s programme, attended by local political leaders and administration officials.

A devastating landslide and flood struck Nepal on Wednesday when a powerful flow of water, rocks and mud rushed through a Himalayan river valley, sweeping away homes, bridges, roads and people. Scientists are still determining the precise cause, but preliminary assessments suggest part of a glacier and an adjoining steep mountainside collapsed thousands of feet above the ground. The debris volume was estimated at roughly 70 Great Pyramids of Giza.

Experts say the event could not have been predicted in advance, but rapid glacier failures are becoming more common in a warming world. Kathmandu University glacier specialist Mohan Bahadur Chand said all glacier regions face risks as warming and melting accelerate. Hazards can range from sudden floods to megatsunamis, depending on where a collapse occurs. A 2019 study identified 210 Himalayan glacial lakes as potential threats to settlements through sudden flooding.

Specialists say monitoring, hazard mapping, community preparation and clear communication can reduce deaths. In Blatten, Switzerland, residents and livestock were evacuated nine days before a 2025 collapse buried much of the village, leaving no residents dead. Experts are working with Nepalese authorities to identify potential collapse sites, map risks and develop local preparedness plans, though Himalayan monitoring remains difficult and costly.

Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Ameer Maulana Muhammad Mamunul Haque called on the government to take effective, lasting action to resolve electricity, gas and fuel shortages. He made the remarks after Friday prayers at a citizens’ rally at Dhania College grounds in the capital, organised by the Jatrabari zone of BKM Dhaka South. The gathering protested hardships in civic life, demanded solutions and called for implementation of the referendum verdict.

Haque said promises of family cards and agricultural cards would not alone ease public suffering while people faced disruptions in power, gas and fuel. He said citizens wanted uninterrupted supplies and practical solutions to basic problems, arguing that development promotion could not replace public rights and democracy.

He also urged the government to respect voting rights, public mandate and referendum results. On the July Charter, he called for structural and effective reforms, including judicial independence, institutional balance and protection of public rights. He said Bangladesh’s relations with India should rest on mutual respect, equality and public interest, and called for the return and trial under domestic law of accused people who fled Bangladesh.

Iran reacted sharply after US President Donald Trump shared a map describing the strategically important Strait of Hormuz as “New US Territory.” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi called Trump “schizophrenic” in a Friday post on X, criticizing the president’s mental health. Trump had published the map on Truth Social, and the White House later shared the post on social media.

Gharibabadi wrote that hallucinations and delusions are among common symptoms of schizophrenia and said psychologists recommend around-the-clock observation and treatment for such patients. His remarks followed Trump’s depiction of the waterway, which lies between Iran and Oman and carries large volumes of oil and energy supplies.

The source says the post does not alter the Strait of Hormuz’s international or legal status, but is viewed as a political message of Washington seeking to assert control amid the US-Iran conflict. The United States has recently claimed to have completed mine-clearance work there and emphasized safe navigation, while Tehran has opposed Washington’s position. The exchange has further intensified military and diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

A liquefied petroleum gas tanker paid a record $5.3 million to secure priority passage through the Panama Canal before restrictions linked to El Niño take effect. Panama Canal deputy administrator Ilya Espino de Marotta gave the information to AFP on Thursday. Bloomberg reported that South Korean company SK Gas paid the amount for its G. Spirit tanker to transit the canal on September 1.

Two days later, the canal authority will reduce the number of vessels allowed to pass daily because drought has lowered water levels. Panama declared an emergency on Tuesday, becoming the latest Central American country to do so amid severe regional drought. El Niño raises surface-water temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, affecting wind patterns and rainfall worldwide.

From September 3, daily canal transits will fall from 36 to 34, before declining further to 32 later in September. Unbooked vessels typically wait about five days, while auctions offer last-minute transit opportunities. The authority said average auction prices from October 2025 to February 2026 were about $55,000. In April, an LNG vessel paid $4 million to avoid waiting.

India has responded to discussion over Bangladesh potentially joining the Mecca defence alliance. At a Friday press briefing, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi was closely monitoring regional developments that could affect India’s security and was taking all necessary measures to safeguard it.

The question cited remarks attributed to Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, who said any decision on whether Bangladesh joins the alliance would be entirely Bangladesh’s own and should not cause discomfort to others. The question was raised by The Hindu journalist Kulachi.

Jaiswal also said it was the Bangladesh government’s responsibility to manage the country’s law-and-order situation and ensure the security of its citizens. He said the Bangladesh government needed to perform this responsibility more strictly. The source did not provide further details on the alliance, Bangladesh’s position, or any decision on membership.

Eight months after US forces detained Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelans are expressing relief at his removal but growing impatience over continuing economic hardship. The interim government led by former vice president Delcy Rodriguez has pursued reforms, yet households still face uncertain incomes, soaring food prices, hyperinflation and recurring power cuts. Pastry shop owner Marbelis Daliz said expectations after Maduro’s removal had been replaced by disappointment.

Annual inflation measured in bolivars is now about 575 percent, while the currency’s sharp depreciation has left the economy effectively dollar-dependent since 2019. Rights activist Zaida Mujica said removing Maduro had not removed authoritarianism or produced benefits for ordinary people. Rodriguez, described as operating under Washington’s effective control, has opened several sectors to foreign and private investment; official figures say daily oil output has risen about 29.8 percent since January.

Two earthquakes struck northern Venezuela one minute apart on June 24, killing more than 6,500 people, injuring many others and destroying hundreds of buildings. Daliz said people are less afraid to discuss politics than under Maduro. The government says 1,046 political prisoners have been released since January, while Foro Penal says about 400 remain jailed.

The International Monetary Fund forecasts that Bangladesh’s economy could reach $677 billion within the next five years, potentially surpassing Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand in gross domestic product by 2030. The projections were cited in a Visual Capitalist report titled “The $150 Trillion Global Economy in 2030,” based on IMF forecasts.

According to the report, Malaysia’s economy could reach $672.5 billion in 2030, followed by Vietnam at $667.5 billion and Thailand at $647.5 billion. Denmark’s GDP is projected at $589.2 billion. The comparison is based on the overall size of national GDPs.

The IMF also forecasts that the global economy will expand by about $25 trillion between 2026 and 2030, taking total output above $150 trillion by 2030. The United States is expected to remain the world’s largest economy at about $37.7 trillion, while China is projected to rank second at nearly $26 trillion.