Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the experiences of Iranian fighters are not merely part of war history, but a story of people who endured extreme hardship without surrendering Iran’s dignity. He made the remarks on social media on Monday night, marking the Day of Repatriation of Prisoners of War in Iran.

According to IRIB News Agency, Pezeshkian highlighted the endurance and resolve associated with Iranian fighters. He described their experiences as reflecting the steadfastness of people who faced severe suffering while maintaining the country’s dignity.

Pezeshkian said patience, unity and hope are the key to Iran’s recovery in the face of increasing external pressure and threats. He identified those qualities as central to confronting the pressures and threats cited in his statement.

The Bangladesh Embassy in Bucharest has urged Bangladeshi citizens living in Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Moldova to use social media and other online platforms cautiously and responsibly. In a public-awareness notice published on August 18, 2026, the embassy said posts, comments, photos and videos shared online can create legal complications, despite social media being an important tool for communication and information exchange.

The notice advised extra caution when publishing or sharing content concerning religion, politics, public order, national security and other sensitive subjects. It urged users to verify information before sharing it and avoid material that could be considered contrary to local laws, threatening, provocative, discriminatory or offensive in the relevant country.

The embassy also advised citizens to stay away from content that could create the impression of supporting violence or extremist activities. It called on Bangladeshis abroad to respect local laws, regulations, social values and sensitivities while helping maintain a safe and harmonious environment. Responsible online conduct, the embassy said, can help prevent legal and other unwanted complications and preserve Bangladesh’s positive image abroad.

China has launched an “Ice Silk Road” through the Arctic Ocean along Russia’s northern coast to transport goods to Europe, seeking to reduce dependence on key Middle Eastern sea routes. Chinese shipping company Sea Legend has begun regular cargo operations from Ningbo, China, to Felixstowe in the United Kingdom via Russia’s Northern Sea Route. The article was published on August 18, 2026.

The Arctic passage could cut China-Europe transit times to about 18 to 20 days, compared with more than 40 days via the Suez Canal, potentially reducing both fuel costs and delivery time. Much of Asia-Europe trade currently passes through the Suez Canal and Red Sea, while the Strait of Hormuz remains crucial for energy shipments. Conflict, attacks and political tensions along these waterways can disrupt global trade.

Declining Arctic ice and improved icebreaker capabilities are increasing the route’s commercial potential. However, uncertain weather, ice-related navigational risks, icebreaker requirements and higher insurance costs remain constraints. Russia’s control of the route also creates political risks linked to the Ukraine war and Western sanctions. Analysts say the route will not soon replace the Suez Canal or Hormuz, but could become an important alternative as commercial traffic grows.

Police in Chikkabanavara, Bengaluru, are investigating the deaths of 34-year-old Abhinandan and his five-year-old son, Yaduveer, as suspected killings. Preliminary police findings indicate that Abhinandan’s wife, Harini, and her alleged lover, Vinay, may have killed him, then allegedly killed the child to prevent the incident from being revealed. The report was published on August 18, 2026.

According to police, Abhinandan and Harini had a heated argument over sleeping arrangements on the night of the incident. Harini allegedly struck him with a wooden ladle or spoon before they went to sleep in separate rooms. Investigators say Harini later called Vinay to the house, where the two allegedly attacked Abhinandan and suffocated him with a pillow. Police believe Yaduveer woke up during the incident and was killed in the same manner.

Investigators suspect efforts were made to destroy evidence, including cleaning bloodstains inside the home and switching off nearby CCTV cameras. Harini has been taken into custody and questioned, police said. Vinay, identified as the main accused, remains absconding, with searches underway near Herohalli and surrounding areas close to Kanakapura. The bodies were sent to the victims’ ancestral village after post-mortem examinations.

Patuakhali Science and Technology University formally inaugurated six newly built facilities under its “Further Development (Second Phase) First Revised” project. Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. S. M. Hemayet Jahan unveiled plaques and cut ribbons at 11am on Monday at the university in Dumki, Patuakhali, according to the report.

The facilities include a weather station costing Tk68.45 lakh, an Ansar barrack costing Tk3.07 crore, and an electricity substation costing Tk4.86 crore. The inauguration also covered a four-storey farm building built for Tk3.48 crore, an academic building for the University School and College costing Tk6.32 crore, and an alternative stairwell at the administrative building costing Tk1.21 crore.

At a discussion after the inauguration, project director Md. Obaidul Islam spoke and Dr. Aminul Islam moderated. The vice-chancellor said quality infrastructure is essential to building a modern, internationally standard university and would strengthen the environment for education and research. He stressed the shared responsibility to maintain and use state assets properly, thanked the engineering office, oversight committee and project director, and said more facilities would be built in the future.

Police have taken 19-year-old Fatema Begum into custody for questioning over allegations that she killed her 14-day-old son in Begumganj, Noakhali. The incident occurred around 10:30pm on Monday at a home near Majumdarhat in Ward 4 of Mirwarishpur ইউনিয়ন. The baby was the son of Sourav Hossain, according to the report.

Local residents said Fatema and Sourav married in November 2025 after a romantic relationship and had experienced marital conflict since then. When the baby went missing on Monday evening, family members questioned Fatema. She initially said someone struck her from behind and took the child, then later said a jinn had taken the baby, prompting relatives to become suspicious.

During a search, the newborn's body was recovered around 10pm from a plastic drum used to store rainwater inside the home. Police said Fatema admitted during questioning that she put the child into the water-filled drum, alleging the baby disturbed her sleep by crying excessively. Begumganj police said Sourav filed a murder case naming Fatema as the accused, and she was to be sent to court in the afternoon.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said the government assumed responsibility for running the country amid a fragile economy and wants to build a taxpayer-friendly revenue structure. Speaking as chief guest at Revenue Conference 2026 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital on Tuesday, he said the National Board of Revenue must become an institution of trust rather than fear. He urged NBR officials to meet taxpayers’ expectations through efficient and sustainable revenue management.

Rahman said the government opposes relying solely on foreign assistance and burdening future generations with excessive debt. He called for expanding domestic income sources and said the government had adopted a people-oriented production policy to increase investment, trade, industrialisation, incomes, employment and public services. He also said the NBR has an essential role in these areas.

The prime minister said the tax-to-GDP ratio remains below potential, the tax base is narrow and a large part of the economy is informal. He called for simpler, online, corruption- and harassment-free tax procedures and a modern data-based tax administration. He said revenue officers need knowledge of the digital economy, e-commerce, international taxation, financial crime, money laundering, artificial intelligence and data analytics.

Russian citizens who left the country over opposition to the war and President Vladimir Putin are facing pressure from both Moscow and European states, according to a report published on August 18, 2026. Russia is moving to restrict the civil rights of government opponents abroad, while countries in Europe are making asylum and residence options more difficult.

Earlier this month, Putin enacted a law limiting passport renewals and other consular services for people convicted in absentia in political cases. The measures can also apply to accusations of violating the “foreign agent” law or “discrediting” the Russian army. Since Russia’s 2023 citizenship law, more than 4,500 people have had their citizenship revoked, raising concerns that exiled opponents could retain formal citizenship while losing practical access to passports and state protection.

Germany has narrowed access to humanitarian visas, while Finland has expelled more than 1,000 Russian citizens and rejected over 1,100 asylum applications since the Ukraine war began. Russian-Armenian activist Arshak Makichyan said anti-war Russians face obstacles abroad as well as from Russian authorities. The report says fears of another military mobilization may prompt more people to leave, despite the lack of secure asylum routes.

Digital healthcare platform Sukhi, operated by Sukhi Grameen Healthtech Limited, has launched free mental health counselling for the North South University community, available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The initiative was announced on Monday, August 17. NSU students, teachers and staff can access the service using mobile numbers registered with the university.

Members of the NSU community can speak with qualified counsellors and psychologists at any time through Sukhi’s Instant Psychologist service. NSU’s Counselling and Wellbeing Center has also joined the initiative. Grameen Healthtech CEO Dr. Arman Ahmed Siddiqui said people should not avoid seeking mental-health support because of hesitation or fear of criticism, stressing empathy, confidentiality and respect.

NSU Vice-Chancellor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury said the service was designed to make professional support accessible and fully confidential. It can be used for stress, anxiety, loneliness, relationship problems, and academic or workplace pressure. Users may book counselling appointments of 30 to 45 minutes at convenient times. Each session will remain fully confidential, with conversations limited to the user and the counsellor.

An unidentified private-car driver allegedly fired several rounds from a pistol after a parking-related dispute in Bhanga, Faridpur, on Monday night. The incident occurred near the highway police station beside the Bhanga municipal building on the Bhanga-Bhatiapara highway. The driver reportedly fled toward Gopalganj with the car, causing anxiety among local residents.

Local sources said the car, travelling from Dhaka amid light rain, stopped in front of a roadside hotel while traffic was moving slowly. A hotel worker asked the driver to move the vehicle forward. The driver became enraged, while a woman accompanying him allegedly argued with the worker and slapped him, escalating tensions at the scene.

The driver then behaved unusually toward other motorists and the hotel worker before firing through the car window, the report said. Video of the shooting spread on social media, and police reached the location after receiving the information. Bhanga police station officer-in-charge Mizanur Rahman said police learned that the car was heading to Gopalganj and that the case would become clearer after the vehicle is recovered and the driver and companion are identified.

Nepal has awarded Indian Army chief General Dhiraj Sheth the honorary rank of general in the Nepal Army. President Ramchandra Paudel conferred the honour at a ceremony at Shital Niwas in Kathmandu on Monday, during Sheth’s four-day visit to Nepal that began on Sunday.

The award follows a tradition in place since 1950 under which Nepal and India confer honorary general ranks on each other’s army chiefs. Nepal’s Vice President Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav, Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava, and senior Nepal Army and government officials attended the ceremony, according to the president’s office.

Sheth met Nepal Army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel to discuss matters of mutual interest and ways to strengthen military ties. The Indian Embassy said the visit reaffirmed the countries’ longstanding special defence relationship, founded on shared values, mutual trust and army-to-army links. Sheth also met Ambassador Srivastava, handed over military and medical equipment to the Nepal Army, planted a sapling, and received and inspected a guard of honour.

Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy and son-in-law, held direct talks with Hamas leaders in Cairo despite Israeli objections, according to a report published on August 18. The meeting was described as an important step toward implementing Trump’s 15-point plan to end the war in Gaza and establish a subsequent political arrangement. Kushner met for more than two hours with a delegation led by Hamas political leader Khalil al-Hayya.

Kushner was joined by Nikolai Mladenov, director-general of Trump’s Board of Peace, and former British prime minister Tony Blair. Although the United States officially designates Hamas as a banned terrorist organization, analysts said Hamas cannot be completely excluded from any lasting settlement over Gaza’s future. The plan calls for a phased halt to military operations, gradual deactivation and storage of Hamas weapons, Israeli troop withdrawal, deployment of an international stabilization force, and a Palestinian technocratic administration.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the plan, saying Israeli forces would not withdraw until Hamas is fully disarmed. Hamas said it was prepared to accept the plan but demanded that Israel first meet ceasefire terms and stop attacks. Saudi Arabia and seven other countries criticized Israel’s rejection in a joint statement. Disputes over the sequence of disarmament, troop withdrawal and ending the war remain unresolved.

An 11-year-old third-grade student, Shipa Moni, was killed after being hit by a speeding bus in Phulbari, Dinajpur, while walking to school with her mother on Tuesday morning. The crash occurred at about 7:45am in the Bus Stand-Bottoli area of Phulbari municipal town on the Dinajpur-Dhaka regional highway. Shipa, daughter of Istamul Haque of North Sujapur village, attended North Point School, where her mother, Rikta Parvin, works as an attendant.

Local residents took Shipa to Phulbari উপজেলা Health Complex after the bus struck her while she was crossing the road. The attending doctor declared her dead, while the hospital emergency department said she had died before reaching the facility. The bus, travelling from Dinajpur toward Birampur, left the scene after the crash. Her death brought grief among relatives, classmates and local residents.

After news of the death spread, residents blocked the Dinajpur-Dhaka regional highway near the health complex at 9am, disrupting traffic and leaving numerous vehicles stranded on both sides. The blockade was withdrawn after an hour following intervention by the উপজেলা administration. Police said the bus involved had been detained, but its driver and assistant remained absconding. Legal action was under process.

Hakainde Hichilema has been elected to a second term as Zambia’s president after receiving 60 percent of the vote, the Electoral Commission announced on Tuesday. The presidential election was held last Thursday in the copper-producing country and was described as largely peaceful. Hichilema, 64, has been in office since 2021 and faced 13 challengers in the contest.

His main rival, former provincial minister Brian Mundubile, received about 38 percent of the vote, according to Electoral Commission chairperson Mwangaala Jaloumis. Results from five of 226 constituencies were still pending, but the commission said they would not significantly alter the overall outcome. Hichilema thanked citizens for their trust and pledged to work for those who had voted for other candidates.

Hundreds of supporters of Hichilema’s United Party for National Development celebrated in Lusaka with singing, dancing and fireworks. Mundubile alleged irregularities in vote counting and document manipulation without providing evidence. Counting was suspended for nearly six hours on Friday after allegations of attacks on polling workers and ballot theft. International observers, including the European Union, warned the suspension could harm confidence in the electoral process and voters’ trust.

Students of the Marketing Department at Islamic University expressed anger after Professor Dr Abdus Shahid Mia, dean of the Faculty of Business Administration, was appointed department chair. On Tuesday at about 9:30am, they held a human chain on the ground floor of the faculty building before locking it and halting faculty operations. They demanded that a teacher from their own department be appointed chair.

Protesters chanted slogans calling for a departmental chair and rejecting what they described as an illegal appointment. Departmental sources said the Marketing Department has five teachers, all assistant professors. One had previously served as chair, while another’s term ended on August 17. The remaining three teachers are considered eligible to become chair under the rules.

The regulations state that the most senior teacher in a department should be appointed chair, followed by rotation. If no eligible teacher is available, the current chair may be reappointed; if that person declines an interim role, the faculty dean may take responsibility. Students said they would not unlock the gate until their demand was met. Members of the university proctorial body were present, while the registrar could not be reached.