The United States has lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones in its war with Iran, according to The Washington Post, citing three US officials. Published on August 14, the report said the losses amount to about 25 percent of the US Reaper fleet before the war. The losses have raised concerns about drone availability in any future major military conflict.

One US official said not all of the drones were destroyed by Iranian air-defense attacks. In several cases, communication between the drones and their control-room operators was lost, though the detailed causes were not known. The US Department of Defense declined to comment. In July, a US defense official said Iran had shot down about 30 Reaper drones, while Iran has regularly claimed such shootdowns since the war began.

The Reaper can remain airborne for long periods and carry up to 1,700 kilograms of weapons and other equipment. In May, Air Force Chief of Staff General Kenneth S. Wilsbach said it had probably played the most important role in the war. The Pentagon has also instructed major weapons producers to increase output, making drone stocks and production capacity a significant issue.

A new 500-bed building at the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital in Dhaka is scheduled to open on Saturday, August 15. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to inaugurate the facility at 10am, according to hospital officials. Once operational, the addition will raise the hospital’s total capacity to 1,000 beds, making it the country’s largest specialised centre for neurological treatment.

The 15-storey NINS Unit-2 building has three basement floors and is fully centrally air-conditioned. Its upper 12 floors include wards, operating theatres and diagnostic units. The facility contains 40 ICU beds, 24 post-operative beds, 112 cabins, a 20-bed HDU, 62 ventilators, one cath lab, two MRE machines and two CT scanners.

A 100-bed specialised trauma unit will serve patients with brain and spinal injuries from road crashes and other accidents, with round-the-clock operating-theatre services. Director Professor Dr Mohammad Nuruzzaman Khan said bed shortages currently force the hospital to turn away many patients because admissions beyond available beds are not allowed. He said the new building would enable the hospital to provide care to more patients.

State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yaser Khan Chowdhury said criticism of the government and narratives against it would not trigger action, but narratives directed against the state would be suppressed strictly. He made the remarks on Thursday night at a discussion in the conference room of the Mymensingh deputy commissioner’s office on preventing misleading information and propaganda on social media.

Chowdhury said the government is working to amend the Cyber Security Act and has formed a high-level committee for that purpose. Discussions are under way on making the law more effective and stronger while giving top priority to the interests of Bangladesh’s people and the state. He said he had personally faced cyberbullying during the previous fascist period and stressed that the law was not being made against any party or individual.

The minister said new laws were being prepared to protect women and children, while the Information Ministry was taking measures to counter moral decline. He said people who knowingly like or comment on misinformation would come under the law. Deputy Commissioner Md Saifur Rahman called for a strict legal framework and greater awareness, saying schools had initiated weekly student-awareness efforts against misinformation and propaganda.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said the ongoing war against Iran has failed to achieve any of its stated initial objectives and has strengthened, rather than weakened, the “hardline” part of Iran’s governing authority. In an interview with Al Jazeera, he referred to the war launched by the United States and Israel in late February and said its record would be clear in history.

Eide said Norway had opposed the war from the beginning, describing it as neither a smart move nor compatible with international law. He added that many countries were now agreeing with Norway’s position. According to Eide, the conflict did not deliver its original goals despite the military campaign against Iran.

The foreign minister also highlighted disruption to maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. He said the strait had been open before the United States and Israel carried out their first round of attacks on February 28, after which Iran launched retaliatory strikes. Eide called it urgently necessary to end the war and restore the strait as close as possible to its previous condition of free navigation, saying he believed this could be done.

Dhaka South City Corporation is planning a new system to manage rickshaws, including battery-powered vehicles, in an effort to reduce congestion in the capital. The plan would divide Dhaka into several zones and allow rickshaws registered for a specific area to operate only within that area. DSCC Administrator Bir Muktijoddha Abdus Salam announced the proposal recently at Nagar Bhaban, saying a rickshaw from Demra would not be allowed to travel to New Market.

The authority may completely prohibit rickshaws on some roads and impose restrictions on particular days on others, depending on need. Rickshaw operation in Dhaka would require licences and registration. The proposal also seeks to prevent rickshaws from Keraniganj or Demra from entering other areas and to limit unrestricted movement of Dhaka North City Corporation rickshaws into the southern city area.

Salam said the entry of battery-powered rickshaws into Dhaka from different parts of the country has increased since 5 August. Necessary laws and regulations are being drafted, and the city corporation will implement the system after receiving legislation from the relevant ministry. The local government division is also preparing an e-rickshaw policy and considering a unified licensing authority.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has adopted a strategy to shift the war from a defensive to an offensive phase if Iran’s conditions are not met, according to adviser and associate Mohammad Mokhber. In a social media post on Thursday, Mokhber said the strategy would alter the global balance of power.

In a statement on April 30, Mojtaba Khamenei said Iran was entering a new phase of its course of action regarding the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Mokhber said the new circumstances surrounding the strait, along with the United States’ failure to protect its Gulf allies, had created the basis for the change.

Mokhber said Iran’s conditions include a permanent end to war and aggression, withdrawal of US forces from areas around Iran, compensation, removal of sanctions, and the unconditional release of Iran’s frozen assets. He added that building a new Hormuz-centered economic and security system without Washington’s military guarantees would be the region’s most sustainable path.

A 30-metre earthen section of the Hasnapara Spur collapsed into the Jamuna River in Hatserpur Union of Sariakandi upazila, Bogura, early Thursday. Strong river currents and a vortex caused the damage at the spur, according to the Bangladesh Water Development Board. The river level at the Sariakandi point has remained close to the danger mark for the past several days.

The Water Development Board said a newly emerged char upstream of Hasnapara No. 2 Spur, on the riverside, altered the water flow toward the country side. The redirected current struck the spur and created a vortex, leading to the collapse of its earthen base. Residents living in the area are reported to be worried by the erosion.

Sub-divisional engineer Sohel Rana said the shifted flow was hitting the spur's soil foundation because of the upstream char formation. To contain the erosion, authorities are placing sand-filled geobags and geotubes at the affected location.

Gas supply from the cargo at Summit LNG’s terminal has stopped because of rough seas, and the cargo at the terminal has also been moved away. Energy Division sources confirmed that the terminal supplied gas from Thursday afternoon before the supply was later halted. The August 14, 2026 report said the shutdown has further reduced overall gas deliveries to Bangladesh’s national grid.

Accelerate Energy’s LNG terminal is currently supplying about 190 million cubic feet of gas to the national grid. According to people concerned, the reduced supply is already affecting multiple sectors. Lower gas pressure in Dhaka and other parts of the country is increasing cooking difficulties for households, with stoves remaining off for much of the day in many areas and pressure too low for normal cooking elsewhere.

The lower pressure could also disrupt industrial production, as factories may lose production capacity without adequate gas. Power generation could be affected as well, with average load-shedding of about 3,000 megawatts during peak hours. Pressure on the national gas grid is expected to persist until Summit’s LNG supply returns to normal.

Bangladesh’s Meteorological Department on Friday morning asked four seaports to display local caution signal No. 3 as a land depression could bring squally winds to coastal areas. The system, previously over West Bengal and nearby areas, has moved west-northwest and is now located over India’s Jharkhand and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal. The warning applies to Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra seaports.

A notice signed by meteorologist Dr Md Omar Faruk said the depression may move further west-northwest before gradually weakening. The department said squally winds may pass over the northern Bay of Bengal and adjacent coastal areas of Bangladesh because of the system.

Squally weather is also possible around the seaports, according to the notice. Fishing boats and trawlers operating in the northern Bay of Bengal have been advised to remain close to the coast and move cautiously until further instructions are issued.

Saudi Arabia’s oil exports through the Red Sea are facing fresh uncertainty amid fears of possible attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Oil tankers linked to the kingdom are switching off their Automatic Identification System, or AIS, signals to avoid exposing their locations, leaving shipping data related to oil exports unavailable. The report was published on August 14, 2026.

The Houthis declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia on July 20 and subsequently claimed attacks on Saudi-linked oil tankers, the Yanbu oil facilities and the Jazan refinery. Analysts said nearly all tankers leaving Yanbu recently travelled with tracking signals disabled. Since July 23, continuous AIS data has been unavailable for about 70 percent of ships departing Saudi Arabia’s west coast.

The missing tracking data has complicated efforts to determine Saudi Arabia’s actual oil export volumes, producing major differences among ship-monitoring firms. Shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait has also declined. Saudi Arabia is exporting more oil through the Suez Canal and Egypt’s SUMED pipeline, while exports from Egypt’s Sidi Kerir port have reached record levels, much of them Saudi crude.

Bangladesh’s Home Ministry issued two separate notifications on the morning of August 14, compulsorily retiring 56 police officers from service. The officers include seven assistant superintendents of police and 49 police inspectors. The notifications said the orders were issued in the public interest and would take effect immediately.

The 49 retired inspectors had been serving in different police units, including district police, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, the Criminal Investigation Department, the Police Bureau of Investigation, Special Branch and railway police. The notifications stated that the officers concerned would receive retirement benefits in accordance with the rules.

The assistant superintendents named include Nur-e Alam Siddiqui of the Dhaka RAB headquarters, Nurul Mottakin of DMP, Kazi Wazed Ali of the Matiranga Circle and Md. Syeduzzaman of the Galachipa Circle. The list also includes Md. Golam Kibria of RAB-2 in Mohammadpur, Mohammad Mizanur Rahman of Dhaka RRF and Md. Rabiul Islam of Sirajganj district.

As the war approaches six months, Iran remains under growing military, economic and political pressure while showing no clear urgency to stop fighting. The report says Tehran may be seeking to demonstrate that the conflict is not fully controlled by the United States and to raise Washington's military, economic and political costs in hopes of securing concessions. US and Israeli strikes have targeted Iranian defence industry and missile-production facilities, but no independent assessment of the resulting damage is available.

Chatham House says there is no reliable estimate of Iran's remaining missile stockpile. Ballistic missile launches have gradually declined, but drones and cruise missiles can be produced relatively quickly, and Iran's military command structure remains intact after replacements were appointed for commanders killed in the war. Professor Mohammad Ghaedi said Iran could sustain missile launches for a long period, though at lower intensity, and still has the ability to disrupt the Strait of Hormuz.

Economic strain is worsening. The World Bank said Iran's economy contracted about 2.7 percent in fiscal 2025-26, while the IMF forecast a 5.4 percent contraction and roughly 69 percent inflation in 2026. Annual inflation has reached 62 percent, exceeding 101 percent in Hormozgan. More than one million jobs were affected and about two million people became unemployed, according to the labour deputy minister. Tehran's debate over war duration continues, while a path to an acceptable settlement remains unclear.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has recalled former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji’s contribution to strengthening economic relations between Malaysia and China following Zhu’s death. In remarks reported on August 14, 2026, Anwar said the foundation of their cooperation at the time continues to strengthen ties between the two countries. Zhu died on August 12, a Wednesday, at the age of 97.

Anwar described Zhu as a “good friend,” recalling a long personal and political relationship that extended beyond official state and diplomatic contacts. He said Zhu arranged visits for him to Confucius’s birthplace, Mount Taishan in Shandong province, and sites associated with China’s historic naval explorer Admiral Zheng He.

Anwar also said Zhu gave him several Chinese classic books he had personally selected while visiting Anwar’s private library, and that the books remain preserved. Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also paid tribute, calling Zhu an “old friend” of Singapore and recalling his role in a major joint economic project. Zhu served as China’s premier from 1998 to 2003 and played an important role in economic reform and linking China to the global economy.

The United States has warned that it could maintain a naval blockade on Iran indefinitely and said it plans to intensify economic pressure. Speaking in Panama on Thursday, August 14, 2026, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the American military has the capacity to sustain a regional naval presence to enforce the blockade. He said the measure has caused major damage to Iran’s economy.

Hegseth said the US Navy has been regularly stopping ships and would continue doing so. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with Newsmax that further announcements on economic measures against Iran would come next week. He said Washington was preparing pressure against Iran on a scale not previously imposed on any country.

After a possible June agreement to end the war collapsed, Tehran has sought to increase pressure on the United States by using control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, according to the report. UAE state news agency WAM said two Abu Dhabi National Oil Company vessels were attacked while passing through the strait on Thursday evening. The UAE government condemned the incident as an Iranian attack.

Five people were killed and more than 10 workers were injured in a gas explosion at Ferdous Steel Shipyard in Bhatiari, Sitakunda, Chattogram. The accident occurred on Friday morning while an old ship was being cut, according to Sitakunda Upazila Nirbahi Officer Fakhrul Islam. The injured were rescued and sent to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where several were reported to be in critical condition.

Local sources and eyewitnesses said a loud explosion occurred during the cutting work, followed by a fire that burned and injured several workers. Co-workers, local residents, the fire service and police joined the rescue operation. Shipyard owner Ferdous Wahid said the blast happened suddenly during cutting, while its exact cause could not immediately be confirmed.

Authorities are initially considering whether flammable gas or vapour accumulated inside the old vessel caused the explosion. The investigation is expected to examine whether the ship was properly gas-freed, whether tanks and pipelines were inspected, and whether safety measures were in place. Stakeholders called for a final casualty list, treatment for the injured, compensation for victims' families, and a swift impartial investigation.