China’s three major state-owned airlines—Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines—reported combined net losses of about 8.2 billion yuan, or $1.2 billion, in the first six months of the year. The losses were linked to higher fuel prices caused by the Iran war and disruptions to international routes, which also damaged airline revenue.

According to a Reuters report, this was the seventh consecutive year in which the three leading Chinese carriers recorded first-half losses. Last month, the companies said their combined losses for the period could reach as much as 9 billion yuan, but the final figure was about 8.2 billion yuan.

Fuel costs at all three airlines rose between 35% and 38% during the first half, significantly increasing operating expenses. China Eastern said prolonged high jet-fuel prices and war-related international route disruptions had seriously harmed its profit environment. The report also identified limited fuel hedging by Chinese airlines as a major risk, leaving their costs quickly exposed when international oil prices rise.

Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, threatened a harsh response to a reported US attack on Larak Island. In two posts on social media platform X, Azizi warned Washington that Iran’s retaliation would be “devastating” and “more painful.”

One of Azizi’s posts was published in Persian and the other in English. In the Persian-language message, he said no level of crime would go unanswered and described the anticipated response as devastating, more painful and instructive.

Azizi also said the response would complete what he called a chain of US failures. He told Washington to wait with fear and anxiety. The source identifies Geo News as the source of the report.

Police said they arrested Sheikh Farid, described as the alleged leader of a snatching group, following the theft of a woman’s mobile phone and bag near a shopping mall in Kazir Dewri, Kotwali, Chattogram. He was arrested in Bakalia on Sunday after an operation, according to the report.

South DC Habibur Rahman said police arrested Farid during the operation and were trying to recover the stolen bag. The reported incident occurred at night in front of the Kazir Dewri shopping mall area.

The victim, Saida Tania Tuli, said in a social media post that her phone and bag were snatched at 9pm. She said she suffered severe pain in her hand during the incident. Because important applications were logged into the phone, she urged people not to conduct any transactions afterward.

Former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud Pilot has called for the release of Pakistan’s former cricket captain Imran Khan and for him to receive proper medical care in prison. In a social media message, Pilot described the World Cup-winning captain as his childhood hero and expressed support for him. The source does not specify the date or location of Pilot’s statement.

Pilot said Imran Khan has been a genuine inspiration as a former cricketer and captain. He praised Khan’s courage, leadership and achievements, saying they have inspired generations of cricketers across borders. He also said cricketers from Pakistan and around the world, both current and former, have been calling for Khan’s release and appropriate treatment.

The former Bangladesh captain said a cricket legend who has given so much to the sport deserves the highest standard of medical care, dignity and support. He urged the cricket world to stand beside Khan, whom he said has inspired millions of people. Pilot concluded by wishing Khan strength, good health and the care he deserves.

US President Donald Trump claimed in a one-line social media post on Sunday that Iran’s strategically important Kharg Island was “being destroyed,” sharing a video of an explosion. He offered no further details, and no immediate evidence was available to support an attack on the island. Reuters verified that the video clip was likely generated using artificial intelligence.

Before the war, about 90% of Iran’s oil exports passed through Kharg Island, meaning an attack could severely affect the country’s oil trade and economy. Trump’s post described the island as being crushed but did not identify who was responsible for any alleged strike or provide evidence for the claim.

Earlier, the United States struck two Revolutionary Guard rocket launchers on Iran’s Larak Island. US Central Command called it a limited, targeted operation intended to prevent mine-laying in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran then fired ballistic missiles at two US bases in Jordan, where authorities said eight missiles entering their airspace were intercepted. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has declined significantly amid tensions.

The Teesta issue has emerged as a major test of India-Bangladesh diplomacy, linking Bangladesh’s development needs with India’s security concerns around the narrow Siliguri Corridor, known as the “Chicken’s Neck.” The corridor, only 20 to 22 kilometres wide at its narrowest point, is India’s sole land connection to its northeastern states. The article argues that Teesta can no longer be treated solely as a water-sharing dispute.

Bangladesh has a sovereign right to pursue river restoration, flood control, irrigation and regional development in the Teesta basin, where erosion, irregular rainfall, sedimentation, floods and water shortages have intensified. The article says Chinese-funded infrastructure should not automatically be viewed as a strategic conspiracy, although India’s security agencies consider potential risks where projects overlap with sensitive geography.

The proposed Teesta water-sharing agreement has remained stalled for more than a decade amid domestic political concerns, particularly in West Bengal. The article calls for institutional cooperation beyond annual water talks, including joint basin management, flood forecasting, environmental restoration, climate resilience, cross-border connectivity and strategic transparency.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, has claimed it shot down a United States MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian news agencies Fars and Mehr reported the claim, citing an IRGC statement that said Iran’s air-defence system detected the long-range US drone in the sky over the strategic waterway and brought it down.

According to the IRGC statement, the air-defence system intercepted what it described as a long-range American MQ-9 drone after identifying its presence above the Strait of Hormuz. The statement said the drone later fell into the Gulf. The source does not include confirmation of the claim from US authorities or independent verification of the reported incident.

The claim comes as military tensions between Iran and the United States have risen again. The source says both sides have been carrying out attacks against each other after a comparatively calm period of about a month. Iran said its air-defence forces acted after detecting the US drone over the Strait of Hormuz.

Police arrested four people, including three BNP leaders and a Chhatra Dal leader, in Pirojpur over allegations of demanding extortion money from a contractor working on a power substation project. The detainees include former Kadamtala Union chairman and union BNP president Abdus Salam Sheikh, union Sramik Dal general secretary Raju Sheikh, former president Ashraful, and union Chhatra Dal president Hasib Sheikh.

Pirojpur Sadar police said Salam Sheikh was arrested in Dhaka with assistance from Rapid Action Battalion-10, while the other three were detained from different areas of Pirojpur and handed over to police. Pirojpur Sadar police station officer-in-charge Shariful Islam confirmed the arrests in connection with an extortion case.

According to the case statement, contractor Zakir Hossain began sand-filling work at the under-construction substation in Kadamtala village on August 13. He alleged that Salam Sheikh pressured him to take him as a partner and later demanded one taka for each cubic foot of sand. The complaint says that after Zakir refused, Salam and associates broke about one kilometre of sand-filling pipeline, causing an estimated loss of Tk150,000. The case names six accused and four or five unidentified people.

At least eight people died after a passenger ferry sank off the coast of Kyrenia in northern Cyprus. The ferry was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members when it overturned after water entered the vessel during bad weather, authorities said.

Authorities said two large waves struck the ferry in succession, allowing water to enter before it capsized. About 100 people have been rescued and brought ashore, while many passengers remain missing.

Turkey and northern Cyprus have launched a joint search operation using vessels and helicopters to find the missing people. The ferry captain and seven crew members have been detained as an investigation into the cause of the accident proceeds. Authorities said action would be taken against those responsible if any negligence is found.

Farmers in Shobhan area of Faridganj upazila, Chandpur, are turning discarded water hyacinth from the Dakatia River into floating beds for chemical-free vegetable cultivation. The practice has become an income source while supplying consumers with safer vegetables. Farmers grow 15 to 17 varieties, including bottle gourd, pumpkin and red amaranth, and later use the remaining beds as organic fertilizer.

Farmer Sahid Talukdar began experimenting with the method after seeing floating-bed seedlings brought from Barishal by a plant seller three decades ago. More than 100 farmers in Shobhan village now follow the approach, while trainees and farmers from other districts and upazilas visit Faridganj to observe it. Talukdar said he made 60 floating beds this year at a cost of about Tk350,000 and expects earnings of around Tk1 million.

Farmer Abu Taher said creating a one-decimal bed costs about Tk5,000 and can generate Tk10,000 to Tk12,000. Faridganj agriculture officer Kallol Kishore Sarkar said the department has arranged 28 demonstrations and that expanded training and technical support could raise production several times.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran does not want war but will not remain silent in the face of any aggression. He made the remarks while travelling to Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, to attend a summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member states, following a US attack on Iran's Larak Island.

According to Iran's Fars news agency, Pezeshkian said any party attacking Iran would receive a “final response.” He said Iran would never sit still before aggression. He also said instability and unrest in the region serve no country's interests and would create challenges for everyone.

The US Central Command said it conducted a “limited and precise” operation against an Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps mine-laying force, citing an “imminent threat” in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran described the attack as an act of aggression. The strike has renewed tensions in the Middle East, while Pezeshkian's comments combined stated opposition to war with a firm warning of retaliation if Iran is attacked.

A World Bank report published this year says Bangladesh’s primary education system remains fragile despite its large scale and progress in access and gender equality. The report found that 51 percent of 10-year-old children cannot read and understand age-appropriate basic Bangla and English texts, while also failing to attain grade-appropriate mathematics skills. Bangladesh has 20,183,048 students from pre-primary through grade five.

The report cited weak teaching, gaps in school leadership, inadequate infrastructure, climate-related disruptions and low funding as key factors behind learning deficits. Annual Primary School Statistics 2024 recorded more than 20 million children in 118,607 institutions, including 10,617,962 pupils in 65,567 government schools. Of 65,553 head-teacher posts, 27,734 are vacant, with assistant teachers serving in acting roles.

Teacher association leader Khairun Nahar Lipi disputed the report’s broad portrayal, saying primary education has improved despite challenges. The government has started recruitment for 32,000 head teachers. A proposed World Bank-financed PEDP-5 project worth Tk 417.61 billion awaits approval, covering teacher training, classrooms, WASH blocks and other targets.

Italy is proposing a new highway code rule that would fine pedestrians at least €75 for using mobile phones or other electronic devices while crossing roads. The measure, included in a draft revised highway code prepared by the Transport Ministry, is intended to improve pedestrian safety by reducing distraction from approaching vehicles. Tablets, laptops and digital cameras would also fall under the proposed restriction.

Authorities say that even if a driver sees a pedestrian distracted by a phone, there may not be enough time to avoid an accident. The proposal would not ban every form of phone use: emergency calls and hands-free conversations would remain allowed. Headphones would also be permitted if pedestrians can still hear surrounding traffic. The rule would not apply to people walking on pavements.

The draft instructs pedestrians to ensure that approaching drivers have seen them and are preparing to stop before crossing, while avoiding unnecessary delay or hesitation. Italy expects approval of the revised code by mid-October. The draft also proposes stricter penalties for drivers using phones, including fines up to €2,588 and licence suspension for one to three months for repeat offences.

US President Donald Trump posted an artificial intelligence-generated video on his Truth Social account depicting an aerial bombing of Iran’s Kharg Island, a major oil port. The video shows explosions involving an oil storage tank and an oil tanker. Trump accompanied the post with a message saying Kharg Island was being crushed.

The footage does not show a real attack, according to the source, but an AI-created depiction. Before the war, most of Iran’s oil exports were handled through Kharg Island, making it a highly important center for the country’s economy.

Trump has threatened to seize or destroy Kharg Island since the war began and has previously referred to the possibility of taking control of or destroying it. The new AI video presents an imagined scenario of a possible attack and again highlights US military threats concerning the key oil facility.

Habiganj Medical College has expelled eight students from academic activities and its hostel for varying periods following a fight among students at Hostel-1. The expulsion order, signed by Principal Professor Dr Mohammad Javed Zillul Bari, was issued on Sunday night. The clash occurred at about 12:30am on August 19 and left several students seriously injured.

One injured student, Tafsir Ahmed, was at risk of losing an eye and is receiving treatment at the National Institute of Ophthalmology in Dhaka. The college formed a six-member investigation committee following an emergency meeting of its Academic Council on August 20. The committee submitted its report to the disciplinary committee on August 27.

After reviewing the report, the disciplinary committee recommended punishment, which was approved at the Academic Council’s 22nd meeting. Seven students received academic suspensions ranging from six months to seven years and lifetime hostel expulsions, while one was expelled from the hostel for one year. Five students, including one of those expelled, were identified as instigators and warned of strict action if future involvement is proven.