Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrives at the Kremlin to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The pair are set to discuss the development of bilateral relations, as well as key regional and international issues. Putin names the United Arab Emirates as a potential location for an upcoming summit with US President Donald Trump.

Thailand and Cambodia agreed Thursday to extend a ceasefire deal that followed five days of hostilities along their border last month. The joint statement signed by Thai Deputy Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit and Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Seiha said they agreed to continue a freeze on border troop movements and patrols.

The statement scheduled another meeting within a month and both sides would also agree to refrain from disseminating false information or fake news in order to de-escalate tensions.

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Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday said he would write to the Election Commission, asking it to organize the general election in February 2026, before Ramadan.

"Now it is time for us to fulfil our final duty: holding the election. Following this address on this momentous day, we will enter the final and most important chapter of our responsibility. We will begin the process of handing over power to an elected government," the chief adviser said in his address to the nation on Student-People Uprising Day.

Yunus added that on behalf of the interim government, he would send a letter to the chief election commissioner, requesting that the Election Commission organize the national election in February 2026, before the upcoming Ramadan. 

"I ask all of you to pray that the election is held smoothly, so that all citizens of this country can move forward successfully in building a new Bangladesh. On behalf of the government, we will provide all necessary support to ensure that the election is fair, peaceful and festive.

"From tomorrow, we will begin our mental and institutional preparations to ensure that this election becomes memorable in the nation’s history, for its joyous spirit, for peace and order, for voter turnout, and for the atmosphere of harmony and sincerity."

In 2026, Ramadan is expected to begin on the evening of February 17.

Ref : DakhaTribune

Retired Israeli security officials call on their current colleagues to put an end to the war in Gaza. "Agency heads must stand bravely in front of the prime minister and the cabinet and say their piece in the most truthful way possible about this war, about its futility," says ex-head of Shin Bet Nadav Argaman.

A letter signed by 550 retired Israeli security officials was published as well, calling on US President Donald Trump to help end the war launched in October 2023 in response to the attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas.

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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Monday that the plight of hostages held in Gaza should top the global agenda, ahead of a UN Security Council session on the issue. "The world must put an end to the phenomenon of kidnapping civilians. It must be front and center on the world stage," Saar told a press briefing.

"He would head to New York tonight to participate in a special UN Security Council session that he initiated, taking place on Tuesday on the situation of the hostages," the Minister added. The UN session was called after Palestinian militant group Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad had published last week three videos showing two hostages who appear weak, causing deep shock and distress in Israel.

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Philippines President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr said his visit to India reaffirms the strengthening bilateral partnership between the two nations Tuesday. “It is a reaffirmation of the alliance and the partnership that we are strengthening,” the Philippines President said on the sidelines of a ceremonial reception accorded to him at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan complex in New Delhi.

On his arrival, he was received by President Droupadi Murmu in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was also accorded a guard of honour during the ceremony.

Marcos arrived in India on August 5 on a five-day visit. He will hold bilateral talks with PM Modi later today. His visit comes as India-Philippines diplomatic relations reach their 75th anniversary this year.

The Philippines’ President asserted that the Manila wants to build existing ties with New Delhi and explore “many opportunities” that have arisen in the past few years.

“We used to refer to the Asia Pacific region, we now refer to it as the Indo-Pacific region, which is, I think, a correct evolution of the understanding because of the global nature of all the politics, all the trade and all of the economy,” the Philippine president said.

He added: “And I want to build upon what we already have, but certainly to explore many opportunities that have arisen in the past few years because of the new technologies and the changing state of the global economy and the geopolitics around us now.”

The Ministry of External Affairs said that this visit will be an opportunity for both countries to set a path for “future bilateral cooperation and to engage on regional and international issues of mutual interest”.

Ref : The India Express

As part of a humanitarian airlift launched from the Kenitra military base, Morocco is shipping 37 tons of aid to Gaza, out of a planned total of 180 tons. The aid, transported via Ben Gurion Airport and the Kerem Shalom crossing, includes food supplies for children and infants, medication, surgical equipment, as well as tents and blankets.

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Donald Trump confirmed Sunday his special envoy Steve Witkoff would visit Russia in the coming week, ahead of a deadline the US President has set for imposing fresh sanctions on Moscow.

Speaking to reporters, Trump also said that two nuclear submarines were deployed in the region following an online row with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Trump did not mention the exact deployment location nor elaborate whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. It was kept secret by the US military.

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Thailand and Cambodia planned to open four days of talks in Malaysia over how to manage a border area claimed by both sides.

The talks are scheduled to start on Monday. Sources from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations said primary agenda items in the talks include how to maintain the ceasefire and how to establish a team to monitor the situation. A defense ministerial-level meeting is expected to take place on the last day of the talks, with US and Chinese delegates attending.

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South Korea has started removing loudspeakers used to blare K-pop and news reports into the North, as a new administration in Seoul tries to ease tensions with its neighbor.

South Korea's defense ministry spokesman said Monday that all loudspeakers set up along the border will be dismantled by the end of the week.

The South and the North are still technically at war, Seoul's military said in June after the election of President Lee Jae Myung.

The previous government started the broadcasts last year in response to a barrage of trash-filled balloons flown southward by Pyongyang. Despite his diplomatic overtures, the North has rejected pursuing dialogue with its neighbour.

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