CWA # 2236
CW Newsmakers
CW Newsmakers
Sheikh Hasina, Settler Violence in West Bank, Heat Waves in Northeast Asia...
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6 August 2026
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CW Newsmakers
Akshath Kaimal, Namrata L Ghanghatkar, Priyanka Makhijani and Urja R Kudalkar
Sheikh Hasina's media address:
Ousted Bangladesh PM vows December return despite death sentence
On 05 August, South Asian Herald reported that Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced she would return to her homeland in December, asserting she was prepared to face arrest, imprisonment, or even threats to her life. Speaking virtually from New Delhi at an event hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia, the 78-year-old said it was her duty to return to her people despite facing a death sentence handed down last year by Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal for incitement, ordering killings and failing to prevent atrocities during the 2024 uprising that toppled her government. She said the exact date would be announced closer to the time, and called for the ban on her Awami League party to be lifted, along with the release of its detained leadership and the withdrawal of pending cases against its members. Bangladesh Information Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman had earlier warned domestic media that broadcasting or publicising Hasina's speech would violate a December 2024 tribunal order, and Bangladesh barred media from broadcasting the speech ahead of what was her first public appearance since going into exile.
Hasina's son and political adviser, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, speaking ahead of his mother, accused Bangladesh's authorities of presiding over a deepening crisis of law and order, alleging continued killings, arbitrary detentions and press crackdowns under the government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, and subsequently, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. India's Ministry of External Affairs clarified that the Government of India had no involvement in arranging or facilitating Hasina's press briefing, with spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal saying New Delhi neither organised nor endorsed any views expressed at the forum.
DR Congo-FDLR disarmament deal:
Vague details and Rwanda’s rejection
On 29 July, Reuters reported that the Democratic Republic of Congo announced that the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) had signed a protocol committing to disarmament, demobilisation and relocation to cantonment sites under the US-brokered Washington peace agreement with Rwanda. Kinshasa described the agreement as progress towards fulfilling its obligations under the accord, while the FDLR reportedly accepted the process in exchange for security guarantees and protection from forced extradition. However, the protocol does not specify the number of fighters involved, the location of cantonment sites, the timeline for disarmament, or whether any weapons have already been surrendered.
Reuters and Africa News also reported that Rwanda rejected the protocol, arguing it contradicts the Washington agreement, which requires the FDLR's neutralisation rather than negotiations. Kigali has long accused Kinshasa of cooperating with the Hutu rebel group, while Congo accuses Rwanda of backing the M23 rebel movement in eastern DR Congo, where protracted conflict has caused mass displacement and one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The disagreement highlights continuing mistrust between the two countries despite last year's peace agreement. With both sides disputing how the FDLR issue should be addressed, the protocol is unlikely to ease tensions immediately and may delay broader implementation of the peace accord aimed at stabilising eastern DR Congo.
Settler violence in the West Bank:
Intensifying attacks, expanding settlements and state silence
On 04 August, Reuters and other portals highlighted that settler violence in the occupied West Bank has increased over the past five months, with Palestinian communities facing attacks on homes, farmland, religious sites and property. Reports said incidents included physical assaults, arson, vandalism and intimidation of residents. Al Jazeera reported that hard-line settler groups have been involved in attacks, with some groups supporting the expansion of Israeli settlements and the removal of Palestinians from parts of the West Bank. The report highlighted that United Nations data recorded hundreds of settler attacks during 2026, including incidents causing injuries and property damage.
In the last week of July, violence increased after clashes near Nablus in which four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed. Following the incident, settlers attacked Palestinian villages, including setting fire to mosques and damaging property. Israeli authorities said investigations were underway into the attacks. In the first week of August, reports highlighted continued concerns over settler violence. Al Jazeera reported that groups of settlers have carried out attacks on Palestinian property, while PBS reported that rising violence has increased insecurity among Palestinian communities. The UN human rights office also warned that settler attacks, settlement expansion and displacement pressures in the West Bank had reached an alarming level.
Extreme heat grips Northeast Asia:
South Korea, Japan and North Korea battle deadliest heat wave on record
On 05 August, AP News, BBC and other sources reported that a record-breaking heat wave was gripping South Korea, North Korea and Japan. The southeastern South Korean city of Yangsan recorded 42.5 degrees Celsius on 02 August, the highest temperature since weather observations began in Korea in 1904, with Seoul issuing its first-ever “severe heatwave warning” as temperatures there reached 39 degrees Celsius. South Korea's Interior and Safety Ministry said around 2,441 people had been diagnosed with heat-related illnesses and 19 had died since mid-May, while roughly 17,140 livestock and 160,000 farmed fish also died. South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung called the heat wave a “national disaster” and ordered officials to overhaul the national crisis system. Japan's disaster agency reported more than 18,000 people were hospitalised with heat stroke symptoms in a single week, while North Korean authorities issued heat advisories in affected areas.
Authorities across the region scrambled to respond. Seoul deployed 200 trucks to spray nearly 2,000 kilometres of roads with water, while nurses checked on 63,000 vulnerable residents and officials in North Gyeongsang province used drones to broadcast safety messages. The Korea Baseball Organization cancelled all games scheduled for 05 and 06 August after fans collapsed at a stadium in Incheon. The Korea Meteorological Administration attributed the heat wave to overlapping high-pressure systems, compounded in the southeast by the "foehn phenomenon," while noting Typhoon Dolphin could either intensify or ease conditions depending on its path.
Super El Nino threatens China
Beijing to see floods, heatwaves and stronger typhoons in 2027
On 03 August 2026, China Daily reported that a rapidly strengthening El Nino over the Pacific Ocean could become the strongest in around 150 years, increasing the likelihood of prolonged heatwaves, heavier rainfall and stronger typhoons across Asia and making 2027 potentially the hottest year on record. Earlier, on 02 August 2026, Global Times reported that China was already experiencing extreme heat, widespread flooding and an active typhoon season, with authorities warning that El Nino acts as a climate "amplifier" that increases the probability of extreme weather. On 04 August 2026, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) forecast above-normal temperatures nationwide, above-average rainfall across eastern and southwestern China, two to three stronger-than-usual typhoons making landfall or significantly affecting China in August, increased flood risks across eastern China, and persistent drought risks in the northwest. The same day, Global Times reported that Super Typhoon Dolphin could bring strong winds, heavy rainfall and high waves to Shanghai, Zhejiang and other eastern coastal provinces after 06 August, depending on its eventual track.
About the authors
Akshath Kaimal is a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru. Namrata L Ghanghatkar, Priyanka Makhijani, Urja R Kudalkar are postgraduate students at the Department of Public Policy, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences. They are currently Research interns at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru.