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Bangladesh, one of the world's fastest-growing economies, has raised fuel prices by more than 50% in just a week, BBC reported.

It blames rising oil prices in the wake of the war in Ukraine. Thousands of people have taken to the streets in protest, as another South Asian nation faces a growing financial crisis. 

As he queues up to get petrol for the truck that he uses to transport vegetables, Mohammad Nurul Islam says he's scared that he may soon have to resort to begging. 

An unexpected rise in fuel prices in Bangladesh has seen petrol prices go from 86 taka (91 cents, 75p) a litre, to 130 taka ($1.37, £1.13).

Diesel and kerosene have also risen by by 42.5%. 

The steep increases have left Mohammed, who has been working for a transport company for the last nine years, struggling to pay for the basics.

The 35-year-old, who lives in the northern city of Dinajpur, takes fresh produce from his hometown to the capital, Dhaka. 

He has two young children and his parents to support, but says his bosses can't afford to pay him his full salary now the fuel price hike has come in.

"When I go to the market, I can't buy enough food for my family. If the price of fuel keeps increasing like this, I can't look after my parents or send my children to school, according to BBC.

"If I lose my job, I might have to start begging in the street," he says. 

Countless others in the nation of more than 168 million people are facing a similar predicament. 

Like many other countries, Bangladesh has been at the sharp end of the global rise in oil prices in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

"We know the price increase is big, but what can we do if the cost of the fuel increases in foreign countries?" the country's energy minister, Nasrul Hamid, told BBC Bangla. 

Denying accusations of economic mismanagement by the government, Mr Hamid said his administration had already given out subsidies to avoid rises in the past, but the hikes were now unavoidable. 

"If the global prices come down by a certain point, we will try to make some adjustments," he added.

After news of the rise was announced last week, thousands protested at petrol stations across the country in scenes reminiscent of Sri Lanka, calling for the increases to be reversed. 

Protests in Bangladesh have been sporadic, but the anger and resentment is growing.

Nasrul Hamid believes his country will avoid the fate of Sri Lanka, even though foreign currency reserves are falling. 

In July, Bangladesh - whose economy had been lauded as one of the fastest-growing in the world - became the third South Asian nation to seek a loan from the International Monetary Fund, after Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

But for Mossammad Zakia Sultana, who can barely afford the bus fare to take her sick child for treatment, any help will be too late. 

As public transport fares rise because of soaring fuel costs, she's making only the most essential journeys.

She speaks to the BBC on the bus on the way to the hospital, her teenage daughter beside her. She says that recent rises in food prices have already hit her hard. 

"Not only has the bus fare increased, the price of everything in the market has also increased, making it difficult for me to run my family expenses," she says.

"It's not just bus fares. Rickshaws and other transport have gone up, so it is getting difficult just to get out of the house."

In more remote areas of Dinajpur, the stories are similar. Sheuli Hazda works in the paddy fields in the rice-producing district of Phulbari.

She says she can barely afford to buy the food she farms. 

"With the sudden price hike of the fuel, the cost of farming has become very expensive," she says.

"Our salaries barely cover our living costs. Everything is so expensive, we can't buy enough rations to feed our children." 

As the cost of living rises in Bangladesh, people like Sheuli say their earnings are becoming worthless, according to BBC.

"If the government doesn't reduce the fuel price soon, we will starve to death."

At least seven people have been injured after gunmen opened fire at separate locations in the city of Jerusalem, Israeli officials have said, BBC reported.

The attackers shot at a bus and opened fire in a car park near the historic Western Wall at 01:24 local time (22:24 GMT), emergency officials said.

Police have launched a search for the gunmen, who fled after the attacks.

A police spokesperson told local media that the incident is being treated as a suspected terror attack. 

The ambulance service, Magen David Adom (MDA), said it was treating several people, including two who were in a critical condition.

The victims - six men and one woman - have been taken to hospitals in Jerusalem, MDA added. 

It remains unclear as to how many shooters were involved, however Hebrew media has reported that police are searching for at least two suspects.

Video on social media showed heavily armed police at the scene and local media reported that worshippers had been briefly prevented from leaving the Western Wall compound. 

A police spokesperson said officers have "begun securing the area, investigating the case and searching for the suspects, who fled". 

The Times of Israel reported that at least one attacker had waited for the bus to arrive at a stop, before opening fire as passengers boarded, according to BBC.

"The bus was full, jam-packed," driver Daniel Kanievsky told local media. "I stopped at a bus stop at King David's Tomb and then I heard gunfire, people started yelling, people were hurt inside the bus." 

The Western Wall is one of the holiest sites in Judaism and thousands of worshippers go on a pilgrimage to the site every year to pray. 

The attacks come a week after Israeli raids targeting Palestinian militants in the Gaza strip killed 44 people. An Egypt-brokered ceasefire brought an end to three days of intense violence, BBC reported.

An unmarried mother Niharika Rajput, who has been demanding action against her rapist, tried to immolate herself by pouring petrol on herself outside the President’s office in Maharajgunj on Friday.

In the meantime, police took her under control. She has been taken to a hospital.

DSP Angur GC of the Metropolitan Police Circle, Maharajgunj said that her condition is normal.

Rajput has been saying that Shivaraj Shrestha of Janapur had raped her by offering her food laced with sedatives when she was 17-year-old.

Sher had staged a hunger strike at Maitighar in Kathmandu a few months ago.

The government had signed a five-point agreement with her then.

The government officials had said that they would initiate the process to test the DNA of Shivaram Shrestha and Rajput’s son and also vowed to address all her demands.

Joint Secretary Shivaram Pokharel, Under Secretary Basanta Bhattarai, Niharaik Rajpur, Sabitri Subedi, Sunita Gautam and Logeshwori Kunwar had signed the agreement.

Rajput tried to kill herself today after the government did not implement the agreement signed with her.

India on August 5 marked the third anniversary of the revocation of the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir. India did so through the abrogation of Article 370 of its constitution.

Over the past three years, says the Indian government, many reforms in the region have heralded a new era of peace and development. In this period, it claims, a record number of development projects were completed, transforming the lives of millions of ordinary people.

One of them is the rapid expansion of roads targeting every village in Jammu and Kashmir which has ensured the safety, connectivity, and mobility of the people. Similarly, 125 bridges are under construction under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

Similarly, there has been massive construction of transmission lines and distribution of the power to the people. Drastic measures have been taken to transform the governance system which remained dismal for decades.

This state is now becoming a new destination for international investors, says the government. Rebuilding the education system through massive addition of infrastructure and trained human resources is taking place with a view of quality education with academic excellence driven by policy reforms is the new mantra.

The Indian government also claims to have taken measures to ensure equality and justice for all. For the same purpose, reservation rules were amended to extend benefits to left out categories. The number of tourists are also significantly increasing. ‘Mission Youth-My J&K’ is the first-of-its-kind initiative to empower the youth, according to an Indian government report. 

Which meat lover does not like sekuwa? Ah, the taste of those dark smoky flesh morsels garnished with onion and lime! Bona fide carnivores will thus love Jheer Sekuwa, a restaurant dedicated to grilled food items.

Located at Sankhamul on the Bagmati corridor, it is hard to miss. For those with a keen sense of smell, the aroma of grilled meat wafting from its kitchen will tell you exactly where to go.  

The restaurant has plenty of indoor and outdoor dining space, so don’t you worry if you have a large posse of friends or relatives. The outdoor setting is perfect in the evening when the place is lit, the weather balmy and the conversation flowing.     

The staff members are friendly and the orders are promptly delivered. Talking about the menu, the best-seller is undoubtedly the sekuwa set that comes with a little bit of everything, from radish pickle to roasted gram. Whether you want pork, chicken or mutton sekuwa, it is up to you. We are not picking any one, for they are all equally delicious.

And if you are coming in with a big party, you can place your sekuwa order in kilograms.

We also recommend the chicken wings that the restaurant serves with a special pickle and chili powder: tender and packed with perfectly balanced flavors.

And yes, the place also serves an array of drinks and the best part is, they are available at maximum retail price. There is a seven percent service charge, but it is still a bang for your buck.

And if you cannot travel all the way to Sankhamul, Jheer Sekuwa also has its branch in Kalopul, while more outlets are planned in Tokha, Kalanki, Bhaisepati and Imadol.  

Specials 

Sekuwa set

Wings

Aloo Poleko 

Opening hours: 1:00pm to 9:30pm

Location: Shankhamul

Meal for 2: Rs 700

Online Payment: Yes

Parking Space: Yes

The government has decided to administer Pfizer vaccine against Covid-19 to the children of 50 districts under the second phase.

The Ministry of Health and Population has decided to administer the vaccine to children between five and 15 years.

The Ministry said that the first dose of vaccine will be administered from August 21 to 27 and second dose from September 12 to 17.

The vaccine will be administered in Bhojpur, Dhankuta, Khotang, Okhaldhunga, Panchthar, Sankhuwasabha, Solukhumbu, Taplejung, Tehrathum and Udayapur of Province 1, Bara, Rautahat and Sarlahi of Madhesh Province and Ramechhap, Dolakha, Dhanding, Nuwakot, Rasuwa and Sindhupalchok of Bagmati Province.

Similarly, the children of Baglung Gorkha, Lamjung, Manang, Mustang, Myagdi, Parbat, Syangja of Gandaki Province, Kapilvastu, Argakhanchi, Gulmi, Palpa, Pyuthan, Rolpa of Tanahun and Lumbini Provinces and also in the East Rukum will also be administered the vaccine against Covid-19.

The Ministry said that the vaccine will also be administered in West Rukum, Salyan, Dolpa, Humla, Jumla, Kalikot, Mugu, Dailekh, Jajarkot of Karnali Province and Achham, Doti, Bajhang, Bajura, Baitadi and Darchula of Sudurpaschim Province.

Nepal recorded 781 new Covid-19 cases and two deaths on Friday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 2, 290 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 419 returned positive. Likewise, 2, 422 people underwent antigen tests, of which 362 tested positive.

The Ministry said that 511 infected people recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours.

As of today, there are 5, 775 active cases in the country.

Two children of the same village died while swimming in the Kankai Canal in Jhapa on Thursday.

The deceased have been identified as Anjila Sundas (11) and Dhruba Rai (12) of Aitabare, Shivasatachhi Municipality-9, DSP Basanta Pathak of the District Police Office, Jhapa said.

According to police, Sundas and Rai had gone to the canal of the Kankai Irrigation Project to swim at around 4 pm yesterday.

The families of the two had started a search after the duo did not return home till late evening. During the search, the families had recovered the children's clothes and slippers on the side of the Kankai canal.

Later, a police team reached the incident site after the families and neighbors informed the Area Police Office, Jhiljhil.

The bodies have been sent to a hospital, police said.

The Area Police Office, Jhiljhil is investigating the case.