Iran’s Intelligence Ministry said it arrested 21 people in the southeastern province of Kerman over allegations that they were linked to Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. The report, published by Amar Desh Online on August 6, 2026, said the arrests followed a series of intelligence operations in the province.

According to a ministry statement, the detainees allegedly collected information from sensitive and confidential military and defense sites and sent it to Mossad. Iranian authorities described Mossad as a terrorist organization. The source did not include comments from the detainees or independent verification of the allegations.

Mehr News Agency, described in the report as an Iranian semi-official and private news agency, also said intelligence forces identified and arrested four armed criminals in the province. Authorities said they recovered and seized several weapons, ammunition for combat purposes, and hunting ammunition from those arrested. The report cited Al Jazeera and Mehr News as its sources.

An investigation agency has submitted a report to the prosecution of the International Crimes Tribunal naming Professor Dr Muhammad Zafar Iqbal as an accused in a crimes against humanity case. The case concerns allegations of attacks on Dhaka University students during the July mass uprising. The report names a total of eight people, according to the prosecution.

Others named include former Dhaka University vice-chancellor Professor A S M Maksud Kamal, former justice A B M Nizamul Haque Manik, teacher K M Jamal Uddin and Chhatra League general secretary Wali Asif Inan. Prosecutor Gazi M H Tamim confirmed to journalists on Thursday that the investigation report had been submitted.

The prosecution said the investigation agency conducted a lengthy inquiry before filing the report with the chief prosecutor's office, where it is now under review. After scrutiny, it will be submitted to the tribunal as formal charges. Earlier, a phone conversation between Sheikh Hasina and Maksud Kamal was presented before the tribunal in a case related to the July movement, the prosecution said.

Bangladesh’s Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam said VIPs and CIPs must follow the same airport security protocols as all other passengers, with no one exempt from security procedures. She made the statement on Thursday while chairing the first meeting of the reconstituted National Civil Aviation Security Committee at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh headquarters.

The minister directed relevant authorities to quickly implement decisions from the 13th meeting of the country’s highest civil aviation security policymaking and coordination committee. Referring to an upcoming International Civil Aviation Organization security audit, she said its outcome is linked to Bangladesh’s international image and called for full compliance in areas that may draw ICAO observations. She also stressed coordinated work to improve passenger services, particularly for expatriate Bangladeshis.

State Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat said an anti-drone system would be installed to prevent unauthorized drone flights near airports. The meeting discussed intelligence sharing, modern security technology, stronger entry-point security at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, improved under-vehicle scanning, and contingency planning. Agencies were also urged to coordinate against congestion, unauthorized gatherings, begging, and illegal luggage-wrapping activities in the airport’s landside area.

Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina answered journalists’ questions by audio after an expected video press conference appearance did not take place, according to the report. Subrata Acharya, editor of Indian outlet Prothom Kolkata, questioned how much people would trust Hasina’s declaration that she would return to Bangladesh by December. He made the comments in a Facebook video message on Wednesday night.

Acharya said many viewers had joined Facebook expecting to see Hasina directly on video after two years. Pro-Awami League media outlets had also said she would join virtually and answer reporters’ questions. He said live viewership was about 206,000 when Hasina began speaking, but fell by roughly 44,000 to 162,000 within 10 minutes after viewers realized she was not on video.

Hasina faced journalists on August 5 at an event of the Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia in Delhi, attended by her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and several Awami League figures. Acharya said her return pledge, despite stated risks of arrest, imprisonment or threats to her life, appeared to be a political message because no clear legal, organizational or security plan had been presented.

Pakistan is actively engaging regional partners in diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions in the Gulf and Middle East, with particular focus on resolving the Strait of Hormuz impasse. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi announced the effort at a weekly briefing in Islamabad on August 6, saying Pakistan was working with other brotherly countries and would continue its diplomacy to promote regional peace.

Andrabi praised Oman for what he described as its constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability as a coastal state bordering the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf. As part of the initiative, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held separate telephone conversations with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Their discussions covered recent developments in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Palestine and occupied East Jerusalem.

Dar also invited Araghchi to visit Pakistan. Washington and Tehran signed a framework agreement on June 18 and began talks toward a final settlement, but negotiations later stalled over guarantees for security and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions rose again last month after US strikes inside Iran, followed by Tehran's claim that it targeted US military facilities and equipment in several Arab countries.

Bangladesh Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir and Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Susan Ryle stressed broader, more institutional cooperation in trade, investment, skills development and research. At a Thursday meeting at the Commerce Ministry in the Secretariat, they discussed expanding cooperation in trade-negotiation capacity, education, agriculture, livestock and investment to deepen bilateral economic ties. Commerce Ministry Secretary Md Ataur Rahman Khan attended the meeting.

The minister said the government plans long-term institutional training to strengthen officials’ skills in international trade, particularly World Trade Organization law and trade negotiations. He said an initiative has been taken to establish a research and study centre, envisioned as a future regional hub for knowledge and skills exchange. He also cited planned specialised training for project directors.

Ryle said Australia was interested in supporting such long-term capacity-building programmes, including trade negotiations, legal aspects of international agreements and policy skills. The sides also discussed post-LDC trade benefits and future market access. Bilateral trade is about $5.5 billion and growing, she said. An Australian business delegation is planning a Bangladesh visit, while beef exports, halal certification, animal traceability and livestock management were also discussed.

Opposition leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr Shafiqur Rahman said the 11-party alliance would continue its movement until its demands are met. He made the remarks as chief guest at a sit-in at Muktangan in the capital on Thursday, organized to protest public hardship and rising prices of oil, gas and essential goods. He said the alliance’s 11-point agenda was intended to protect the rights of 180 million people.

The alliance called for implementation of the referendum verdict, removal of discrimination, lower and controlled fuel prices, relief from public suffering, control of commodity prices, and accountability for killings and alleged asset looting. Rahman demanded withdrawal of increased LPG prices and urged the government not to raise gas prices. NCP convener Nahid Islam alleged that the government had failed to supply gas and electricity. Other speakers also raised concerns about energy shortages, prices, employment and campus conditions.

The alliance announced long marches from Dhaka to Chattogram on September 5, Rangpur on September 19, Khulna on October 10, and Sylhet by rail on October 24, followed by a Dhaka rally on November 14. A march toward the Secretariat was stopped by police barricades. After waiting nearly 45 minutes without a ministry representative arriving, the program ended around 1:30pm.

The Bangladesh government has begun work on a draft revised Gold Policy 2018, aiming to move the country’s gold sector from an informal condition into a legal, recognized and accountable business sector. At a meeting at the Commerce Ministry in the Secretariat on August 6, Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir instructed relevant government agencies and stakeholders to submit written opinions on the draft by next Sunday.

The meeting was chaired by Commerce Ministry Secretary Md Ataur Rahman Khan and included Bajus President Enamul Haque Khan, Export Promotion Bureau Vice Chairman Mohammad Hasan Arif, and representatives of the National Board of Revenue, Bangladesh Bank and the gold sector. The minister said the sector had not become fully institutional because of inadequate policy and regulatory structures, and that regulatory weaknesses should also be considered rather than placing responsibility solely on businesses.

The proposed framework calls for every stage of purchasing, selling and storing legally imported gold to be recorded and monitored by regulators. The government is also considering employment, lawful imports, revenue collection, transparency and the potential for value-added jewellery exports. After stakeholder views are compiled, another meeting may be held if needed before work proceeds to finalize the revised policy quickly.

Record drought has caused an unprecedented deterioration in France’s small rivers and waterways, with water flow disrupted or channels completely dry in 43 percent of them, according to the French Biodiversity Office. As of August 1, 1,373 small waterways across mainland France and Corsica were affected, a situation the agency described as the most critical seen at this time of year.

The assessment was based on data from the National Low Water Observatory Network, which operates 3,230 monitoring stations nationwide. Local broadcaster BFMTV reported that the number of affected waterways had increased by 554 since July 1. The French Biodiversity Office said all regions were affected, with rapid deterioration from the western Vendée department to the eastern Grand Est region and a spreading impact in south-central France.

The agency said conditions had surpassed the severe drought of 2022, with 112 more waterways experiencing disrupted flow or drying up. Compared with the same period in 2025, the situation had worsened by more than twice. France’s geological survey classified 60 percent of groundwater levels as moderate to very low as of July 15.

Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission said it will soon submit a charge sheet against former national cricket captain and former lawmaker Shakib Al Hasan and 14 others in a case alleging share-market manipulation, forgery, embezzlement and money laundering involving Tk256 crore. The announcement was made on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at the ACC’s headquarters in Segunbagicha.

ACC Deputy Director for Public Relations Akhtarul Islam told journalists that the investigation into the case had been completed. He said the case concerns allegations that Tk256 crore was embezzled through manipulation in the share market, and that charge sheets against Shakib and the other 14 accused would be filed before a court soon.

The case was filed earlier on June 17, 2025, by ACC Assistant Director Sazzad Hossain. The source does not specify a date for submitting the charge sheet, nor does it provide further details about the investigation or the identities of the other accused.

Hiroshima marked the 81st anniversary of the US atomic bombing on Thursday in the western Japanese city, with Mayor Kazumi Matsui urging major powers to stop justifying nuclear weapons as a means of deterrence. At a ceremony in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, a minute of silence was observed at 8:15 a.m., the time a US B-29 aircraft dropped the bomb, as a peace bell rang.

The bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, nearly destroyed the city and killed about 140,000 people. A second bombing of Nagasaki three days later killed about 70,000 more people. Japan surrendered on August 15, ending World War II.

Matsui said downplaying the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and using force for prosperity risked creating a cycle of retaliation that could end in another Hiroshima or Nagasaki. About 50,000 people and representatives from nearly 120 countries and regions, including the United States and Iran, were expected to attend. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she would pursue a realistic approach within the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty framework toward a world in which nuclear weapons are never used.

Prime Minister’s Public Administration Affairs Adviser Md Ismail Jabiyullah ordered officials to avoid bureaucratic complications and take swift action through personal communication and inter-institutional coordination to implement the BNP’s election manifesto. He issued the instruction on Thursday at the Secretariat during a progress-review meeting on the government’s 180-day action plan prepared under the manifesto.

Jabiyullah said the Ministry of Public Administration was working to build a merit-based civil administration, recruit 500,000 government employees through transparent and rapid procedures, and establish an accountable, citizen-friendly administration. State Minister for Public Administration Md Abdul Bari attended the meeting, which was chaired by Senior Secretary Md Ehsanul Haque and joined by agency heads, senior ministry officials and divisional commissioners online.

The adviser said the ministry has initiated a system to complete government officers’ pension applications and administrative approvals entirely online. A pilot formally began with online administrative approval of the pension of one retired additional secretary from the ministry. He also directed the use of artificial intelligence in online transfer and posting processes through the Government Employee Management System, or GEMS, and called for rapid work to meet the target of filling all vacant posts.

Leaders and activists of an 11-party alliance, including Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP), marched toward the Secretariat on Thursday after a sit-in programme. They cited alleged fuel and gas shortages, ghost electricity bills and price increases, deteriorating law and order, and rising prices of essential goods. Police prevented them from advancing, after which they remained outside the Secretariat for some time. Jamaat ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman and NCP convener Nahid Islam addressed the gathering.

Nahid alleged that Tarique Rahman’s government had broken successive promises during its five months in power. He said it had not formed a constitutional reform council in line with the referendum mandate and had not implemented the July Charter. He also alleged that the government had created artificial shortages of gas, electricity and water, which he described as basic public needs.

Speaking earlier at the sit-in, Nahid said the government had completely failed in five months. He alleged it could not provide gas or electricity, control commodity prices, or ensure any employment despite its promise. The 11-party alliance has announced division-based long marches starting on September 5, demanding implementation of the July National Charter and the referendum verdict.

Human Rights Watch said an Israeli airstrike that killed Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil and wounded camerawoman Zainab Faraj in southern Lebanon earlier this year was deliberate and constituted a war crime. Khalil, a journalist for Lebanese outlet Al Akhbar, was killed on April 22 while reporting on Israeli aggression in the southern town of At-Tiri.

The rights group said evidence, including requests from the United Nations mission in Lebanon and the Red Cross, indicated that Israeli forces knew journalists were inside the building they struck. HRW said Khalil was killed in the attack and Faraj was wounded.

HRW also said Israeli forces prevented rescue teams from reaching the journalists’ location, when Khalil was likely still alive. In a statement, HRW’s Ramzi Kaiss said the information gathered clearly showed that the Israeli military knew, or should have known, that Faraj and Khalil were civilians. He said they were nevertheless attacked and paramedics were blocked from rescuing them for hours.

Iran is nearing an agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, according to an Al Jazeera report cited by Amar Desh Online. The report said an announcement could be made by the end of Thursday. Amar Desh Online published the report on August 6, 2026, at 4:04 p.m.

Citing sources, Al Jazeera said talks had made good progress and both sides were close to announcing an agreement. One or two issues still need to be resolved, but the source said they were not particularly complicated.

The report said a central issue is likely to be the route used by ships and vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz. On Wednesday, Iran's Foreign Ministry said the sides had agreed on that matter and were working toward agreement on the geographical coordinates of new routes for maritime traffic. Other disputed issues concerning Hormuz include tolls that Iran had initially proposed imposing.