Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan said the next World Cup will be developed into a profitable event for Bangladesh Television, rather than being limited to free broadcasting. He made the remarks at a joint press conference of the Youth and Sports Ministry and the Information and Broadcasting Ministry at the Department of Information conference room in the Secretariat on Sunday, July 26, 2026.

Swapan said the government has set a goal of earning revenue from the large advertising market in the entertainment sector. He said that with cooperation and continued encouragement for the current initiative, the next World Cup could move beyond a zero-cost model and become a profitable undertaking.

A letter of greetings and thanks was presented to the information minister on behalf of State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Islam for creating an opportunity to broadcast the 2026 World Cup football matches smoothly. Swapan said this year's World Cup football broadcasts were carried out without spending money from revenue, with encouragement and support from the sports ministry. He also called on young people to pursue the goal of establishing sports as a respectable profession.

A technical fault at one of two floating LNG terminals in Maheshkhali has sharply reduced gas supplies to Dhaka and nearby districts, causing severe disruption in homes, CNG filling stations and factories. The report, published on July 26, says the situation has worsened over the past week, while the energy division has been unable to provide a definite timeline for restoring normal supply.

Residents in New Market, Mohammadpur and the 600 Feet Road area reported little or no gas for cooking, while CNG drivers said many pumps lacked pressure and some queues lasted 10 to 12 hours. Shortages have also affected Narayanganj, Gazipur and Narsingdi, where industrial and household users are facing supply constraints. Normal production at factories in Savar and Gazipur has been seriously disrupted. CNG station owners are also preparing for a strike over demands for higher commissions.

State Minister Anindya Islam Amit said experts from the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates identified the fault and are carrying out repairs, but the technical complexity prevents a firm deadline. Bangladesh supplies about 2,700 to 2,800 million cubic feet of gas daily against demand of 3,800 million. The government says work is underway on additional FSRUs, a land-based LNG terminal at Matarbari and investment initiatives for gas exploration.

Nurul Islam Iran, 45, was killed in a mob assault in South Bhaterkhil of Muradpur ইউনিয়ন, Sitakunda, Chattogram, around 1:30am on Saturday night. An agitated group surrounded and beat him, and he died at the scene, according to local sources. The crowd later set fire to his home near Bhuiyar Dokan in South Bhaterkhil. Iran, son of Nur Mia, was an accused in the murder case of 16-year-old Naim.

Tension rose in the area after news of Naim’s death spread. His family alleged that he was called from home on the night of July 20 over missing yaba, tortured and injured with a sharp weapon before being left outside his home. Relatives took Naim to Sitakunda উপজেলা Health Complex and later to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where he died on July 25 after five days of treatment.

Naim’s father, Md Khokon, filed a murder case alleging that Iran was locally known to be involved in yaba trade. Police said Iran was an accused in the Naim and Shamim murder cases. A suspect, Altaf Hossain, has been detained in the Naim case, while raids continue for others. No separate case has yet been filed over Iran’s mob killing, which police are investigating.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, has claimed that more than 200 US troops were killed during a 15-day conflict with the United States. IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebi made the assertion in an interview with Iran’s Tasnim news agency published on July 26, 2026.

Mohebi said the actual number of US military casualties and losses from Iran’s retaliatory strikes was far higher than the figures released by Washington. The IRGC said its Operation Victory-2 involved attacks on eight US military bases. It said missiles struck 20 facilities and aircraft hangars at one of those bases.

According to the IRGC, the attacks destroyed 11 US warplanes and helicopters, 17 intelligence and operational drones, one F-15 fighter jet, one P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, one C-17 transport aircraft, and eight aerial refuelling aircraft. The Pentagon had previously said 18 US troops were killed in the conflict, while several international media outlets later reported a revised death toll of 14. The United States released photographs and names of some of those killed.

Iran on Saturday blamed Ukraine for an attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea that killed one sailor and injured another. Citing Iran’s Foreign Ministry, the state news agency IRNA said an explosion struck the ship in the morning. Tehran also warned that it would respond to the incident.

The accusation followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement that Ukraine’s armed forces had achieved a “very powerful success” in long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea. He said the targets included vessels used to transport Iran-linked military cargo and a warship. Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency said on Telegram that drones had struck cargo ships under international sanctions that were used to transport military supplies between Iran and Russia.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the Islamic Republic had never intervened in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. State television reported that Iran summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran to protest what it called hostile and criminal actions. The ministry also said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sought a strong response from the European Union and the UN Security Council in a call with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Indian Home Minister Amit Shah seeking answers over allegations that pellet shots were fired at student protesters at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Gandhi posted the letter on his X account on Sunday morning after sending it on Saturday. The allegations relate to a July 20 march toward Parliament held by students protesting an exam paper leak.

Several protesters were reportedly injured after pellet shots were allegedly fired at students during the march. Gandhi said medical records for one injured protester mention pellet injuries. Delhi Police, however, has denied firing pellets. Gandhi also alleged that hundreds of students were injured and that women protesters were beaten.

In his letter, Gandhi asked whether Shah, as home minister, authorized pellet firing at students and, if not, who did. He also asked whether people in plain clothes who allegedly beat students with batons were police personnel or volunteers, and who recruited them. On Friday, Gandhi presented injured protester Sahil Lohchab before the media and pointed to his wounds as evidence while the government denied firing.

An international team of astronomers has reported the first discovery of a moon outside the Solar System, according to a research report published in Nature. The object was identified in the CD-35 2772 star system, 71 light-years from Earth, using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile. Researchers describe the finding as a milestone for space science.

Scientists said the newly found moon has a mass at least equal to Jupiter’s. It orbits a brown dwarf rather than an ordinary planet; the brown dwarf is about 33 times larger than Jupiter and cannot generate the nuclear power needed to become a star. Lead author Kevin Whai of Diego Portales University said brown dwarfs occupy a position between ordinary planets and the smallest stars.

The brown dwarf was detected with an optical telescope in 2011, but the moon could not be seen directly from 71 light-years away. Whai’s team used the radial-velocity method to measure gravitational motion in the brown dwarf and confirm the moon’s presence and size. Researchers are seeking another possible moon, while the planned Extremely Large Telescope is expected to improve future searches.

Fishermen from Maheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar rescued two Sri Lankan fishermen after they had drifted in the Bay of Bengal for 36 days, according to the report published on July 26, 2026. The rescued men are reported to be a father and son. They were found on Saturday by fishermen returning from a fishing trip aboard a boat owned by Ziaur Rahman of Southpara village in Kutubjom Union.

The fishermen spotted a drifting boat in the Gulirdhar area and initially believed its engine might have failed. When they approached, they found the two Sri Lankan nationals lying ill inside the vessel. They brought the men ashore, where they are currently staying at the home of fisherman Ziaur Rahman in Kutubjom, Maheshkhali.

The rescued Sri Lankan Danish fishing boat was tied to Ziaur Rahman’s boat and kept at Tajiakata ghat. The Bangladesh Coast Guard arrived after receiving the information and took necessary measures. The two men were later taken to Maheshkhali police station. Officer-in-Charge Abdus Sultan said medical checkups had been ensured and senior authorities informed; formalities will be completed under state laws and established rules before handover.

A floating LNG terminal operated by Accelerate Energy in Maheshkhali, Cox’s Bazar, has remained out of service for four days, causing a severe gas shortage in Chattogram and other parts of Bangladesh. In a July 26, 2026 statement, Petrobangla said the outage has created long queues at CNG filling stations while gas-dependent industries are struggling to maintain normal production.

Petrobangla said the specific cause of the fire and technical fault at the FSRU has not yet been identified. Domestic and foreign technical specialists are working continuously to repair the damaged terminal. The impact has been greatest in the Chattogram region, where reduced gas pressure has halted supplies at many CNG pumps and limited operations at others, leaving drivers waiting for hours.

Bangladesh’s daily gas demand is about 3,800 MMCFD, but the outage has reduced national grid supply by roughly 450 MMCFD per day. The country’s two floating LNG terminals normally provide around 970 MMCFD, about 37 percent of total gas supply. Petrobangla did not provide a timeline for restoring service, but said supply would resume after repairs are completed.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said Bangladesh’s recently departed president, Md Shahabuddin, cannot face conventional criminal proceedings under the law. Speaking to journalists at his Secretariat office on July 26 after awarding police personnel, he said Shahabuddin had performed his duties constitutionally and had not carried out any act outside the rules during his tenure.

Ahmed said political parties, opposition groups, the NCP and others have the right to speak out, protest and raise allegations against the former president. However, he said the government had not found any statement or allegation that warranted consideration. He said Shahabuddin had served through the end of authoritarian rule, the full interim-government period and about five to six months of the current political government.

The minister said the president is legally in a privileged position, meaning no court case can be filed against him over criminal offences or other matters in that status. Any complaint or record from before he assumed office would proceed under applicable rules and law, he added. Ahmed said Shahabuddin will receive legally entitled former-presidential benefits, including six months of SSF and PGR facilities, along with security arrangements by police and other agencies.

Amar Desh editor Mahmudur Rahman said the July revolution remains unfinished and must be completed. He made the remarks on Sunday as chief guest at the first session of the Bangladesh Conference at the Institute of Diploma Engineers auditorium in the capital. The discussion was titled “July Revolution and Bangladesh-oriented Thought: Theoretical Perspective.” He described the revolution as an ongoing process.

Rahman said weakness in the rural economy has pushed people toward Dhaka in search of employment, making the capital unsuitable for living. He called for increased employment in agriculture and maximum priority for the production sector. Strengthening agriculture, he said, would keep the rural economy active and reduce migration to Dhaka driven by a lack of work.

He also said agriculture and manufacturing are essential to expanding employment and strengthening the economy. Citing Vietnam’s per capita income of more than $5,000, he said Bangladesh should first aim to reach Vietnam’s position. In the keynote paper, Professor Dr. Md. Saidul Islam proposed an integrated state philosophy combining Bangladesh’s history, Islamic ethics, modern democracy and the spirit of the July revolution, calling it Bangladesh-oriented thought.

Iranian army spokesman General Abul Fazl Shekarchi said the United States has failed to weaken Tehran and has not achieved its objectives in the Strait of Hormuz. In remarks reported on July 26, 2026, he described the current situation as chaotic and undesirable for Washington, and said the United States was seeking a “new strategy.”

Shekarchi also said the possibility of Washington withdrawing from the war depended on permission from “Zionists.” The report presented the remarks as the Iranian military spokesman’s position and did not include a US response to his claims or an independent assessment of them.

Separately, Axios, citing two sources familiar with the matter, reported that President Donald Trump on Friday instructed the US military not to launch new attacks, pausing strikes that had continued in Iran for nearly two weeks. After authorizing air strikes for 13 days, Trump did not approve plans for new attacks on Friday. It remains unclear whether the pause is temporary or signals a broader policy shift.

Israel has intensified military activity, arrests, movement restrictions and expansion of illegal settlements and military outposts across the occupied West Bank, according to a report published July 26. Near Nablus, Israeli forces were raiding homes in the village of Tal belonging to Palestinians accused in the killing of two Israeli soldiers. Military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ella Waweya said the operation was intended to temporarily seal the homes as an initial step toward demolition.

Four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed in clashes southwest of Nablus last Friday. Palestinian sources said the violence began after settlers attacked Tal, near the illegal Havat Gilad settlement, while the Israeli military gave a different account. International human rights groups have repeatedly criticized Israel's policy of demolishing homes of accused attackers, describing it as collective punishment and a clear violation of international law.

WAFA reported that Israeli forces detained at least 80 Palestinians from areas including Nablus, Ramallah, Jenin, Hebron, Bethlehem and Tulkarem. Local sources said settlers set fire to the Al-Rahma Mosque in Qusra; Israeli authorities made no immediate comment. Analysts cited in the report said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is relying on hard-right supporters before elections due in three months.

Former food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumdar is in jail over an alleged wheat import scandal, while former secretary Ismail Hossain was sent into compulsory retirement by the interim government, the report says. Russia-based Mia Sattar, founder chairman of National Electric Group and an alleged key intermediary, remains untraced. The report alleges that nearly 1.1 million tonnes of wheat were imported from Russia through the group between 2022 and before August 2024.

According to the report, the imports, worth about Tk4,000 crore, arrived through Chattogram port under government-to-government arrangements. It alleges that National Electric Group was appointed as a commission agent despite rules barring intermediaries in such deals. ACC assistant director Afnan Jannat Keya said the investigation is nearing completion and documents sufficient to file cases against import-linked entities have been collected and reviewed.

National Electric Group managing director Amiruzzaman Sohel denied links to Rooppur, Bapex and wheat imports. Its public relations officer Nur Nabi Siddique Swin also said allegations of low-quality wheat had not been proven. The report additionally cited Ukrainian letters alleging stolen wheat shipments and warning of possible commercial sanctions risks, which it said the interim government addressed through diplomatic channels.

Members of the Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch took three quota reform movement coordinators—Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan and Abu Bakar Majumdar—from Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in the capital on July 26, 2024. At about 11:30pm, the DB acknowledged holding them, saying they had been brought in for their security and would be asked whether they had information about violence.

Nahid’s family alleged earlier that afternoon that people in plain clothes identifying themselves as law enforcement personnel first took Nahid, then Asif and Bakar. The report said Nahid had previously been taken from Nandipara in Khilgaon on July 19 and left in Purbachal on July 21. Asif and Bakar were also reportedly taken that day and left in separate areas on July 24.

Then-home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told journalists the three coordinators were feeling unsafe and that the DB had taken responsibility for protecting them. The report also described nationwide arrest operations and “block raids” surrounding the movement, stating that 9,121 people were arrested in 11 days, including 2,536 in Dhaka.