A much-anticipated summit between the United States and Russia over the Ukraine conflict took place at the Elmendorf-Richardson base in Anchorage, Alaska, early Friday (Bangladesh time 1:30 AM).

Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin arrived separately in Anchorage, where they exchanged a formal handshake on a red-carpeted walkway before proceeding to talks. Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff, and John Ratcliffe were also present.

The summit, however, faced protests outside. Anchorage residents rallied against Trump for inviting Putin, whom many accuse of war crimes, and criticized the exclusion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from peace talks.

A mass food poisoning incident has affected 365 school students in Sragen, Indonesia, following the consumption of free meals under President Prabowo Subianto’s “Free Meal Program.” This marks the largest such incident in the program’s history.

Despite previous improvements to kitchen and distribution standards after earlier incidents, the problem recurred. Sragen Chief Sigit Pamungkas confirmed that food samples are being tested in laboratories and the kitchens involved have been temporarily closed.

Students reported that the meal included turmeric rice, boiled egg slices, fried tempeh, cucumber-lettuce salad, apple slices, and a box of milk. So far, over 15 million people have benefited from the program, which aims to reach 80 million recipients by the end of the year.

In an unusual diplomatic exchange, former U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly asked Norway’s finance minister for a Nobel Prize during a phone call meant to discuss trade tariffs.
Norwegian daily Dagens Næringsliv reports that last month, Trump phoned Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg while Stoltenberg was walking through the streets of Oslo. The former president allegedly shifted the conversation from tariffs to his desire for the prestigious award.
Stoltenberg stated that the call, which took place before Trump’s separate conversation with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, also covered economic cooperation. Several senior White House officials, including the U.S. Treasury Secretary and the U.S. Trade Representative, were reportedly on the call.

Delhi’s iconic 16th-century Mughal monument, Humayun’s Tomb, has partially collapsed, sparking fears that several people may be trapped under the debris. Authorities confirmed that 12 people have been rescued so far, with five fire engines deployed to the scene.
The collapse occurred at the historic mausoleum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and popular tourist destination. Humayun, the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, ascended the throne in 1530 after the death of his father, Babur.
According to Indian media reports, at least 10 people were initially believed to be trapped. The Delhi Fire Service received an emergency call around 4:30 p.m., and rescue operations are ongoing.

Malaysian authorities have charged two Bangladeshi nationals — Mamun Ali and Refat Bishat — over alleged links to the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group. Prosecutors claim Mamun, between July 28, 2023, and April 30, 2024, used a Facebook account under the name “Sahifullah Islam” to support IS. If convicted, he faces life imprisonment or up to 30 years in jail plus fines. Refat, 27, is accused of possessing IS flag images on his mobile phone at a house in Larkin Industrial Estate on July 10. This offense carries up to seven years’ imprisonment or fines, along with confiscation of related materials.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has condemned an incident in Noida where a man and his child were denied hotel accommodation for speaking Bengali.
“This man was not from Bangladesh, but from West Bengal. Yet he was refused a room,” Banerjee said, questioning why respect for languages is not mutual. She praised the sweetness of the Bengali language and urged people never to forget their mother tongue or Bengal’s historic role in India’s independence and social reforms.

Palestinian Ambassador Yusuf Ramadan has announced that Palestinian students will no longer study at universities funded by Israel or its allied nations. He alleged that even the architectural design of the Asian University for Women was done by an Israeli national, prompting the decision to boycott the institution.

According to the ambassador, the interim government has revoked visas for the concerned university at Palestine’s request. He also revealed that the previous Education Minister, Dr. Dipu Moni, had initiated a project to enroll Palestinian women in the Asian University for Women. Ambassador Yusuf expressed gratitude to the current administration for withdrawing from that initiative.

India’s Ministry of Home Affairs has sent a list of 21 Bangladeshi nationals to West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer, accusing them of illegally entering India and obtaining Indian identification documents. Though all possess valid Bangladeshi passports, many were found with Indian voter IDs, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, ration cards, and even passports. Some entered on tourist or medical visas as early as 2017 before bringing in family members. Authorities have recommended canceling all such illegally obtained Indian documents.

Russia and Belarus will hold a joint nuclear military drill in mid-September under the name “Zapad 2025.” The five-day exercise in Belarus will test the newly developed Russian hypersonic missile “Oreshnik,” which can travel at ten times the speed of sound and carry up to six nuclear warheads over a range of 3,000 km. Moscow claims no other country possesses such a weapon. Russia plans to deploy Oreshnik missiles in Belarus by the end of this year.

Iranian police arrested nearly 21,000 “suspects” during a 12-day conflict with Israel and the United States in June, according to police spokesperson Saeed Montazerolmahdi. Public tip-offs rose by 41% during this period, leading to the arrests.
Although the spokesperson did not specify the alleged crimes, espionage charges were among Iran’s claims. Authorities detained 2,774 undocumented migrants, investigated 30 high-security cases through phone inspections, and arrested 261 people on suspicion of espionage along with 172 for unauthorized video recording. Seven men convicted of espionage have been executed. Many detainees have since been released.
During the war, Iranian police handled more than 5,700 cybercrime cases, including online fraud and unauthorized withdrawals.

Severe wildfires and an intense heatwave have claimed at least three lives in southern Europe, forcing thousands to evacuate. Temperatures have topped 40°C across Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and the Balkans, with red heat alerts in place. Spain’s weather service warned of highs reaching 44°C in Seville and Cordoba. In Tres Cantos, near Madrid, a stable worker died after flames—fueled by 70 km/h winds—spread into residential areas. Over 1,000 troops have been deployed to fight the fires. Portugal is battling three major blazes, while Sardinia saw the death of a four-year-old Romanian child found unconscious in a car. France has heat warnings in three-quarters of the country, and Greece is fighting over 150 active wildfires.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed that India will never be allowed to take “a single drop” of Pakistan’s water. “If you try, you’ll be taught a lesson so harsh you’ll be made to stand holding your ears,” he warned. Former minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari earlier called the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty an “attack on the Indus civilization,” pledging provincial resistance if war was imposed. The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague ruled in June that India cannot unilaterally suspend the treaty, reaffirming on Monday that western rivers must flow freely for Pakistan’s use. India has rejected the PCA’s jurisdiction and verdict.

The latest US State Department human rights report, released Tuesday, states that Bangladesh’s human rights situation has remained stable since August last year. Citing the July uprising, Sheikh Hasina’s flight, and Muhammad Yunus’s assumption of office as Chief Adviser, the report lists past abuses under the previous government—including killings, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrests, restrictions on free speech and media, censorship, journalist detentions, and labor law violations. It noted that while the Hasina administration failed to prosecute offenders, the interim government has since detained those involved in rights violations.

On Wednesday morning, Malaysia’s Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia awarded an honorary doctorate to Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus. Addressing students, Yunus said the youth-led uprising of July–August 2024 had given new meaning to the nation’s future hopes. The government, he stressed, is working toward holding a free, fair, and transparent election in February 2026 to transfer power to true representatives of the people. He reiterated that peace, stability, and reforms aimed at building a “New Bangladesh” remain the interim administration’s core objectives.

A Bangladeshi man from Jhenaigati upazila was beaten to death by locals in Meghalaya’s Khasi Hills district over allegations of border intrusion and an attempted abduction. Akram, injured in the assault, died on Tuesday.
Locals alleged that at least eight Bangladeshis tried to kidnap a resident of Rongdangai village on Monday and vandalized homes during the attack. Villagers captured six Bangladeshis, severely beating them before handing them over to authorities. Police recovered a revolver, ID cards, three wireless sets, and a magazine. Three detainees have been produced in court, while two others remain hospitalized.