US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that despite strengthening military operations against Iran, the United States remains open to diplomacy. Speaking to reporters before departing for the Philippines on Sunday, Rubio emphasized that any diplomatic effort must be realistic and result in an agreement Iran is willing to uphold.

Rubio accused Iran of using the Strait of Hormuz as a bargaining tool, asserting that Tehran seeks to control the vital waterway for leverage. He reaffirmed that the United States will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of global maritime navigation.

The remarks, reported by Al Jazeera, highlight Washington’s dual approach of maintaining military pressure while keeping diplomatic channels open amid ongoing regional tensions.

BNP Executive Committee member and reserved seat MP Advocate Nipun Roy Chowdhury alleged that some Awami League ministers and MPs were involved in drug dealing. She made the remarks on Monday morning at a tree planting and financial aid distribution event at the Jhenaidah District Council premises. Nipun Roy said the government is working to rebuild a Bangladesh damaged by drugs over the past 17 years and vowed that narcotics would be suppressed with a firm hand.

She stated that drugs had spread across all levels of society, pushing the youth toward destruction. To restore the broken social fabric, she called for unity against drugs and urged imams and priests to raise awareness in mosques and temples about the dangers of addiction. Nipun Roy emphasized that law enforcement alone cannot end drug abuse, highlighting the need for social awareness, youth employment, and sports facilities.

The event, chaired by District Council Administrator M.A. Majid, included the distribution of financial aid checks worth about Tk 14.84 million and saplings to local institutions and underprivileged residents.

Andy Burnham formally takes office as the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on Monday, becoming the country’s sixth leader since 2016. He succeeds Keir Starmer, who resigned last month after leading the Labour Party to victory two years ago, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. Burnham will deliver his first address outside 10 Downing Street after receiving the formal invitation to form a government from King Charles III.

In an interview with The Times, Burnham said he aims to end a decade of political instability and govern differently. His office stated that his inaugural speech will focus on rebuilding trust between government and citizens, tackling the cost-of-living crisis, driving economic growth, and decentralizing regional powers. Key cabinet appointments, including the next finance minister, are expected to be announced the same day.

Before taking office, Burnham canceled the previous government’s planned national digital ID program, redirecting its £1.8 billion budget toward cost-of-living relief and other priorities. He also promised swift measures to ease financial pressure on households.

Bangladesh’s Minister of Labour and Employment, Ariful Haque Chowdhury, met with International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Gilbert Houngbo on Monday morning at the minister’s office in the Secretariat. The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in labour sector modernization, labour law reform, job creation, and ensuring international labour standards, according to an official press release.

During the meeting, Minister Chowdhury reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting workers’ rights and ensuring safe workplaces. He highlighted the enactment of the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act 2026 as a milestone in aligning with global labour standards and noted that Bangladesh is the first Asian country to ratify all ten fundamental ILO conventions. The minister outlined ongoing initiatives including amendments to the 2015 Labour Rules, formation of a National Social Dialogue Forum, introduction of a digital case management system, and the establishment of a new Directorate of Employment.

ILO Director-General Houngbo praised Bangladesh’s labour reforms and commitment to international standards. He assured continued policy and technical support, including a proposed joint mission in October, to promote workers’ rights and employment generation.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is scheduled to visit Iran later this week, according to Iraq’s state media. The visit follows his recent trip to the United States, where he met President Donald Trump. The Iraqi National News Agency reported that al-Zaidi will travel to Tehran at the end of the week to sign several memorandums of understanding aimed at strengthening bilateral relations.

This will be al-Zaidi’s first visit to Iran since taking office earlier this year with US support, after Trump vetoed another candidate. During his week-long US visit, al-Zaidi finalized 48 agreements and partnerships with American companies. Known as a businessman, he has pledged to rebuild Iraq’s weak economy and disarm Iran-backed groups responsible for attacks on US facilities.

The visit comes amid renewed tensions in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, where recent attacks blamed on Iran have caused instability. The area hosts US troops, foreign oil firms, and exiled Iranian Kurdish rebels.

The Private Teachers and Employees Nationalization Alliance has demanded the rapid inclusion of non-MPO private educational institutions under the MPO scheme and the nationalization of jobs for MPO-listed teachers and employees. The group made the call at a press conference held on Monday at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka, where member secretary Principal Md. Selim Miah read a written statement. The alliance also described the ongoing criticism of Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan as a conspiracy and urged all to resist it.

In the statement, the alliance recalled past government initiatives for education reform, including the 1980 decision to bring teachers under the national pay scale and later efforts by the BNP government to modernize madrasa education. It noted that former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia had announced plans to nationalize jobs of teachers and staff in private schools, colleges, madrasas, and technical institutions, though the initiative was never implemented.

The organization praised the current education minister’s reform efforts and accused vested groups of inciting unrest among students. It issued a four-point call to ensure teachers’ rights, return students to classrooms, and build a humane, merit-based education system.

US Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance have welcomed their fourth child, a son named Alec Neal Vance. The baby was born on Sunday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, according to Al Jazeera. In a joint statement, the couple said both mother and child are healthy, and their other children are delighted to have a new sibling.

According to the White House Historical Association, Alec Neal Vance is the first child born to a sitting US vice president in more than 150 years. The last such instance occurred in 1870, when Vice President Schuyler Colfax and his wife Ellen Wade welcomed a child while he was in office. JD Vance, a former Marine from Ohio, and Usha Vance, the daughter of Indian immigrants, met while studying at Yale Law School, graduating in 2013.

The couple’s previous children were born in 2017, 2020, and 2021. Vance has long advocated for higher birth rates in the United States and reiterated this stance during the 2025 March for Life rally.

Police in India’s capital, Delhi, clashed with supporters of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Monday during a march toward Parliament. The confrontation occurred on the first day of the monsoon session, when police used batons to disperse demonstrators participating in the ‘Parliament Chalo’ rally. Thousands had gathered to protest alleged irregularities in the national medical college entrance exam and to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The movement gained momentum after activist Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly hospitalized during a hunger strike.

Authorities imposed temporary mobile internet shutdowns in parts of central Delhi and closed five key metro stations—Rajiv Chowk, Janpath, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, and Sewa Tirth—to control the situation. The CJP urged its supporters to remain peaceful despite police restrictions. Delhi Police had earlier banned gatherings of more than five people outside the designated protest site at Jantar Mantar.

The ‘Cockroach’ movement began online in May after a major exam paper leak affected millions of students, rapidly growing into a nationwide protest that poses a significant political challenge to the Modi government.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has expressed concern over a reported enforced disappearance in Bangladesh, marking the first such allegation since the 2024 anti-autocracy uprising. In a statement issued on Sunday, HRW urged the government to reinstate previously canceled reform measures and ensure accountability within security forces. The organization called for immediate implementation of a High Court order to investigate the disappearance of 30-year-old Miraj Sheikh, who was last seen in the custody of the Coast Guard on July 10.

The statement recalled that enforced disappearances were widespread during the Sheikh Hasina administration, which was ousted in 2024. The interim government that followed had empowered the National Human Rights Commission to independently investigate such cases, but the current BNP-led government allowed those ordinances to lapse. HRW criticized a new draft law that would remove the commission’s authority to probe human rights violations by security forces.

HRW warned that without restoring independent investigative powers and institutional reforms, enforced disappearances could recur. The organization urged the government to amend the proposed law to ensure the commission’s independence and effective accountability mechanisms.

International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo paid a courtesy call on Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Prime Minister’s Office in Dhaka on Monday. The meeting covered key issues including labor standards, social protection, labor reforms, and employment generation. Houngbo congratulated Rahman on assuming office and expressed confidence that the new government’s election through direct public vote had strengthened international trust in Bangladesh.

During the discussion, both sides emphasized enhancing cooperation to advance ongoing labor sector reforms, improve worker rights, and ensure safe workplaces. The ILO chief praised Bangladesh’s diplomatic achievements and congratulated Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman on being elected President of the 81st UN General Assembly session. The meeting also focused on strengthening social security, skill development, and addressing global labor market challenges.

Prime Minister Rahman reaffirmed his government’s commitment to a worker-friendly and sustainable work environment, while the ILO Director-General pledged to expand collaboration with Bangladesh for continued progress in the labor sector.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Iran is not Venezuela and will never fear US threats. He made the remarks in an interview with a Turkish media outlet, emphasizing that Israel’s short-term attacks failed to weaken Iran as intended. Araghchi alleged that Israeli strikes were made possible due to internal information leaks and security vulnerabilities that have not yet been fully resolved.

He further claimed that individuals linked to Israel’s intelligence agency were aware of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s daily presence at his office. Araghchi revealed that Iran had prearranged a plan to close the Strait of Hormuz if an attack targeted the Supreme Leader. He also said that Iran’s initial ceasefire with the United States was approved by the country’s Supreme National Security Council.

According to Araghchi, Iran joined diplomatic talks to test the effectiveness of negotiations, and extensive discussions were held on whether to resume them in the future.

Major Mozzafar Hossain, convicted by a military court for direct involvement in the assassination of President Ziaur Rahman, was transferred from Chattogram Cantonment to Dhaka Cantonment under special security arrangements. The transfer took place on Sunday night aboard a military aircraft supervised by Military Police and the Army Security Unit, according to multiple sources.

Officials indicated that Mozzafar may face intensive interrogation in Dhaka Cantonment, following approval from higher government authorities. It remains uncertain whether the questioning will be conducted solely by the army or by a joint task force including representatives from DGFI, NSI, DB Police, SB, and key civilian officials. Sources suggested that his arrest could help uncover the masterminds and foreign actors behind the 1981 assassination of Ziaur Rahman.

Mozzafar was arrested last Wednesday night in Dhaka’s Banani DOHS area after 45 years in hiding. He had previously fled to India after the assassination and reportedly lived there under aliases before secretly returning to Bangladesh in 1996.

BNP leader Rashed Khan has been appointed as the political assistant to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman with the rank of secretary. The appointment was confirmed through a notification issued by the Ministry of Public Administration on Saturday, July 19, 2026. Rashed Khan shared the news on his verified Facebook account the following day, posting a photo of the official order.

According to the government notification, Rashed Khan’s appointment is on a contractual basis, effective from the date he assumes office. The tenure will continue either for the duration of the Prime Minister’s term or until the Prime Minister’s satisfaction, whichever comes first. The order also requires him to resign from any other professional or organizational affiliations before joining. The terms of the contract will be detailed separately, and the decision was made in the public interest.

In his Facebook post, Rashed Khan expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and sought public support and prayers to fulfill his new responsibilities faithfully.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has assured support for Lebanese President Joseph Aoun during a phone conversation held on Monday. According to a statement from the Lebanese president’s office, the two leaders discussed the current national and regional situation.

The statement said Saudi Arabia expressed support for President Aoun’s decisions aimed at safeguarding Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. The Crown Prince reaffirmed his country’s commitment to continue assisting Lebanon in all priority areas identified by its government.

President Aoun thanked the Crown Prince for his cooperation and for measures taken to strengthen Lebanon’s economy. He also accepted an invitation to visit Saudi Arabia for further discussions on issues of mutual interest.

Bangladesh has formally requested the Indian government to return former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who has been sentenced to death. The request was made through a letter sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to New Delhi. The confirmation came on Monday morning from a source linked to the International Crimes Tribunal.

According to the source, Kamal was sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal for crimes against humanity committed during the July Movement. Along with the request, a copy of the tribunal’s verdict was also sent to the Indian government.

The report did not specify India’s response or any timeline for further action following Bangladesh’s request.