Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), appeared in public for the first time in a long period. He attended the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a mosque in Tehran on Sunday morning, according to Iranian officials. Officials said that during the early stages of the war, former IRGC chief Major General Mohammad Pakpour was killed in a joint attack by the United States and Israel. Following his death, General Vahidi was appointed as the new commander of the Revolutionary Guard. Since assuming this position, he has rarely been seen in public. Iran’s state news agency IRNA released a video showing General Vahidi wearing a black cap while participating in the funeral ceremony.

Abidul Islam Khan, joint general secretary of the Dhaka University unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and a former vice president candidate in the last DUCSU election, made strong remarks about the July uprising during a recent private television talk show. He said that those who mock or deny July or use disparaging language about it should face severe consequences. He described July as a turning point for Bangladesh’s change and stability, calling it a movement organized for long-term democratic stability. Khan emphasized that his political activism stems from love for Bangladesh and its liberation, asserting that the nation comes before his organization. He urged the government to implement the July charter and adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward those who ridicule the uprising. He also recalled visiting the graves of martyrs, saying he witnessed their deaths firsthand and that the uprising was essential for national unity and existence. He concluded by stating that July, like 1971, holds vital importance for the state and must be protected from defamation.

Jamaat-e-Islami leader Samrat Hossain Bappa, 41, vice president of the youth and sports division of Dupchanchia Sadar Union, died after being injured in an attack in Bogura’s Dupchanchia area. He had been under treatment for several days following the June 25 clash in Velurchak village, which reportedly stemmed from a land dispute between Rafique Akand and BNP leader Abdul Karim Akand. According to family sources, Samrat was injured while trying to protect Rafique during the attack allegedly led by Abdul Karim. He was treated in Bogura and later transferred to Dhaka, where he died late Saturday night. Following his death, Samrat’s mother, Josna Begum, filed a case naming Abdul Karim Akand, his wife Mithila, and six others, along with several unidentified individuals. Police confirmed the arrest of Abdul Karim and his wife, while efforts to detain the remaining suspects continue. Local Jamaat leaders announced that a protest rally and gathering will be held in Dupchanchia town after Samrat’s funeral prayers. The incident has sparked grief and tension among local party members, according to the Jamaat district publicity secretary.

Maher Abdul Latif Yunis, a Palestinian who spent 40 years in Israeli prison, has died at the age of 68. He passed away early in the morning, according to reports. Yunis was arrested by Israeli authorities in 1983 for participating in armed resistance against Israeli occupation and for his involvement with the Fatah movement. His funeral is scheduled to take place in his hometown, Ara, after the noon prayer. Initially sentenced to death, Yunis’s punishment was later commuted to life imprisonment, and in 2012 it was reduced to a 40-year term. He was released on January 19, 2023, after completing his sentence. Yunis was considered one of the most prominent figures in the Palestinian prisoner movement. During his imprisonment, he lost his father in 2008, who himself had previously spent eight years in Israeli detention. Born on January 6, 1958, in Ara village, Yunis completed his primary and secondary education there before studying at an industrial school in Hadera.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi held separate meetings in Tehran with delegations from Hamas and Hezbollah, where warnings were issued about teaching Israel a lesson. The meetings took place on Saturday in the Iranian capital, coinciding with the delegations’ visit to attend the funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the discussions in an official statement. The Hamas delegation, led by Leadership Council head Mohammad Darwish, expressed condolences over Khamenei’s death and briefed Aragchi on the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. Darwish praised Iran’s longstanding support for Palestine and congratulated Tehran on its military and diplomatic achievements amid ongoing conflict. In a separate meeting, Hezbollah’s senior political official and former Lebanese MP Mohammad Fneish conveyed condolences on behalf of Secretary-General Naim Qassem and commended Iran’s role during recent hostilities with the United States and Israel. Aragchi thanked both delegations, reaffirmed Iran’s support for an independent Palestinian state, and praised Hezbollah’s resistance. He also paid tribute to late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and said Iran would continue efforts to maintain the ceasefire in Lebanon.

A case application has been filed against Dr. Muhammad Yunus, former chief adviser of the interim government, and three others over the death of a nine-month-old child named Sauda Nuskan. The child’s father, Sirajul Islam, submitted the application on Sunday to the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam in Dhaka. The complaint accuses Dr. Yunus and former health adviser Nur Jahan Begum of negligence leading to the child’s death. According to the plaintiff’s lawyer, Taslima Jahan Popi, the court recorded the plaintiff’s statement and kept the order pending. The case application alleges that the child died from measles due to negligence, and the father seeks legal action against the accused. The report also notes that seven more children have died within 24 hours showing measles symptoms, highlighting a broader public health concern in the country.

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev stated that Iran possesses a 'backup weapon' that could also be used in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. He described Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz as a tool as powerful as nuclear weapons. Medvedev warned that renewed large-scale conflict in the region could disrupt shipping through these vital maritime routes but expressed hope that the situation would not escalate that far. The Bab al-Mandeb Strait, located between Yemen, Djibouti, and Eritrea, connects the Arabian Sea to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, making it a key global trade route. Medvedev’s remarks come after Yemen’s Houthi rebels previously threatened to close the Bab al-Mandeb passage. He also sharply criticized recent U.S. attacks on Iran, calling them unprovoked and a violation of international law, noting that Iran posed no threat while negotiations were ongoing. Medvedev urged all parties seeking to inflame conflict in the Middle East to consider the potential consequences of disrupting these strategic waterways.

A protest march was held in Gulistan on Sunday in response to what organizers described as a brutal attack by extortionists, occupiers, and terrorists on local traders. The demonstration, organized by the Committee for Prevention of Extortion, Land Grabbing, and Terrorism, began with a rally at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque and proceeded through several key points before ending at Gulistan Zero Point. Many traders and shop employees from Gulistan, Baitul Mukarram Mosque Market, and Stadium Market participated. Speakers at the rally, including business leaders and Jamaat-e-Islami-affiliated figures, alleged that extortionists attacked traders on Saturday afternoon as they prepared for a protest march. Several traders, including Kabir Hossain, were reportedly injured, but police had not made any arrests. They accused law enforcement of protecting the attackers instead of ensuring public safety. Committee president and labor leader Abdus Salam condemned the attack and warned that any group sheltering extortionists or terrorists would face consequences similar to those of the ruling Awami League, urging authorities to bring all offenders to justice regardless of political affiliation.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman stated that members of the President Guard Regiment (PGR) are performing their duties with patriotism but emphasized that, as a specialized force, the PGR cannot afford to lag behind in training and technology. He made these remarks on Sunday afternoon at the 51st founding anniversary ceremony of the PGR held at Dhaka Cantonment. The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of preparedness across all forces to face socioeconomic and cyber challenges. He said the government has taken initiatives to further modernize the armed forces, stressing that courage, honesty, and loyalty are essential alongside modern security strategies and technological skills. He also underscored the need for all officers and employees to strictly follow the chain of command. Rahman noted that the armed forces’ significant role in the 1971 Liberation War has deeply connected them with the people of Bangladesh. He praised the PGR’s challenging duties and their commendable performance in difficult situations.

Millions of people attended the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Between 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 7:00 a.m. Sunday, more than seven million passengers used the Tehran Metro, marking a record number of travelers within just 13 hours and 30 minutes. The funeral prayer took place at Imam Khomeini Mosalla in Tehran on Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m., led by Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani. The funeral prayer was conducted in three stages. The first stage was dedicated to the late leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The second stage included prayers for Boshra Hosseini Khamenei, Mesbah al-Huda Bakeri, and Zahra Haddad Adel. The third stage was held for Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani, Khamenei’s granddaughter. The report highlights the massive turnout and logistical scale of the event, with Tehran’s metro system handling unprecedented passenger volumes during the funeral period.

The Cabinet Division of Bangladesh has issued a circular prohibiting the use of the Prime Minister’s image on banners, festoons, and billboards used for publicity at any government event. The directive, signed by Deputy Secretary Tania Afroz, was released on Sunday and made effective immediately. It specifies that no three-dimensional or other forms of the Prime Minister’s image may appear in such materials. According to the circular, designs for promotional materials must clearly reflect the purpose, message, and content of the event, giving priority to the event’s subject matter. The Cabinet Division emphasized that all ministries, departments, and field-level officials should implement the directive with utmost importance. The instruction aims to ensure that government event materials focus on institutional objectives rather than individual representation, reinforcing a standardized approach to official publicity.

An official Israeli investigation has revealed that the country’s security establishment failed to prevent the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack not because of a lack of intelligence, but due to long-standing misjudgments about Hamas’s capabilities. The preliminary military report found that Israeli officials wrongly believed Hamas had been effectively contained, leading to complacency and a failure to act on repeated warnings. Retired Major General Roni Numa, who led the inquiry into Hamas’s “Jericho Wall” intelligence documents, said Israeli intelligence had been tracking Hamas’s plans to breach Gaza’s border defenses since 2016, with updates in 2019 and 2022. Despite these alerts reaching senior officers, they were dismissed as isolated data rather than signs of a broader strategy. The report also criticized excessive reliance on automated translation technology instead of Arabic language experts, weakening analytical understanding of Hamas’s intentions. The investigation concluded that the failure was rooted in analysis, not intelligence collection. It described the October 7 events as a systemic breakdown in Israel’s assessment, planning, and decision-making processes.

Israeli intelligence agencies have dismissed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office’s claim that Iran’s nuclear program was completely destroyed. According to a report published by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Netanyahu’s office sought intelligence endorsement for the claim following last year’s 12-day war with Iran, but officials refused due to insufficient evidence. The report said satellite and drone imagery, along with classified data, showed Iran’s nuclear facilities suffered serious damage but were not fully destroyed. The report added that senior intelligence officers and scientists from Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission rejected a draft statement labeling Iran’s program as permanently disabled. They described the draft as “seriously distorted” and refused to sign it, arguing that such a claim would undermine their credibility. A compromise document was later produced, acknowledging major damage to Iran’s Fordow enrichment site and delays in its nuclear progress, but avoiding any assertion of total destruction. The article also noted that Netanyahu’s office pressured intelligence officials to support Washington’s position after the Pentagon questioned the effectiveness of U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.

U.S. President Donald Trump declared that America has entered a golden age during a speech marking the country’s 250th Independence Day. Speaking at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., he highlighted his administration’s achievements and future plans, describing the moment as the dawn of America’s golden era. Despite adverse weather, thousands of citizens gathered to hear his address, which lasted about 40 minutes. In his speech, Trump emphasized the passage of the 'Save America Act,' reaffirming his commitment to require proof of citizenship and identification for voting. He also announced that mail-in ballots would be restricted except in cases of illness, military deployment, or other exceptional circumstances. Repeatedly referring to socialism as a “specter” and comparing it to cancer, he said it must be eliminated. Trump introduced the crew of 'Artemis 2' on stage and presented them with a special flag. The event concluded with fireworks and an aerial display by fighter jets, as Trump thanked attendees for braving the weather and ended with a blessing for America.

Political activity has intensified across Cumilla’s unions ahead of the expected local government elections, likely to be held between September and October 2026. According to local observers, Jamaat-e-Islami is currently ahead in campaign preparation, having already announced single candidates in most unions. In contrast, multiple BNP hopefuls are campaigning separately, raising concerns within the party about vote division and internal challenges. BNP leaders acknowledged that participation by multiple candidates outside official party decisions could lead to electoral losses. The party’s central leadership has warned of organizational action against rebel contenders. Jamaat leaders said they have finalized most of their candidates, while BNP leaders indicated that final nominations will follow directives from the central leadership. The National Citizen Party (NCP) stated it will field its own candidates, though local-level coordination with Jamaat remains possible. Analysts believe that unless BNP unites behind single candidates, Jamaat’s organized campaign could secure victories in many unions. The Election Commission is considering holding the polls by year-end to restore local governance disrupted after the fall of the previous ruling party.