Iran’s Ministry of Defense has stated that a significant portion of the country’s missile capability remains unused. The ministry also reported that more than one thousand types of weapons are currently being produced domestically using Iranian technology. According to ministry spokesperson Reza Talaei-Nik, despite recent conflicts involving the United States and Israel, Iran continues to maintain a high level of defensive and counterattack readiness. He added that thousands of institutions across the country are contributing to weapons production, and that manufacturing will not stop even if some facilities are damaged. Talaei-Nik further described the Strait of Hormuz as a strategic tool under Iran’s control, underscoring its importance in the country’s defense posture.

Iran’s Defense Ministry spokesperson Reza Talaei-Nik stated that the United States is looking for an 'honorable' way to exit the ongoing war. His remarks came as U.S. representatives prepared to visit Pakistan for peace discussions, while an Iranian delegation was also in the country. However, Iran clarified that there is no possibility of direct talks between the two sides. According to Talaei-Nik, Iran’s military has become a powerful force, and the opposing side is now trapped in the quicksand of war, seeking a respectable way to withdraw. The statement coincides with the planned arrival of U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Islamabad for the peace mission. The timing of these parallel visits underscores the complex diplomatic environment surrounding the conflict, though the source did not specify whether any formal engagement between the U.S. and Iranian delegations is expected.

Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has been named La Liga’s Player of the Month for April 2026, marking a historic achievement for the 18-year-old. The announcement came on Friday, shortly after confirmation that Yamal’s season had ended due to an injury sustained in Wednesday’s match against Celta Vigo. Despite the setback, his performances throughout April earned him the top individual honor. Yamal outperformed Vedat Muriqi, Carlos Soler, Lucas Boyé, and Fede Viñas to claim the award. This is his third Player of the Month title of the season, having previously won in November and December. He is now the first player in La Liga history to win the monthly award three times in a single season. In April, Barcelona won all three of their league matches, with Yamal playing a decisive role. He scored against Espanyol and Celta Vigo, and contributed one goal and two assists against Espanyol, further solidifying his impact before the injury ended his campaign.

The Barapukuria thermal power plant in Parbatipur, Dinajpur, has been shut down again after operating for only 15 hours. The plant had resumed production at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 24, following a 48-hour closure caused by a boiler pipe burst and a broken cooling fan that halted its 125-megawatt first unit on Wednesday night. However, production stopped again around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday when another boiler tube burst. The complete shutdown of the plant has caused power outages across Parbatipur and eight northern districts. Chief engineer Abu Bakkar Siddique stated that production was halted due to the tube burst and that the boiler steam needs time to cool down. He estimated that full repair work could take five to six days to complete. The repeated technical failures have disrupted electricity supply in the region, and restoration is expected only after the repair process is finished.

A man named Kawsar Uz Zaman Babul, aged 36, was shot dead early Friday while returning home after attending a family feast in Raozan, Chattogram. The incident occurred around 3 a.m. in the Purbalikhil Khamar Tila area under Ward 9 of Raozan Municipality. Babul, father of two daughters, was the son of Abul Kalam Saudagar of Dhalar Mukh area. Local residents said the killing may have stemmed from a dispute over soil trading in the Khamar Tila area, where Babul and his cousin Polin had been cutting and selling soil. Babul’s wife, Liza Moni, stated that her husband had been receiving phone threats and had a recent conflict over a video recorded at Chowdhury Market. His father said Babul was attacked on his way back from his maternal grandfather’s house and that he supported the BNP though he was not politically active. Raozan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sajedul Islam said the group responsible for the killing has been identified, and police have launched an operation to arrest them.

Police in Debiganj, Panchagarh, detained a 16-year-old college student named Nishat Islam for posting a Facebook comment critical of State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad. The arrest took place at midnight on Friday in the Hajipara area of Debiganj Sadar Union. Nishat, an eleventh-grade student at Sonahar BM College, had shared a parliamentary speech by the minister with a caption mocking him. According to police sources, the post spread widely on social media before Nishat deleted it. The content reportedly caused reactions in local political circles and created tension in the area. Later that night, Abdus Salam, joint convener of the Debiganj Sadar Union unit of Jubo Dal, filed a complaint against the student. Debiganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Selim Malik confirmed that a case was filed under the Cyber Security Act following the complaint. The incident has drawn attention locally due to the involvement of a government minister and the use of social media in the alleged offense.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said that if the verdict of the referendum is not respected, the struggle will continue both inside and outside parliament. He made the remarks on Saturday, April 25, at a Jamaat-e-Islami rally held at Suhrawardy Udyan. Rahman criticized the BNP for allegedly forgetting its 31-point agenda after coming to power and accused the party of following a path of fascism. He stated that while the BNP accepts the verdict of 51 percent of voters, it refuses to accept the decision of 70 percent, calling this attitude regrettable. Rahman also said that Jamaat had raised demands in parliament from the first day, but others had failed to take their oaths, thereby betraying the nation. He emphasized that unless certain laws are amended and ordinances implemented, the fascist system will not change. Rahman concluded by expressing his vision for a safer and more just Bangladesh, where citizens, including children and women, can move freely without fear and where educational institutions remain peaceful and focused on learning.

Students from Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) visited Purbadhala upazila in Netrokona on Saturday morning to collect field-level data. Around 10 a.m., they met with the acting Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Tasnim Jahan, who emphasized the importance of such activities for gaining real-world experience. The visit involved 103 third-year students from the Department of Agricultural Finance and Banking, accompanied by three teachers and four staff members. According to the accompanying teachers, the field data collection aims to help students integrate theoretical knowledge with practical experience. As part of their educational tour, the students are engaging with local farmers and representatives of various financial institutions to gather information. The collected data will later be used in research and academic activities, contributing to the students’ professional development and understanding of agricultural finance in real contexts.

Nahida Sultana Brishti, a former student of Noakhali Science and Technology University (NSTU), has been confirmed dead in the United States. Her brother, Zahid Hasan Pranto, announced the news on social media on Saturday, April 25, 2026, citing confirmation from U.S. police. Investigators identified her remains through DNA testing of blood samples and a body part recovered from a suspect’s residence. Authorities have not yet clarified whether her full body has been recovered. Nahida was a student of the 13th batch in the Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering department at NSTU and was pursuing a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of South Florida. Her death has cast deep sorrow over her family and the university community. She was last seen on April 16 at the Tampa residence of another Bangladeshi student, Jamil Limon, whose mutilated body was later found near the Howard Frankland Bridge. Police have arrested an American citizen, Hisham Saleh Abugarbieh, whose home yielded the evidence linking to Nahida’s death.

Mahmudur Rahman, editor of the newspaper Amar Desh, has presented a four-point reform proposal aimed at ending the long-standing culture of custodial torture and impunity in Bangladesh. Speaking on April 25, 2026, at a national consultation held at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka, he alleged that despite existing laws against torture, enforcement has been weak and often misused. Rahman also stated that he himself had been subjected to torture by state agencies and imprisoned for nearly five years for running a newspaper and publishing the truth. He outlined four key reforms: political will from the highest level of government, judicial independence and oversight of police remand, modern training for law enforcement to replace physical coercion, and compensation and rehabilitation for victims of state or police torture. Rahman emphasized that structural reforms and a change in mindset are essential for real progress beyond signing international conventions or passing laws. The event was part of a two-day national consultation organized by human rights group Odhikar with support from the international organization OMCT, focusing on implementing the UN Convention Against Torture and its Optional Protocol in Bangladesh.

A coordination meeting between Member of Parliament Md. Akhtaruzzaman Bachchu and district and upazila-level officials was held in Gafargaon, Mymensingh. The event took place on Friday afternoon at the auditorium of Abdur Rahman Degree College. The meeting focused on local development issues and was attended by officials from various government departments and public representatives. The session was presided over by Mymensingh Deputy Commissioner Md. Saifur Rahman and conducted by Gafargaon Upazila Nirbahi Officer N M Abdullah-Al Mamun. Police Superintendent Md. Kamrul Hasan and other officials also spoke at the event. MP Bachchu delivered the main address, emphasizing development matters concerning the Gafargaon area. The meeting reflected ongoing coordination between administrative authorities and elected representatives to advance local development agendas in Mymensingh district.

Farmers in Bogura have completed onion harvesting with strong yields, but they are not receiving fair prices. While storage-grade onions from Pabna and Kushtia are selling at Tk 35–40 per kilogram, regular onions are priced between Tk 25–30. Traders and growers report that market supply has dropped, pushing prices up by about Tk 5 per kilogram in the past two days. They expect prices to double before the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha if the trend continues. Light rain before harvest caused minor damage in several onion-producing districts, including Pabna, Faridpur, Rangpur, and Natore, leading to lower prices for blemished onions. In contrast, the dry, long-lasting “murikata” variety is being stored by farmers and traders, reducing immediate market supply. Nationally, onion production targets have been met, with major output from Pabna, Kushtia, Rajshahi, and Rangpur regions. Wholesalers in Bogura’s markets say farmers are storing onions due to dryness and quality, while large traders are stockpiling murikata onions. This storage trend is tightening supply and driving prices upward, with expectations of further increases in the coming days.

Palestinians are casting ballots in the first election held since the Gaza war began. Voting is taking place in a central area of the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, where municipal elections opened at 7 a.m. local time. According to the Ramallah-based Central Election Commission, about 1.5 million people are registered to vote in the West Bank and 70,000 in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah area. This marks the first Palestinian election since Israel launched its war in Gaza in October 2023. The conflict has left much of the population struggling to meet basic needs. At least 72,568 people have been killed and more than 172,338 Palestinians injured in the Gaza Strip since the fighting began. The vote is seen as a significant political event amid the ongoing devastation, though the source does not specify the participating parties or the expected outcomes.

The United States has imposed sanctions on China's Hengli Petrochemical refinery for purchasing crude oil from Iran. The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the decision on Friday, stating that the refinery, located near Dalian in northeastern China, is one of the largest buyers of Iranian crude and petroleum products. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also sanctioned about 40 shipping companies and vessels linked to Iran’s so-called shadow fleet. China has criticized the sanctions as illegal. The Chinese Embassy in Washington said normal trade should not be harmed and urged the U.S. to stop what it called the misuse of sanctions targeting Chinese companies. The move follows earlier U.S. actions last year against several other Chinese chemical and petrochemical firms, including Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group, Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical, and Shandong Shengjing Chemical. The sanctions reflect continued U.S. efforts to restrict Iran’s oil trade and pressure entities that facilitate its exports, while drawing renewed diplomatic friction between Washington and Beijing.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman stated that the July-August 2024 mass uprising once again proved that the true owners of the state are its people. He said this on Saturday morning while inaugurating the third building of the BIAM Foundation in New Eskaton, Dhaka. Rahman described the current government as a reflection of the people's long-standing desire for an accountable, just, and welfare-oriented administration. He emphasized that the government is committed to developing a confident, creative, and merit-based human resource system. According to him, building a citizen-friendly administration is essential for achieving the nation’s aspirations. The prime minister also urged the bureaucracy to become more people-oriented and highlighted the importance of training to help officials serve citizens better. Before his speech, Rahman laid the foundation stone of the BIAM Foundation’s third building, toured its activities, and exchanged views with officials.