New satellite images analyzed by CNN and the Institute for Science and International Security indicate that Iran is rebuilding parts of its suspected nuclear facilities. The images show reconstruction efforts at the Parchin site, which was damaged earlier this year by joint US-Israeli airstrikes. The activity appears to have taken place in June and July, shortly after Iran signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding with the United States pledging not to develop nuclear weapons. Analysts cited in the report say the reconstruction could violate the terms of the June agreement, which aimed to end hostilities and ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The memorandum also included commitments by Tehran to refrain from nuclear weapons development and to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency on uranium down-blending. Despite the new findings, the report notes that Iran’s main nuclear sites at Isfahan, Fordow, and Natanz remain untouched. The satellite data also show Iran repairing some of its missile storage bases, raising renewed concerns in Washington and among its allies about Tehran’s broader military capabilities.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) prevented an attempt by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) to push three Indian nationals into Bangladesh through the Sholghoria border in Burimari Union of Patgram upazila, Lalmonirhat, early Saturday. The incident occurred near main pillar 833 of the Dhobalsuti Border Outpost area. According to BGB and local sources, BSF members from the Kharkharia camp under India’s 98 Battalion tried to push nine people, including women and children, into Bangladesh under cover of darkness. Six of them reportedly entered Bangladesh and fled, while three women were stopped by BGB and locals and kept inside Indian territory about 150 yards from the zero line. The Teesta Battalion of BGB stated in a press note that its commanding officer had spoken with the BSF battalion commander, requesting the return of those who had crossed. BGB has since intensified patrols, continued pushback operations, and maintained constant surveillance along the border. The situation remains under close observation as both border forces communicate to resolve the matter.

Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, killing 4,118 people and injuring 16,740, according to official figures. Thousands remain homeless as 856 buildings were damaged, including 190 that completely collapsed. Rescue teams have so far pulled 6,462 people from the rubble, and 89 temporary shelters have been opened for displaced residents. National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said that 86,794 families have received assistance. The United Nations has appealed for about 300 million US dollars in emergency funds to support relief efforts for those affected by the disaster. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez has urged the release of Venezuelan assets frozen abroad so that the funds can be used for reconstruction and recovery work.

Bangladesh observed World Population Day on Saturday with the theme “Fulfilling youth aspirations for a better tomorrow,” highlighting the need to transform its large working-age population into skilled human resources. The main event was held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka, attended by President Md. Shahabuddin and Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain. Both the President and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman issued separate messages, while national broadcasters aired special programs. Experts noted that despite population growth, the country has not seen a proportional rise in skilled manpower. They warned that without adequate investment in education, technical training, and employment, the demographic dividend could turn into a burden. Rapid urbanization, internal migration due to climate change, and pressure on housing, transport, and healthcare were cited as growing challenges. Speakers emphasized that planned population management, women’s empowerment, and youth skill development in technology, artificial intelligence, and modern agriculture are essential for sustainable growth. Officials from the Directorate of Family Planning added that long-term investment in maternal and child health can transform the population into productive human capital.

Excessive rainfall during the cultivation season has caused severe damage to jute farming in Char Rajibpur of Kurigram. Farmers in the area are suffering heavy losses as their fields have been submerged, destroying large portions of their crops. Many cultivators have become disoriented and financially strained due to the widespread damage. Local farmers described how the season began with drought, delaying seed sowing due to lack of soil moisture. When rain finally arrived, they planted jute, but heavy downpours just days later flooded the fields. In Mohanganj Union, a farmer reported that only one bigha of his five-bigha jute field survived. Another farmer in Kodalkati Union said half of his two-acre crop was destroyed after standing water caused weeds and plant death. In Rajibpur Sadar Union, a farmer lost most of his ten-bigha jute field, with only three bighas partially surviving. The situation is reported to be similar across the entire upazila, leaving the region’s jute cultivation in crisis.

Israeli authorities have imposed a one-week ban on Jerusalem’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Mohammad Hussein, preventing him from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. According to the Jerusalem Governorate, he was detained by Israeli forces on Friday after leading the weekly sermon and prayers at the mosque in occupied East Jerusalem. He was later released under the condition that he not enter the mosque area for seven days. The governorate’s statement noted that Israeli forces detained the Grand Mufti immediately after the Friday prayers. Israeli police did not issue any immediate comment on the matter. The report added that such restrictions on Al-Aqsa preachers have been frequent in recent years. The move comes amid heightened Israeli activity around the holy site. The Palestinian Ministry of Waqf and Religious Affairs reported that Israeli forces entered the Al-Aqsa compound 26 times in June, with 4,212 Israeli settlers entering under military protection through the Mughrabi Gate.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused the United States of breaching a key clause of a memorandum of understanding related to Iran’s nuclear program. In a post on social media platform X early Saturday local time, Araghchi said Iran has upheld its commitments, but the U.S. Treasury Secretary violated Article 9 of the memorandum. According to the memorandum’s ninth article, Iran must maintain its current nuclear program status until a final agreement is reached, while the United States must refrain from imposing new sanctions or deploying additional forces in the region. Earlier in the week, following Iran’s attack on a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the Trump administration imposed new sanctions on Tehran. Araghchi described the sanctions and military actions as further examples of U.S. noncompliance, urging both sides to adhere equally to the agreement. The United States also carried out airstrikes on Iranian targets and revoked a waiver allowing Iran to sell oil without sanctions. President Donald Trump declared the memorandum void but said talks with Tehran would continue.

Continuous rainfall and hill torrents have caused severe flooding and river erosion in several districts of Bangladesh, including Sunamganj, Habiganj, Cox’s Bazar, Bogura, and Noakhali. In Habiganj, the collapse of embankments along the Khowai River flooded at least 20 villages, leaving thousands stranded. Local authorities have allocated emergency funds, rice, and dry food, while government officials visited affected areas promising assistance. In Sunamganj, rising river levels have led to waterlogging in low-lying areas, prompting the administration to prepare over 1,300 shelters and deploy rescue boats and medical teams. In Cox’s Bazar’s Ramu upazila, the situation has worsened as several unions were inundated, but residents reported no visible relief efforts, sparking frustration. Landslides have also disrupted road transport. In Bogura’s Sherpur upazila, erosion has threatened farmland and power poles, while in Noakhali’s Hatiya, prolonged rainfall and tidal surges have flooded vast areas, affecting crops and fisheries. Local administrations in several districts have pledged continued monitoring and relief distribution. Authorities remain on high alert as floodwaters continue to rise, with further deterioration possible if heavy rainfall persists.

Heavy overnight rainfall and mountain runoff have severely worsened flooding in Rajasthali upazila of Rangamati. Water levels rose rapidly on Friday night, inundating low-lying areas of Gaindya and Ghilaichhari unions before residents could react. Hundreds of families are now trapped in their homes, facing acute hardship and fear as floodwaters continue to rise. The flash floods have submerged houses and farmlands, causing extensive damage to seasonal vegetables and other crops near local canals. Farmers fear a major economic setback due to the destruction of their fields. Strong currents in the Kaptai canal have also created serious erosion risks for riverside homes, yet many residents remain in their houses despite the danger. According to Upazila Nirbahi Officer Yusuf Hasan, authorities have been broadcasting warnings and urging people in vulnerable areas to move to shelters. However, many residents remain reluctant. The administration, in coordination with local union leaders, continues efforts to relocate families and has taken full preparedness measures to manage the situation.

Cuba experienced a nationwide power outage on Friday afternoon, marking the second such incident in less than a week. The state-run electricity company Unión Eléctrica de Cuba confirmed that electricity supply had been cut off across the country but did not provide an official explanation for the disruption. A similar blackout occurred earlier in the week on Monday, and this latest incident is the fourth nationwide outage reported this year. The report attributes the worsening situation to an energy blockade linked to policies under former U.S. President Donald Trump. Cuba’s aging power infrastructure, much of which was built between the 1960s and 1980s during the Cold War, has long been vulnerable to breakdowns. The country has been under a U.S. trade embargo since the 1960s, which has further limited access to modern equipment and maintenance resources. The repeated blackouts highlight the fragility of Cuba’s energy system and the growing impact of external restrictions on its already strained economy.

Heavy and continuous rainfall accompanied by hill torrents has flooded low-lying areas of Raozan in Chattogram, submerging homes, shops, and roads including the Chattogram–Kaptai highway. Water levels in the Halda and Karnaphuli rivers have risen, and canals have breached in several unions and the municipality, leaving more than fifty thousand people waterlogged. The worst-affected areas include wards 4 and 5 of Raozan municipality, along with Chikdair, Dabua, Kadolpur, Pahartali, and Urkirchar unions. Residents reported that floodwaters entered homes and markets, disrupting daily life and forcing people to cookless nights. Students have struggled to reach schools and colleges amid ongoing exams. Roads have broken in several places, fish ponds have overflowed, and seedbeds have been destroyed. Local volunteers are distributing dry food and essentials to affected families. Raozan Upazila Executive Officer S M Rahatul Islam confirmed canal breaches and said contractors were instructed to repair embankments. Residents in risky areas have been advised to move to nearby shelters as rainfall continues and authorities monitor the situation.

Heavy rainfall and floodwaters from India have caused the Teesta River to swell rapidly, submerging low-lying and char areas in Lalmonirhat district. According to the Water Development Board, the river’s water level rose by about 80 centimeters in 24 hours and fluctuated near the danger mark. At Dalia Barrage, the water flowed six centimeters below the danger level on Friday morning after remaining above it overnight. To maintain normal flow, all 44 sluice gates of the barrage have been opened. Officials warned that continued heavy to very heavy rainfall in northern Bangladesh and adjoining upstream regions could cause the Teesta, Dharla, and Dudhkumar rivers to rise further, possibly crossing danger levels temporarily. Residents along the riverbanks in several unions of Lalmonirhat, Kaliganj, and Hatibandha have become waterlogged, with crop fields already submerged. Local residents expressed frustration, alleging that India releases water from the Gajoldoba Barrage without prior notice, worsening floods downstream. They demanded prior announcements before water release and urged immediate implementation of the long-promised Teesta Master Plan to prevent recurring flood damage.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has forecast rain or thunderstorms accompanied by gusty to squally winds across 18 districts, including Dhaka. The advisory, issued early Saturday, covers the period from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. and instructs river ports in the affected areas to hoist cautionary signal number one due to possible adverse weather conditions. According to the forecast, regions likely to experience the weather include Rangpur, Dinajpur, Rajshahi, Pabna, Tangail, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Faridpur, Kushtia, Jashore, Khulna, Barishal, Patuakhali, Noakhali, Cumilla, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, and Sylhet. Winds from the south or southeast may blow at speeds between 45 and 60 kilometers per hour, accompanied by temporary gusts or squalls with rain or thunder. The weather office has directed all river ports in these regions to display signal number one as a precaution against potential disruptions caused by the unstable weather.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he has already issued instructions on what the United States should do if Iran succeeds in assassinating him. In an interview with the New York Post on Friday, Trump claimed that Iran has been trying to kill him for a long time and that he remains one of Tehran’s main targets. He warned that if such an attempt were successful, the U.S. would launch an unprecedented attack on Iran. Trump reiterated that Tehran has sought to eliminate him for years and expressed hope that people would feel his absence if that happened. According to Israeli intelligence cited by CNN, Iran recently developed a new plan to assassinate Trump. The president has repeatedly hinted that any such act would trigger a devastating U.S. military response, referencing his February 2025 executive order imposing “maximum pressure” on Iran. Returning from a NATO summit in Turkey, Trump claimed he tops Iran’s “kill list” but downplayed reports of new Israeli findings, saying he has long been their number-one target.

Andy Burnham has consolidated his position as the frontrunner to become the next leader of the UK Labour Party and the country's next Prime Minister. With 322 of the party’s 403 MPs backing him, he needs just one more nomination to make any rival candidacy mathematically impossible. The nomination deadline is next Thursday, and Labour is expected to formally declare Burnham as leader on Friday. If all proceeds as planned, he will be sworn in as Prime Minister on 20 July. The leadership contest follows Keir Starmer’s resignation after Labour’s poor performance in May’s local elections. Burnham, the former Manchester mayor who recently returned to Parliament after winning the Makerfield by-election, has pledged to decentralize power and promote regional economic growth. Former junior defence minister Al Cairns has withdrawn from the race, further clearing Burnham’s path. Burnham has also proposed creating a new “Number 10” unit in Manchester to strengthen local governance in housing and transport, and has promised to bring water and energy sectors under public control. He expressed regret over Labour’s earlier stance on the Gaza war and vowed to increase long-term investment in defence.