Iran has reopened its airspace to international flights after a temporary closure prompted by recent hostilities with Israel. According to Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, all airports have resumed normal operations following a security assessment, and the airspace will remain open 24 hours a day. Mehrabad Airport will operate daily from 4 AM to 7 PM. However, training and recreational flights remain suspended. Iran had closed its airspace on June 13 after an Israeli airstrike. Conditions began to stabilize following a ceasefire on June 24.

At least 594 people have been killed in recent ethnic clashes in Syria’s southern Sweida province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The dead include over 300 members of the Druze minority, 257 government officials, and 21 Bedouins. The conflict reportedly stems from long-standing tensions between Druze and Bedouin communities. Israeli airstrikes in the region also killed 15 government troops, with Israel claiming the attacks were intended to protect the Druze.

The situation remains volatile, with bodies on the streets and widespread looting reported after the withdrawal of Syrian government forces.

The National Citizen Party’s (NCP) “March to Gopalganj” program on July 16 was violently disrupted, with reports alleging that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, speaking from India, instructed party affiliates via phone to prevent NCP leaders from leaving the city alive.

Student wing Chhatra League reportedly executed the attacks, with its president Saddam Hossain allegedly giving live instructions on Facebook. Police vehicles were set on fire, and gunfire and bomb attacks were reported. Allegations suggest coordination by senior party officials and family members of the Prime Minister.

BNP Joint Secretary General Syed Emran Saleh Prince criticized NCP leaders for their lack of political maturity, claiming this forced them to retreat in military vehicles and weakened the overall momentum of the protest movement.

Speaking at a party meeting in Dobaura, Mymensingh, Prince alleged a deliberate attempt is underway to incite conflict and disrupt the electoral process. He warned that any deviation from a neutral election could lead to national instability and added that an unelected interim government would be disastrous for the country.

Fact-checking organizations FactWatch and Bangla Fact have debunked rumors surrounding alleged military resignations following the recent Gopalganj clashes involving the NCP.

They found that viral videos claiming to show a military response were actually old footage from a February operation in Mohammadpur. Assertions that military personnel had resigned were also proven false. Investigators concluded that these rumors were spread intentionally to mislead and create confusion.

Two leading Pakistani TV channels, Geo News and ARY, have retracted reports claiming former U.S. President Donald Trump would visit Pakistan this September. Geo News issued an apology for publishing the unverified information.

Reuters confirmed the White House has no such visit planned. The channels had initially reported the visit as confirmed, prompting a denial from Pakistan’s Foreign Office. The last official U.S. presidential visit to Pakistan was made by George W. Bush in 2006.

An auto-rickshaw driver, Ramzan Munshi (28), succumbed to gunshot wounds early Friday at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, bringing the death toll from the recent Gopalganj clashes to five.

Ramzan was shot while passing the court area during a protest march by the National Citizen Party (NCP). Earlier casualties include Dipto Saha, Ramzan Kazi, Sohel, and Imon Talukdar. Authorities have deployed military forces and partially lifted curfews, arresting 20 more individuals, raising the total arrests to 45.

To commemorate the historic July-August People's Uprising Day, the Ministry of Youth and Sports organized a symbolic marathon in Dhaka, starting from the old trade fair grounds in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

Advisor to the ministry, Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, participated in the event, which saw enthusiastic turnout across all age groups. The initiative aimed to educate the younger generation about the significance of the mass uprising through active engagement.

The UK government has announced plans to grant voting rights to 16 and 17-year-olds, marking a significant shift in the country’s democratic structure, pending parliamentary approval.

Currently, these age groups can vote in local elections in Scotland and Wales. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the move aims to broaden democratic participation. The proposal also includes acceptance of digital voter IDs, stricter checks on political donations to prevent foreign interference, and closing loopholes related to shell companies. Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus had earlier suggested lowering Bangladesh's voting age to 17 in a similar spirit.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 94 Palestinians were killed and 367 others wounded in Israeli airstrikes over the past 24 hours. This brings the total death toll from the ongoing offensive to 58,677, with nearly 139,974 injured.

Officials warn that the actual numbers could be significantly higher due to victims still trapped under rubble. Additionally, 26 more civilians were killed and 32 injured by Israeli gunfire while attempting to collect aid. Since May 27, a total of 877 people have died and 5,666 have been injured while seeking humanitarian assistance.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reaffirmed Turkey’s commitment to preserving Syria’s territorial integrity. Speaking after a cabinet meeting in Ankara on Thursday, Erdoğan condemned Israel, calling it a “bloodthirsty terrorist state” that is using the Druze community in Syria as a pretext to carry out cross-border attacks.

He accused Israel of arrogance, lawlessness, and committing atrocities through military aggression. Emphasizing that Syria's stability is crucial for peace in the region, Erdoğan said Turkey is not an enemy to any nation and stands for an honorable and just peace policy.

After a deadly 12-day war with Israel, Iran’s military leadership, including IRGC Commander Mohammad Pakpour and Armed Forces Chief Amir Hatami, convened on Thursday, declaring their readiness to resume resistance if war resumes.

General Pakpour described the war as one of the most complex conspiracies in Iran’s history and emphasized the IRGC’s enhanced unity. Hatami labeled Israel the greatest threat to the Muslim world and honored fallen martyrs. Both leaders affirmed that the army and IRGC will jointly protect Iran’s sovereignty and dignity.

Iran has dismissed US CENTCOM’s accusations of sending large shipments of weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen, calling them baseless propaganda.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Bagheri on Thursday said the allegations are meant to justify the continued US military presence in the region and to distract from US-Israeli aggression. CENTCOM had earlier claimed to have seized over 750 tons of military equipment en route to Yemen.

To mark July Uprising Day, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications has declared July 18 as ‘Free Internet Day.’ All mobile users in Bangladesh will receive 1GB of free data, valid for 5 days.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has directed all operators to implement this. Users can claim their data by dialing:

Grameenphone: 1211807#

Robi: *41807#

Banglalink: 1211807#

Teletalk: 1111807#

At an event commemorating ‘Jatrabari Resistance Day,’ Industrial Affairs Advisor Adilur Rahman Khan said fascism, even when defeated, attempts to return—hence it must be actively resisted.

He praised the sacrifices of students and madrasa youth during past protests in Jatrabari, calling it a foundation of today’s resistance. He said the cries of martyr families will turn into prayers, and young people's courage will build a new Bangladesh. Nurul Haque Nur, president of Gono Adhikar Parishad, stressed the importance of political unity to prevent further incidents like Gopalganj.