The United Kingdom has announced a new policy requiring recognized asylum seekers to repay about £10,000, equivalent to roughly 1.63 million Bangladeshi taka, as part of the cost of state-provided accommodation and support. Those who fail to make the payment will not be eligible to apply for permanent residency. The proposal is scheduled to be presented to the British Parliament on Tuesday and is part of the new Immigration and Asylum Act. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the measure aims to reduce the government’s annual £4 billion spending on asylum support.

Officials compared the repayment model to a student loan system, but human rights and refugee aid groups have strongly criticized it, calling it an unfair tax on people fleeing war, persecution, and famine. Experts noted that the government’s revenue from the scheme would be limited, as fewer than 15 percent of refugees earn more than £20,000 annually even five years after receiving asylum.

The Home Office stated that income thresholds and repayment details will be set later through secondary legislation. The bill also includes provisions to strengthen age assessments and revise modern slavery frameworks.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed announced that AI-based traffic cameras are now operational at 19 key intersections across the capital. He shared the update during the inauguration of an AI camera at Lake Road under Tejgaon Traffic Division. Previously, 15 intersections had such cameras, and four more have recently been added. The commissioner said that around 1,500 traffic violation cases have been recorded through these systems, with fines managed by the traffic department.

According to the DMP, the AI cameras automatically detect violations such as speeding, unsafe lane changes, riding motorcycles without helmets, illegal parking, and obstruction of traffic flow. Notices are sent both via SMS and postal mail to registered vehicle owners, and case details are also published on the DMP traffic website. The commissioner added that about 38,000 summons have been issued so far, and efforts are underway to coordinate ownership updates for sold vehicles.

He noted that the AI system has visibly improved traffic discipline, encouraging drivers to follow lanes and signals. The initiative is part of a broader plan to modernize Dhaka’s traffic management and transform the city into a smart urban center.

Bogura City, recently upgraded to a city corporation, is facing severe waterlogging due to its outdated and poorly maintained drainage system. On Monday morning, continuous rain from 9:30 a.m. to noon submerged major roads, including Satmatha, Sherpur Road, and Station Road, causing traffic disruptions and widespread public suffering.

Residents allege that no significant development plan has been implemented in the area for 19 years, leaving narrow and clogged drains unable to handle rainwater. The city corporation acknowledged partial drain repairs and promised swift action in problem areas. However, locals argue that temporary cleaning is insufficient without a comprehensive drainage plan.

According to city sources, Bogura has 991 kilometers of roads but only 900 kilometers of drains, 400 of which are unpaved. The administrator, M.R. Islam Swadhin, said drainage improvement work is ongoing and expected to be completed by next year, though rain is currently hindering progress.

Police in Meherpur’s Gangni upazila recovered a bomb-like object and a threatening note from the home of Akkas Ali, a 45-year-old teacher from Kosba village. The discovery was made on Wednesday morning when the homeowner found the red-taped object and the note near the staircase and informed police. The note contained threats related to a dispute over water drainage and mentioned consequences if instructions were not followed.

Local sources said Akkas Ali had been in a land dispute with several neighbors for about six months. Recently, the assistant commissioner (land) and other officials visited the site to measure the disputed land. On the day of the incident, Akkas Ali was scheduled to visit the land office with documents, but before that, unknown individuals allegedly left the bomb-like object and the note at his house.

Gangni Police Station’s investigation officer Al Mamun confirmed that police recovered the items and have launched an investigation to identify and bring those involved under the law.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf announced that Tehran has begun to see results from its recently signed memorandum of understanding with the United States. He stated that in less than two weeks since the lifting of sanctions, Iran exported 40 million barrels of oil. Ghalibaf shared this information in an interview with state media, describing the development as a sign of the agreement’s effectiveness.

According to Ghalibaf, under the memorandum’s fourth clause, the United States was required to begin lifting sanctions immediately after signing and complete the process within 30 days. However, the sanctions were removed well before the deadline, which he described as a diplomatic success for Iran. He characterized the outcome as proof of both Iran’s military and diplomatic strength.

Ghalibaf also emphasized that Iran considers the Strait of Hormuz a key strategic asset and will not retreat from its sovereign rights over the waterway. He clarified that the memorandum only temporarily exempts the United States from paying maritime service fees in the strait, without altering Iran’s sovereignty stance.

An eleven-party alliance including Jamaat-e-Islami has announced a 36-day nationwide campaign beginning Wednesday to intensify pressure on the government to implement the referendum verdict and the July Charter. The alliance’s programs will include rallies, seminars, human chains, and prayer gatherings across districts and cities, culminating on August 5. Jamaat-e-Islami and other partners such as the National Citizens Party (NCP) will also conduct separate but parallel activities.

According to Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar, the alliance’s main objective is to enforce the July Charter and the referendum’s outcome. The programs were finalized after a liaison committee meeting on June 25, with detailed schedules including district-level seminars, women’s discussions, exhibitions, and remembrance events for July Revolution martyrs. The NCP’s 36-day initiative, titled “July Awakening to Build the Nation,” will feature cultural and social events nationwide and abroad.

The campaign coincides with the second anniversary of the July Revolution, aiming to revive its spirit, demand justice for victims, and compel the government to act on the referendum’s mandate.

Residents of Shalla upazila in Sunamganj attacked and vandalized a rural electricity office after missing the Brazil-Japan World Cup football match due to a power outage. The incident occurred on Monday night at the Anondopur Palli Bidyut substation. According to office sources, electricity was unavailable in Anondopur and nearby areas around 11 p.m. when the match was underway, prompting the attack.

The assault caused an estimated loss of five lakh taka, damaging glass panels and essential equipment. A case has been filed naming five individuals and listing 60 others as accused. The Assistant General Manager of Dirai-Shalla Palli Bidyut, Md. Gias Uddin, said the attackers damaged the main gate and valuable items without understanding the situation. Shalla police officer-in-charge Md. Rokibuzzaman confirmed receiving the complaint and stated that legal action will follow after investigation.

Authorities have begun investigating the incident to determine responsibility and assess the full extent of the damages.

South Korea’s National Assembly has approved Han Seong-sook as the country’s new prime minister. The appointment was formally passed in a vote held on June 30, marking a significant leadership change under President Lee Jae-myung’s administration.

Han Seong-sook is widely recognized for her extensive experience in the technology and business sectors. She previously served as the chief executive officer of Naver, one of South Korea’s leading internet-based companies. Before assuming the prime minister’s role, she worked as the minister for small and medium enterprises, where she implemented initiatives to support industrial development, innovation, and small entrepreneurs.

Analysts believe Han’s background in technology and corporate management could positively influence South Korea’s economy, industrial policy, and innovation-driven growth. Her appointment is viewed as a strategic step toward accelerating the nation’s technology-based economic expansion.

A Kushtia court has ordered two accused, including a local Jamaat leader, to be sent to jail in connection with the murder of a self-proclaimed Pir, Shree Shamim Jahangir alias Abdur Rahman, in Daulatpur. On Tuesday, District and Sessions Judge Enayetul Kabir rejected their bail petitions after they surrendered before the court. The accused are Khaja Ahmed, the prime accused and a local Jamaat leader, and Asaduzzaman Asad, president of the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish Daulatpur unit. Their six-week interim bail, granted by the High Court on May 19, expired on June 29.

According to case records, on April 11, a mob of over a hundred people attacked the Pir’s Darbar in Dakshin-Pashchim Philipnagar, accusing him of desecrating the Quran. He was dragged out, beaten, and killed before the attackers vandalized and set fire to the premises. The victim’s brother filed a murder case on April 13, naming four individuals and 180–200 unidentified others. Khaja Ahmed was listed as the prime accused.

Kushtia district Jamaat secretary Sujauddin Joardar claimed that BNP and Chhatra Dal activists were present during the attack but were not named in the case, alleging political motives behind implicating the Jamaat leader.

Bangladesh today marks the tenth anniversary of the Holey Artisan Bakery tragedy, one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in the country's history. On the night of July 1, 2016, five armed assailants stormed the restaurant in Dhaka’s Gulshan diplomatic zone, taking local and foreign diners hostage. The siege lasted about 12 hours until the army’s 1 Para Commando Battalion launched ‘Operation Thunderbolt’ on the morning of July 2, ending the crisis.

The attack claimed the lives of 17 foreign nationals—nine Italians, seven Japanese, and one Indian—along with three Bangladeshis. Two police officers, Assistant Commissioner RabiuI Islam and Banani Police Station Officer-in-Charge Salauddin Ahmed, were killed while attempting to rescue hostages. Investigations later revealed the involvement of the banned militant group Neo-JMB. On November 27, 2019, a special anti-terrorism tribunal sentenced seven of eight accused to death, acquitting one.

Following the attack, the government strengthened security measures, increasing surveillance and establishing permanent checkpoints in diplomatic areas. Analysts note that the tragedy reshaped Bangladesh’s internal security framework and reinforced its counterterrorism stance.

The United States Supreme Court has upheld the constitutional right to birthright citizenship, striking down an executive order issued by President Donald Trump. The ruling confirms that every person born on US soil retains the constitutional right to citizenship. Chief Justice John Roberts stated that citizenship is the 'right to have all rights' and reaffirmed that the framers of the 14th Amendment guaranteed citizenship for all individuals born freely within the country.

Birthright citizenship has been a core constitutional principle in the United States for nearly 160 years, established under the 14th Amendment. It ensures that almost everyone born in the country automatically becomes a US citizen. The Supreme Court’s decision is being viewed as a reaffirmation of this long-standing constitutional commitment.

According to the ruling, the decision could reduce the number of undocumented residents in the coming decades, as Trump’s order would have denied citizenship to children born in the US to undocumented immigrant parents, potentially increasing the undocumented population.

The High Court has cancelled the nomination of BNP candidate Aslam Chowdhury for the Chattogram-4 constituency, prompting renewed debate in the National Parliament over the issue of loan defaulters. Jamaat-e-Islami MP Md. Nazibur Rahman raised the matter on a point of order, questioning whether it could now be said that the disqualified candidate was indeed a loan defaulter. The discussion followed earlier controversy on June 18 when independent MP Rumin Farhana commented about loan defaulters in Parliament.

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed responded that the issue did not fall under a point of order and clarified that the Election Commission would decide on any member’s eligibility based on the court’s directive. He added that Parliament must wait for the Commission’s final decision before making any conclusive remarks.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed later stated that there were no loan defaulters among current MPs, though some might have debts. He emphasized that Aslam Chowdhury was not a sitting MP, as his candidacy had been challenged and resolved by the court, making the matter final.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has reaffirmed that Iran will not relinquish its sovereign rights over the Strait of Hormuz, describing the waterway as one of the country’s main strategic assets. In a televised interview on Tuesday, Ghalibaf said that a recently signed memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States only temporarily exempts maritime service fees in the strait, without altering Iran’s sovereignty stance.

He emphasized that the strait lies within Iran’s regional waters and that the country will never retreat from this position under any circumstances. Ghalibaf referred to the waterway as a divine gift granted during wartime and a key instrument of Iran’s power.

The speaker also reiterated that Iran will not abandon its nuclear rights, asserting that uranium enrichment remains a legitimate and inalienable right of the nation.

A Feni court has ordered nine leaders and activists of the BNP and Jubo Dal to be sent to jail in connection with a case over an attack, vandalism, arson, and looting at the home of fish farmer Haji Sirajul Haque in Sonagazi. On Monday, Chief Judicial Magistrate Salamat Ullah rejected their bail petitions after a hearing and directed that they be taken into custody. The accused include former union-level BNP and Jubo Dal leaders and several activists.

According to the case filed by Anwara Begum, wife of Haji Sirajul Haque, the attack occurred on the night of March 3 in Sonapur village, where the assailants allegedly vandalized the house, set fire to the kitchen, and assaulted family members. The complaint named 14 individuals and 10–15 unidentified others. Police said the accused had earlier obtained temporary bail from a higher court before appearing in the lower court.

The victim’s family later held a press conference demanding security, while the accused party denied the allegations, claiming the case was politically motivated.

Fire Service and Civil Defence divers recovered the bodies of two students who went missing after drowning in the Padma River in Chapainawabganj on Tuesday evening. The bodies were found around 6:00 pm and 6:15 pm, confirmed Station Officer Saeed Hasan Shuvo of Chapainawabganj Fire Service and Civil Defence.

The deceased were identified as Rifat Ali, aged 16, from Sundarpur Rouf Hajipara, and Rasel, aged 17, from Islampur Char Terorshia. Both were tenth-grade students at Sobhan High School in the area. According to police and locals, the two boys entered the river to bathe at the Alimnagar Ghat area and went underwater. Locals initially tried to rescue them before the Fire Service team conducted a search operation.

In a separate incident, a young man named Sakirul Islam went missing after falling into the Mahananda River while fishing. Rescue efforts to locate him are ongoing.