Iran and Oman have reached a general understanding on toll collection in the Strait of Hormuz following the first meeting of their joint committee. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed the agreement, stating that Oman, as a sovereign coastal state, supports the arrangement and believes fees should be charged for services provided. A technical committee will be formed, and experts are expected to prepare a draft within seven to eight days and hold a special meeting to discuss navigation routes.

The future of the strait has been a major point of contention between Iran and the United States. Tehran, in coordination with Oman, seeks to impose a new service fee, while Washington opposes any form of toll collection. Oman’s position had been unclear, as the two countries recently announced they were reviewing management costs of the strait.

Oman later clarified that it had no plan to impose a transit fee and instead launched a temporary UN-coordinated maritime corridor near its coast. In response, Iran attacked ships using that route and reiterated that only routes along its own coastline are authorized.

A lighter vessel named MV Bay Harbor-2 sank in the Karnaphuli Channel of the Bay of Bengal near Chattogram after colliding with another ship early Monday around 3 a.m. The incident occurred between buoys 2 and 3 of the channel. Following the collision, the Bangladesh Coast Guard launched an immediate rescue operation and successfully saved all 12 sailors on board alive.

According to Coast Guard sources, eight sailors were rescued initially, while four others drifted toward Parki Beach and were later recovered. The vessel remains submerged, and salvage operations are ongoing. Coast Guard media officer Aminul Islam confirmed the rescue details.

Chattogram Port Authority Secretary Nasir Uddin stated that the sunken vessel belongs to Bay Harbor Limited. He added that the accident has not disrupted vessel movement in the port channel, which remains fully operational and safe. The type of cargo carried by the vessel and its destination were not immediately confirmed.

Swapna Khatun, sentenced to death for her role in the murder of eight-year-old Ramisa Akter, is spending her days in the condemned cell of Kashimpur Women’s Central Jail. In an interview with Amar Desh, she expressed deep regret over marrying her drug-addicted husband, Sohel Rana, who was the main perpetrator of the crime. Swapna, originally from Singra in Natore, has been in prison since May 20 following the tribunal’s verdict.

According to court documents, Sohel raped and murdered Ramisa inside their Mirpur flat, later dismembering the body before fleeing through a window. Swapna was found guilty of aiding the crime by helping her husband escape and concealing evidence. Witnesses and investigators confirmed her involvement, leading the Dhaka Child Violence Prevention Tribunal to sentence both Sohel and Swapna to death.

Swapna reportedly spends most of her time crying in her cell, haunted by memories of her son and mother. The case has drawn attention for its brutality and the couple’s direct participation in the killing.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung announced that 24 of the 26 South Korea-linked vessels previously trapped in the Hormuz Strait have successfully exited the area. The ships had been stranded since February 28, following a joint U.S.-Israel strike on Iran that escalated tensions in the region. Only two vessels remain in the strait, according to the president’s statement.

The conflict had initially left around 11,000 sailors stranded aboard 600 ships. Under an operation led by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), approximately 115 ships carrying 2,500 crew members managed to leave the strait last week. However, renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran forced the UN-affiliated organization to temporarily suspend the rescue mission.

The situation underscores the continuing volatility in the Hormuz Strait, a critical global shipping route, as international efforts to ensure maritime safety remain disrupted by regional tensions.

Fresh violence erupted in Brahmanbaria’s Sarail upazila on Monday evening following a previous fatal clash over unpaid dues. Residents of Surjakandi and Dharanti villages engaged in a bloody confrontation at Kalikachchha Bazar area from around 5:30 p.m. until night. At least 25 people, including Sarail Police Station Officer-in-Charge Manjur Kader Bhuiyan, were injured during the three-hour-long conflict.

According to police and local sources, the dispute began when Mosharaf Mia of Surjakandi claimed that Khadim Mia, Alal, and Ashik of neighboring Dharanti owed him one lakh taka for sold mats. Khadim’s refusal to pay led to a clash on Sunday night, resulting in his death. The following day, after Khadim’s funeral prayer, villagers from both sides again engaged in violent clashes.

Police brought the situation under control around 8:30 p.m. after deploying additional forces and detained three individuals. No formal case had been filed as of the report’s publication regarding Sunday’s fatal incident.

Venezuela has been struck by two powerful earthquakes that killed at least 1,719 people and injured more than 5,000, according to official reports released Monday night. The quakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, hit the northern La Guaira state just 39 seconds apart, destroying around 800 buildings and leaving thousands missing. Rescue teams continue to work tirelessly to locate survivors trapped under the rubble.

Authorities described the disaster as the most catastrophic natural event in the country’s history. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez said over 25,000 emergency workers, police, and soldiers are assisting affected communities. Despite international aid arriving, hopes of finding survivors are fading as critical hours pass. A 21-year-old man was rescued alive after being trapped for more than 100 hours.

Reports indicate limited government presence in some of the hardest-hit areas, where residents are relying on local farmers and volunteers for essential supplies. A mild aftershock of magnitude 4.6 was felt Monday in Caracas and La Guaira, though no new damage was reported.

A young man named Mosle Uddin Jony, aged 23, was detained in Feni on Monday evening for posting offensive and indecent remarks about Zaima Rahman on Facebook. Local residents of Rajapur Union in Daganbhuiyan upazila surrounded and handed him over to police after the post spread in the area. The incident occurred around 7 p.m. near Box Ali Moulvibari in Purba Joy Narayanpur.

According to locals, Jony had previously made similar objectionable comments on social media. Upon receiving information, police led by the officer-in-charge of Daganbhuiyan Police Station, Muhammad Fayzul Azim, arrived at the scene and took him into custody. The officer stated that preparations were underway to file a case based on the complaint and that authorities would investigate whether others were involved.

Police are currently examining the incident to determine the extent of involvement and any potential violations of law related to online conduct.

U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded that petrol stations and other fuel retailers immediately lower prices following a decline in global oil rates. In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned that retailers could face serious consequences if they fail to reduce prices for consumers. He noted that oil prices had dropped to 68 dollars per barrel and were continuing to fall, yet retail fuel prices remained high.

Trump emphasized that retailers must act quickly to adjust prices and avoid overcharging, which he described as illegal. His warning comes after a period of sharp increases in oil prices triggered by the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, during which Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supply.

Oil prices have since declined as Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding and moved toward a potential final agreement, easing market tensions and prompting Trump’s call for lower domestic fuel prices.

Bangladesh is facing a severe disparity in electricity supply between urban and rural areas, with rural residents enduring long hours without power while Dhaka remains largely unaffected. On Sunday, despite a national load shedding record of 3,280 megawatts, the capital experienced no outages. Protests erupted in several districts, where residents blocked roads and attacked power offices over frequent blackouts. In Jamalpur’s Madarganj, hundreds surrounded a local power station, citing disruptions to students’ studies.

According to the Power Division, national electricity demand reached 17,278 megawatts, but only 13,998 megawatts were supplied. While Dhaka’s utilities met full demand, rural areas under the Rural Electrification Board faced significant shortfalls. Officials reported that 65 percent of power plants remain idle, with gas and coal shortages limiting production. The government continues to pay high capacity charges for unused plants.

Energy Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud stated in parliament that production has improved to 14,500 megawatts against a demand of 14,839 megawatts and assured efforts to stabilize supply. Authorities are considering increasing output from oil-based plants to ease the crisis.

The bodies of five Bangladeshi expatriates who died in a road accident in Qatar’s Shahaniya area arrived at Sylhet Osmani International Airport on Tuesday morning. The accident occurred on June 21, resulting in the deaths of five workers from different villages in Sylhet’s Kanaighat upazila.

According to the Labour Welfare Wing, the bodies were sent from Hamad International Airport on Monday night at 10:15 p.m. local time via Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-226. The flight landed in Sylhet at 6:50 a.m. on Tuesday. The deceased were identified as Abdul Kadir of Gachbari village, Mustak Ahmed Afnan and Jubayer Ahmed of Majhtaluk village, Jasim Uddin of Agataluk village, and Jibal Ahmed of Amorpur village.

The Bangladesh embassy confirmed that the repatriation process was arranged with financial support from the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump indicated during an extended Oval Office discussion that he wants to end the ongoing conflict with Iran by any means. While focusing on domestic issues, he briefly mentioned his desire to move away from the Iran war, expressing fatigue with the situation. Trump has also been pushing for the passage of the 'Save America Voting Act', which he referenced during the meeting.

Reports suggest that Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, is scheduled to meet another negotiating team in Doha on Tuesday. Both sides reportedly hope to end the fighting, which had previously seen repeated ceasefire violations but is currently paused. Mediators have expressed frustration, noting the difficulty of sustaining dialogue between the parties.

Trump stated that he is willing to hold talks and claimed that Iranian representatives also want discussions, though Iran has denied this. The situation remains uncertain until direct talks occur, but it is clear that Trump seeks a way out of the conflict, describing other matters as exhausting.

The process of forming a new central committee for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s student wing, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, has reached its final stage, pending approval from BNP chairperson and organizational guardian Tarique Rahman. The move comes amid renewed controversy over the age of top Chhatra Dal leaders, with many reportedly in their mid to late 30s, far older than regular university students. The issue has sparked criticism within student politics and on social media, as the organization faces questions about whether it still represents active students.

According to the report, Chhatra Dal’s constitution has not yet been finalized, and the draft version does not specify any age limit for leadership positions. In contrast, other student organizations typically maintain leadership within the 25–30 age range. Some Chhatra Dal leaders argue that experienced figures should retain leadership to preserve organizational stability, while others demand a clear age cap and a structured transition to youth and main BNP politics to ensure generational renewal.

Party insiders said the final decision on age criteria and leadership selection will rest with Tarique Rahman, who is expected to determine the composition of both central and university committees soon.

South Korea’s World Cup campaign ended in disappointment as head coach Hong Myung-bo resigned after the team failed to advance beyond the group stage. Just 24 hours after their elimination was confirmed, Hong announced his decision at a press conference, taking full responsibility for the team’s early exit. South Korea had started the tournament strongly with a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic but then suffered consecutive defeats to Mexico and South Africa, which sealed their fate.

In his post-match remarks, Hong expressed deep regret for not meeting the expectations of fans and apologized to supporters, saying that as coach he bore all responsibility for the results. He added that although stepping down was difficult, his love for Korean football would remain, and he would continue to support the team as a fan.

The sudden resignation has dealt a major blow to South Korean football, leaving uncertainty over who will take charge of the team as it seeks to rebuild after the disappointing campaign.

A local BNP leader, Md. Mamun Sikdar, aged 50, was seriously injured in an attack in Patiya upazila of Chattogram on Monday afternoon. The incident occurred around 3 p.m. near the Kirinja Bridge area of Chanharra Union when alleged extortionists assaulted him with sharp weapons after he refused to pay a demanded sum of one lakh taka. Locals rescued the injured leader and took him to Patiya Upazila Health Complex, from where he was referred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.

According to local and victim accounts, Mamun Sikdar, a former joint secretary of Chanharra Union BNP, runs a sand business using boats from Anwara canal. The alleged attacker, identified as Md. Sohel from Ashia area, reportedly demanded money and attacked when refused. Locals said Sohel is accused in about 20 cases and had recently been released on bail. The attack has caused tension in the area.

Patiya Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ziaul Haque confirmed receiving a written complaint and said legal action would follow after investigation.

Several devotees have expressed anger and disappointment following reports of large-scale financial irregularities in the donation funds of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, India. Allegations surfaced that cash, gold, and silver items donated by worshippers were embezzled. The case has reached the Supreme Court, which directed Uttar Pradesh Police to form a three-member special team. Based on its report, Ayodhya Police arrested eight individuals linked to the alleged misappropriation.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has denied all allegations, while Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath vowed strict action, saying no one would be spared if found guilty. The accused, including temple staff responsible for counting donations, face charges of theft, criminal breach of trust, fraud, and conspiracy. The scandal began after whistleblower Mahipal Singh, a former accounts supervisor, raised internal concerns and was later removed from his post.

The controversy has drawn political attention, with opposition leaders demanding a court-monitored investigation and temporary suspension of trust members. The temple, inaugurated in 2024, reportedly received donations worth about 33 billion rupees in 2024–25, making it one of India’s wealthiest religious sites.