Continuous rainfall, hill torrents, and rising sea tides have severely worsened the flood situation in Banshkhali upazila of Chattogram. As of Wednesday night, the main Chattogram–Banshkhali road at Bailchhari went under water, cutting off road communication with the city. More than a hundred thousand residents across several unions are now trapped by floodwaters, facing acute shortages of food and clean water.

According to local officials, the upazila administration is monitoring damaged embankments and affected areas, awaiting government relief supplies for distribution. The Banshkhali Fire Service reported that the situation continues to deteriorate, with rescue teams relocating stranded families to safer places. Many homes and rural roads have been submerged, making it difficult for residents to reach shelters.

In response, the local administration has issued urgent public warnings, urging people in low-lying and high-risk areas to move to nearby shelters. Local representatives have been instructed to assist with announcements and ensure the safe evacuation of waterlogged residents.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested 296 individuals in a 24-hour regular operation across various areas of the capital. The arrests were made as part of ongoing drives against crime and illegal activities, with 46 cases filed during the same period. The information was confirmed on Thursday morning, July 9, 2026, by Additional Deputy Commissioner Niaz Mehdi of the DMP Media and Public Relations Department.

According to the DMP, arrests were made in several zones including Ramna, Lalbagh, Wari, Motijheel, Tejgaon, Mirpur, Gulshan, Uttara, and by the Detective Branch. Police recovered 132 kilograms of cannabis, 14,765 yaba tablets, 2 grams of heroin, and various items such as vehicles, mobile phones, and locally made weapons. The operation also led to the seizure of explosive materials including a cocktail and petrol-filled bottles.

Authorities stated that legal actions are underway against the detainees, and the DMP continues its efforts to curb drug trafficking and illegal arms possession in Dhaka.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has directed the re-publication of the merit-based oral examination results for 46,531 candidates from Dhaka and Chattogram divisions in the third phase of the primary school assistant teacher recruitment test. The court also upheld the appointments of 6,531 candidates who had already passed the final results and instructed that 151 petitioners be appointed.

The verdict came after a hearing on an appeal related to the recruitment process, led by the Chief Justice. Senior lawyer Advocate Tajul Islam represented the petitioners. He stated that the 2023 recruitment circular had followed an 84 percent quota-based system, which the petitioners challenged, arguing that following a Supreme Court judgment after the July Revolution, recruitment should be 93 percent merit-based. The High Court had earlier declared the previous recruitment invalid and ordered the appointment of the 151 petitioners.

The government appealed that decision, and the Appellate Division has now delivered its final ruling, settling the matter with three observations.

The Appeals Division has upheld the candidacy of BNP candidate Sarwar Alamgir, who won the Chattogram-2 seat in the 13th National Parliament election. Lawyers confirmed that the decision removes any obstacle to his taking the oath as a Member of Parliament. The verdict was announced by the court at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday.

Earlier, on January 18 of this year, the Election Commission had canceled Alamgir’s candidacy after a hearing. He then filed a writ petition with the High Court, which on January 27 suspended the Election Commission’s order and allowed him to contest the election. Subsequently, Nurul Amin filed a leave-to-appeal petition against the High Court’s decision.

On February 3, the Appeals Division granted leave to appeal, allowing Alamgir to participate in the election but ordered that the results remain suspended until the appeal was resolved. With the latest ruling, his candidacy stands valid, and there is no legal barrier to his oath-taking.

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed at a White House press conference that he is the number one person on TikTok, citing newly released statistics. During his remarks, he jokingly referred to the platform as “Tik Tak.” However, a video he had shared earlier on his own social media did not make such a claim. That video described him as the most followed and most viewed world leader on TikTok, not the most popular user overall.

Reports indicate that the 425 billion views cited in support of Trump include all videos related to him, whether supportive, neutral, or critical, and not just those from his official account. Therefore, these views are not a direct measure of personal popularity. In terms of followers, Trump has about 16.7 million, far behind Taylor Swift’s 33.5 million. TikTok’s top creators include Khaby Lame with over 160 million followers, followed by Charli D’Amelio and MrBeast.

Trump also discussed TikTok’s Chinese ownership and potential security risks. Available data suggest he may be the most popular among world leaders, but not the top user across the platform.

Bangladesh Bank has granted President Md. Shahabuddin special permission to withdraw Tk 2 million from his account at Global Islami Bank, exceeding the withdrawal limits set under the bank resolution scheme. The approval was given on June 16, 2026, following his application in late May through the bank’s Gulshan corporate branch, citing medical and family expenses.

Under the resolution scheme, depositors of five merged banks are generally allowed to withdraw up to Tk 200,000, with additional withdrawals of Tk 100,000 permitted every three months for larger deposits. In cases of serious illness, withdrawals of up to Tk 1 million per month may be approved. However, many depositors have complained about difficulties in accessing such special permissions despite medical needs.

Bangladesh Bank Executive Director and spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan confirmed the approval, stating that the President’s position and medical reasons were considered. He added that similar exceptions have been granted previously to other depositors facing critical health conditions.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented each head of state and government attending the NATO summit in Ankara with a personalized revolver loaded with live bullets. Each firearm bore the recipient leader’s name engraved on it. However, the revolver inscribed with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s name was not taken to Britain and remains with British officials in Turkey. Officials said the weapon will be deactivated before being sent to the UK to ensure it cannot fire live ammunition.

Erdogan reportedly relaxed Turkey’s export control laws to allow the gifts, though importing live firearms without authorization is illegal in the UK. Downing Street did not release any images of the revolver. During the summit, Prime Minister Starmer and President Erdogan signed a defense agreement aimed at improving intelligence sharing between the two countries.

In a post-summit statement, Starmer said NATO had emerged stronger and more united, emphasizing the importance of alliance unity amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Iran. This was Starmer’s final major international summit following his recent resignation announcement.

Iran’s Health Ministry announced that at least 14 people were killed and 78 injured in United States airstrikes over the past two days. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it had targeted more than 90 sites across Iran. Iranian media reported explosions and attacks in southern coastal cities and the northern Golestan province along the Caspian Sea.

On Wednesday night, explosions and power outages occurred at Chabahar port, damaging a hospital, two jetties, and a maritime control tower. A firefighter was killed in a strike on Iranshahr airport, which also damaged the operations building and weather center. Explosions were also reported in Bushehr, where Iran’s UN ambassador said several facilities and Persian Gulf islands were hit. Additional attacks were reported near Bandar Abbas, Abu Musa Island, Sirik, Jask, and Konarak.

In northern Iran, a railway bridge in Aqqala was struck, while in Khuzestan province’s Ahvaz area, three people were killed and several injured. Earlier strikes in Bandar Abbas and Bushehr had killed eight members of Iran’s air and naval forces, according to local officials.

Global gold prices fell sharply on Thursday, with spot gold dropping 0.3 percent to 4,066.24 dollars per ounce in Asian trading, according to Reuters. The decline followed renewed military tensions between the United States and Iran, after US President Donald Trump declared that the memorandum to halt war with Iran was no longer valid. Shortly afterward, the US military announced new strikes against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

The conflict pushed oil prices higher, with crude rising about 5 percent on Wednesday and continuing upward on Thursday. Analysts warned that prolonged Middle East tensions could further raise oil prices and global inflation, prompting the US Federal Reserve to keep interest rates elevated for longer. The dollar and global stock markets also came under pressure.

The International Monetary Fund reduced its 2026 global growth forecast to 3 percent, while Bank of America cut its average gold price forecast for 2026 by 14 percent to 4,360 dollars per ounce, citing the likelihood of tighter US monetary policy.

A Bangladeshi expatriate named Md. Mahfuzul Haque was shot dead while delivering food in Philadelphia, United States. The incident occurred on Tuesday night in the Kingsessing area around 9:30 p.m. local time. Police arrived at the 1000 block of South Ethan Street after receiving reports of gunfire and found Mahfuzul lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the back of his head. His car was still running, and a delivery bag was found nearby. He was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead around 10 p.m.

Investigators recovered two shell casings from the scene and believe the victim was shot at close range. Police suspect the killing was targeted or planned. Three individuals dressed in black and wearing masks have been identified as suspects, though their images have not yet been released. Officers also discovered that the address where Mahfuzul was delivering food had not placed any order.

A food bag was found about one block away, but authorities have not confirmed whether it is connected to the murder.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the recent military tensions with Iran would end very soon. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday in Ankara, Turkey, during a NATO summit, Trump said he did not want a prolonged conflict with Iran. Responding to questions about the Strait of Hormuz, he noted that the region would become safer once tensions subsided and that oil tankers would soon move freely through the waterway.

Trump also told reporters aboard Air Force One that if Iran attacked any ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States would retaliate with twenty times greater force. At the same time, he dismissed the idea of diplomatic talks with Iran, calling them a “waste of time.” He expressed doubt about whether Iran was capable of making a deal.

The remarks highlight Trump’s dual stance of avoiding long-term conflict while maintaining a threat of overwhelming military response if provoked.

US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran listed him as the top target on its assassination list. Speaking to reporters at a NATO summit in Turkey, Trump said a new list was released showing his name at number one. He added that due to security concerns, he would not return home on a Boeing aircraft gifted by Qatar but would instead use a former Air Force One plane.

The remarks came as tensions between the United States and Iran escalated again despite a ceasefire agreement signed in June. Reports said Iran attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting US strikes on Iranian air defense systems, radar sites, and naval vessels. Iran later retaliated with attacks on several military installations in the Gulf region, though US officials reported no American casualties.

Trump accused Tehran of repeatedly violating the ceasefire and warned that the US could launch further military strikes if necessary. He also said Iran would never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons and suggested possible attacks on Iran’s infrastructure or renewed sanctions if tensions persist.

Police in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area arrested seven individuals, including a man identified as top criminal ‘Kutta Faruk,’ during a late-night operation on Wednesday. The arrests took place in the Shekhertek area as the group allegedly prepared for a robbery and an attack on police informants. Officers recovered machetes, samurai swords, and several other locally made sharp weapons from the suspects.

According to police, the group led by Faruk had planned to rob a poultry farm and retaliate against informants following the recent arrests of two local gang leaders, Billal Hossain alias Vaista Billal and Moura Sohel. Authorities also alleged that hired criminals from Shariatpur and Madaripur were brought in to assist in the planned attacks.

Following the arrests, local residents and victims gathered at the scene, expressing frustration that many detainees often secure bail quickly and return to criminal activities. Police said legal action has been initiated against the arrested individuals.

Chattogram has been experiencing continuous heavy rainfall for several days, with 336 millimeters recorded in the 24 hours up to 9 a.m. Thursday, according to the Ambagan weather office. Over the previous four days, the city received 834 millimeters of rain, and another 33 millimeters fell between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. The weather office forecast that the intense rainfall will continue until July 11.

Low-lying neighborhoods across the city remain submerged, including Muradpur, Chawk Bazar, Kapasgola, Katalganj, Agrabad, Commerce College Road, 2 No. Gate, Soloshahar, Panchlaish, Patenga, Firozshah, Akbarshah Bishwo Colony, and Uttar Pahartali. The flooding has been attributed to a collapsed drainage system and encroachment on canals and drains.

Normal life has been severely disrupted as homes and businesses in low areas are inundated. Public transport has been largely paralyzed, with many vehicles breaking down in floodwaters. Residents are facing severe hardship, and reports indicate that some transport operators are charging extra fares. Landslides triggered by the rain have already caused three deaths in Sitakunda and Chattogram city.

US Vice President JD Vance has issued a direct warning that the United States will launch military action if Iran attempts to close the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking at a press briefing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Vance said that any such move by Iran would trigger a firm response from US forces. He described this as the final position of the US government.

Vance referred to an earlier understanding between the two sides, explaining that the agreement required Iran to stop attacking ships in exchange for the lifting of US blockades. However, he stated that continued attacks on vessels would invite retaliatory strikes. Pointing to an incident that occurred the previous night, Vance cautioned Iran that it could either comply with the rules or face similar consequences.

He further emphasized that US measures would continue as long as Iran failed to keep the shipping route open and persisted in attacking ships, underscoring Washington’s readiness to maintain pressure until maritime security is restored.