A landslide in the Khajurtala area of Jungle Salimpur, Sitakunda, Chattogram, killed a 10-month-old child and injured his mother on Wednesday morning. The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. when a portion of a nearby hill collapsed onto the house of local resident Mohin Uddin, destroying the dwelling and burying the family under debris. The deceased child was identified as Ashraful Islam Tanvir, son of Mohin Uddin. The injured mother received initial medical treatment following the accident.

Local sources reported that the landslide struck suddenly, leaving little time for the family to react. In response to the incident, authorities have urged residents living in vulnerable hillside areas to relocate to safer locations to prevent further casualties. Attempts to contact the in-charge of the Faujdarhat police outpost, Md. Rubel, for additional information were unsuccessful.

The event highlights ongoing risks faced by communities residing near unstable slopes in the region, prompting renewed calls for precautionary measures and relocation efforts.

Several hundred workers of the ‘China Hardware’ factory blocked the Dhaka-Paturia highway at Nobogram bus stand area in Shibaloy, Manikganj, on Wednesday morning. The blockade began around 9 a.m. as the workers demanded payment of wages and allowances according to the government gazette. The protest caused severe traffic congestion on both sides of the highway, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded.

According to the workers, multiple meetings had previously been held with the factory management over the same demand, including one on Tuesday, but no effective resolution was reached. As a result, they refrained from entering the factory on Wednesday and instead took position on the highway. The officer-in-charge of Shibaloy Police Station said police arrived at the scene and were in discussions with both the workers and the company management to restore normal traffic and resolve the issue peacefully.

Efforts were underway to reopen the highway and bring the situation under control, according to local authorities.

A Dhaka court has ordered the arrest of former minister Rashed Khan Menon in a corruption case related to teacher recruitment at the capital’s Wills Little Flower School and College. The order was issued on Wednesday by Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Shahjahan Kabir, following a petition from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The ACC’s public prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam confirmed the court’s decision. The case was filed on December 22 last year, accusing Menon and 19 others of irregularities and fraud in the recruitment process.

According to the case, an illegal recruitment board was formed without the authority of the special governing committee, excluding required representatives from the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education. Candidates without the mandatory NTRCA certificate were allowed to apply, and the top scorer in the written test was denied participation in the oral exam. Appointment and joining letters were issued before the recruitment process was completed.

Menon, president of the Workers Party, was previously arrested by police on August 22, 2024, and remains in custody.

Six fishermen from Patuakhali’s Galachipa upazila remain missing three days after their fishing trawler capsized in the Bay of Bengal. The incident occurred on the night of July 5, about 60 kilometers south of Maudubi in Rangabali upazila, when the vessel was struck by a sudden storm. Five crew members were rescued alive, two of whom are receiving treatment at Galachipa Upazila Health Complex. The Coast Guard and local fishermen have continued search operations, but no trace of the missing men has been found as of Wednesday afternoon.

The missing fishermen are residents of Gazalia, Panpatti, and Sadar unions, while the rescued include trawler owner Imadul Sikder and four others. According to Sikder, the trawler overturned suddenly, trapping three men inside the cabin. The survivors clung to floating debris and buoys for hours before being rescued by another fishing boat early Monday. A general diary has been filed with Galachipa Police Station regarding the incident.

Local authorities have sought assistance from the Navy to support the ongoing rescue efforts.

A landslide in Renchang village of Dangchang County, located in China's northwestern Gansu province, has killed 21 people. The incident occurred at 6:56 a.m. on Tuesday, when 33 people were buried under debris. Rescue teams quickly arrived at the site and launched an operation, which has now concluded, according to China's state news agency Xinhua.

Following the disaster, the Chinese government allocated 30 million yuan for reconstruction in the affected area. On the same day, severe storms and heavy rainfall in southern and central China killed about 17 people and injured hundreds. In Guangxi, flooding occurred in around 40 rivers and waterways, and a reservoir dam collapsed under water pressure, forcing thousands to evacuate.

President Xi Jinping has instructed authorities to make maximum efforts in rescue and relief operations, as multiple regions continue to face extreme weather conditions.

A 22-kilometer-long traffic jam has formed on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway, stretching from the World Road roundabout in Sarail, Brahmanbaria, to Budhanti in Bijoynagar upazila. The congestion began on Tuesday evening and worsened by Wednesday morning after two cargo trucks broke down near Shahbazpur Bridge and Islamabad areas, causing severe suffering for thousands of passengers and transport workers.

According to police and local sources, the gridlock started when a lorry and a covered van collided head-on in heavy rain at Baishamura in Sarail upazila. Although highway police and fire service personnel removed the damaged vehicles after about an hour, the traffic backlog had already built up. Continuous rain overnight left potholes filled with water, further worsening road conditions.

Only one lane toward Sylhet remains open at the World Road intersection, as development work has closed two other lanes. Highway police are working continuously to ease the situation and restore normal traffic flow as soon as possible.

Police in Baruipur, South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, reported that the main accused in the rape and murder of a Muslim girl was killed in an encounter. According to police, the accused, Prabhas Mondal, tried to snatch a gun and escape during a late-night operation, prompting officers to open fire. His death has sparked debate, with some describing the incident as a 'Yogi model' encounter similar to those seen in Uttar Pradesh.

During interrogation, Prabhas allegedly mentioned the name of a BJP leader, Raja, suggesting possible involvement in the crime. However, police have not arrested Raja, raising questions about the investigation’s transparency. Meanwhile, police have arrested three other suspects—Ananda Sardar, Dibakar Sardar, and Kabir Molla—bringing the total arrests to four.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited Baruipur and announced a 'zero tolerance' policy toward both the crime and subsequent violence. Authorities have identified 200 individuals from protest footage and arrested 20 for obstructing police work, as the case continues to stir political and public scrutiny.

Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, announced that more than 2.3 million people participated in a mourning procession for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the holy city of Najaf. The statement, broadcast on Iran’s state media IRIB on Wednesday, said people from across Iraq joined the event, with the number of mourners continuing to rise.

As part of several days of farewell ceremonies, Khamenei’s body was taken to Najaf. Similar commemorations were also organized in Qom, Karbala, and his hometown of Mashhad. The funeral prayer was first held at the shrine of Hazrat Ali (RA), followed by the official mourning procession that began at 6 a.m. local time in Najaf.

The procession moved from the shrine through Kufa Bridge and Thawrat al-Ashreen Square toward Al-Sadrin Square before Khamenei’s body was taken to Karbala, marking a major moment in the multi-day mourning events.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has defended recent United States airstrikes on Iran, calling them necessary. Speaking to reporters in Ankara ahead of a NATO summit, Rutte said that if Iran violated the ceasefire, a strong US response was essential. His remarks came after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that at least 80 strikes had been carried out on specific Iranian targets.

According to CENTCOM, the attacks targeted Iran’s air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar installations, and anti-ship missile capabilities. The US military said these actions were in retaliation for Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

The exchange underscores escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran, with NATO leadership publicly backing the US position just before a key alliance meeting in Turkey.

The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs in Bangladesh has identified around 200 fake applications among more than 3,000 new submissions from individuals claiming to have been injured during the July Uprising. According to ministry sources, the Special Branch (SB) and Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) verified 2,388 applications, confirming the authenticity of 1,590. The process to officially recognize these individuals as July fighters is underway. Approximately 600 other applications showed inconsistencies, including duplicate submissions and false claims under the names of deceased persons.

The ministry stated that the verification was conducted through intelligence agencies to prevent controversy similar to earlier disputes over published gazettes. Previously, names of 13 martyrs and 219 injured fighters were removed from the official list due to irregularities. The ministry emphasized that anyone found to have been listed through false information would be removed. The investigation also revealed that most new applications came from Dhaka Division.

Under existing regulations, fraudulent listing as a martyr or July fighter carries a maximum two-year prison sentence and a fine of up to two lakh taka.

Chattogram experienced its highest rainfall in 43 years, with 394 millimeters recorded in 24 hours on Tuesday, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department. The previous record was 407 millimeters on July 5, 1983. The heavy and continuous downpour submerged large parts of the city, including major roads and low-lying areas, causing severe disruption for residents. Authorities have warned people living near hills to move to safer places due to landslide risks.

Other regions also saw significant rainfall, including Bandarban with 176 millimeters, Sitakunda 170, Hatiya 143, Khepupara 106, and Teknaf 94. Even Dhaka experienced waterlogging after 46 millimeters of rain. The weather office stated that rainfall above 88 millimeters in 24 hours is considered very heavy. A warning signed by meteorologist A.K.M. Nazmul Haque said heavy to very heavy rain may continue in several divisions over the next 48 hours.

The Bangladesh Weather Observatory Team reported that a strong monsoon belt has entered the country and may remain active until July 13, with risks of flash floods and landslides in Sylhet and the Chattogram Hill Tracts.

A cargo aircraft from the United Arab Emirates bound for Pakistan has gone missing with five people on board. The plane, a Boeing 737-400 operated by K-2 Airways, lost contact on Tuesday night about 155 nautical miles west of Karachi. No wreckage or trace of the five crew members has been found so far.

According to Pakistan’s airport authorities, communication with the aircraft was lost shortly after takeoff. Flight tracking data showed the plane cruising normally at 35,000 feet and 790 kilometers per hour before making a sudden U-turn and descending rapidly. Within five minutes, it dropped nearly 34,000 feet and was last detected at 1,100 feet and 211 kilometers per hour before disappearing from radar over the Arabian Sea.

Pakistan’s Navy and Air Force have intensified search operations, deploying additional warships and surveillance aircraft. Commercial vessels of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation are also assisting in the search effort.

Train operations between Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar were disrupted as four scheduled services were canceled due to waterlogging on the railway line. Two trains, the Prabal Express from Chattogram and the Saikat Express from Cox’s Bazar, had their entire journeys canceled. The remaining two, Cox’s Bazar Express and Parjotok Express, suspended only the Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar leg, with alternative arrangements made to transport passengers to their destinations. Ticket refunds began Wednesday morning for affected passengers.

According to railway officials, the cancellations were caused by flooding that submerged about two feet of track between Soloshahar and Janalihut in Chattogram city. The Cox’s Bazar Express could not depart for Cox’s Bazar but was rescheduled to leave for Dhaka at 4 p.m. Passengers holding tickets for the canceled route who wished to travel to Dhaka were allowed to use the same tickets for the rescheduled train.

Railway authorities stated that refunds were being processed at ticket counters and that operations would resume once water levels recede.

The Sahati River in Jhenaigati upazila of Sherpur is facing a severe existential crisis due to encroachment and pollution. Local residents report that influential individuals have occupied large portions of the riverbanks, planting trees and converting the land for private use. They are demanding immediate government intervention to reclaim the occupied areas, dredge the river, and construct embankments on both sides to prevent further damage.

Residents of Chapajhora village say the river is a key drainage route for hill runoff in northern Jhenaigati, but water flow has deteriorated drastically. The absence of embankments causes annual flooding, damaging homes and farmland. Over the past two years, about 40–50 feet of land along the northern bank has turned into sand, threatening 100–150 acres of cropland.

Officials from the Sherpur Water Development Board stated that a proposal has been sent to higher authorities for excavation and drainage improvement. They emphasized the river’s importance to local agriculture and pledged to expedite necessary work.

In June 2026, around 2,800 migrants arrived in Italy by sea, bringing the total since the start of the year to 14,388. Among them, Bangladeshi nationals formed the largest group, followed by migrants from Somalia and other African countries. From Asia, Pakistanis ranked second after Bangladeshis. According to Italy’s Interior Ministry, the data was recorded up to the morning of July 7 and may undergo minor revisions after verification.

The number of sea arrivals in 2026 has dropped significantly compared with the same periods in 2025 and 2024. Between January 1 and July 7, 2026, Italy received 14,623 migrants, about 53 percent fewer than in 2025 and 45 percent fewer than in 2024. Monthly figures also show lower arrivals each month from January to June 2026 compared with the previous two years.

Bangladeshis accounted for 4,314 arrivals, roughly one-third of the total. Somalia followed with 1,702, then Sudan, Pakistan, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Tunisia, Mali, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Iran, South Sudan, and Guinea. Another 1,163 migrants from various countries remain under identification.