The Pentagon’s stockpile of missile-defense interceptors has fallen sharply after months of sustained conflict in the Middle East, prompting US military planners to reassess whether they can maintain the current pace of retaliatory strikes or military operations. The information was reported by Fox News, according to the source published on August 1, 2026.

Data compiled by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies shows that US Patriot interceptor inventories have declined from about 2,300 before the conflict to fewer than 827. Stocks of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, missiles have also fallen from 452 to fewer than 278. CSIS warned that replacing the critical shortfall could take the United States at least three years.

The shortages have raised concerns about protecting US personnel and bases if another crisis suddenly emerges elsewhere, including in the Pacific region. To address the situation, the Pentagon has proposed a $67 billion emergency fund for fiscal year 2026, including at least $18.2 billion to replenish Patriot missiles, Navy Tomahawk cruise missiles and THAAD systems. Its preliminary fiscal 2027 budget also emphasizes lower-cost weapons.

In an opinion article published by Amar Desh on August 1, 2026, Wasim Ahmed Anik, general secretary of Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal at Jahangirnagar University, recounts the university-centred movement during the July mass uprising. He writes that a social movement against what he calls an abnormal quota system began at educational institutions, gained momentum in July and later developed into a nationwide political movement.

The author alleges that Chhatra League attacked peaceful student protesters at Jahangirnagar University, injuring many students and journalists. He says students and teachers were attacked again when they went to the vice-chancellor’s residence seeking justice for injured students. According to his account, teachers, students and residents of Savar supported the protesters, and the university became the first institution cleared of outsiders and Chhatra League activists, accelerating the movement.

Anik further writes that police later carried out attacks from night until dawn and returned with heavy weapons, injuring many students and teachers. He says the first march breaking a curfew occurred at Jahangirnagar, while private university students assumed much of the leadership after July 19. He reports that Abdul Kaiyum, Alif, Shraban Gazi and Nafisa were among those killed by police fire during a March to Dhaka procession.

The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has issued a recruitment notice for 587 revenue-funded Trainee SBA-A positions. Interested candidates can submit applications online from August 3, 2026, with the application window remaining open until August 23. The application fee has been set at Tk112.

According to the notice, applicants must have passed HSC in science or an equivalent examination. They must also have at least a second division or equivalent GPA/CGPA in both SSC and HSC examinations. Candidates must be between 18 and 32 years old as of August 1, 2026.

Applicants must be in good health, willing to work hard, and physically capable of climbing electricity poles and other installations. Applications must be completed online through the designated website. Further information and the application procedure are available on the website mentioned in the recruitment notice.

Courts in Anwara and Chandanaish, under the Joint District and Sessions Judge Court in Patiya, Chattogram, have been without judges for about 18 months. After the judges of both courts were transferred at the beginning of 2025, no replacements were appointed. Their work is being handled on an additional-duty basis by a judge from another court, leaving nearly 9,000 cases pending, according to court sources.

The Patiya outpost court handles civil court proceedings for five upazilas in southern Chattogram: Patiya, Boalkhali, Anwara, Chandanaish and Karnaphuli. Civil Judge Polina Akhtar, who is responsible for the Boalkhali court, was assigned the additional responsibility for the Anwara and Chandanaish courts. Patiya court nazir Anik Gupta said the problem arose after the judges were transferred.

Litigants said they must wait four to six months for the next hearing after a case is heard once. They said the prolonged shortage of judges is increasing the backlog, extending legal proceedings and causing severe hardship for ordinary people. They called for judges to be appointed quickly to the vacant posts.

An article published by Amar Desh recounts the life and death of Abdul Rakib in the context of the July revolution. Rakib, a 22-year-old young man with an intellectual disability, was born on January 1, 2004, in Muradnagar, Cumilla. According to the article, he actively joined demonstrations in Jatrabari during the July movement and would stand in the front row with Bangladesh’s flag tied to his chest.

The article says Rakib was injured by pellet shots fired by police on July 19, with eyewitnesses claiming at least 50 pellets struck his back. It says he nevertheless continued to join the movement. The account states that the outstretched arms of Abu Sayed inspired him, and that Rakib would spread his own arms before police gunfire and say, “I have bared my chest, shoot.”

On August 5, during the “Long March to Dhaka” programme, his family tried to prevent him from leaving because of his health and the continuing violence. The article says he broke a lock using a brick he carried and joined the procession. Eyewitness accounts cited in the piece say he was shot during firing from atop the Jatrabari police station building at 2 p.m. and died on the street.

A report says US President Donald Trump is pursuing an initiative to establish US business control over Libya’s oil resources through agreements among the country’s eastern and western power centers. On June 18, Libya’s three main political groups reached a power-sharing deal that outlines presidential and parliamentary elections before February 17, 2027. Massad Boulos, Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs and Tiffany Trump’s father-in-law, is described as playing a central role in the process.

The agreement is based on a unified state budget of $30 billion adopted in April. The report says a plan to double Libya’s daily oil output to three million barrels by 2030 could benefit US energy companies including ConocoPhillips and Chevron, which have already signed oil-related agreements. It adds that unifying and insulating the National Oil Corporation from factional interference could raise output above 1.5 million barrels a day and increase state revenue by 20 to 30 percent.

Civil society, tribal groups, militias, women and young people were not represented at the Rome meeting that preceded the deal, prompting doubts about its success. Critics say the arrangement is centered on powerful individuals and families rather than institutions. Russia views the initiative as bypassing the Berlin process, while Algeria and Tunisia stress Libyan ownership and leadership of any settlement.

The United Nations has warned that intensifying El Niño conditions could push global temperatures to more alarming levels in the coming months. A report cited by Al Jazeera on August 1, 2026 said the World Meteorological Organization expects the recurring climate phenomenon to become a major driver of weather worldwide, raising risks of heatwaves, severe drought and destructive flooding.

The warning comes as wildfires have become uncontrollable in parts of Africa and Europe, while the monsoon season has brought extensive damage and disruption across South Asia. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said El Niño is strengthening and fuelling regions already on fire. The report said sea-surface temperatures in the central Pacific could rise by at least 2.9 degrees Celsius above normal, disrupting weather systems globally and contributing to extreme heat.

WMO forecasts that nearly all land areas could experience temperatures far above normal, with the strongest harmful effects possible in Africa, southern Europe, the Indian subcontinent, East Asia and South America. Guterres called for stronger climate action and an immediate halt to new coal, oil and gas projects. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo urged governments and humanitarian agencies to turn early warnings into practical action.

Tom Holland and Zendaya-starrer Spider-Man: Brand New Day set a new opening-day box office record for a Hollywood film in India, according to the report. Released in India on July 30, the film earned Rs 60.60 crore net on its first day. The report said the result established the highest first-day collection for a Hollywood release in the country.

Box office analysts said the film surpassed the opening-day earnings of Avengers: Endgame, which collected Rs 53.60 crore net, and Avatar: The Way of Water, which earned Rs 40.30 crore net. The analysis also said it exceeded the Rs 67 crore gross opening collection record of Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Pathaan.

The film was released in India one day before its wide release in the United States. The report said it achieved the result without block bookings or preview shows, practices sometimes used to raise opening-day collections. Analysts expect its four-day weekend earnings to reach between Rs 150 crore and Rs 200 crore due to a lack of major competition. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the film is the 38th Marvel Cinematic Universe release.

On August 1, 2024, the Bangladesh government banned Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and ইসলামী ছাত্রশিবির through an executive order. The same day, six leading student organisers of the quota reform movement were released from Dhaka Metropolitan Police Detective Branch custody and taken home at about 1:30pm. They had been held for four to six days and, after a 32-hour hunger strike, said they would continue the movement.

The Home Ministry issued the ban under Section 18(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, barring Jamaat-Shibir and their affiliated bodies from political activity. Then law minister Anisul Huq said the decision followed allegations of their involvement in violence during the quota movement and evidence of anti-liberation war crimes. He said legal action would be taken against people whose allegations were proven.

The “Remembering Our Heroes” programme was held nationwide to commemorate those killed and injured, with reports of law-enforcement obstruction, confrontations and student detentions in several places. Organisers announced prayers, grave visits, worship at religious sites and student-public marches after Friday prayers on August 2. The United Nations said it was ready to assist Bangladesh, if requested, in investigating violence and casualties.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for restraint and forgiveness after alleged offensive slogans targeting him and his late mother were raised during a student protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. In a video message on Friday, Modi said abuse could never solve any problem and urged society to guide young people he described as misled back onto the right path.

The demonstration, led by the “Kakroach Janata Party,” was held on July 23 over allegations of question-paper leaks. Modi said the incident had been seen across India and the world, and that some confused youths used language unacceptable in a civilized society. He said he did not support anger or retaliation and argued that young people should be given an opportunity to learn from mistakes.

A zero FIR was registered against a 25-year-old woman at Noida’s Expressway police station under provisions related to provoking a breach of peace, provocative public remarks and defamation. The investigation was later transferred to Delhi’s Parliament Street police station. Party spokesperson Saurabh Das condemned the language used but criticized applying state criminal laws and police action against protesters over speech.

A 15-year-old girl was allegedly abducted from her home and gang-raped in a village in Bhashanchar Union of Sadarpur Upazila, Faridpur, at about 1am on Thursday night. Police said they received a written complaint and are investigating the case with legal action under way. The girl is receiving treatment in the gynecology ward of Faridpur Medical College Hospital.

According to the girl’s uncle, he and her mother were at a hospital in Faridpur for the grandmother’s eye treatment when the incident occurred. Her younger brother and sister were at home. An alleged group of eight to 10 people surrounded the house and pressured them to open the door. After entry was refused, they allegedly broke a window, dragged the girl out, and took her to a pond bank in a neighboring village, where three youths allegedly raped her in turns.

Residents said the girl was left in front of her home around 3am. Locals chased and detained two people with a motorcycle before handing them to police. The detainees, Helal Mridha, 20, and Rais Shikdar, 16, are in police custody. The girl’s mother demanded justice for all involved.

A shifting Padma River channel and severe erosion have heightened fears among riverside communities in Munshiganj. Continuous erosion involving the Padma, Meghna, Dhaleshwari and Ichhamati has swallowed more than 50 square kilometres of the district, according to the report. Local residents say more than 100,000 people from 20,000 families have lost their belongings, with property losses exceeding Tk1,500 crore.

Erosion began at the start of this monsoon season at Tongibari’s 200-year-old Dighirpar Bazar. Near Gaondia Bazar in Louhajang, about 200 metres of blocks on a roughly 500-metre permanent river-defense embankment collapsed into the river within two months of construction. Many families moved their homes, while the Bangladesh Water Development Board used geobags and concrete blocks to bring the situation under control.

Executive Engineer Akhlak Ul Jamil said the Padma’s main channel now flows through an area that was previously a branch channel, causing erosion there. He said defense designs must be regularly reviewed using updated hydraulic and morphological data. The board said it has placed 12,000 geobags in Purbarakhi and 18,000 in Shambhu Haldarkandi to curb erosion.

A bodyguard, Shariful Islam Robi, 40, was seriously injured after alleged gunmen opened fire on a speedboat in the Padma River at Bheramara in Kushtia. The attack occurred early Friday near Golapnagar Baggari Para while the boat was being tested after a new engine was installed. Robi works as bodyguard for Monirul Islam Moni, owner of Moni Park.

According to the victim and local sources, Moni had bought the speedboat recently, but it had become unusable after remaining idle for a long time. An engineer later installed a new engine, and those aboard took the boat onto the river Friday morning to test its performance. A group described as waiting nearby allegedly fired several indiscriminate rounds at the speedboat.

One bullet reportedly passed through Robi's left arm muscle and exited through the left side of his chest. He was taken first to Bheramara Health Complex and then transferred to Kushtia Medical College Hospital after his condition deteriorated. He was sent to Dhaka for advanced treatment at about 3 pm Friday. Police inspected the scene, but officials said no written complaint had yet been filed.

Iran’s National Security Council warned that a continuing US naval blockade of ports in southern Iran could cause severe disruption to global energy supplies. In a statement reported on August 1, Tehran said it could fully close the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and restrict other sea routes if Washington maintains the blockade.

The council said control over the Strait of Hormuz would be tightened if Iranian ports remain blocked. It also raised the prospect of closing or restricting other major maritime routes, without naming any specific passages. Analysts cited in the report suggested the warning may point to the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden, areas associated with the Iran-aligned Houthis.

Tehran said the continued US naval action would seriously disrupt global energy markets. The statement also indirectly highlighted a potential rise in US domestic gasoline prices and possible political effects in the United States. The warning came amid speculation about possible renewed US and Israeli attacks targeting Iran’s national energy and military infrastructure.

US President’s special envoy Sergio Gor began a meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at about 9:15am on Saturday, according to a report published on August 1. The source did not specify the venue or agenda of the meeting.

Gor arrived in Dhaka on July 30 for a three-day visit and met Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman. On July 31, he visited Cox’s Bazar to observe the humanitarian situation of Rohingya refugees, international assistance activities and camp management.

After visiting the camps, Gor, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen and other delegation members met officials including the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner in Ukhiya. Commissioner Mohammad Mizanur Rahman said the United States has been the largest donor since the Rohingya crisis began. He said the delegation’s visit was intended to see how US grants are used for Rohingya assistance, and that its members expressed satisfaction with Bangladesh’s overall management. Rohingya refugees also demanded repatriation with dignity and security under UN and international supervision.