Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has welcomed a draft Gaza peace agreement, saying he hopes the initiative will help secure Palestinians’ right to self-determination and create a path toward an independent, sovereign and contiguous Palestinian state. The report was published on August 1, 2026.

In a statement posted on X, Sharif said Pakistan hopes the ongoing efforts will help realize Palestinians’ legitimate rights. His comments reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the establishment of an independent state for Palestinians.

Sharif said a Palestinian state should be established on the basis of the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem, Al-Quds Al-Sharif, as its capital. The recent peace initiative is being viewed internationally as an important step aimed at ending the prolonged conflict in Gaza and establishing lasting peace. Pakistan has previously expressed support for demands for an independent Palestinian state.

An F-35 fighter jet crashed near a Marine Corps base in San Diego, California, on Friday, causing a small fire at the scene. The pilot successfully ejected before the crash and was rescued and taken to a hospital for treatment, according to a US Marine Corps spokesperson. The incident occurred near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known. Aerial photographs showed the smoking fighter jet in an open field, with firefighting and rescue teams operating at the site. Videos circulating on social media also showed black smoke coming from the aircraft as firefighters worked to bring the fire under control.

The injured pilot is a member of Marine Aircraft Group-11, Third Marine Aircraft Wing, though the Marine Corps did not release the pilot's identity. Miramar, about 10 miles north of San Diego, is the headquarters of the Third Marine Aircraft Wing and employs more than 15,000 Marines, naval personnel and civilian staff. An F/A-18 Hornet crashed near the same base in 2023, killing pilot Major Andrew Mettler despite his ejection.

Iran says it has a comprehensive plan to respond to possible infrastructure attacks by the United States and Israel, according to a report cited by Amardesh Online from Al Jazeera. The report was published on August 1, 2026, amid media reports in the United States about a potential attack on Iranian infrastructure.

A senior Iranian official, cited by Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, described the reports in US media as “madness.” The official warned that Tehran was fully prepared to respond to any kind of attack.

The official also claimed Iran's retaliation plan includes key infrastructure of the “Zionist regime” and US energy infrastructure in the region. There was no immediate comment from either the United States or Israel regarding a possible attack or Iran's stated retaliatory measures.

Dhaka-12 lawmaker Saiful Alam Khan Milon said there is no alternative to sports in tackling teenage gangs. He made the remarks on Friday afternoon as chief guest at the prize-giving ceremony after the final of the July Memorial Inter-Ward Football Tournament at BG Press Field in Mohakhali, Dhaka.

Milon, a Jamaat-e-Islami member of parliament, said members of teenage gangs could move away from criminal tendencies and become major assets in serving the country if proper care and support were ensured. He also stressed the need to develop regular exercise and sports habits to build a healthy and strong young generation.

The lawmaker called on families, society and all relevant stakeholders to work together to protect young people from the severe grip of drugs. He said different sports activities and sporting tournaments should be organised throughout the year to keep young people engaged in positive activities.

Writer Taslima Nasrin arrived in Kolkata after nearly two decades, drawing dissatisfaction in several quarters, according to the report. She reached Kolkata airport at about 12:50 p.m. on Friday and was welcomed with conch sounds, ululation and chants of “Jai Shri Ram” from some people. Disorder reportedly developed upon her arrival, and she quickly left the area in a vehicle described as belonging to the BJP government.

The report says some BJP supporters celebrated her arrival, with some calling her the “new mother of Modi devotees.” It also reports strong irritation and criticism among ordinary social-media users. The article characterizes much of the reaction as focused more on Nasrin’s personal life and publicity than on her literary work, while presenting extensive critical commentary about her views and private life.

Nasrin is expected to attend an event organized by Secular Mission and HRBFF at Rabindra Sadan on Saturday. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari may also attend, the report says. It adds that she had to leave Kolkata in 2007 amid controversy over her novel “Dwikhandito” during Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s tenure, and says no steps were taken for her return during Mamata Banerjee’s 15 years in power.

A new law has taken effect in Connecticut requiring the state education board to develop curriculum materials on Islam and Arab studies for schools. Published on August 1, 2026, the report said the provision was added as a small part of a broader bill. The State Board of Education will provide the curriculum to local school boards and encourage schools to teach the subjects.

The curriculum will not be mandatory for schools to include in their programs. Schools that choose to offer the subjects may use the state-developed materials. Farhan Memon, chairman of the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the law does not mean every school will teach Arabic or Islamic studies next year.

Connecticut already has provisions for developing similar curricula on African American and Black history, Puerto Rican and Latino studies, Native American studies, Asian American and Pacific Islander studies, and Holocaust and genocide awareness. Another provision in the same bill calls for a 15-member working group to address antisemitism in public schools and create guidance and support resources affecting students, families, teachers and school staff.

A report published from Kolkata on August 1, 2026 says India’s mainstream media and television news outlets face an unprecedented crisis of public trust alongside widespread journalist layoffs. It attributes the decline in credibility to allegations of biased coverage, political loyalty and failure to address people’s real concerns. The report says some members of the public have begun calling such outlets “godi media,” while television audiences and ratings are falling.

It says viewers are increasingly turning to YouTube channels and social media for news, where independent journalists are described as comparatively more impartial and courageous. Citing veteran journalist Shubho Maitra, the report says 24-hour news channels are in severe distress and that India’s media ranking has fallen to 157 in a global index. Writer-journalist Gautam Basumallik is cited describing reporters learning abruptly that they had lost their jobs.

Based on a social media update, the report says 28 news workers were recently laid off at News18 Bangla. It says affected staff included reporters, desk workers, cameramen, graphic designers and digital employees, while the channel also hired two new anchors and changed its editorial position.

A government primary school in Paikgacha, Khulna, is holding Grade Three classes under tents because of a shortage of classrooms. At No. 24 Matbati Government Primary School, 37 third-grade pupils are taught beneath tents set up on the open roof of a new building, according to a report published on August 1, 2026. Pupils face intense heat in sunshine and water entering the tents during rain, which can soak books and disrupt lessons.

School sources said the institution has about 300 pupils but only five classrooms, making it impossible to run all classes normally in one shift. Student Abida Hossain Nabila said rainwater enters the tent and sometimes classes must be suspended. Other pupils similarly reported difficulty concentrating because of heat and rain.

Headteacher Sushma Rani Mondal said the matter has been reported to relevant authorities and that new classrooms would allow pupils to study in a normal environment. Guardians called for rapid construction of classrooms. Acting উপজেলা primary education officer Sanjay Debnath said efforts are under way to find a quick solution, while the উপজেলা executive officer said a building proposal could be sent and temporary tin roofing considered if materials are allocated.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has welcomed a draft Gaza peace agreement, saying he hopes the initiative will help secure Palestinians’ right to self-determination and create a path toward an independent, sovereign and contiguous Palestinian state. The report was published on August 1, 2026.

In a statement posted on X, Sharif said Pakistan hopes the ongoing efforts will help realize Palestinians’ legitimate rights. His comments reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the establishment of an independent state for Palestinians.

Sharif said a Palestinian state should be established on the basis of the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem, Al-Quds Al-Sharif, as its capital. The recent peace initiative is being viewed internationally as an important step aimed at ending the prolonged conflict in Gaza and establishing lasting peace. Pakistan has previously expressed support for demands for an independent Palestinian state.

Pabna-3 MP Muhammad Ali Asghar said “July 36” cannot be erased from people’s hearts and that people must live carrying the spirit of July. He made the remarks on Friday night at the opening day of a July remembrance programme organised by the Chhatmohar upazila branch of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir at the historic Baluchar field in Chhatmohar municipal area, Pabna. He said he could not have become an MP without July, and others could not have become prime minister, minister, speaker or deputy speaker.

Asghar said July fighters gave their lives to build a Bangladesh based on justice and showed the country a dream. He said some of those who died could have become doctors, engineers, deputy commissioners, superintendents of police or secretaries. He described the July movement as not belonging only to Jamaat, Shibir or BNP, but to students and people seeking a discrimination-free Bangladesh.

The MP called for a legal basis for a referendum and implementation of the July charter, saying leaders could not go against the public. He said Abu Sayed and Mugdha gave their lives for a Bangladesh against extortion and drugs and for changes in policy. Other speakers included Maulana Habibur Rahman and several local figures.

Three members of the same family were killed after a truck ran over a motorcycle in the Ambariya area of Dighalia upazila in Khulna. The crash occurred at about 9:30pm on Friday. The victims were residents of Uthali village in Kalia upazila of Narail: Farzana, 22, wife of Sheikh Shihab; his sister-in-law Rubia, 20; and a 22-month-old girl.

Police said Sheikh Shihab was travelling from Khulna to Kalia on a motorcycle with the two adult women and the child. When they reached Ambariya, a truck coming from the opposite direction ran over the motorcycle. The two women and the child riding on the motorcycle died at the scene.

Sheikh Shihab, who was driving the motorcycle, survived the crash. Dighalia police station investigation officer Shubhra Prokash Das confirmed the three deaths. Police have seized the truck involved, and legal proceedings are under way. The deaths have cast a pall of grief over Uthali village and the victims' relatives.

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has announced a plan to use Nile crocodiles to guard Palestinian political prisoners, according to the report. The initiative is due to begin at Ketziot, Israel’s largest prison in the Negev desert. Palestinians know the facility as Ansar 3, and the report says it was used as a concentration camp during the First Intifada from 1988 to 1995.

The report says Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman classified crocodiles as “farmed wildlife” to facilitate the proposal. The reptiles would be released into moats, it says. It also states that Ben Gvir drew inspiration from Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention centre, which US President Donald Trump visited last year.

The article places the proposal within broader allegations that animals have been used against Palestinians. It cites claims involving wild boars released near Palestinian communities in the West Bank, theft of livestock and donkeys in Gaza, and the use of dogs. It says the Israeli army released 18 wild boars near the besieged Palestinian village of Iktaba, close to Nur Shams refugee camp, in April 2025.

National Citizen Party (NCP) convener Nahid Islam said his party would lay siege to Petrobangla if gas prices are raised, while criticizing the government’s energy policy and the country’s overall situation. In remarks published on August 1, 2026, he said no government could remain in power by disregarding the verdict of 70 percent of the country’s people. He said Dhaka residents would also take to the streets against rising commodity and energy prices.

Nahid Islam also raised the case of Alif, a teenager injured in an attack in Habiganj. He said Alif had completely lost sight in one eye and that the other eye was also at risk. According to doctors, the prospect of restoring vision in the affected eye is very limited, with further details expected after a medical board meeting. He alleged that the government had not checked on Alif after three days and that no organizational or legal action had been taken against those involved.

The NCP announced protest marches across the country, including in the capital, against severe gas shortages affecting homes, factories and transport, as well as what it called a plot to raise prices. A protest gathering is scheduled at SAARC Fountain in Karwanbazar, with NCP spokesperson and DSCC mayoral candidate Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan and senior joint convener and DNCC mayoral candidate Ariful Islam Adib expected to attend.

Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy organized a music programme titled “Gane Gane July” to mark the anniversary of the July mass uprising, under an initiative of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. The event was held on the evening of July 30 at the National Music and Dance Art Centre auditorium. Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki attended as chief guest, while the ministry’s secretary chaired the programme. Academy officials and prominent cultural figures were also present.

In his address, the adviser prayed for the souls of those killed in the uprising and expressed deep sympathy for people left permanently disabled. He said efforts were under way to use the new possibilities created after the fall of the fascist government to elevate the country’s arts and culture to a distinctive level.

The academy’s vocal artists opened the cultural segment with “Dhan Dhanya Pushpa Bhara,” “Chal Chal Chal,” and “Durgam Giri, Kantar-Maru.” ULAB students and Srijoni artists also performed group songs. Zakir Hossain Akher, Mita Mallik, Fuad Naser Babu and Momtaz Rahman Laboni performed solo pieces, while students from Jagannath University and Government Music College presented ensemble performances.

Bangladesh’s National Citizen Party (NCP) alleged that its convoy carrying central leaders was attacked and vandalised after its July march programme in Jaintapur, Sylhet. The incident occurred around 10:45pm on Friday in the Haripur Bazar area, according to the report. NCP chief coordinator Muhammad Nasiruddin Patwary and another person, Redwan, were said to have been injured.

Jubayer Ahmad, convenor of the Sylhet metropolitan unit of Chhatra Shakti, an NCP affiliate, said a group of 40 to 50 people threw bricks and stones at the moving vehicles. He said the attack took place after the convoy passed Haripur Bazar and before it reached Chikanagul, following a road meeting in Jaintapur. Vehicle windows were broken, and the two injured people received primary treatment.

A Facebook post by Nasiruddin Patwary also claimed that an attack had occurred. However, details of the injured people’s physical condition were not available. Jaintapur Model Police Station officer-in-charge Golam Dastagir Ahmed denied that the incident had occurred, saying those making the claim had not told the truth.