Saudi Arabia detained 14,970 migrants accused of violating laws during nationwide operations conducted from July 16 to 22, according to the Interior Ministry. The weeklong campaign targeted violations of residency, border-security and labor regulations across the country.

Among those detained, 7,437 were accused of violating residency laws, 3,991 of breaching border-security laws and 3,542 of labor-law violations. Authorities also detained 1,626 people while they were allegedly entering Saudi Arabia illegally, most of whom were Ethiopian and Yemeni nationals. Another 33 people were caught while allegedly attempting to leave the country illegally.

Authorities arrested 18 people on accusations of assisting or sheltering law violators. Legal proceedings are under way against more than 30,000 offenders, while more than 13,000 people have been repatriated to their home countries. Saudi authorities warned that assisting illegal migrants can carry penalties of up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to 1 million Saudi riyals, and urged the public to confidentially report such offenses to police.

Police in Sitakunda, Chattogram, said water at the Alinagar police camp in the Jangal Salimpur area was allegedly poisoned, leaving two police members hospitalized on Sunday. Several officers reportedly vomited after drinking water from the supply line in the morning. Police collected water samples after the incident and sent them to a departmental laboratory for testing.

Police sources said officers became suspicious after seeing white foam in a glass of water and detecting a toxic smell. They cut the pipe and conducted an initial check, which indicated a smell of poison in the water. Sitakunda police station Officer-in-Charge Mohinul Islam said an operation began immediately after the alleged poisoning. Chattogram District Police Superintendent Md Masud Alam said police had learned that criminals carried out the act.

A joint-forces operation began in Jangal Salimpur and Alinagar on Sunday afternoon to arrest those responsible. The operation was continuing until 6:45 pm, but police did not disclose how many people had been arrested. Police noted that criminals attacked police and RAB camps in Alinagar on May 25, demolishing the two camps with an excavator after previously cutting the water line.

Bangladesh received $2.29945 billion in remittances during the first 25 days of July, equivalent to Tk28,283.235 crore in local currency. The updated Bangladesh Bank report said Islami Bank handled the largest amount among the country’s banks. The figures were reported on July 26.

Private banks received $1.6571 billion of the remittance inflow during the period. State-owned banks received $337.17 million, while specialised banks received $301.55 million. Branches of foreign banks received a further $3.62 million, according to the Bangladesh Bank report.

Islami Bank received $357.68 million, the highest remittance amount among individual banks in the first 25 days of July. Bangladesh Krishi Bank ranked second with $301.55 million. BRAC Bank received $226.09 million, followed by Agrani Bank with $169.31 million. The report provided the bank-wise figures for remittance received during the period.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Damascus is actively pursuing a security agreement with Israel, with talks involving several countries. In an interview on Al Jazeera’s Al Muqabla program, reported on July 26, 2026, he said the arrangement could reduce tensions between the two countries and potentially open a path toward a broader peace agreement.

Al-Sharaa said Syria does not want to become involved in a direct conflict with Israel at present. He stressed that any security understanding would not undermine Syria’s rights over the occupied Golan Heights. He described a security framework as a possible foundation for addressing a wider, long-term crisis.

His remarks came after Israel carried out multiple military operations and air strikes in southern Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024 and al-Sharaa’s rise to power. Al-Sharaa also denied plans for Syrian military intervention in neighboring Lebanon, saying instability there would directly affect Syria. He said Lebanon’s crisis requires an integrated political, economic and social solution rather than a security-only approach.

Bangladesh recorded three dengue deaths and 458 hospital admissions in the 24 hours from 8am Saturday to 8am Sunday, according to the Directorate General of Health Services. The Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room released the figures on Sunday. On the previous day, one person died and 439 dengue patients were admitted to hospital.

In the first 26 days of July, dengue infections reached 6,994 and deaths totaled 25. Barishal division, outside city corporation areas, reported 99 admissions in the latest reporting period. Dhaka North City Corporation recorded 81 admissions, Chattogram division 78, and Dhaka South City Corporation 76. A further 438 dengue patients were discharged from hospitals during the same 24 hours.

Since January, the health directorate has recorded 13,098 dengue cases and 43 deaths nationwide. Dhaka division has reported the highest number of deaths, at 20. Barishal division has the highest number of infections, with 2,820 cases. Men account for 61.5 percent of all reported infections, while women account for 38.5 percent.

Iranian media said an oil tanker exploded in the Strait of Hormuz after failing to follow Iran’s designated route. Mehr News Agency reported that the tanker had moved away from the route prescribed by Iran before it struck a mine in the strategic waterway. The report was published on July 26.

No immediate information was released on casualties, the vessel’s identity, or the scale of damage. Iran had announced on June 26 that ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz could travel only by using sea routes designated by Tehran.

The report comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran in recent weeks. The United States supports free navigation through the strait, while Iran says vessels must use designated routes close to its coast and operate under a Tehran-supervised maritime guidance system. It also cited earlier attacks on three oil tankers in the strait and renewed disagreement over navigation rules.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan said the next World Cup will be developed into a profitable event for Bangladesh Television, rather than being limited to free broadcasting. He made the remarks at a joint press conference of the Youth and Sports Ministry and the Information and Broadcasting Ministry at the Department of Information conference room in the Secretariat on Sunday, July 26, 2026.

Swapan said the government has set a goal of earning revenue from the large advertising market in the entertainment sector. He said that with cooperation and continued encouragement for the current initiative, the next World Cup could move beyond a zero-cost model and become a profitable undertaking.

A letter of greetings and thanks was presented to the information minister on behalf of State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Islam for creating an opportunity to broadcast the 2026 World Cup football matches smoothly. Swapan said this year's World Cup football broadcasts were carried out without spending money from revenue, with encouragement and support from the sports ministry. He also called on young people to pursue the goal of establishing sports as a respectable profession.

A technical fault at one of two floating LNG terminals in Maheshkhali has sharply reduced gas supplies to Dhaka and nearby districts, causing severe disruption in homes, CNG filling stations and factories. The report, published on July 26, says the situation has worsened over the past week, while the energy division has been unable to provide a definite timeline for restoring normal supply.

Residents in New Market, Mohammadpur and the 600 Feet Road area reported little or no gas for cooking, while CNG drivers said many pumps lacked pressure and some queues lasted 10 to 12 hours. Shortages have also affected Narayanganj, Gazipur and Narsingdi, where industrial and household users are facing supply constraints. Normal production at factories in Savar and Gazipur has been seriously disrupted. CNG station owners are also preparing for a strike over demands for higher commissions.

State Minister Anindya Islam Amit said experts from the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates identified the fault and are carrying out repairs, but the technical complexity prevents a firm deadline. Bangladesh supplies about 2,700 to 2,800 million cubic feet of gas daily against demand of 3,800 million. The government says work is underway on additional FSRUs, a land-based LNG terminal at Matarbari and investment initiatives for gas exploration.

Nurul Islam Iran, 45, was killed in a mob assault in South Bhaterkhil of Muradpur ইউনিয়ন, Sitakunda, Chattogram, around 1:30am on Saturday night. An agitated group surrounded and beat him, and he died at the scene, according to local sources. The crowd later set fire to his home near Bhuiyar Dokan in South Bhaterkhil. Iran, son of Nur Mia, was an accused in the murder case of 16-year-old Naim.

Tension rose in the area after news of Naim’s death spread. His family alleged that he was called from home on the night of July 20 over missing yaba, tortured and injured with a sharp weapon before being left outside his home. Relatives took Naim to Sitakunda উপজেলা Health Complex and later to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where he died on July 25 after five days of treatment.

Naim’s father, Md Khokon, filed a murder case alleging that Iran was locally known to be involved in yaba trade. Police said Iran was an accused in the Naim and Shamim murder cases. A suspect, Altaf Hossain, has been detained in the Naim case, while raids continue for others. No separate case has yet been filed over Iran’s mob killing, which police are investigating.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, has claimed that more than 200 US troops were killed during a 15-day conflict with the United States. IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebi made the assertion in an interview with Iran’s Tasnim news agency published on July 26, 2026.

Mohebi said the actual number of US military casualties and losses from Iran’s retaliatory strikes was far higher than the figures released by Washington. The IRGC said its Operation Victory-2 involved attacks on eight US military bases. It said missiles struck 20 facilities and aircraft hangars at one of those bases.

According to the IRGC, the attacks destroyed 11 US warplanes and helicopters, 17 intelligence and operational drones, one F-15 fighter jet, one P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, one C-17 transport aircraft, and eight aerial refuelling aircraft. The Pentagon had previously said 18 US troops were killed in the conflict, while several international media outlets later reported a revised death toll of 14. The United States released photographs and names of some of those killed.

Iran on Saturday blamed Ukraine for an attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea that killed one sailor and injured another. Citing Iran’s Foreign Ministry, the state news agency IRNA said an explosion struck the ship in the morning. Tehran also warned that it would respond to the incident.

The accusation followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement that Ukraine’s armed forces had achieved a “very powerful success” in long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea. He said the targets included vessels used to transport Iran-linked military cargo and a warship. Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency said on Telegram that drones had struck cargo ships under international sanctions that were used to transport military supplies between Iran and Russia.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the Islamic Republic had never intervened in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. State television reported that Iran summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran to protest what it called hostile and criminal actions. The ministry also said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sought a strong response from the European Union and the UN Security Council in a call with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Indian Home Minister Amit Shah seeking answers over allegations that pellet shots were fired at student protesters at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Gandhi posted the letter on his X account on Sunday morning after sending it on Saturday. The allegations relate to a July 20 march toward Parliament held by students protesting an exam paper leak.

Several protesters were reportedly injured after pellet shots were allegedly fired at students during the march. Gandhi said medical records for one injured protester mention pellet injuries. Delhi Police, however, has denied firing pellets. Gandhi also alleged that hundreds of students were injured and that women protesters were beaten.

In his letter, Gandhi asked whether Shah, as home minister, authorized pellet firing at students and, if not, who did. He also asked whether people in plain clothes who allegedly beat students with batons were police personnel or volunteers, and who recruited them. On Friday, Gandhi presented injured protester Sahil Lohchab before the media and pointed to his wounds as evidence while the government denied firing.

An international team of astronomers has reported the first discovery of a moon outside the Solar System, according to a research report published in Nature. The object was identified in the CD-35 2772 star system, 71 light-years from Earth, using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile. Researchers describe the finding as a milestone for space science.

Scientists said the newly found moon has a mass at least equal to Jupiter’s. It orbits a brown dwarf rather than an ordinary planet; the brown dwarf is about 33 times larger than Jupiter and cannot generate the nuclear power needed to become a star. Lead author Kevin Whai of Diego Portales University said brown dwarfs occupy a position between ordinary planets and the smallest stars.

The brown dwarf was detected with an optical telescope in 2011, but the moon could not be seen directly from 71 light-years away. Whai’s team used the radial-velocity method to measure gravitational motion in the brown dwarf and confirm the moon’s presence and size. Researchers are seeking another possible moon, while the planned Extremely Large Telescope is expected to improve future searches.

Fishermen from Maheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar rescued two Sri Lankan fishermen after they had drifted in the Bay of Bengal for 36 days, according to the report published on July 26, 2026. The rescued men are reported to be a father and son. They were found on Saturday by fishermen returning from a fishing trip aboard a boat owned by Ziaur Rahman of Southpara village in Kutubjom Union.

The fishermen spotted a drifting boat in the Gulirdhar area and initially believed its engine might have failed. When they approached, they found the two Sri Lankan nationals lying ill inside the vessel. They brought the men ashore, where they are currently staying at the home of fisherman Ziaur Rahman in Kutubjom, Maheshkhali.

The rescued Sri Lankan Danish fishing boat was tied to Ziaur Rahman’s boat and kept at Tajiakata ghat. The Bangladesh Coast Guard arrived after receiving the information and took necessary measures. The two men were later taken to Maheshkhali police station. Officer-in-Charge Abdus Sultan said medical checkups had been ensured and senior authorities informed; formalities will be completed under state laws and established rules before handover.

A floating LNG terminal operated by Accelerate Energy in Maheshkhali, Cox’s Bazar, has remained out of service for four days, causing a severe gas shortage in Chattogram and other parts of Bangladesh. In a July 26, 2026 statement, Petrobangla said the outage has created long queues at CNG filling stations while gas-dependent industries are struggling to maintain normal production.

Petrobangla said the specific cause of the fire and technical fault at the FSRU has not yet been identified. Domestic and foreign technical specialists are working continuously to repair the damaged terminal. The impact has been greatest in the Chattogram region, where reduced gas pressure has halted supplies at many CNG pumps and limited operations at others, leaving drivers waiting for hours.

Bangladesh’s daily gas demand is about 3,800 MMCFD, but the outage has reduced national grid supply by roughly 450 MMCFD per day. The country’s two floating LNG terminals normally provide around 970 MMCFD, about 37 percent of total gas supply. Petrobangla did not provide a timeline for restoring service, but said supply would resume after repairs are completed.