US President Donald Trump has temporarily halted a major military operation against Iran because stocks of weapons, including Patriot missile-defense interceptors needed to counter Iranian attacks in the Middle East, are rapidly declining. Trump reviewed the issue with senior advisers and cabinet members on Friday, according to a report published July 26.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine warned at the meeting that while a new large-scale strike was possible, it could seriously damage the defensive capability of US forces. The White House said Trump still prioritizes a diplomatic solution, but all options remain open if Iran attacks the Strait of Hormuz or US allies.

Several administration officials believe recent strikes have not militarily deterred Iran and that further attacks could strengthen internal unity there rather than return Tehran to talks. After nearly two weeks of conflict, the intensity of attacks between the United States and Iran eased somewhat on Saturday, while fighting continued in Yemen. Washington also imposed sanctions on nine entities and four individuals linked to Iranian businessman Babak Zanjani's business network.

Kuwait has rejected as entirely baseless a report that its warplanes participated in US strikes on Iranian territory. In a letter to The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board, Kuwait’s ambassador to the United States, Sheikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah, denied the claim. The report was published on July 26, 2026, citing Kuwait’s state news agency KUNA.

The ambassador described the Wall Street Journal report as factually untrue and said Kuwait had not taken part in any military operation against Iran. She also said Kuwait had not allowed any country or force to use its territory, airspace or territorial waters to conduct offensive operations against Iran.

The Wall Street Journal had reported on Friday, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Kuwait and Bahrain struck several Iran-based targets with warplanes after Iran launched missile and drone attacks against US military facilities in the Gulf region. Iran had said its action was retaliation for recent attacks by US forces in several Iranian cities. Kuwait’s ambassador said the country would not permit its territory, airspace or waters to be used for such operations in the future.

Technology experts have advised smartphone users to carefully review permissions requested by new apps before installation, warning that unnecessary access to cameras, locations, microphones and contact lists can endanger personal data and privacy. The advice was published on July 26, 2026, as mobile apps are increasingly used for banking, shopping, social media and photo editing.

Location access may be needed for maps, ride-sharing and food-delivery services, but users are advised to allow it only while an app is in use when continuous access is unnecessary. Microphone permission is normal for voice calls, video meetings and audio-recording apps, while requests from ordinary photo-editing or flashlight apps should prompt caution.

The report recommends granting limited access to selected photos instead of an entire gallery where possible, and checking whether non-communication apps genuinely need contacts access. App permissions can be changed or disabled later through smartphone settings, so users should review them regularly. Download sources also matter: installing apps from unknown or untrusted sources can raise the risk of malware or excessive data collection, according to the report.

Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Ansarullah Houthi group have exchanged fresh military attacks, heightening tensions despite diplomatic efforts to reduce the Yemen conflict. In a report published on July 26, the Houthis said they launched successive attacks on the Saudi cities of Yanbu and Jizan, targeting multiple oil facilities with more than 12 cruise and ballistic missiles and Yemen-made drones.

The Houthis described the operation as fully successful and said all designated targets were hit. Saudi authorities, however, said every incoming attack from the Houthis had been successfully intercepted in the air. The claimed Houthi response came a day after Saudi attacks in Yemen’s Hodeidah province and on the strategically important Kamaran Island in the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia said its strikes targeted Houthi positions on the island.

The UN special envoy to Yemen and Omani officials urged both sides to return to talks immediately. UN, Saudi and Houthi representatives are in Oman for a possible second round of peace talks. Diplomats said attacks were unlikely to stop before negotiations begin. The Houthis said they would continue missile attacks and a naval blockade unless the blockade on Sanaa airport and Hodeidah port is lifted, with Aramco oil facilities as main targets.

International Crimes Tribunal-2 issued arrest warrants against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and seven others in a crimes against humanity case over the killing of Ekramul Haque in a crossfire incident in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar. The three-member judicial panel issued the order on Sunday afternoon under the leadership of its chairman, Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury.

The other panel members were Judge Md. Manjurul Bachid and Judge Nur Mohammad Shahriar Kabir. Prosecutors submitted formal charges against 11 accused, including Hasina, and sought cognizance of the allegations. The tribunal accepted the charges and issued warrants for eight accused described as fugitives.

The accused include former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former road transport minister Obaidul Quader, former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed and several military officers. Former lawmaker Abdur Rahman Bodi, Colonel Anwar Latif Khan and Brigadier General Md. Mahbub Alam are detained in other cases. The tribunal ordered the three arrested accused to be produced before it and set August 25 for the next hearing.

Bangladesh Azad Party, or BAP, has filed a complaint with the International Crimes Tribunal against recently former president Md Shahabuddin, known as Chuppu, over alleged involvement in killings and repression during the July Revolution. BAP president Brigadier General (retd) Hasinur Rahman submitted the complaint to the chief prosecutor’s office on Sunday afternoon.

Speaking to reporters after the filing, Hasinur Rahman said about 1,400 people were killed and thousands were injured during the July Revolution. He alleged that the then president took no action despite witnessing the events while holding the country’s highest office, and instead maintained a silent role.

Hasinur Rahman said Shahabuddin could have resigned as president at the time but did not do so. BAP said it filed the complaint under the principle of “superior command responsibility,” or accountability of higher authorities. The party expressed hope that a proper investigation by the International Crimes Tribunal would provide justice to victims.

Mahbub Anwar Bablu, senior vice president of Chandpur district BNP, died while undergoing treatment at Chandpur 250-bed Government General Hospital on Sunday morning. His family said he had been suffering from various physical ailments for a long time.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed deep sorrow and condolences over Bablu’s death. In a condolence message, he prayed for forgiveness for the deceased’s soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.

Chandpur district BNP president and Chandpur Sadar MP Sheikh Farid Ahmed Manik also offered condolences. He described Bablu as a highly prudent leader of the district BNP and said his death was an irreparable loss to the party. District BNP general secretary and district council administrator Advocate Salim Ullah Selim said Bablu’s funeral prayer would be held at Chandpur Government College ground after Asr prayers on Sunday, and requested party leaders, activists and members of the public to attend.

A High Court writ has been filed seeking directions to stop monthly fees or charges collected for household waste collection by vans in the areas of Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations. Supreme Court lawyer Salah Uddin Regan filed the petition with the relevant High Court branch on 26 July.

Regan said city corporations already collect money through holding taxes for services including waste removal. He argued that collecting a separate monthly charge from households in the name of waste collection through vans for the same service is not lawful. The writ specifically seeks an order to halt the collection of such fees from homes under the two city corporations.

The petition will be placed for hearing before a High Court bench comprising Justice Rajik-Al-Jalil and Justice Debashish Ray Chowdhury. On 10 June, Regan submitted separate applications with the administrators of Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations making the same demand. After receiving no response, he sent legal notices this month to the local government secretary and other relevant parties.

At least seven people, including two children, were killed and 20 injured in rain- and flood-related incidents across Pakistan’s Punjab province during the past 24 hours. The report, published on July 26, said continuous heavy rainfall damaged numerous homes and killed livestock. Around 400 square kilometres of Punjab were inundated after heavy rain and overflowing drains carrying water beyond their capacity.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority said 14 rain-related incidents had been reported across the province by 2 p.m. Saturday. Four roof collapses in Lahore killed three people, while a roof collapse in Kasur killed two. A woman died in Faisalabad after a house roof collapsed, and a child drowned near Pathan Colony in Gujranwala. Further injuries were reported in Bahawalnagar, Narowal, Sialkot, Nankana Sahib, Sheikhupura and Okara.

PDMA Director General Umar Abbas said Punjab had not yet faced a major flood situation because water levels in major rivers, including the Ravi and Sutlej, remained normal. Authorities warned, however, that water in the Chenab and Ravi could reach moderate to high flood levels within 24 hours. The PDMA said rain-related incidents had killed 22 people and injured 183 across Punjab so far this monsoon season.

Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University has developed a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification, or LAMP, test to detect the foodborne bacterium Bacillus cereus in milk, eggs and animal feed. The research was led by Associate Professor Dr Md Atikul Haque of the university’s Microbiology Department and was reported on July 26, 2026. The method can provide a confirmed result within 90 minutes, while the bacterium is associated with health risks including diarrhoea and food poisoning.

Nearly 80 percent of field samples tested positive for at least one toxin gene, according to the research. Animal feed showed the highest contamination, while significant contamination was also detected in milk and eggs. Conventional PCR testing takes three to five hours and requires an expensive thermal cycler. The LAMP test costs about US$2.5 per test and can be conducted using a basic water bath or heating block.

Researchers said the technique is about 10,000 times more sensitive and demonstrated 96.1 percent diagnostic sensitivity. Conducted with Noakhali Science and Technology University, the study was published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. Planned work includes nationwide surveillance, multiplex testing, species-specific detection and portable field kits, although researchers cited limited funding as a constraint on expansion.

Environmental research group Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) says it found harmful microplastics in 26 of 34 toothpastes sold in Bangladesh. The findings of the year-long study were released at a news conference at the organization’s office on Sunday, July 26. Tests found between 20 and 320 plastic particles per 100 grams of toothpaste among the products examined.

ESDO said the research combined a survey of 2,760 consumers nationwide with scientific testing at Jahangirnagar University’s Department of Environmental Sciences Environmental Health and Ecotoxicology Laboratory. The study used stereomicroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Microplastics were found in 22 of 25 Bangladesh-made products, one of five made in India, one of two made in Thailand, and both products made in Vietnam.

Mediplus Fluoride Gel recorded the highest level, with 320 particles per 100 grams. Four of six toothpastes specially made for children also contained microplastics, including 140 particles in Kudumu Ultra Shield Formula. ESDO said no detectable microplastics were found in Genfresh, Parachute Just for Baby (Mango), Close Up Red Hot Zinc Fresh Technology, or the imported children’s product Kudumu Orange.

UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese has called on the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Israel and deploy peacekeeping forces, according to a report published on July 26, 2026. In a post on X, she raised the issue in connection with what the report described as illegal settlement construction, displacement and arrests of Palestinian residents in the occupied West Bank.

Albanese said Israel has no legitimacy to ensure law and order in territory that is “illegally occupied.” She urged the international community to intervene and said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres should invoke Article 99 of the UN Charter to formally bring the threat to peace to the Security Council's attention.

She said the Security Council should impose sanctions on Israel and send peacekeepers. If this is blocked by a member state's veto, she said the UN General Assembly should adopt a “Uniting for Peace” resolution. Albanese also described Israel as an apartheid regime and called on the international community to halt all trade and arms supplies with the country.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said there is no legal scope to take criminal action against recently outgoing President Md Shahabuddin Chuppu. He made the remarks on Sunday, July 26, while speaking with journalists at the Secretariat about awards and honours for police bravery and commendable work. Ahmed said Chuppu will receive all state facilities, including security, for the next six months under the constitution.

Ahmed said the president served constitutionally during the final phase of autocratic rule, throughout the interim government’s tenure and for about six months of the current government. He said Chuppu performed his duties according to rules and regulations and that the government received the president’s cooperation. During that period, Ahmed said, the president was constitutionally privileged and could not face criminal proceedings or a court case on the matter.

The minister said people were free to make statements about periods outside that time, but the government had found nothing requiring consideration. Asked about a telephone conversation between the former prime minister and the outgoing president, he said communication can take place from anywhere in the world in the internet era, making a claim that travel to London was necessary appear unrealistic to him.

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder and movement spokesperson Abhijit Dipke said the group’s achievement was only a beginning after India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following a 37-day protest. In a video posted on X on Sunday, Dipke said the group still had a long way to go. CJP withdrew its movement after the government accepted other demands and assured protesters that no action would be taken against them.

Protesters had held Pradhan responsible for the NEET question-paper leak and the suicides of exam candidates, demanding his resignation. As the government’s decision was delayed, new supporters continued joining the campaign. Thousands of supporters identifying themselves as “cockroaches” later gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, where the protest stage echoed with “Inquilab” slogans.

Dipke described the continuous 37-day protest as extremely difficult, while saying he could now sleep and wake up at home without constant anxiety. He said he could not personally meet everyone at Jantar Mantar on the day the movement was withdrawn because he had typhoid and fever. He thanked supporters and also expressed gratitude to critics, saying constructive criticism and reasonable questions helped the movement correct shortcomings and operate more effectively.

Islamic University’s Tk537.07 crore mega construction project remains unfinished despite three extensions of its implementation period. Approved by the ECNEC in June 2018, the project was initially scheduled to end in December 2022. Its latest extended deadline expired on June 30, 2026, while construction of several key new buildings remains incomplete, prompting moves for another extension.

The project includes nine new 10-storey buildings and vertical expansion of 11 existing buildings. Planned facilities include two male student halls, two female student halls, an academic building, residential buildings for teachers, officers and employees, and a second administrative building. Most expansion work has been completed, but the new buildings are not fully finished. University sources said overall progress stands at 75 percent, with 18 of the project’s 34 components completed.

Project Director Dr Nawab Ali cited about one and a half years of tender delays during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and contractor negligence. Chief Engineer AKM Sharif Uddin said permission had been obtained to extend the deadline until December. Completion of five halls would provide residential accommodation for 4,500 additional students.