International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Karim Khan has been removed through a vote by the Assembly of States Parties over allegations of sexual misconduct. The decision was reported on July 25, 2026, nearly two years after the allegations first became public. The 56-year-old British barrister had stepped aside from his duties in June, while member states later approved his removal.

Khan’s legal team said a United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services investigation found no evidence of misconduct or dereliction of duty, and said an independent judicial panel unanimously reached the same conclusion. Lawyer Tayab Ali called the process unfair and politically motivated. However, an oversight panel of the Assembly of States Parties had concluded that Khan committed “serious misconduct.” The woman identified only as Sarah alleged to CNN that Khan’s conduct became increasingly intimate and aggressive; Khan has consistently denied the allegations.

Former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell described the episode as part of a broader attack on the ICC. The removal has no immediate effect on arrest warrants issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, as only ICC judges can withdraw them. Deputy prosecutors Nazhat Shameem Khan and Mame Mandiaye Niang will jointly run Khan’s office pending a new election, which is unlikely before next year.

The protesting Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) is set to hold another round of talks with India’s Modi government on July 25, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over an alleged question-paper leak. The party has been staging continuous protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, with the demonstrations also spreading to other Indian cities.

On Friday, a two-member CJP delegation met central ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh. Party spokesperson Saurav Das said the delegation reiterated that it remained firm on its demand for the education minister’s resignation.

The CJP also demanded a public apology to protesters who it said were subjected to a police attack on July 20. It further sought compensation of one crore rupees for the families of people who died by suicide after the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test was cancelled on May 3. The two sides are scheduled to meet again on Saturday.

Microloan installment collection has been suspended for three months in flood-affected areas of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari after severe flooding and heavy rainfall caused extensive damage. Dr Mohammad Zakaria, director general of the NGO Affairs Bureau under the Prime Minister’s Office, announced the measure in a report published on July 25.

He spoke while visiting flood-hit South Jaldi, Ashkaria Para and Saral areas of Banshkhali on Friday and distributing relief supplies among people affected by flooding. According to Zakaria, loan recovery will remain halted in the affected areas for the next three months under instructions from the Microcredit Regulatory Authority.

During the visit, Zakaria discussed the overall condition of affected families with relevant officials and received updates on ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts. He also heard accounts of hardship from flood victims and took part in humanitarian assistance activities. Local residents expressed hope that coordinated government and private initiatives would quickly ease suffering and strengthen rehabilitation work.

Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party and chief whip of the opposition in parliament, urged the head of government to ensure genuine employment rather than relying on card-based assistance. He made the remarks as chief guest at a July March roadside meeting in Tengapara Station Field in Mohanganj municipal town, Netrokona, at 7pm on Friday. The meeting was organised by Mohanganj উপজেলা NCP.

He questioned whether assistance cards would reach genuinely distressed people or party affiliates, saying social security programmes and government benefits had previously gone to partisan beneficiaries while poor people were excluded. He called for administrative oversight to ensure eligible people receive cards. Referring to 30 kilograms of rice provided to fishers during seasonal fishing restrictions, he said such support was insufficient to sustain livelihoods.

Islam called for a special government plan for the haor areas of Netrokona, Sunamganj and Kishoreganj, including development of fisheries and tourism. He also demanded implementation of the July Charter and reforms to police, courts and the constitution. He said his party would oppose the government on reasonable grounds while assisting it when national interests required, but warned that cooperation would not be possible if reforms were not implemented.

Bangladesh national football team coach Thomas Dooly has outlined a plan to reshape the side by combining the football philosophies of Spain, Argentina and France. The German-born former United States player, appointed on a two-year deal in May, observed football supporters’ enthusiasm in Dhaka during the 2026 World Cup and said such passion is seen in very few countries.

Dooly said he wants Bangladesh to keep possession, play in one or two touches and make opponents run, following Spain’s style. He also wants a team in which players fight for one another, the national badge and supporters, drawing on what he described as Argentina’s spirit. Against stronger opponents, he aims for Bangladesh to be dangerous in fast, precise counterattacks similar to France.

Matches during the September-October FIFA window will provide the first stage for testing Dooly’s new blueprint. He has called supporters the team’s twelfth player and said he wants to see their roar in the stands when Bangladesh play. The coach hopes the football emotion shown for foreign teams during the World Cup will also surround the national side.

Indian educator and social activist Sonam Wangchuk has rejected allegations that he ended his hunger strike under a deal with the central government. In a 24-minute, 22-second video message posted on social media on Friday night, he said his focus was on securing justice for students and meeting their demands. He was receiving treatment at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram.

Wangchuk had begun the fast in support of ongoing protests at Jantar Mantar over question-paper leaks. He ended the 26-day strike at midnight on Thursday in the presence of central ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh. He said he withdrew the fast after receiving assurances from the government and members of various political parties, but critics alleged that he had reached an agreement with the government.

Questioning the criticism, Wangchuk said that after fasting in Delhi's heat after coming from Ladakh's cold, he was being asked to prove his integrity and the sanctity of his protest. He said many people called him on Friday morning asking about his work and any possible agreement. He thanked supporters and said he would try to answer questions raised outside politics.

Residents of Nayanpur in Sreepur upazila, Gazipur, are building a drain with their own funds rather than waiting for government allocations or action by relevant offices. Published on July 25, 2026, the report says about 40 families are jointly financing the project to address waterlogging that has caused hardship for nearly two decades.

Locals said rainwater had accumulated for years on the affected stretch of the Maona-Dhanua regional road, making it a persistent waterlogging point. Students from nearby schools and colleges, thousands of garment workers, traders, pedestrians and vehicle drivers faced daily disruption. Students said the low-lying road section remained underwater for four to five months a year, at times preventing even rickshaws and bicycles from moving.

Grocer Ismail Hossain said the construction has created temporary inconvenience, but completion could bring relief from longstanding waterlogging. Local BNP leader and union council chairman candidate Ariful Islam Sarkar called drain construction during road repair the most logical decision and praised the collective initiative. The administration, however, said the drain was built by cutting the road without permission.

Nutritionist Md. Alim Uddin Laskar, who claims to be chairman of the founding trustee board, held a second consecutive news conference protesting the indefinite closure of academic activities at First Capital University of Bangladesh. Speaking on Friday at Shaheed Hasan Chattar in Chuadanga’s Bara Bazar, he demanded the immediate resumption of classes and sought intervention by relevant authorities.

In a written statement, Laskar alleged a long-running dispute over university management, irregularities in rebuilding trustee boards, financial misconduct and an effort to take control of the institution. He said the original welfare trust was formed in 2011 and submitted the university proposal to the Education Ministry and the University Grants Commission. He alleged that founding members’ signatures were scanned and false information was later submitted, while university funds were kept in personal accounts and illegally spent or misappropriated.

Laskar said founding-trust members took charge on 21 July and began discussing appointments and staffing measures. He alleged that Deputy Registrar Nafiul Islam Joardar Shanto declared the closure on 23 July with outside support. Supporters of both sides argued at the event, banners were torn, and trust members left amid concern about escalation, though no major untoward incident was reported.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over the resumption of attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on commercial ships in the Red Sea. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric conveyed the secretary-general’s position during a regular briefing in New York on Friday local time.

Dujarric said the new Houthi attacks could draw Yemen deeper into regional conflict and seriously damage prospects for peace in the country. He said the situation could also lead to major economic, humanitarian and environmental consequences.

The UN spokesperson stressed the need to fully restore international navigation and freedom of movement through the Bab al-Mandab Strait and nearby sea routes. Guterres called for violence to stop and for the situation to be de-escalated immediately amid the crisis.

Belgium’s football association has officially appointed former Netherlands captain Mark van Bommel as head coach of the Red Devils after their 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final defeat to Spain. The association ended its relationship with Rudy Garcia following the tournament exit. The 49-year-old Dutch coach will formally take charge on August 15 and is set to lead Belgium through the 2028 European Championship.

Van Bommel said becoming Belgium’s national team coach was a huge honour and thanked the football association for its trust. He said the squad contains many talented players with exceptional potential and that he looks forward to working with them. Sporting director Vincent Mannaert said Van Bommel’s international experience as both a player and a coach could help the current young team become more mature.

Van Bommel previously worked at PSV Eindhoven and Germany’s VfL Wolfsburg before joining Belgian club Royal Antwerp. In two seasons there, he led Antwerp to their first Belgian Pro League title in 66 years, while also winning the Belgian Cup and Belgian Super Cup for a historic treble. His staff will include Boudewijn Zenden, Maarten Martens and Reiner Robbemond as Belgium begins preparations for Euro 2028.

Italy is close to appointing 2006 World Cup winner Andrea Pirlo as national team head coach after Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti declined approaches, according to Italian journalist Matteo Moretto. An official announcement could come within days if all details are completed. Pirlo would replace Gennaro Gattuso in the role.

Italy technical director Paolo Maldini and special adviser Leonardo acknowledged that Ancelotti was contacted first for the national-team position, followed by Guardiola. Both coaches rejected the offer for personal and professional reasons. Italy then turned to Pirlo, the 47-year-old former midfielder who is currently in charge of United FC in the United Arab Emirates Pro League.

Reports say Pirlo could sign a contract running through the 2030 World Cup, with an annual salary of about €1.5 million. No difficulty is expected in ending his current club contract to accept Italy’s offer. Pirlo won the Coppa Italia in his first season as Juventus coach, but did not achieve the expected success at Fatih Karagumruk or Sampdoria.

Students at South Melabor Government Primary School in Kishoreganj, Nilphamari, have received two tin-shed classrooms after studying outdoors for three years. The Primary Education Directorate and the upazila administration arranged the rooms after a photo report published on April 3 highlighted the situation. On Thursday, fourth- and fifth-grade pupils were seen attending classes in the new rooms.

The school’s one-storey building, constructed in 1994 at a cost of Tk420,000, became unsafe in early 2024 because it had not been renovated. Cracks appeared in its walls and plaster began falling from the ceiling, with students reported injured. The building was declared unusable in 2024 after authorities were notified, leaving 150 children to study in sun, rain, storms and dust.

School authorities said one tin-shed room was built with Tk300,000 from ADP funds and another with a Tk300,000 allocation from the Education Directorate. Upazila Engineer Mahmudul Hasan said an ADP-funded room was built in fiscal year 2025-26. UNO Arifur Rahman said authorities had been urged to arrange construction of a permanent building quickly.

US President Donald Trump said Washington is holding talks with Iran while warning that Tehran will not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. He made the comments on Friday local time at the White House Oval Office, where he had convened a special meeting on nuclear innovation. Asked by reporters about recent remarks suggesting a possible major attack on Iran, Trump said the United States was currently in discussions with Tehran and remained militarily prepared.

Trump did not provide details of the talks, but said Iran was taking the matter seriously and should do so. The report said his comments conflicted with messages from other US officials this week, as the administration had previously indicated that diplomatic opportunities were nearly exhausted and that attention was focused on military action.

Trump said senior members of his cabinet were involved in the discussions, specifically naming Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance. Asked about a strategy or exit path from the ongoing conflict, he said he saw several possible routes but gave no details. He also said he was in no hurry to make a deal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would not tolerate any form of threat or pressure while attending a conference in Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian country. The remarks were reported on July 25, 2026, amid ongoing regional and global tensions.

During the conference, Araghchi stressed that Iran fears no one and would not submit to pressure. “We are not afraid of anyone and will not surrender to any kind of pressure,” he said, according to the report.

The report described the statement as a clear message from Tehran to the international community about Iran’s position. It did not identify the conference, name other participants, or provide details of any follow-up measures or discussions.

Mohammad Emdadul, from Dhaoa village in Bhandaria upazila of Pirojpur, was killed during an anti-autocracy procession outside AMZ Hospital in North Badda, Dhaka, at 10am on July 20, 2024, the report said. It alleged that a police bullet struck his forehead. Emdadul had joined the movement with his friend Sajib.

Emdadul was the younger of two sons of Mohammad Abdus Sobahan and Hasina Begum. An HSC graduate, he moved to Dhaka hoping to pursue higher education, but could not continue after his father became ill. With an eight-member household dependent on the family, he took a job driving a private car. His father had worked as a rickshaw driver.

The family receives a monthly allowance of Tk20,000 as a July martyr’s family, while a large portion of funds from a Tk1 million savings certificate was spent on his father’s treatment, according to the report. His elder brother, Mohammad Hasan, now works as a day labourer. His mother requested government land to build a home. The family said it has not filed a case but seeks exemplary punishment, including execution, for those responsible.