Patients across Iran are facing severe difficulties obtaining essential medicines due to shortages and rising prices, according to the state news agency IRNA. The report said shortages have affected drugs such as Clidinium-C, certain antibiotics, Ascentra, and Estradiol Valerate. Health officials, however, continue to deny claims of a major crisis in the pharmaceutical market.

IRNA reported that a three-sheet pack of 2 mg Estradiol Valerate, used in infertility and other treatments, officially costs about 840,000 rials, or roughly 47 cents, but is being sold on the black market for between 5 million and 17 million rials, equivalent to $2.80 to $9.40. A woman undergoing IVF treatment in Tehran said she searched pharmacies for over seven hours to find only three sheets of the drug, criticizing the government for promoting childbirth while basic IVF medicines remain scarce.

The report attributed the disruptions in production and pricing to foreign exchange fluctuations, international sanctions, raw material import issues, energy costs, liquidity shortages, and funding gaps in the insurance sector. Some drug prices were raised before insurance systems updated their rates, forcing patients to pay more out of pocket.

A bridge built two decades ago in Rupnagar area of Baghasura Union under Madhabpur upazila, Habiganj, remains unused because no connecting road was ever constructed. The bridge, built at a cost of about 1.2 million taka over a canal on the Shahjibazar–Baghasura–Chatiain Bazar road, has gathered moss and developed cracks due to long neglect.

According to local sources, the original plan was to replace an old, risky bridge, but opposition from some influential villagers prevented its demolition. To avoid losing the allocated budget, the contractor built the new bridge beside the old one instead. Residents still use the old bridge daily, facing safety risks. The upazila engineer said the bridge was built before his tenure and that the adjacent landowner had refused to provide land for the approach road. The landowner stated he would sell the land only at current market value, while a local union official noted that just two decimals of land worth around 200,000 taka are needed to make the bridge usable.

Local authorities said they will discuss the issue with higher officials to find a solution.

A father and son were killed early Saturday when a speeding bus ran them over while they were repairing a truck tire on the Bhanga-Mawa highway near the Bagail toll plaza in Faridpur’s Bhanga upazila. The victims were identified as Yusuf Ali and his son Yakub Ali, residents of Rupdia in Jashore Sadar. According to police and local sources, their freight truck had stopped after a tire puncture, and both were working to fix it when the accident occurred.

Police from the Shibchar Highway Station recovered the bodies after the incident. Bhanga Highway Police Officer-in-Charge Md Helal Uddin said the truck had been seized and brought to the station. Efforts were underway to identify the bus and arrest its driver. Legal procedures were reported to be in progress.

Authorities have not yet confirmed further details about the bus or its driver, and the investigation continues.

Information Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan stated that meaningful change requires repairing both the state and society through national consensus. He made the remarks on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at the opening ceremony of the National Film Society Conference 2026 organized by the Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies.

The minister emphasized that some work stems from humanitarian motives, while the pursuit of wealth is a separate matter. He urged those involved in art, literature, and film to clearly understand this distinction in their work. Addressing social transformation, he said that the roadmap should not only focus on the film movement but also on broader social change, avoiding any group-based ideology.

Swapan cautioned that ideology-driven change can often turn into propaganda serving group interests, noting that those bound by group loyalty cannot possess true intellectual freedom.

Palestine has called on the international community to recognize the 1948 violence and displacement of Palestinians, known as the Nakba, as a crime of ethnic cleansing. The appeal came in a statement from the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, marking Nakba Day. The ministry emphasized the need to acknowledge the lasting impact of the event and urged global support for Palestinians’ legitimate and inalienable rights.

The statement reaffirmed Palestinians’ right to return to their homeland, establish an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital, and end the prolonged Israeli occupation. It accused Israeli forces of continuing the Nakba through ongoing aggression in Gaza and violence in the West Bank. The ministry urged the international community to move beyond verbal support and take effective measures to protect Palestinians from such crimes.

According to the Wafa news agency, Israeli attacks in Gaza and the West Bank have continued despite a formal ceasefire. Recent strikes killed several people, with thousands reported dead or injured since the escalation began in October 2023.

Qatar’s energy sector has suffered severe damage following Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel and U.S.-linked sites in the Middle East, as well as Tehran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. According to a New York Times report published Thursday, the disruptions have left the Gulf nation’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports paralyzed, with tankers stranded and billions of dollars in revenue lost. The LNG carrier Rashida, circling near the Gulf for over two months, has become a symbol of the global energy gridlock.

Qatar, one of the world’s largest LNG exporters, saw major infrastructure damage in March when Iranian drones and missiles struck its Ras Laffan production complex. Two heavily damaged units accounted for about 17 percent of total output. QatarEnergy estimates that restoring full capacity could take three to five years. Even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens, shipping companies remain wary due to security risks, leaving around 1,600 vessels trapped in the area.

Industry observers cited in the report believe the crisis may permanently alter regional energy routes, as support grows for infrastructure projects bypassing the Hormuz Strait.

China’s ambassador to the United Nations, Fu Cong, has strongly criticized a Bahrain-sponsored and US-backed draft resolution on the Strait of Hormuz at the UN Security Council. He stated that both the content and timing of the proposal were inappropriate and that passing such a resolution would not be helpful. The draft calls on Iran to halt attacks and the laying of mines in the strategic waterway.

Diplomats indicated that if the proposal is formally tabled, both China and Russia may again exercise their veto powers. The two countries had vetoed a similar US-supported resolution last month, citing claims of bias against Iran. In a short interview clip published by the UN-focused news portal PassBlue, Fu Cong emphasized the need for sincere and serious dialogue between all parties instead of adopting resolutions.

Fu concluded that passing a resolution at this stage would not contribute to resolving the issue, signaling continued opposition from Beijing and Moscow to unilateral measures targeting Iran.

Tensions have escalated at Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU) following an attack linked to ongoing protests demanding the removal of the Vice Chancellor. The unrest stems from a six-month-long conflict between Vice Chancellor Professor Kazi Rafiqul Islam and Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor S.M. Hemayet Jahan. A case has been filed against 26 individuals after the attack on a group of BNP-affiliated teachers, officers, and employees, with one arrest already made.

The dispute began after the 57th Regent Board meeting in December, where disagreements over promotions and administrative decisions divided the faculty. Subsequent incidents, including the removal of a dean and allegations of forced signatures on official documents, deepened the rift. Both sides have accused each other of corruption, irregularities, and political bias, leading to a prolonged deadlock in university governance.

Teachers and officials continue sit-in protests demanding punishment for those involved in the attack. The Vice Chancellor claims a vested group is destabilizing the campus to conceal past irregularities, while the Pro-Vice Chancellor’s faction blames the administration for mismanagement and authoritarian practices.

Israel has claimed responsibility for killing Hamas military commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad in an airstrike on a residential building in central Gaza City. The strike, which witnesses said involved three missiles fired from two directions, also targeted a car that attempted to flee the scene. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that Haddad was responsible for killings, kidnappings, and injuries of Israeli civilians and soldiers, describing him as one of the planners of the October 7 attacks.

Eyewitnesses reported a major fire following the strike and difficulties rescuing the injured. Local sources said Haddad was severely wounded in the first attack and was being transported in the car hit in the second strike, killing three people. Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied Haddad’s death.

The incident occurred despite a ceasefire in place since October 10. Israel continues to justify operations as targeting Hamas members, while Hamas accuses Israel of violating the truce and attacking civilians. The U.S.-led peace plan for Gaza remains stalled, with disarmament talks unresolved and Hamas reasserting control in the territory.

At least ten people were injured in a serious road accident on the Dhaka-Bhanga Expressway near the No. 2 bridge area of Kutubpur Union in Shibchar upazila, Madaripur. The collision occurred around 11 p.m. on Friday, May 15, when a Dhaka-bound Sakura Paribahan passenger bus from Barishal lost control and crashed into the rear of a truck carrying rice husk. Several of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.

Local residents and highway police quickly launched a rescue operation, sending the injured to Shibchar Upazila Health Complex and other nearby hospitals. Police confirmed that the bus driver and helper were among those seriously hurt. Traffic on the expressway slowed briefly after the crash but was restored soon after the damaged vehicles were removed.

According to Shibchar Highway Police Officer-in-Charge Mizanur Rahman, the rescue operation was completed promptly, and normal traffic flow was ensured after clearing the accident site.

Chief Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmad stated that the BNP-led government has already begun implementing its election manifesto. He said this during a video conference as the chief guest at a seminar on the implementation of the government’s election pledges, held Saturday morning at the Shayestaganj Press Club auditorium in Habiganj. Ahmad noted that initiatives such as the Family Card and Farmer Card programs are being rolled out soon after the election.

The seminar was organized by the Sylhet Regional Information Office with support from the District Information Office. Ahmad emphasized the media’s responsibility in conveying the government’s development activities to the public and ensuring transparency in information dissemination. Deputy Chief Information Officer Hasina Akter served as the main discussant, while District Information Officer Walidur Rahman attended as a special guest.

Journalists from various print and electronic media outlets in Shayestaganj participated in the event, discussing transparency, development communication, and objective reporting. Participants expressed hope that such seminars would continue regularly.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated the re-excavation of the Khorda canal in the Waruk Bazar area of Tamta Dakshin Union under Shahrasthi upazila of Chandpur. The event, held on Saturday, marked the official launch of a nationwide initiative to re-excavate rivers, canals, and waterways aimed at strengthening environmental conservation and climate resilience.

According to the announcement shared on the BNP’s Facebook page, the program is part of the party’s election manifesto commitments. During the inauguration, emphasis was placed on long-term planning for water reservoir preservation, maintaining natural water flow, and addressing the adverse impacts of climate change.

Before arriving in Chandpur, Tarique Rahman traveled from Dhaka to Lakshmipur in Barura upazila of Cumilla by special bus, where he delivered a roadside speech before proceeding to Shahrasthi for the inauguration ceremony.

US officials accompanying former President Donald Trump discarded all gifts received from Chinese officials before departing Beijing on May 16, 2026, citing security concerns. According to reports from India Today and The Economic Times, the White House team threw away the items, including burner phones, identification cards, badges, press invitations, and souvenirs, in airport dustbins before boarding Air Force One.

White House correspondent Emily Goodin of the New York Post stated that no Chinese-origin items were allowed on the aircraft due to strict security enforcement by the White House security division and the Secret Service. She confirmed on social media that all items from Chinese officials were collected and disposed of before takeoff.

US media outlets reported that the move aimed to prevent potential surveillance or tracking. The incident reflects ongoing tensions between the United States and China over espionage and cybersecurity issues, which have remained a source of friction between the two nations.

British politician and Member of Parliament Jeremy Corbyn has sharply criticized the United States’ policy on Palestine and accused the United Kingdom of enabling Israel’s actions in Gaza. In a Facebook post marking the 78th anniversary of Nakba Day, Corbyn stated that 800,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes 78 years ago, a tragedy he said was made possible by Britain. He alleged that the UK continues to assist in what he described as Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Corbyn’s remarks came as Palestinians commemorated Nakba Day, which traces its origins to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. On May 14, 1948, Israel declared independence while the region was still under British control as Mandate Palestine. Following the declaration, most Arabs in the area were expelled or fled. Each year, Palestinians mark the day with protests near the Israeli border, often accompanied by heightened tensions.

The statement underscores ongoing criticism of Britain’s historical and current role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly during periods of renewed violence in Gaza.

On May 14, 2026, an attack and violence occurred at the historic Shah Ali shrine area in Mirpur. In response, the Dhaka North unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) expressed deep concern, anger, and strong condemnation over the incident. The party stated that such violence at a religiously and historically significant site reflects a deterioration of law and order and poses a threat to social harmony and public safety.

The NCP Dhaka North called on the government and law enforcement agencies to ensure a fair and impartial investigation, bring those involved to justice swiftly, and take effective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. The party emphasized that the shrine should serve as an open center of social, human, and cultural harmony for all, regardless of religious or ideological differences.

It further urged the government to make the shrine area a safe and orderly place for visitors and devotees from across the country, stressing that preventing fear, violence, and disorder around such cultural and religious heritage sites is a shared responsibility of both the state and society.