Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that its air defense system shot down an enemy fighter jet south of Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf. The report, carried by Iranian state media on April 3, 2026, stated that the aircraft was successfully targeted by the country’s integrated air defense network.

According to the IRGC statement, the aircraft was hit by a missile and crashed into the sea between Hengam and Qeshm islands. The statement did not specify which country the downed aircraft belonged to. The IRGC emphasized that the operation was conducted under the control of Iran’s coordinated air defense system in the region.

The report, citing Anadolu as its source, did not include any confirmation or reaction from other parties, leaving the nationality of the aircraft and further details of the incident unclear.

Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Arun Dhumal has admitted a mistake and expressed regret over the exclusion of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from Kolkata Knight Riders in the ongoing IPL season. Mustafizur was initially signed for 92 million rupees in the mini auction but was dropped from the squad before the tournament began following a directive from the Indian cricket board citing security concerns.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Dhumal described the situation as unfortunate and said he had limited knowledge of the details. He added that government interference in cricket operations was unnecessary, though sometimes external circumstances influenced decisions. Dhumal expressed hope that reason and fairness would prevail in the future to prevent similar incidents.

Following the decision, the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the government expressed concern over player safety, leading Bangladesh to withdraw from the subsequent World Cup. Mustafizur is currently playing in the Pakistan Super League for Lahore Qalandars under a direct contract worth 64.4 million rupees.

Twenty-one officials from Bangladesh Television (BTV) are set to travel to England, Belgium, and Germany to learn about digital broadcasting and inspect equipment under the contractor’s sponsorship. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued government orders for the trips, scheduled between April 4 and May 1, 2026. Thirteen officials will attend factory training in Germany and Belgium, while eight others will conduct pre-shipment inspections of digital transmitters and related equipment. The visits are part of the nationwide digital terrestrial broadcasting project for BTV.

The project, initially approved in 2018 under then Information Minister Hasan Mahmud, has faced allegations of corruption and conflict of interest. Originally budgeted at Tk 260 crore, the cost was later increased to Tk 329 crore. Reports indicate that several officials included in the trips are not BTV engineers but ministry staff or officers on deputation. The contractor will cover all travel expenses, though the ministry’s orders describe the funding source as the “inviting organization.”

Information Minister Yasser Khan Chowdhury stated that the government has no financial involvement in the trips and that the visits aim to enhance officials’ technical experience.

Health officials in Bangladesh have attributed the alarming rise in measles cases to the failure of Dr. Muhammad Yunus’s interim government to implement the national immunization program. They said the government failed to conduct the scheduled national vaccination campaign in 2024 and 2025, disrupted routine immunization due to health workers’ protests, and canceled 17 operational plans, all of which worsened the outbreak. According to the Directorate General of Health Services, between March 15 and April 2, 3,709 children were hospitalized with measles symptoms, 585 were confirmed cases, and at least 13 children died.

Officials explained that measles vaccines are usually administered through regular programs and national campaigns, but both systems broke down under the interim administration. Only 59 percent of children received vaccines, far below the 92 percent coverage needed to control the disease. Attempts to reach former health officials for comment were unsuccessful.

At a roundtable in Dhaka, participants demanded legal action against those responsible if procurement issues contributed to the outbreak. Experts and policymakers urged stronger oversight of vaccination programs and cautioned health workers to avoid public suffering during future protests.

Bangladesh’s government is set to regain control over the appointment of Supreme Court judges after a parliamentary special committee recommended the cancellation of several ordinances issued during the interim government. Among the 133 ordinances reviewed, 20 will not be approved this session, including three related to judicial independence. The Supreme Court Judge Appointment Ordinance 2025, which created an independent council led by the Chief Justice to recommend judicial appointments, is among those to be repealed. The committee argued that the ordinance conflicted with the constitution and limited the president’s role in appointments.

The committee’s report, presented by its chairman Zainul Abedin, also proposed repealing the Supreme Court Secretariat Ordinance, citing concerns that it would disrupt coordination between the judiciary and the executive. Opposition members from Jamaat-e-Islami filed dissent notes on 20 ordinances, arguing that some reforms strengthened judicial independence and anti-corruption mechanisms. Legal experts and civic groups expressed deep concern that repealing these ordinances would undermine judicial independence and the rule of law.

The cancellation of these ordinances is expected to take effect after April 10, potentially reversing key reforms introduced by the interim government and reigniting political debate over constitutional and judicial reforms.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed Army Chief of Staff General Randy George as part of a major leadership reshuffle at the Pentagon. The decision was confirmed on Thursday, April 2, by two officials from the US Department of Defense and one related source, according to Reuters.

The Pentagon, however, officially described the move as a retirement, stating that General George, the 41st Army Chief of Staff, is retiring immediately despite having more than a year left in his term. In a statement, the Pentagon expressed gratitude for his decades of service and extended best wishes for his retirement.

No specific reason for General George’s sudden departure has been disclosed by the Department of Defense, leaving the circumstances surrounding the decision unclear.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Israel is a 'good team player' and will act according to his instructions. In an interview with Time magazine, Trump said that Israel would stop fighting when he tells them to stop, emphasizing that they would only continue if provoked. He added that when he stops, Israel will also stop, suggesting a close alignment between his decisions and Israel’s actions.

The remarks were reported by Al Jazeera and highlight Trump’s assertion of strong influence over Israel’s military and diplomatic behavior. His comments suggest that he views the U.S.–Israel relationship as one where Washington’s directives are followed closely by Tel Aviv.

The statement underscores Trump’s approach to U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, portraying a dynamic where American leadership directly shapes Israel’s actions in conflict situations.

US President Donald Trump has removed Attorney General Pam Bondi from her position, according to reports published on April 3, 2026. Deputy Attorney General Tope Blache is set to replace Bondi. Trump announced the decision on his social platform Truth Social, stating that Bondi is leaving to take an important new role in the private sector. He praised her as a patriotic and loyal friend who served with dedication, noting that under her leadership, homicide rates fell to their lowest level since the 1900s.

Sources indicated that Trump had been dissatisfied with Bondi over her handling of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and her reluctance to prosecute political rivals. The president had reportedly discussed her removal with close allies and spoke to Bondi personally about it on Wednesday. Last month, Trump had also removed Kristi Noem from the Department of Homeland Security.

Reports suggest Bondi might be assigned another role, though discussions about appointing her as a judge did not progress. CNN reported that Bondi had attempted to pursue legal action against Trump’s rivals, but courts dismissed those cases.

Eight people were killed and at least 95 others injured in an attack by US and Israeli forces on Iran’s B1 Bridge in Karaj city, Alborz province, according to the provincial governor’s office. Local officials said the victims included residents of Bilghan village, pedestrians, and families celebrating Nature Day near the bridge.

Iran’s Fars news agency described the B1 Bridge, located on the Tehran–Karaj route, as the tallest bridge in the Middle East. The attack caused heavy casualties due to its location on a major highway. Iranian authorities stated that regional bridges are now being considered “legitimate targets,” claiming the strike hit a civilian infrastructure site with no military use.

In response, an Iranian hacker group threatened to attack the Sheikh Zayed Bridge in Abu Dhabi. Tehran accused the US and Israel of deliberately targeting civilian and economic facilities to spread fear and weaken Iran’s industrial capacity. The Health Ministry reported that since the conflict began on February 28, a total of 2,766 people, including 216 children, have been killed.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called on the United States and Israel to immediately stop their ongoing military actions in the Middle East. Speaking to reporters in New York, he warned that the current conflict could expand into a large-scale war engulfing the entire region and deeply affecting the world. Guterres emphasized that the situation is already causing severe humanitarian suffering and economic damage.

According to the report, since February 28, US and Israeli forces have been carrying out attacks on various locations in Iran. In response, Iran has launched counterstrikes targeting Israeli positions and US bases across the Middle East. Guterres highlighted that rising energy and food prices are already burdening people, and any disruption in the Strait of Hormuz would disproportionately harm the world’s poorest and most vulnerable populations.

He urged all parties to resolve disputes peacefully and protect civilian infrastructure, reiterating that it is time to end the war before it causes further destruction.

Three United Nations special rapporteurs have condemned the killing of three journalists in Lebanon and called for an independent and comprehensive investigation. They described the incident as another brutal attack by Israeli forces on press freedom. The experts—Irina Khan, Morris Tidball-Binz, and Ben Saul—stated that journalists performing their professional duties during armed conflict are civilians and must not be targeted or attacked.

According to the report, Israeli forces carried out a targeted strike on March 28 in southern Lebanon, killing Al Mayadeen journalist Fatima Fattouni, her brother and freelance photojournalist Mohammad Fattouni, and Al-Manar’s Ali Shoaib. The UN experts emphasized that the deliberate killing of journalists not directly involved in combat constitutes a serious violation of international human rights and humanitarian law and may amount to a war crime.

Al Mayadeen and Al-Manar are Hezbollah-aligned media outlets. Israel accused Shoaib of being a fighter for the Lebanese armed group but did not present any evidence to support the claim.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for an attack on a data center operated by U.S. technology company Oracle in Dubai. The claim was reported by Iranian state media amid heightened tensions across the Middle East. The IRGC also stated earlier that it had targeted an Amazon cloud computing facility located in Bahrain.

Analysts cited in the report suggest that Iran is increasingly viewing U.S.-linked technology infrastructure as strategic targets. As part of this approach, data centers and technology installations across several Middle Eastern countries have been identified as key objectives.

The report notes that recent weeks have seen escalating conflict in the region, raising the risk of further attacks on technology infrastructure. Such incidents could disrupt global digital services and economic activities, according to the report.

Bangladesh Bank has intensified efforts to recover funds laundered abroad under the guise of loans from five merged banks. Governor Mostakur Rahman instructed administrators of these banks to finalize non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with foreign legal support firms within April. The directive was issued during a meeting at the governor’s office on Thursday. The banks include Social Islami Bank, First Security Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank, Union Bank, and Exim Bank.

According to the report, the first four banks were under the control of S Alam Group, which allegedly withdrew Tk 225,000 crore in loans. Exim Bank was operated under NASA Group, which has loans totaling Tk 9,214 crore. Ten banks have already signed 36 NDAs to recover funds laundered by six major industrial groups, including S Alam, Aramit, Sikder, Beximco, Orion, and NASA groups. Among them, S Alam Group alone is linked to ten NDAs, three of which have been completed.

The governor emphasized expediting legal processes to recover the laundered assets and restore the financial health of the affected banks.

The government of Bangladesh has announced new working hours for all public and private offices to tackle the ongoing energy crisis. Starting Sunday, April 5, offices will operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., reducing the daily schedule by one hour to a total of seven working hours. The decision was disclosed by Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani following a cabinet meeting held on Thursday, April 2.

In addition to the revised office schedule, separate timings have been set for banks and financial institutions, which will now remain open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The government has also introduced further measures to conserve energy, including mandatory closure of shopping malls and shops after 6 p.m. and restrictions on decorative lighting at wedding events.

These steps are part of a broader effort to manage the country’s energy consumption amid supply challenges, with the new schedules expected to remain in effect until further notice.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has launched an international coalition of nearly 40 countries to reopen the Hormuz Strait, which remains effectively blocked by Iran. The closure, following US and Israeli attacks on Iran in late February, has disrupted the passage of about 20 percent of global oil and LNG shipments, pushing crude prices above $100 per barrel. The virtual meeting, chaired by UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, includes France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, and the UAE, though the United States has declined to participate.

Starmer said the talks will explore diplomatic and political measures to restore safe navigation, secure stranded ships and crews, and resume energy and goods supply. Post-war security coordination, including mine clearance and naval protection for tankers, is also under discussion. Iran, however, demands international recognition of its control over the strait as a condition for ceasefire and currently allows only limited passage for “friendly” nations.

Analysts cited in the report believe reopening the strait without an agreement with Iran is nearly impossible, though the coalition could play a key role in ensuring maritime security once hostilities end.