Two female Israeli soldiers died by suicide this week, bringing the number of active-duty Israeli military personnel who have died by suicide in 2026 to 16, according to a report published July 29. One soldier from the Bardelas Battalion, deployed on the Egypt-Israel border, died Tuesday morning at a military base in southern Israel after being taken to hospital in critical condition.

Another female soldier died by suicide on Sunday at the Glilot military base near Ramat Hasharon in central Israel, Haaretz reported. She was a member of Israel’s military intelligence division and held a confidential role. Israeli military police have opened investigations into the circumstances of both deaths, according to the newspaper.

Haaretz’s collected data also showed that nine additional regular and reserve personnel who took part in the Gaza war died by suicide while off duty. The newspaper had previously reported that 22 active-duty Israeli soldiers died by suicide in 2025, the highest annual total in 15 years. Concerns have grown over prolonged psychological pressure and military mental health, although the Israeli military has made no official comment on a direct link to the war.

Bangladesh Army’s Bandarban Army Zone has moved to support patients receiving treatment amid a measles outbreak in Bandarban. Zone Commander Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Humayun Rashid, psc, visited Bandarban Sadar Hospital at 12:30 pm on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. He checked on measles patients in different hospital wards and asked about their physical condition.

During the visit, the commander spoke with patients’ relatives to learn about treatment-related matters. He also met duty doctors and hospital authorities. He issued necessary guidance to help ensure more effective overall treatment services for patients and assured them of all types of assistance from the army.

The commander said patients requiring advanced or specialised treatment would receive necessary medical support through the Bandarban Army Zone’s Main Dressing Station, or MDS. Army ambulances will remain ready around the clock for emergency patient transfers. He said the army would coordinate with the local administration and health department to provide needed support for public medical services. After the visit, he wished all patients a speedy and full recovery.

Iran seriously considered retaliating against Ukraine after an alleged Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial cargo vessel in the Caspian Sea, but has stepped back from action for now following urgent diplomacy, The New York Times reported, citing Iranian and Western sources. The report, published July 29, said an Iranian civilian sailor was killed in the attack last Saturday.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the incident a violation of the UN Charter and said it could not go unanswered. Western intelligence sources indicated Iran might have considered a symbolic response using ballistic missiles with low-yield warheads against Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea. Analysts said any missile strike from Iran directly into Ukrainian territory could have expanded existing tensions into a major war.

The situation shifted after Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha spoke by phone with Araghchi on Tuesday. Araghchi said Sybiha described the vessel attack as an unintentional incident, while Iran demanded appropriate compensation. Araghchi also discussed ways to reduce regional tensions with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Tehran-based analyst Mehdi Rahmati said some Iranian officials opposed opening a new military front against Ukraine.

The Jute Mill Protection United Citizens’ Council has urged the government to reverse its decision to hand over 25 state-owned jute mills to the private sector. At a news conference at Khulna Press Club on Wednesday at 11:30am, the group questioned why state-run mills were incurring losses while private jute mills operated profitably. It demanded an investigation into the losses, action against those responsible, and guarantees of fair wages, benefits and rights for workers.

Council member Sutapa Bedoggo read the written statement. Convenor Advocate Kudrat E Khuda, member secretary M A Rashid and joint convenor Janardan Dutta Nantu were among those present. The statement said nearly 90,000 workers became unemployed after production at 25 state-owned jute mills was shut on July 2, 2020, citing losses. It blamed administrative inefficiency, red tape, BJMC corruption and limits on independent local management.

The group also called plans to transfer 44 industrial establishments, including state-owned sugar mills, through BIDA to private ownership self-destructive. Its 10 demands include reopening closed mills under skilled management, administrative restructuring, diversifying jute products, implementing the Mandatory Packaging Act, paying workers’ arrears and ensuring comparable benefits for private mill workers. Leaders warned unemployed workers could return to street protests if the demands are not met.

Israeli and United Arab Emirates officials have held several secret meetings on their strategic positions regarding Iran and possible joint initiatives at international forums, Israel’s Channel 12 reported. The report, published on July 29, 2026, said the meetings took place in a third country whose identity was withheld for security reasons, during a period of rising tension between the United States and Iran.

According to Channel 12, Emirati officials voiced deep concern over a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran. They argued that such an arrangement could allow Iran to delay matters and gain economic benefits without making significant concessions. Western diplomats cited by the channel said the UAE has adopted a tougher stance on Iran than several other Gulf countries and believes Tehran’s current policies do not provide sufficient grounds for improving bilateral relations.

The discussions also covered possible coordinated diplomatic action internationally over Iran. Both sides agreed that any such move should be coordinated beforehand with President Donald Trump’s administration. Diplomats said Abu Dhabi does not trust Iranian tactics that delay negotiations, while alternative oil and gas export capacity bypassing the Strait of Hormuz has increased the overlap in Abu Dhabi’s and Tel Aviv’s strategic interests.

Authorities in Raipura, Narsingdi, have formed a five-member committee to investigate two secondary schools operating for years under the same name and Educational Institute Identification Number. The dispute involves Kohinoor Jute Mills High School in Gouripur and an institution called Kohinoor Jute Mills High School Ghagtia. Local sources alleged that seven teachers at the Ghagtia institution receive salaries and allowances without conducting classes.

The Gouripur school was established in 1981 and became MPO-listed with five teachers in 1995. After an internal dispute, two teachers who were dismissed after 2005 were reinstated through court proceedings and began operating the Ghagtia institution in 2006 using the same name and EIIN, the report said. Gouripur has a four-storey building and several hundred students, while Ghagtia operates from three tin-roofed rooms.

Upazila Secondary Education Officer Md Samalgir Alam said the Gouripur school is the original institution, while Ghagtia is being operated under a court order. UNO Masud Rana said the committee’s report will be sent to the relevant ministry, which will make the necessary decision. The report also said the lone MPO-listed teacher in Gouripur has not received pay for more than one and a half years.

Social Welfare Minister and BNP standing committee member Professor Dr. A Z M Zahid Hossain said BNP and its activists would not allow any alleged plot to endanger Bangladesh by provoking people and opening the way for authoritarianism. He made the remarks on Wednesday at a discussion marking the sixth death anniversary of late Shafiul Bari Babu at the Muktijoddha Hall of the Diploma Engineers Institute in Kakrail, Dhaka. Lakshmipur-2 lawmaker Abul Khayer Bhuiyan chaired the event.

Zahid Hossain said freedom of speech does not mean unrestricted freedom, and that insulting, belittling or damaging another person’s dignity is not a lesson of democracy. He urged restraint in language and public statements, calling abusive and provocative political rhetoric unacceptable. He said BNP would respond on the streets, with the public, to what he described as attempts to rehabilitate authoritarianism.

He said BNP’s history was one of resistance to authoritarianism rather than compromise or retreat. He credited BNP leader Tarique Rahman with keeping people across the country united through organisational skill and leadership during 17 years abroad. Zahid Hossain said alleged conspiracies were defeated through the public verdict in the 2026 national election and urged party activists not to create opportunities for the party to be questioned.

State Minister for Housing and Public Works Ahmad Sohel Monjur visited Gulshan Lake in the capital and the RAJUK URP building area in Mohakhali on Wednesday morning. He reviewed progress on installing a sewage treatment plant, or STP, at the lake. RAJUK Chairman Engineer Md Riazul Islam and senior officials from relevant offices were present during the visit.

In the Kalachandpur area, the state minister sought updates on cleaning activities at Gulshan Lake and on the progress of the STP installation. He provided necessary directions and later inspected the lake area adjacent to Road No. 18 in Gulshan-2. He stressed the need for effective measures to keep the lakes free from pollution and environmentally friendly.

Monjur instructed all concerned to work in a coordinated manner. As part of the programme, he also visited the RAJUK URP building in Mohakhali and exchanged views with officials and employees. He directed them to work with responsibility, transparency and a people-friendly attitude, saying improved service quality and accountability are essential to building a planned and sustainable city.

Iran has formally rejected Oman’s proposal for joint monitoring of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and submitted its own counterproposal, according to a report published on July 29, 2026. Tehran and Muscat are reviewing the terms of a possible final agreement on the issue.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state media that Oman’s proposal did not adequately address Tehran’s core concerns over control of the strait. He said Iran’s counterproposal calls for greater Iranian control and authority over the strategic waterway.

The narrow Persian Gulf passage has become a focal point of international conflict since US and Israeli attacks began in late February, the report said. Before the current war, about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports passed through Hormuz. Iran closed the strait shortly after the conflict began, creating a severe global energy crisis, according to the report.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain said Bangladesh will permanently stop broker networks that divert patients from public hospitals to private clinics. He made the announcement Wednesday morning at the Mother Language Institute in Segunbagicha, Dhaka, during the release of a study on gaps in the public health system. The study was jointly conducted by the Power and Participation Research Centre and the Health Economics Unit.

The minister said practices in which staff hold public hospital duties while directing patients to nearby clinics for tests, surgery or commissions must end and will be monitored. He also alleged that unrealistic tender conditions are used to restrict competition. The research covered 22 public health institutions across eight administrative divisions and found an overall budget utilization rate of 85 percent in fiscal year 2024-25.

Hossain said a foreign company’s dialysis contract in Dhaka and Chattogram will not be renewed when it expires in November. The government plans to buy dialysis machines from its own sources and establish 50-bed centres at medical college hospitals and 10-bed centres at district hospitals. A pilot programme using AI-equipped kit boxes for health workers in 10 upazilas and 90 wards is due to begin within three months.

Dhaka University has formed a four-member investigation committee to examine demands for banning the political activities of the pro-Awami League teachers’ organization, the Blue Panel, and to consider disciplinary action against it. The decision was taken at a Syndicate meeting on the afternoon of July 28. Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr A B M Obaidul Islam will lead the committee, joined by two vice-chancellors and White Panel convener Professor Dr Morshed Hasan Khan.

University sources said the panel will investigate allegations concerning support for fascism on campus over the past 17 years, involvement in repression of students and dissenting teachers, and the Blue Panel’s role during the July mass uprising. If allegations are substantiated, the committee will recommend necessary action against concerned teachers and the organization. Individual teachers found involved in criminal activities could face university disciplinary measures and, if needed, legal action.

Earlier, more than 100 BNP- and Jamaat-aligned teachers submitted a memorandum under the banner of the Anti-Fascist Teachers’ Association. They sought a ban on the Blue Panel’s political activities and legal action against 231 teachers linked to it. The administration said the committee will submit its findings to the Syndicate, which will make final decisions based on the report.

Salahuddin Future Academy, a Muslim organization, has bought a Baptist church property in Richardson, Texas, and plans to convert the site into an Islamic school, seminary and mosque. The report, published on July 29, 2026, said the project moved forward after legal complications over the transfer were resolved. SAFA is a K-12 institution that says it aims to integrate Quran and Hadith teachings with the Common Core curriculum.

The property was purchased from Korean World Mission Baptist Church, which had owned it since 1992. SAFA and Authentic Ilm Mission plan to jointly establish the Dawah Academy and Seminary at the site. It has been described as America’s first national residential dawah seminary, offering courses including a bachelor’s degree in Islamic studies. The organization said it is committed to developing qualified, ethical leaders who represent Islam with wisdom.

According to The Dallas Express, SAFA signed a $3.8 million purchase agreement last October and paid a $38,000 deposit. It sued the church in February after a dispute over the planned May transfer, seeking enforcement of the contract and more than $1 million in damages. The case was settled in April without a final ruling, clearing the way for the purchase.

Satellite images have shown signs of major damage at important Saudi oil facilities after Yemeni missile and drone attacks, according to the report. Images taken on Monday showed burn marks around a circular storage tank at Saudi Aramco’s Yanbu Bulk Plant on the Red Sea coast. The marks were described as indicating that the facility was damaged in the recent attacks.

The report also identified more severe signs of damage at the Alhamrani-Fuchs Blending and Grease Plant in Yanbu Industrial City. Satellite imagery showed clear fire marks across a large part of the facility. The images were presented as visible evidence of the impact on Saudi oil and industrial installations.

The images emerged after Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesperson for Yemen’s resistance group, announced two major military operations in Saudi Arabia. He described the attacks as a response to what he called Saudi Arabia’s “blatant and criminal aggression.” According to Saree, the first operation targeted various facilities in Saudi Arabia’s Jizan region using several ballistic missiles and drones.

Pubali Bank PLC has launched a two-day cashless campaign in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, under Bangladesh Bank instructions and with the aim of building a cashless Bangladesh. The Siddhirganj branch inaugurated the programme on Wednesday by arranging a rally and an exchange meeting.

The campaign is intended to expand cashless transactions and ensure the easy and secure use of Bangla QR. The opening event was chaired by Siddhirganj branch head Mohammad Khairuzzaman. Regional Office Regional Relationship Manager Md Salahuddin attended as chief guest, while Assistant General Manager Sonia Jahan was the special guest.

Salahuddin said digital financial transactions have no alternative in building Smart Bangladesh. He said Bangla QR would allow customers of different banks and mobile financial services to use a single QR code for fast, easy and secure money transfers. Managers from the Shibu Market, Tanbazar and Fatullah branches also attended, while Siddhirganj branch Operations Manager Gazi Md Shahidul Alam conducted the event.

A blast damaged the roof of a toilet at a home in Kadam Ali Madbar Kandi village of BK Nagar Union, Jajira, Shariatpur, on Wednesday morning. The explosion occurred around 9am at the home of Jabbar Madbar, causing the roof to collapse and throwing a water tank onto another part of the property. No one was injured or killed.

The loud blast spread panic in the surrounding area, and local residents went to inspect the damaged house. Residents said a major accident was avoided because nobody was nearby at the time. A Jajira police investigation team visited the site after being informed and collected various pieces of evidence.

Officer-in-charge Saleh Ahmed said the initial assessment was that an explosive had been placed there earlier and may have detonated after heating in the sun. Police are examining the type of explosive, how it arrived at the location and who was involved. A cocktail blast had damaged part of a septic tank behind a house in Bilaspur Union one day earlier. Police said operations to identify and arrest those involved are continuing.