A record-breaking heatwave sweeping across Europe has caused a major power outage in northwestern France, leaving around 68,000 households without electricity. Authorities said it was the country’s first large-scale power disruption in recent times linked to the ongoing extreme heat. The incident occurred around 9 p.m. Tuesday near Ergué-Gabéric in the Brittany region’s Quimper area, when a transformer fault disrupted the power transmission system. No casualties were reported.

According to the Finistère department administration, the malfunction was related to unusually high temperatures. Power transmission and distribution companies RTE and Enedis worked overnight to restore supply, but full service was expected only by the end of Wednesday. At the peak of the outage, about 106,000 customers across France were without power as the country faced one of its hottest days of the year.

Finistère is among 58 French departments under a maximum “red alert” for extreme heat. Meteorological forecasts warned that temperatures could reach 39 to 41 degrees Celsius from Brittany to the Paris region, with experts linking the persistent heat to atmospheric conditions and global warming.

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered an investigation into major oil companies for allegedly failing to reduce gasoline prices in line with falling crude oil costs. The directive came Wednesday amid criticism over the impact of the Middle East war on fuel prices. According to AFP, global energy prices surged after Iran blocked oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz in response to U.S. and Israeli attacks in February.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that large oil companies were not lowering pump prices even though they were paying much less for crude, accusing them of overcharging consumers. Gasoline prices remain a sensitive political issue in the United States, where most people rely on fossil-fuel vehicles for transportation. The controversy comes as congressional elections approach in November.

Economists have disputed Trump’s repeated prediction that fuel prices would drop “like a rock” after the conflict ended, saying it could take months for prices to return to prewar levels. Although a preliminary U.S.-Iran deal has reopened oil transit through Hormuz, pump prices remain higher than before the war.

Mercantile Bank Limited held its 27th Annual General Meeting (AGM) virtually from its head office on Wednesday. The meeting approved the balance sheet for the year ending December 31, 2025. Chairman Md. Anwarul Haque presided over the session, while Managing Director Matiul Hasan delivered the welcome address. Senior directors, independent directors, deputy managing directors, and shareholders joined the meeting online.

In his remarks, the chairman credited the bank’s 2025 achievements to customer trust, regulatory support, and collective efforts. He highlighted progress in technology adoption, improved risk management, and a significant reduction in non-performing loans. He also emphasized strengthening financial foundations and adopting forward-looking policies to safeguard shareholder interests.

Managing Director Matiul Hasan presented the bank’s 2025 performance and 2026 plans, reaffirming a commitment to reduce default loans and expand cashless banking. The bank reported an earnings per share (EPS) of Tk 1.10, a net asset value per share (NAVPS) of Tk 24.35, and a net operating cash flow per share (NOCFPS) of Tk 5.95 for 2025.

The traditional Dashahara Ganga Bath festival of the Sanatan Hindu community was held on the banks of the Pagla River at Kansat in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj. From early Wednesday morning, thousands of devotees from different districts gathered to take part in the ritual bath seeking purification and spiritual renewal. The daylong event featured worship of Goddess Ganga, prayers, recitation of the Gita, and devotional songs.

As in previous years, the festival took place at the end of the Bengali month of Jaishtha, drawing large crowds to the Ganga Ashram and Gujarghat areas. Alongside the bathing rituals, a rural fair was organized featuring stalls selling cosmetics, wooden furniture, clay items, religious materials, and food. The kirtan performances added a festive atmosphere to the occasion.

Organizers said the event has been celebrated at this site since ancestral times, maintaining religious tradition and community participation. Local authorities and police ensured maximum security, deploying volunteers, village police, and law enforcement teams to manage the crowd and maintain order throughout the festival.

New York City council member Zohran Mamdani achieved notable success in the Democratic Party’s primary elections held on Tuesday, as all three candidates he endorsed secured victories. Among them, Daryaliza Avila Chevalier won in the 13th congressional district, Claire Valdez triumphed in the 7th, and Brad Lander defeated incumbent Dan Goldman in the 10th district. Analysts said the results signal possible shifts within the Democratic Party and the rise of a new political current ahead of the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential race.

Mamdani joined the winners in celebration, emphasizing the need for new ideas and alternative leadership in the current political climate. The Israel–Palestine issue also influenced the primaries, with several candidates criticizing U.S. policy toward Israel. Brad Lander called for a clearer Democratic stance on the matter. However, not all progressive contenders succeeded, as mainstream-backed Micah Lasher won in New York’s 12th district, and a centrist candidate led in Utah.

The primaries also stirred debate within the Republican Party, where questions arose about Donald Trump’s influence after several of his endorsed candidates failed to secure nominations.

Omar Faruk, a 26-year-old from Ukhrashal village in Katiadi upazila of Kishoreganj, died in a gas cylinder explosion in Albania. His body arrived in Bangladesh on Wednesday morning and was buried in the family graveyard after funeral prayers. Faruk had gone to Albania about two years ago seeking better financial prospects and worked as a factory worker at NCP Company. The fatal explosion occurred on May 24 in the Sihadcity area of Albania.

Family sources said Faruk was the youngest of four brothers and two sisters and a key support for his family. His sudden death has cast deep sorrow over relatives and neighbors, with the entire village mourning his loss.

The incident highlights the risks faced by Bangladeshi migrant workers abroad and the emotional toll on families who depend on them for livelihood and hope.

Bangladesh’s State Minister for Primary and Mass Education, Bobby Hajjaj, announced that the government has initiated extensive reforms to modernize the country’s primary education system. The plan aims to make education more skill-based and child-friendly by incorporating Japan’s successful experience in curriculum development, teacher training, and administrative efficiency. He made the remarks during a meeting in Dhaka with a high-level delegation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), led by Chief Representative Takahashi Junko.

The minister said a new curriculum is being developed with special emphasis on civic education, sports, cultural studies, mathematics, and science for grades four and five. He highlighted Japan’s globally praised civic education model as an inspiration for instilling responsibility, discipline, ethics, and civic values among Bangladeshi students. Plans were also revealed to gradually establish “Math Labs” in primary schools to make mathematics learning more engaging and technology-driven, with JICA’s technical support.

As part of broader structural reforms, Bangladesh is reviewing the education administration systems of Thailand and Turkey to enhance accountability, performance evaluation, and monitoring standards to international levels.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tareq Rahman met with Kazakhstan Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s Summer Davos in China on Wednesday morning. The meeting took place at 10:15 a.m. local time, where both leaders discussed ways to deepen bilateral relations and agreed to establish permanent diplomatic missions in Dhaka and Astana.

During the discussion, the two prime ministers emphasized the importance of regular meetings to enhance political, business, and people-to-people connections. Prime Minister Bektenov expressed optimism about expanding trade and investment engagement between the two countries. The meeting also covered potential cooperation in skilled labor exchange, renewable energy, digital infrastructure, technology, agribusiness, and food processing.

Bektenov sought Bangladesh’s support for Kazakhstan’s proposal to establish a specialized United Nations agency on water diplomacy, which Rahman confirmed Bangladesh supports. Bangladesh’s foreign minister, foreign affairs adviser, and additional press secretary were present at the meeting.

A new survey by think tank More in Common, shared with The Guardian, shows that three out of every five Britons aged 18 to 28 would vote to rejoin the European Union if given the chance. The poll of 440 young people found that 60 percent support returning to the EU, while only 9 percent prefer staying outside. Among those likely to vote in a potential second referendum, support for rejoining rises to 81 percent. The survey also reveals that half of Generation Z respondents believe Brexit has failed, with only 16 percent calling it a success.

More in Common’s executive director Luke Tryl said Brexit was a formative political event for many young Britons who were too young to vote in 2016 but remember the campaigns and debates vividly. He noted that while most young people see Brexit as a failure, many blame political mismanagement rather than the idea itself. The survey indicates that young Britons’ main concerns now include living costs, affordable housing, jobs, and climate change.

Analysts cited in the report suggest that demographic changes since 2016, including the replacement of older pro-Brexit voters with younger pro-EU ones, may have reduced the Brexit majority.

The Bangladesh High Commission in the Maldives has launched several initiatives to ensure an easier, safer, and more affordable remittance system for Bangladeshi migrant workers. On June 23, a key meeting was held at the Bank of Maldives headquarters between Bangladesh’s High Commissioner Dr. Md. Nazmul Islam and the bank’s CEO and Managing Director Mohamed Shareef. Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation on migrant welfare, legal remittance flows, and broader economic collaboration between the two countries.

Discussions focused on developing a direct financial transaction channel between the Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR) and the Bangladeshi taka (BDT) to enable faster and cheaper money transfers. The meeting also explored expanding financial inclusion for Bangladeshi workers, enhancing bilateral banking ties, and establishing potential credit facilities. Both parties emphasized that a sustainable financial cooperation framework could boost trade, investment, infrastructure, and food security.

The Bank of Maldives CEO praised the contributions of Bangladeshi workers and expressed a positive stance toward providing effective and user-friendly financial services for them.

An 18-year-old youth died after being beaten by a mob on suspicion of robbery in Tongi, Gazipur. The incident occurred on Wednesday morning at the stairs leading to the Tongi-Abdullahpur BRT flyover on Station Road. Witnesses said that around 7 a.m., locals became agitated after seeing the unidentified youth and attacked him, suspecting him to be a robber. He died on the spot before police arrived.

Police later recovered the body and took it to Tongi Government Hospital. According to Md. Zillur Rahman, the investigation officer of Tongi East Police Station, an inquest report has been prepared, and the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has been informed to help identify the deceased. The process of sending the body to the morgue is underway.

Authorities are continuing efforts to confirm the victim’s identity and determine the circumstances that led to the fatal mob beating.

A Dhaka court has ordered former Awami League lawmaker and singer Momtaz Begum to be shown arrested in an attempted murder case linked to the July anti-discrimination student movement. The order was issued on Wednesday afternoon by Metropolitan Magistrate Ariful Islam after the investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Md. Azizul Haque of Mirpur Model Police Station, submitted a petition. Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruki supported the petition, while Momtaz’s lawyers opposed it.

According to the case, on August 4, 2024, during the July movement, complainant and victim Mukhtar Hossain joined a protest in Mirpur where police and Awami League supporters allegedly attacked demonstrators. Mukhtar was injured by rubber bullets and later filed an attempted murder case. Investigators claimed evidence linked Momtaz to the incident, making her arrest necessary for further questioning.

Momtaz was previously detained by the Detective Branch on May 12, 2025, from a residence in Dhanmondi and has remained in custody since her four-day remand was approved by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court.

A man named Shahid Matubbar, aged 32, was killed and two others were injured in a road accident at Pona Bus Stand area on the Dhaka-Khulna Highway in Kashiani, Gopalganj. The incident occurred around 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday when an unidentified speeding vehicle collided with a Nosimon. Police from Bhatiapara Highway Station recovered the body and sent the injured to Kashiani Upazila Health Complex.

The deceased was the son of Rustam Matubbar from Uttar Kandi village in Nagarkanda upazila of Faridpur. The injured were identified as Emdadul Fakir, 32, from Dofa village in Nagarkanda, and Sekendar Molla, 32, from Yusufdia village in Saltha upazila of the same district. According to Kashiani Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman, the collision was caused by a fast-moving unidentified vehicle.

Dr. Aminul Islam, Residential Medical Officer of Kashiani 100-bed Health Complex, said the injured were in critical condition and were referred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.

Three Italian human rights activists detained in Libya while participating in a land convoy delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza have been released, according to Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. The freed individuals were identified as Domenico Centrone, Leonarda Alberizia, and Matias Alvarez Rodriguez, the latter also holding Uruguayan citizenship. Tajani said they were held for about a month and are now under the custody of the Italian consul in Benghazi, with plans to return to Italy the same day.

The activists were members of the Global Sumud Land Convoy, which began its journey from Mauritania to deliver aid to Gaza. At the same time, a related maritime mission, the Global Sumud Flotilla, faced obstruction by Israeli forces in international waters. According to the convoy organizers, ten members from eight countries were detained near the Libyan city of Sirte, including four men and six women.

No details were released regarding the charges or reasons for their detention, leaving the circumstances of the arrests unclear.

Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon announced that if cheating is found at any examination center, the head of the institution or the center chief will also be brought under legal action. He made the statement on Wednesday, June 24, during a meeting with central secretaries of the Dhaka, Mymensingh, Madrasa, and Technical Education Boards at Azimpur Girls School and College.

The minister said that the 'Examination Act' has been amended, and any student caught with cheating materials in the upcoming Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations will face detention or legal measures. He also stated that the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations for 2027 will be held in January, and the curriculum will be revised in 2027 and changed in 2028. Additionally, teachers who have not received retirement benefits since 2022 will begin receiving them from mid-July.

The announcement reflects the ministry’s focus on ensuring exam integrity and improving the education system through curriculum reform and administrative accountability.