Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been released on parole after serving eight months of a one-year sentence for corruption-related charges. He walked out of a Bangkok prison at around 7:40 a.m. local time, greeted by hundreds of supporters, family members, and political allies. Among those present was his daughter, Yingluck Shinawatra, who also previously served as Thailand’s prime minister. The Thai national anthem was played as Thaksin exited, and he paid respect to the national flag.

Thaksin, once a dominant figure who reshaped Thai politics, has seen his influence decline following his imprisonment and the poor electoral performance of his Pheu Thai Party. His parole period will continue until September 9, during which he is required to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.

The release marks a significant moment in Thailand’s political landscape, as Thaksin’s return to public life could influence the country’s political dynamics in the coming months.

Israel’s military is facing major challenges in countering ‘First Person View’ (FPV) drones launched by Lebanon’s armed group Hezbollah, according to a report by The Jerusalem Post. The drones use special fiber‑optic cables for direct control, making them resistant to Israel’s jamming and signal‑blocking systems. One such FPV drone reportedly struck an Iron Dome battery along Israel’s northern border last Sunday, and Hezbollah has released footage of the attack.

The report adds that Israeli defense officials, during a recent visit to southern Lebanon, confirmed the launch of several pilot programs aimed at improving detection and interception of these drones. However, the military has yet to match the pace of Hezbollah’s evolving drone technology in real time, the report noted.

The situation underscores a growing tactical challenge for Israel’s air defense systems as Hezbollah continues to deploy advanced, hard‑to‑jam FPV drones in cross‑border operations.

US President Donald Trump said the United States is monitoring Iran’s enriched uranium, which he described as being buried under rubble. In an interview with journalist Sharyl Attkisson, recorded last week and aired on Sunday, Trump warned that if anyone approaches Iran’s enriched uranium, the US would detect it and take military action. He also claimed that Iran has been militarily defeated and that the US has already struck 70 percent of its targets in Iran, with more potential targets identified.

According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, Tehran has responded to the latest US proposal aimed at ending the war. The proposal reportedly emphasizes US war reparations, Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, lifting of sanctions, and the release of Iran’s frozen funds and assets.

The developments follow a joint US-Israeli strike on Iran on February 28, after which Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israeli and US positions in the Middle East and tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin has introduced a bill in the Knesset seeking the death penalty and public trials for Palestinians accused of involvement in the October 7, 2023 attacks in southern Israel. According to The Jerusalem Post, the bill is scheduled for a vote today, with both government and opposition parties expressing support. Levin stated that the authority to impose and carry out death sentences already exists and that the army has begun necessary preparations to start the trials soon.

The proposed legislation calls for the creation of special military tribunals to try suspects on charges such as genocide, threats to state sovereignty, and terrorism. It also prohibits the release of convicted individuals through prisoner exchange deals. Knesset Constitution Committee Chairman Simcha Rothman said the law sends a clear message to Israel’s enemies that the state will neither forget nor forgive such crimes.

Israel previously passed a law in March allowing the death penalty for terrorism, but it could not be applied retroactively. If enacted, this new bill would enable executions for the October 7 suspects and mark the country’s first use of capital punishment since 1962.

Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir has warned that any future act of aggression against Pakistan will be met with a broad, dangerous, and painful response. He made the remarks on Sunday while addressing a ceremony at the General Headquarters, organized to mark one year since the India-Pakistan conflict.

Munir stated that the previous year’s conflict was not merely a military confrontation but a decisive clash between two ideologies. He said the Pakistani government described the conflict as ‘Marka-e-Haq’ or ‘the war of truth.’ The army chief alleged that India attempted to violate Pakistan’s sovereignty and territory in May 2025, but Pakistan responded through national unity and military capability.

He further accused India of repeatedly provoking tensions through false allegations in 2001, 2008, 2016, and 2019, claiming Pakistan thwarted those strategies each time. Munir also said ‘Operation Buniyanum Marsus’ exposed India’s internal failures and its efforts to assert regional dominance through military and diplomatic pressure.

The High Court of Bangladesh has ruled that revealing the gender of an unborn child is prohibited. The verdict, delivered on February 25, 2024, by a bench comprising Justice Naima Haider and Justice Kazi Zinat Haque, was officially published on May 11, 2026. The court stated that determining and disclosing the gender of a fetus constitutes discrimination against women and violates constitutional rights.

According to the full judgment, such practices contribute to female infanticide, social imbalance, and undermine women's dignity, equality, and right to life. The court further noted that gender disclosure breaches international human rights obligations. It emphasized that Bangladesh has long lacked effective control, monitoring, and accountability mechanisms in this area.

The court observed that issuing mere guidelines is insufficient to curb unethical practices. It called for proper implementation, digital surveillance, and effective regulatory measures to ensure compliance and protect women's rights.

British surgeon Dr. Tahir Mohammad has dismissed Israel’s claim that Hezbollah is using ambulances to transport weapons during the ongoing conflict in Lebanon. Speaking to Al Jazeera, he said there is no evidence supporting the allegation and described Israel’s increasing attacks on healthcare workers as part of a long-standing policy. Dr. Mohammad, who has worked in both Lebanon and Gaza, cited incidents where ambulances and aid workers were obstructed while trying to assist victims.

He further stated that in Gaza, video footage showed ambulance workers being killed while rescuing the wounded, calling Israel’s justifications baseless. Expressing anger, he said he had witnessed colleagues in Gaza killed by Israeli weapons and argued that targeting healthcare workers in Lebanon reflects the same continuous policy. According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, more than a hundred healthcare workers have been killed since Israeli attacks began in March.

Dr. Mohammad accused Israel of attempting to cripple the healthcare system in violation of international law, emphasizing the humanitarian toll of the ongoing assaults.

An Israeli soldier was killed on Sunday in a Hezbollah drone attack near the Manara area close to the southern Lebanon border, according to the Israeli military. The incident marks the latest in a series of deadly exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel since fighting intensified in early March, bringing the total number of Israeli soldiers killed to 18.

Following the attack, Israeli media reported that the military launched airstrikes and artillery fire on multiple positions in southern Lebanon. Explosions were also heard in Israel’s northern Galilee region. Hezbollah later stated that its forces targeted Israeli troops inside a house in the southern Lebanese town of Al-Taybeh amid ongoing border clashes.

The renewed violence underscores the persistent volatility along the Israel-Lebanon frontier, with both sides engaging in repeated retaliatory strikes since the escalation began earlier this year.

Since February, the United States has significantly increased intelligence flights near Cuba’s coastline, according to a CNN report citing FlightRadar24 data. The report states that since February 4, the US Navy and Air Force have conducted at least 25 surveillance missions using aircraft and drones, mainly near Havana and Santiago de Cuba, with some flights coming within 40 miles of the coast. Most operations involved P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft, while RC-135V Rivet Joint planes and MQ-4C Triton drones were also deployed.

Before February, such flights were rare in the region. The report links the surge to a January 29 executive order signed by President Donald Trump authorizing tariffs on imports from countries supplying oil to Cuba. The Cuban government has accused the US of trying to cripple its economy through energy restrictions. The Pentagon declined to comment on the reported flights.

CNN noted that similar patterns of increased surveillance occurred before US military actions in Venezuela and Iran, raising concerns in Havana about possible escalation.

Widespread economic turmoil has gripped Asia due to the ongoing war involving Iran, according to a report published on May 11, 2026. The conflict has triggered severe energy shortages, leading to long fuel queues, frequent power outages, and a surge in remote work across several Asian nations. Governments are struggling to protect their economies from the escalating crisis.

To manage the fuel shortage, some countries have introduced rationing systems, reinstated subsidies, or imposed export bans. Analysts warn that as long as shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted, Asia’s economic situation will continue to deteriorate. Rising global oil prices have sharply increased import costs, while declining remittance inflows have weakened local currencies.

Many countries are depleting their foreign exchange reserves, borrowing at high interest rates, or cutting budgets in other sectors to stabilize their economies. The region now faces deep uncertainty and mounting financial pressure, with no immediate relief in sight.

Former national security adviser and strategic analyst Mark Feifel stated that Iran and the United States remain in the same positions where their negotiations began, with neither side shifting its stance. According to Feifel, Iran seeks the removal of all sanctions and blockades, along with an end to U.S. and Israeli military operations. In contrast, Donald Trump demands that Iran abandon enriched uranium, halt its ballistic missile program, and stop funding regional allied groups.

Feifel believes it is unlikely that Trump will initiate another major war against Iran, citing the recent declaration by Trump and his secretary of state that “Operation Epic Fury” has ended. Symbolically, this announcement removes the immediate prospect of a large-scale military campaign. Instead, Feifel expects Trump to intensify economic pressure, possibly through naval blockades and limited military actions near the Strait of Hormuz targeting Iranian speedboats, drone launch pads, and missile sites.

He added that Trump might tighten sanctions further or seek to involve European and Asian navies in protecting shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, though his available strategic options now appear limited.

Saudi Arabia and Turkey have launched a joint initiative to develop the fifth-generation KAAN fighter jet, aiming to strengthen their air forces and reduce reliance on Western suppliers. The partnership seeks to enhance local defense industries and enable Saudi Arabia to build its own aerospace sector. Turkey expects the collaboration to secure funding and credibility for its advanced technologies, potentially altering the current balance of air power in the Middle East. The project is viewed as a challenge to Israel’s air superiority.

Reports of Saudi financial support for the KAAN program and interest in purchasing the aircraft have caused unease in Washington, especially after a 2025 agreement to supply F-35 jets to Riyadh. U.S. officials expressed disappointment over Saudi interest in alternative advanced aircraft. The move reflects a broader regional trend of diversifying defense partnerships as Middle Eastern nations seek suppliers offering technology transfer and fewer restrictions.

Analysts note that the U.S. faces a strategic dilemma as its reliability as a security guarantor is increasingly questioned. A successful Saudi-Turkish partnership could modernize Riyadh’s air fleet and reshape the region’s defense landscape, reducing U.S. dominance in the arms market.

Iran has responded to a United States proposal aimed at ending the ongoing war, according to a report by Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB on Sunday. The broadcaster stated that accepting the US plan would amount to Iran surrendering to what it described as former President Donald Trump’s greed. The statement was released through IRIB’s Telegram channel.

IRIB said Tehran’s response emphasized the fundamental rights of the Iranian nation. Iran’s latest proposal reportedly highlighted the need for wartime compensation from the United States, recognition of Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and the lifting of sanctions. It also called for the release of Iran’s frozen funds and assets.

US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s response on Sunday, writing on his Truth Social platform that he had read the reply from Iran’s so-called representatives and found it completely unacceptable. No further details were provided about the content of either side’s proposals.

Bangladesh Bank has announced that it will launch an Islamic interbank money market by June 30, aiming to address liquidity management challenges faced by Islamic banks that cannot participate in conventional interest-based call money markets. The initiative acknowledges a long-standing structural weakness in the country’s Islamic banking system, where banks lack a Shariah-compliant mechanism for short-term borrowing and lending.

However, economist M. Kabir Hassan argues that the proposed model overlooks the sector’s ongoing financial distress and governance failures. Several Islamic banks reportedly have negative equity, high default rates, and allegations of large-scale fund misappropriation. The author warns that introducing an interbank liquidity pipeline among such institutions could spread financial contagion rather than resolve liquidity issues. He notes that Bangladesh lacks essential Shariah-compliant instruments such as central bank sukuk or Islamic treasury bills, which are prerequisites for a functional market.

Hassan recommends that Bangladesh Bank first develop tradable Islamic financial instruments, set eligibility criteria for participating banks, ensure separate clearing systems for Islamic transactions, and strengthen Shariah supervision. He emphasizes that broader reforms, including new legislation and stronger central bank independence, are necessary to restore public trust in Islamic banking.

Strategic analyst and founder of Off the Record Strategies, Mark Pfeifle, has dismissed the ongoing discussions between Washington and Tehran as peace talks. Speaking on May 11, 2026, he described the exchanges as a contest of pressure, with both sides testing who will yield first. According to Pfeifle, the United States is applying pressure through sanctions, naval power, and blockades, while Iran is responding from within the Strait of Hormuz, creating uncertainty and disruption.

Pfeifle explained that the situation has become a waiting game for President Trump, who is reportedly observing how long Iran can endure the strain. He noted that Iran is facing a severe economic crisis, with the rial’s exchange rate falling to about 1.84 million per US dollar. Prices of essentials such as bread and cooking oil have risen by more than 200 percent, and overall inflation stands near 50 percent. A leaked US intelligence assessment, however, suggests Iran may withstand the current pressure for several more months.

Pfeifle concluded that Trump’s next move remains uncertain, leaving the future of the standoff unclear.