International crude oil prices declined on hopes of a possible agreement to normalize shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The report, published on August 5, said Brent crude, a key global benchmark, had fallen below $80 a barrel after exceeding $100 during the most intense period of the war.

By 1:10 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Wednesday, Brent had risen 26 cents, or about 0.33 percent, to $79.62 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude was trading 12 cents, or 0.16 percent, higher at $75.90 a barrel. Investor confidence also increased amid expectations of a possible deal to restore shipping through the strait.

Analysts said ongoing talks between Iran and Oman, the stability of the US economy, and record profits at US companies contributed to positive market sentiment. On Tuesday, as Brent declined, the Dow Jones ended above 54,000 points at a new record. Analysts cautioned, however, that the positive market situation could change quickly if the Hormuz discussions fail to produce an agreement.

Kuakata, a tourist destination in Patuakhali, is experiencing up to 15 or 16 power cuts a day because it receives roughly half of its electricity demand from the national grid. The report, published on August 5, says tourists, hotel and resort owners, restaurant operators and local residents are facing severe disruption. Many tourism-related businesses are relying on generators for much of the day to keep operating.

The Kuakata zonal office of Patuakhali Palli Bidyut Samity supplies Kuakata municipality and the unions of Mahipur, Latachapli, Dhulasar and Dalbuganj. Residents said outages have occurred frequently during both day and night for several days. About 200 residential hotels and motels, more than 100 restaurants and other tourism businesses have had normal operations disrupted, while generator fuel and operating costs have increased.

Deputy General Manager Mostafa Aminur Rashed said local demand stands at 11 to 12 megawatts, while the area receives only 5 to 6 megawatts from the national grid. He said Kuakata has no additional allocation or special budget as a tourist destination, and the office has requested extra power allocations from higher authorities. Residents and tourism stakeholders called for a separate allocation and increased grid supply.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiations with Iran aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz have made progress. Rubio made the comments on Tuesday, but did not disclose the nature of the progress or provide details about any potential agreement.

He spoke during a ceremony to sign a memorandum of understanding on nuclear cooperation with Paraguayan Foreign Minister Ruben Ramirez Lezcano. Rubio did not identify other parties involved in the discussions or give a timetable for the talks.

The secretary of state’s remarks signaled US optimism about the effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The available information did not explain which issues had advanced, whether a settlement was nearing, or what further steps might follow in the negotiations.

Hospitals across Bangladesh, including Dhaka Medical College Hospital, faced an overwhelming influx of injured people and bodies during the July-August violence surrounding the anti-discrimination student movement of 2024, according to witnesses, doctors and patients. Emergency departments, corridors and wards were described as crowded with gunshot victims, bloodied patients, grieving relatives and bodies. Former Dhaka Medical intern Dr Abrar Hamim said that on the night of July 19, injured people and bodies arrived continuously at the hospital.

Doctors said many patients suffered injuries from pellet shots, metal pellets and direct bullets affecting their eyes, faces and other parts of the body. Some people avoided hospitals or left after initial treatment because they feared arrest, leaving the actual number of injured undetermined. Dr Al Kaysar Sarkar said Dhaka Medical provided continuous roster-based care in several departments after July 18, and credited doctors, students, interns and volunteers with helping save many lives.

A nurse said Dhaka Medical's permanent and temporary morgues were full on August 3, with some bodies kept outside. Official figures listed 186 deaths there, while doctors claimed the real toll exceeded 300. The National Institute of Ophthalmology admitted 864 injured people, treated about 1,000 more without admission, and performed 650 operations. Sources also reported that Farazi Hospital treated more than 1,000 injured people and Uttara Crescent treated at least 500.

Jordan has called an emergency meeting of Arab and Muslim foreign ministers amid renewed tensions around Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. The meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, is to include Arab League members as well as the foreign ministers of Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan, according to a report published on August 5, 2026. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi is organizing the gathering.

Jordan cites repeated entries by Jewish religious extremists into the Al-Aqsa compound and the performance of religious rituals there as the central concern. Under the Hashemite royal family’s custodianship, only Muslims are currently permitted to pray at the site. On July 23, about 2,000 Israelis led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir entered the compound, known to Jews as Temple Mount, and performed prayers and rituals. Jordanian officials called it the most serious violation at the site in modern history.

Amman also voiced concern over plans for a special police unit at Temple Mount and possible escalation during Jewish religious holidays in September. Safadi warned that interference with the status quo could trigger a religious conflict. Jordan further fears large-scale displacement of Palestinians from the West Bank into Jordan, describing any such effort as a red line.

A report by Amar Desh says five areas of Dhaka—Jatrabari, Uttara, Mohammadpur, Mirpur and Rampura—became major hotspots during the July uprising. It said 320 of the 843 people listed by the government as July martyrs were killed in those locations: 115 in Jatrabari, 69 in Uttara, 62 in Mirpur, 42 in Mohammadpur and 32 in Rampura. The report was published on August 5, 2026.

The report said students led the movement demanding then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, joined by parents, workers, small traders and day labourers. It alleged that protesters remained on the streets despite gunfire and operations by police, RAB and BGB, as well as attacks by armed Awami League and affiliated activists. It also reported firing from RAB helicopters in Mohammadpur and Mirpur.

Citing police sources, the report said 789 cases were filed in Dhaka over the uprising, including 479 murder cases. Dhaka Metropolitan Police is investigating 597 cases, while PBI and CID are investigating 155. Charge sheets have been submitted in eight cases and final reports in 27. Police headquarters said investigators were reviewing evidence and digital materials to ensure impartial, lawful investigations.

On the second anniversary of the July revolution, six cases concerning the July killings have received verdicts at the International Crimes Tribunal, according to tribunal-related sources. The rulings imposed death sentences on 16 people, including ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and prison terms of varying lengths on 61 people in total. Testimony is currently being heard in seven cases across the two tribunals.

Trials have not begun in several high-profile killings, including those of Wasim, Mir Mughdha, Golam Nafiz and Ashabul Yamin, while numerous cases remain under investigation. Forty-six matters are at the investigation stage as miscellaneous cases before the two tribunals. Of 590 complaints over killings nationwide, 109 were screened and sent to the investigation agency. The report said victims' families, injured July fighters and justice seekers have expressed concern and frustration over delays.

Prosecutor Aminul Islam said investigations and testimony from more than 20 witnesses in each case require substantial time, but he considered the six verdicts timely, transparent and impartial. He said verdicts in three more cases could come next month. The prosecution is working toward completing investigations and trials in all July killing cases within one year. Of the 61 convicted in six cases, 40 are fugitives and 21 are in prison.

A discussion meeting on combating social misinformation and developing values was held in Borhanuddin, Bhola, on August 4. Organised by the upazila administration at the Upazila Parishad auditorium, the event focused on preventing online propaganda, verifying information and fostering ethical values.

The meeting was chaired by Upazila Nirbahi Officer Monoranjan Barman and attended by officials from government departments, elected representatives, teachers and students from secondary and primary institutions, journalists, civil society representatives and people from different professions. Barman said social media had opened new opportunities but false information, rumours and propaganda were creating confusion and instability in society.

He urged people to verify information through reliable sources before publishing or sharing it, describing awareness, ethics and humane values as effective tools against misinformation. Speakers said misleading information harms individuals, society and the state, and called for responsible citizenship. The programme concluded with an appeal for everyone to play an effective role from their respective positions in raising public awareness and building a values-based society.

Police detained Enamul Haque, imam of Baisharshi Jame Mosque in Tulasar ইউনিয়ন of Shariatpur Sadar, over allegations of sexually harassing a maktab student. The incident was reported to have occurred at about 6:30am on Tuesday. The child’s mother filed a written complaint with Palang Model Police Station.

According to police and local sources, Haque has served as the mosque’s imam for about a decade and also teaches at Rajganj Islamia Madrasa. The complaint alleges that he sent the girl’s younger brother outside to fetch water during lessons and behaved inappropriately with the fifth-grade student. Local people detained him and handed him over to police after the matter became known.

Haque’s son and several local worshippers rejected the allegation, saying the children had merely been disciplined for failing lessons or misbehaving and that the incident had been misrepresented. Haque also claimed innocence. Palang Model Police Station officer-in-charge Shah Alam said police detained him on the basis of the written complaint and would investigate before taking action under the law.

An Indian-flagged vessel, MSV Faize Nuri Olie, sank in the Red Sea after coming under attack 13 nautical miles from Yemen’s Hodeidah port, NDTV reported on Tuesday. The ship capsized after the attack and later went under. Hodeidah is currently controlled by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

The vessel had 14 crew members: 13 Indians and one Yemeni national. Yemen’s internationally recognised government’s National Resistance Force said its coast guard naval units carried out a joint rescue operation and brought all crew members to safety alive.

India strongly condemned the incident, saying its flagged vessel had been attacked without any provocation. Days earlier, the Houthi rebels announced a blockade in the Red Sea, saying they would not allow Saudi cargo ships to cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into the Red Sea.

The US administration has temporarily revoked the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to the United States, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Al Jazeera reported on August 5. The move comes amid growing diplomatic tensions between Washington and Brasilia. An unnamed US State Department official said Viotti would not be expelled from the United States and could remain in the country despite the visa action.

The report said Washington acted in response to Brazil’s decision to withhold approval for Danny Perez, the Trump administration’s nominee for US ambassador to Brazil. President Donald Trump nominated Perez in June, but he has not yet received full US Senate approval. Brazilian internal sources said the government viewed the public announcement of Perez’s nomination before formal contact with Brasilia as a breach of diplomatic protocol.

The US official said Viotti’s visa would be reinstated if Brazil approves Perez’s nomination. Without Brazil’s formal approval, Perez cannot take up ambassadorial duties in Brasilia. Last month, Brazil refused visas to officials from the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, citing concerns that the delegation could work to undermine Brazil’s electoral system.

Feni district Chhatra Dal staged a symbolic court and carried out symbolic executions at the Central Shaheed Minar in Feni, marking the second anniversary of the July mass uprising. The programme was held on the evening of Tuesday, August 4. It portrayed fugitive Sheikh Hasina, Nizam Uddin Hazari, Alauddin Nasim, retired General Masud Uddin, Shusen Chandra Shil and Swapan Miaji as accused persons.

Before the event, organisers held a photography exhibition focused on the July mass uprising. A mock courtroom was set up on the Shaheed Minar platform, featuring portrayals of a judge, prosecution lawyer, witnesses, law-enforcement personnel and defendants in the dock. After the prosecution presented testimony and photographs related to the Mahipal killings, the symbolic court announced death sentences against the named individuals.

In brief remarks, Feni BNP president Sheikh Farid Bahar alleged that Nizam Hazari and his followers had fired indiscriminately and carried out killings in Mahipal on August 4, 2024. He said demands had been made to recover illegal weapons used at the time and cancel licences, while alleging Hazari's weapons had not been surrendered. Bahar also criticised the lack of progress in the cases and said Feni killing cases had not yet gone to a tribunal.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing growing pressure after abandoning a plan to sell about 20 percent of commercial rights for the World Cup and other major FIFA tournaments to private investors. The proposal, involving a planned entity called FIFA Forward Enterprise, aimed to raise $4.2 billion and was expected to include Thrive Capital, linked to Joshua Kushner. Infantino withdrew the plan within days after strong opposition from the football world.

The report said Infantino unsuccessfully tried repeatedly to contact US President Donald Trump by phone after the plan was cancelled. It also said he sought a private meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, though a State Department official said no such discussion was planned. Infantino’s longstanding closeness with Trump, including the FIFA Peace Prize and reported intervention in a disciplinary matter, has drawn broad criticism.

His support for a third term has also weakened, according to the report. The Asian Confederation has joined a rebel camp involving UEFA and CONCACAF, while Oceania’s 11 countries are reportedly moving toward that alliance. A no-confidence vote could be called through an emergency FIFA Congress; if Infantino lost, Sheikh Salman would assume interim duties. Infantino remains the only declared candidate for the March 18, 2027 FIFA presidential election.

In an opinion article published by Amar Desh on August 5, 2026, journalist Khaja Main Uddin describes Bangladesh’s August 5, 2024 political transition as a revolution rather than an ordinary change of government. He argues that the July movement drew strength from mass resistance to repression, injustice and the loss of civil rights. The writer says a technology-oriented younger generation used creative tactics and brought the movement to its conclusion without a single party or all-powerful leader directing it.

The article says the movement developed from long-standing democratic aspirations and public resentment of authoritarian rule. It identifies the Bangladesh Nationalist Party as a principal opposition force that sustained hopes for democracy, Jamaat-e-Islami as working in the final phase of the anti-Hasina movement, and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement as leading the final stage. According to the article, that student movement later became the National Citizens Party.

Main Uddin says the July Charter, prepared through political consensus, outlines democratic, institutional and constitutional reforms. Parties that signed it now face a test in implementing the July agenda, he writes. He adds that the vision of a Bangladesh free of inequality, corruption and remnants of fascism has not yet been realized, and warns that unresolved questions could return in another form if that vision is not achieved.

A family in Kanjorpara, under Hwaikyong Union of Teknaf upazila in Cox’s Bazar, has alleged that 12-year-old Md Sadeq was kidnapped and released after a ransom payment. Family sources said Sadeq, son of Kanjorpara resident Abdus Sattar, went missing from the area at about 1 pm on Monday, August 3. The alleged kidnappers later contacted the family and demanded money for his release.

Local sources said the kidnappers initially sought Tk140,000 before the family was compelled to pay Tk50,000 following prolonged bargaining. The family said the money was sent to a bKash number, 01868-055022. Sadeq’s elder brother, Irfan Uddin, said unknown people called the family, asked them to save an Imo number, and later sent an audio recording through Imo saying the child had been abducted.

Irfan Uddin said the child was released shortly after the payment was sent. The incident has caused concern among local residents, who called for the perpetrators to be identified and brought under the law and for effective measures to stop kidnappings in Teknaf. Teknaf Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Saiful Islam said the family had not informed police about the alleged abduction.