US President Donald Trump said China and Russia have pledged not to provide weapons to Iran, warning that any such supply would be “very bad.” In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping gave him the assurance during a recent meeting in Beijing, stating that China would neither provide nor sell weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran under any circumstances. Trump said the commitment also covered Chinese companies.

Trump also claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin offered a similar assurance that Russia would not sell weapons to Iran, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine. He said China and Russia were the major countries most often discussed in connection with Iran, but that he did not believe either was involved. Trump said supplying Iran with weapons would not be in their interests.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he believed Xi and Putin would keep their promises. Asked about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s earlier statement that Russia and China were “helping” Iran, Trump said he was not sure they were doing so. He added that both leaders had sufficient reasons to honor their commitments and would not want him to be disappointed in them.

Border Guard Bangladesh said it foiled an alleged attempt by India’s Border Security Force to push six people illegally into Bangladesh through the Maheshpur border in Jhenaidah. The incident occurred early Saturday in the Samanta BOP area under Maheshpur Battalion, 58 BGB, according to the force.

BGB sources said members of the Singamora camp of India’s 59 BSF Battalion tried at about 5:10am to send six unidentified people through a gate adjacent to border pillar 55/MP. The group included four men and two women. A BGB patrol from Samanta BOP spotted them before they could enter Bangladesh.

The alleged push-in attempt failed after BGB intervention, the force said. The six people were reported to be staying about 30 yards inside Indian territory from the zero line. BGB said it had formally informed BSF about the incident. Assistant Director Munshi Imdadur Rahman of Maheshpur Battalion said BGB was maintaining maximum vigilance at the border to prevent illegal entry and push-ins and to help preserve peace and order in the area.

Mohammed Shahabuddin Chuppu has decided to resign after serving three years and three months as Bangladesh’s president, ending his tenure during the BNP government. He administered oaths to heads of three different administrations: the Awami League, the interim government and the elected BNP government. Although he remained in office after the BNP’s victory in the 2026 election, his resignation came five and a half months after the BNP government was formed.

During the interim government, the BNP supported Chuppu’s continued tenure on grounds of constitutional continuity, and an effort to remove him was not implemented. Ten days after the BNP’s election victory, Chuppu said in an interview that the party and its senior leadership had stood by him during difficult times, describing BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman as sincere. The report says relations later became strained, while Bangabhaban sources said senior BNP figures conveyed a message asking him to resign.

Chuppu took oath as the country’s 22nd president on April 24, 2023. His political background and the legality of his appointment drew debate. His conflicting statements in 2024 over Sheikh Hasina’s resignation letter also triggered criticism. In a December 2025 Reuters interview, he said he felt humiliated by the government led by Muhammad Yunus.

Police detained a Chhatra Dal leader with cannabis in Nalchity, Jhalakathi, on Friday night, according to the report. Adnan Rubel, 28, a member of the municipal Chhatra Dal convening committee, was taken into custody from the town’s Sabujbag area while allegedly consuming cannabis. In a separate operation that night, police also arrested Hasibur Rahman, 35, with 20 yaba pills.

Police said Rubel was brought to the police station after being detained in Sabujbag. Family members reportedly sought his release, but police did not release him, citing a zero-tolerance policy against drugs. Rubel is the son of Abdus Sattar Hawlader of the area.

Nalchity police arrested Rahman at a checkpoint in the Kalijira area on the Jhalakathi-Barishal regional highway and recovered the yaba pills, police said. A case under the Narcotics Control Act was filed against him. Officer-in-Charge Md Touhiduzzaman said cases were filed against both men and they were sent to court on Saturday afternoon. District Chhatra Dal convener Syed Ali Hasan said organizational action would follow if allegations against any member are proven.

BNP Secretary General and Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the party’s National Standing Committee, led by acting chairman Tarique Rahman, will make the final decision on Bangladesh’s next president. He made the remarks on Saturday afternoon after Md Sahabuddin Chuppu resigned, prompting discussion over who will succeed him.

Citing multiple sources in the Parliament Secretariat and the ruling party, the report said the process for electing a new president will begin when the next parliamentary session starts. Discussions have begun within BNP over possible candidates. Names under discussion include Fakhrul, Standing Committee members Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan and Nazrul Islam Khan, as well as acting president and Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.

Former Dhaka University vice-chancellor Professor Dr Anwarullah Chowdhury and Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani, who is serving on a contract basis, were also mentioned as possible candidates. Party policymakers said the nomination would be based on the decision of the prime minister and senior party leadership. Political analysts cited in the report said BNP’s parliamentary majority would make the party’s choice decisive in the presidential election.

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has announced a new nationwide programme in India to show solidarity with protesters allegedly subjected to police abuse. The party called for candlelight marches across the country on Sunday evening, according to a report published on July 25, 2026.

In a message posted on X, the CJP said student groups and other organisations should work together on a cooperative basis to secure permissions and make related arrangements for the programme. The report described the marches as an expression of support for protesters who were victims of police abuse.

A third round of talks between the Modi government and protesters is scheduled for Saturday. However, the CJP said there was no point in entering discussions unless the government agreed to remove Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said in an X post that the party would not retreat from its demand for Pradhan's resignation, and that no further talks would be necessary if the government did not agree.

BRAC Bank’s branch distribution network recorded Tk50 billion in growth in current account savings account, or CASA, deposits during the first six months of 2026. The bank said the achievement reflects growing customer confidence in BRAC Bank and the capacity of its distribution network.

The report said BRAC Bank has maintained notable deposit growth in recent years, with the latest milestone continuing that trend. The bank attributed its business expansion to relationship-based banking and customer-centric services, while describing the branch distribution network as a key contributor to the result.

BRAC Bank held an event to celebrate the achievement, attended by Managing Director and CEO Tareq Refat Ullah Khan, Deputy Managing Director and Head of Branch Distribution Network Sheikh Mohammad Ashfaque, Senior Zonal Head Taher Hasan Al Mamun, regional heads, branch managers and other senior officials. Khan said customer trust and the dedicated efforts of the branch distribution network were behind the result. He said the bank remains committed to strengthening customer relationships through improved banking experiences and sustaining its growth trajectory.

An opinion article by Syed Musa Reza, published in Amar Desh on July 25, 2026, portrays the funeral and mourning ceremony in Tehran for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a symbol of shifting power relations in the Middle East and global politics. The article says mourners chanted against the United States and Israel and demanded revenge for Khamenei’s death. It argues that the event conveyed institutional continuity and unity behind Iran’s current leadership.

Citing an analysis by Middle East Monitor, the article says large gatherings in Tehran, Qom and Karbala challenged assumptions that removing senior leaders through a “decapitation strategy” would collapse Iran’s state system and allied axis. It also interprets the attendance of senior leaders from Pakistan and Tajikistan as evidence that Global South states are making diplomatic choices based on national interests and regional realities.

The article references seven lessons identified by Russia’s state media outlet RT from a recent Persian Gulf conflict. These include the reduced impact of sanctions, cheaper military technologies, limits on sole naval control, asymmetric warfare, discussion of alternative energy-trade currencies, divisions in military alliances and the importance of strategic patience. It concludes that international politics is moving toward a multipolar balance of power.

The United States and Saudi Arabia signed a civilian nuclear agreement on Wednesday at the US Energy Department headquarters in Washington after nearly two decades of talks. The following morning, President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that Saudi Arabia must join the Abraham Accords for the deal to take effect. He also said Saudi Arabia would not be allowed to enrich uranium under the agreement.

CNN reported that Trump had already been dissatisfied because Energy Secretary Chris Wright set the timing for the agreement’s announcement without informing him. White House officials said the agreement was not formally final because required documents had not been sent to Congress. Spokesperson Taylor Rogers said the deal depended on Saudi participation in the Abraham Accords, while the Energy Department said it coordinated every stage with the White House and State Department.

Conservative outlets including Fox News and The Wall Street Journal had questioned granting Saudi Arabia the benefits without normalization with Israel. Nonproliferation experts raised concerns about uranium enrichment and the absence of additional International Atomic Energy Agency inspections. Israeli sources suggested Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervened, but the White House denied Trump spoke with him. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt also said Trump did not speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before or after announcing the conditions.

Ahead of a planned third round of talks with India’s central government on Saturday, the protesting Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) said discussions would be meaningless unless the Modi government agreed to remove Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. In a Saturday morning post on X, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the party would not withdraw its demand for Pradhan’s resignation.

The second round of talks was held Friday at Constitution Club in New Delhi between CJP representatives and central ministers J. P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh. CJP presented three main demands: Pradhan’s resignation, assurance that protesting students would face no legal action, and compensation of one crore rupees each to families of students who died by suicide in the NEET paper leak case. The centre reportedly gave in-principle consent to the latter two demands.

Nadda said the meeting, lasting nearly two hours, also covered five proposals on examination reform, with the government due to communicate its final position at Saturday’s meeting. NDTV, citing government sources, reported that Pradhan’s resignation was unlikely. The government has announced fast-track courts, tougher penalties, a change of education secretary, dismissal of 47 National Testing Agency officials, and a commitment to fully restructure the agency.

Mohammad Kamal Uddin, known in Chattogram as a leader of Bangabandhu Soldiers League, attended a dinner at the state guest house Jamuna with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, according to a report published on July 25. A photograph of the two shaking hands prompted questions over how he was invited and whether his political background was properly vetted. The report says he is also known locally as “Bakery Kamal.”

A document obtained by the newspaper states that Kamal Uddin applied to attend the event as vice-chairman of Gono Dal, using a Dhaka address. He was invited after verification in Dhaka, the report says. Chattogram Police Commissioner Hasan Md. Shawkat Ali said the address used was in Dhaka and was not verified from Chattogram. Dhaka Metropolitan Police said it handled event security but did not select guests or issue invitations.

Unnamed security and intelligence sources said an internal review began after the matter became public. Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain said local input could have provided relevant information on guests’ political and organizational identities. Kamal Uddin said he would send a statement, while the report says he did not deny involvement in Awami League-supported activities mentioned in questions put to him.

The formal trial in the case over killings at a Hefazat gathering at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel, Dhaka, on May 5, 2013, is scheduled to begin on Monday. International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam announced the development on Saturday morning. The tribunal is investigating the incident with importance, according to the report.

An investigation report naming 41 people as accused has been submitted to the prosecution. The International Crimes Tribunal investigation agency submitted the report on Sunday morning, July 19. Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, described as absconding in India, has been named as the principal accused in the case.

Other notable accused include former army chief General Aziz Ahmed, former state minister for home affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku, and former inspectors general of police Benazir Ahmed and A K M Shahidul Haque. Retired Major General Ziaul Ahsan and the then Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner are also among those accused in the investigation report.

As crowds continue to grow at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, India, over demands for the education minister’s resignation, the entire protest site has been placed under CCTV surveillance. At least three mobile surveillance vans have been deployed, and police are also using facial-recognition technology, according to the report published on July 25, 2026.

Live video and images collected through the surveillance system are being matched against police databases to identify and separate people with criminal records. The measures have renewed concerns over personal privacy, civil rights and the ethical use of such technology.

Separately, disability-rights organisations have called for a ban on pellet guns and electric shock batons for all police forces in the country. Doctors’ organisations, individuals and concerned citizens have strongly condemned allegations that such weapons were used against protesters during the “Chalo Parliament” programme held in New Delhi on July 20.

Martyr Sharif Osman Hadi, convener of Inqilab Mancha, was a leading figure in student-public protests demanding the resignation and arrest of President Md. Sahabuddin Chuppu after Sheikh Hasina’s fall and flight on August 5, 2024. The report says Chuppu remained in office while the speaker, chief justice and Baitul Mukarram khatib appointed under Hasina left the country.

Protests intensified after comments attributed to the president in a newspaper interview regarding Sheikh Hasina’s resignation letter. Hadi called for demonstrations, describing the remarks as a betrayal of revolutionaries’ blood. On October 23, 2024, he led thousands from Dhaka University, the Raju Sculpture and the Shaheed Minar toward Bangabhaban. Hasnat Abdullah, Nasiruddin Patwary and Sarjis Alam were among other movement leaders involved.

Protesters blocked roads in front of Bangabhaban and near Shapla Chattar, while Hadi issued a 24-hour ultimatum for the president to resign voluntarily. At a Shaheed Minar gathering the following day, he formally presented five demands, including the president’s resignation and reforms. Hadi was shot in Dhaka on December 12 last year and died in Singapore on December 18. The report says Chuppu resigned seven months and six days after Hadi’s killing.

A report published by Amar Desh on July 25, 2026 recounts violence surrounding the quota reform movement on July 25, 2024. It says hospitals across Dhaka were treating people with gunshot wounds and other injuries while morgues received bodies. The report makes strong political allegations regarding then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her government's response to the unrest.

The report says at least 867 injured people received treatment at public and private hospitals in Uttara between July 18 and 25, while 29 bodies were brought in. It says Bangladesh-Kuwait Maitree Hospital received 265 injured people and eight bodies, and Uttara Adhunik Medical College received 263 injured people and 11 bodies. Citing Anjuman Mufidul Islam, it also says 21 unidentified bodies were buried.

According to the report, Hasina visited the Mirpur-10 metro station on July 25 and sought justice over vandalism. It says about 700 protesters and leaders of different parties were arrested that day, including Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie and Andaleeve Rahman Partho. The report adds that Amnesty International expressed concern that day and alleged the government was using lethal weapons to suppress protests.