The Daily Star - Bangladesh News, Political News, Bangladesh Economy & Videos, Breaking News
Schools, Colleges: A reopening that defies heatwave and logic
The reopening of educational institutions amid the heatwave was marred by two teachers’ deaths and dozens of students becoming sick.
IMF prescribes ending tax exemptions
It recommended the National Board of Revenue (NBR) discontinue the tax holiday for the information and communication technology industry and abolish the tax benefit for mining and petroleum extracting companies.
Temperature may fall from May 2 due to rain, thundershowers: BMD meteorologist
Bangladesh Meteorological Department has predicted that rain or thundershowers in Dhaka and other parts of the country will cause a fall in the temperature
PM returns home from Bangkok
Alcaraz passes 'test of fire', Sabalenka survives in Madrid Open
"Today was the test of fire, no discomfort, feeling spectacular... from here, we'll be getting better."
Extortionists on the prowl in Badda
A young man wearing a mask and helmet makes a short visit to a local internet service provider’s office in the capital’s Badda Gudaraghat, and on his way out, he pulls a gun out of his pocket and shoots in the general direction of an employee of the establishment without hitting him.
Opinion
Are the rightful beneficiaries getting social protection?
Without a robust selection mechanism capable of identifying the most deserving families, the vision for a comprehensive and inclusive social protection system will remain unfulfilled.
Thus Spoke Sher-e-Bangla
I deem it a great privilege and pleasure to preside over this Convocation of the University of Dacca; and to join you in offering my blessings and good wishes for the success and prosperity of those graduates who have been admitted to various degrees today.
Expectations for a good budget
How do you define a good budget? Should it be all-inclusive? Should it be too large? Or should it only focus on the possible future of the nation and allocate more to education and healthcare?
Business
Apex Footwear’s Q3 profit rises 29% riding on strong sales
Apex Footwear Ltd reported a 29 percent year-on-year increase in profit to Tk 1.63 crore in the January-March quarter of the current financial year
Nat’l Bank not up for merger
Sports
Man City still have a mountain to climb in title race: Guardiola
Asked about City's chances of winning the Premier League, Guardiola told reporters: "It's far away. Ask me this question when we are top of the league and (have) one game left.
Typical move but under a misconception
Bangladesh are set to host Zimbabwe next month for what seems like the umpteenth time, a series that from the host team’s point of view is an opportunity to work out some kinks before the all-important ICC Twenty World Cup in June.
No respite from heatwave for booters
Exasperated Dhaka Rangers FC players sip on water in a cooling break during their UCB Women’s Football League fixture against Siraj Sriti Sangsad under the floodlights at the Birshreshtha Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur yesterday. Despite the shift of matches to evenings, there was little respite for the players from the oppressive heat and humidity. Photos: Firoz Ahmed
News
Dozens of tornadoes plow central US, at least 5 killed
The storms dumped up to seven inches (18 centimeters) of rain in some places within hours, and meteorologists warned of a continuing danger of extreme weather Sunday, including flash flooding, hail and more tornadoes.
Bangladeshi migrant worker dies after forklift incident in Singapore
A migrant worker from Bangladesh working at a salvage yard in Sungei Kadut of Singapore was struck in the neck by a forklift and later died of his wounds
Hamas says no 'major' issues, as Gaza truce effort builds
Hamas said Sunday it had no "major issues" after reviewing Israel's latest proposal for a long-sought truce and hostage-release deal in the Gaza Strip after almost seven months of war
White House urges 'peaceful' campus protests after hundreds arrested
The White House insisted Sunday that pro-Palestinian protests that have rocked US universities in recent weeks must remain peaceful, after police arrested around 275 people on four separate campuses over the weekend
Man thrown off the roof on suspicion of theft
A man was beaten, blindfolded, tied up, and thrown off the roof of a nine-storey building on suspicion of theft in Dhaka's Narda area on Thursday. He died two days later while receiving treatment at a city hospital
My Dhaka / Helping stray animals beat the heat
Dhaka is experiencing the worst possible heat wave and Dhakaites are all chalking out their best-known life hacks and household hacks to beat the heat.
Innovating art promotion
The art scene of Dhaka is quite robust even though it is a challenging business -- one that needs to build a trusted rapport with the buyers. While art is food for your soul, selling artwork is...
Entertainment
Cannes reveals full jury list for the 77th edition
The prestigious Cannes Film Festival has announced its complete jury lineup for its 77th edition, with a star-studded cast of international filmmakers set to join jury president Greta Gerwig in selecting the winners from this year's competition lineup.
Hanif Sanket's facebook page hacked, urges vigilance among followers
Renowned television host and producer Hanif Sanket, known for the popular magazine program "Ityadi," has found his verified Facebook page hacked. Sanket himself confirmed this information on his social media platform. Additionally, he urged his devoted followers to remain vigilant.
Review / ‘Baby Reindeer’: The unconventional show people can’t stop talking about
“Baby Reindeer” plunges viewers into the chaos of Donny’s life. His relentless pursuit of success leaves him vulnerable, exposed, and surprisingly naive to readily avoidable situations. Gadd’s performance is the heart and soul of the show. He portrays Donny with a complex mix of vulnerability, frustration, and dark humour. While Donny can be unlikable at times, Gadd manages to evoke empathy for the character, showcasing the emotional toll of his situation.
Life & Living
#Perspective / Felling trees, rising temperatures: Dhaka's environmental wake-up call
Rapid urbanisation and infrastructure projects have prioritised development over environmental preservation, leading to significant deforestation. Roads have widened and buildings have risen, often at the expense of the mature trees that once cooled the air and filtered pollutants.
#Perspective / The corporate clash between millennials and Gen Zers
Gen Zers have sort of re-shaped the workplace or at least are attempting to. Working alongside them are millennials who, safe to say, have been in the workforce for quite several years. This generational mix is proving to be a hotbed for innovation albeit with its numerous challenges.
Surviving Dhaka’s summer: A guide to keeping you cool
Summer in Dhaka is not merely a “mean” sun; it can be characterised as part of a survival game. With the mercury at times rising to 43 degrees Celsius, the sun often appears to have taken our dear city for a giant tandoori oven. As an experienced veteran of Dhaka's ruthless summers, one can give you some cheeky yet highly effective advice for keeping your cool when the city decides to turn up the heat.
Youth
Five school students representing Bangladesh at NASA
Five high school students from Bangladesh have been selected as the global finalists at the Innovation Stage of the 2023-24 Conrad Challenge.
How to write a stellar personal statement
During college admissions season, hundreds of thousands of students across the globe scramble to get their applications in order.
How CHRF is redefining single-cell genomics in Bangladesh
For the first time in Bangladesh, Child Health Research Foundation (CHRF) has successfully generated single-cell genomic (SCG) data for the Human Cell Atlas (HCA).
Tech & Startup
Press release / Bangladeshi users made 3,580 cr. international calls on Imo in 2023
Imo, a messaging and calling app, has reported a significant surge in usage among Bangladeshi users in 2023, with 3,580 crore international calls made over the platform. Bangladesh saw a total of 247.9 billion interactions on Imo in 2023, with each Bangladeshi user communicating approximately 730 times on average, equivalent to about twice a day.
Bangladeshi all-female robotics team to participate in international competition
Code Black, an all-female robotics team from Bangladesh, is participating in the World Science, Environment, and Engineering Competition (WSEEC) 2024, an international robotics event in Jakarta, Indonesia, scheduled from May 12 to 18. The team comprises Jannatul Ferdous Fabin (team leader), Nusrat Zahan Sinha (team management), Nosrat Jahan Nowrin (hardware), Saniea Islam Sara (software), and Tahia Rahman (project manager).
ByteDance says 'no plans' to sell TikTok after US ban law
Chinese tech giant ByteDance has said it has no plans to sell TikTok after a new US law put it on a deadline to divest from the hugely popular video platform or have it banned in the United States
Star Multimedia
Road Surface Melting: Bargain bitumen failing to bear extreme heat
As the country is baking in heatwave, road surfaces in several districts have melted due to what experts say is the use of bitumen that cannot withstand this extreme heat.
Rain comes along with hail in Sreemangal
Find out more on today's Star Newsbytes
Pro-Palestinian protests continue at US universities
Although the United States government has supported Israel, there is a storm of protests in various educational institutions across the United States in favour of Palestine
Locally-made water mist cannons deployed in Narayanganj
The residents of Narayanganj are getting a little respite from the ongoing heatwave as locally-made water mist cannons have been deployed on major roads in the city
Youngsters who showed the world what our robots can do
Competing against 451 teams from 77 countries, the Bangladeshi robotics team "Robonium Bangladesh" clinched the 5th position in the World Robot Olympiad 2023 in the "Future Innovators (Senior)" category, held in Panama
Daily Star Books
Environment
Heatwave: Secondary schools, colleges in 5 districts to remain shut tomorrow
Primary schools to remain open
School which has no fans, windows
Students suffer as Patuakhali’s Pangangashia Secondary Girls School resumes classes in a building which ‘may crumble any day’
2 teachers die in Ctg, Jashore amid heatwave
Two teachers died in Chattogram and Jashore today amid a severe heatwave that is sweeping across the country
Warnings issued as Asia swelters in extreme heatwave
South and Southeast Asia braced for more extreme heat on Sunday as authorities across the region issued health warnings and residents fled to parks and air-conditioned malls for relief
50-year-old man dies in Dhaka amid heatwave
A 50-year-old man died after falling ill while he was travelling on an CNG-run auto-rickshaw in Dhaka’ Jatrabari area amid scorching heat this afternoon
Rain expected in Chattogram, Sylhet divisions
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has issued a forecast indicating rain or thundershowers in the Chattogram and Sylhet divisions within the next 24 hours, starting from 9:00am today
Heatwave alert extended for 72 hours
The Met office has extended the heat alert that the ongoing heatwave is likely to persist for 72 more hours starting this morning
Sudden Hailstorm in Moulvibazar: Over 100 houses destroyed
Over a hundred houses were completely or partially destroyed in a sudden hailstorm in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar early yesterday.
Fact-check
India sieves online deluge to stamp out disinformation in world's biggest election
Just last week, two AI-generated deepfake videos of Bollywood stars criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking a rare third term, and asking people to vote for the opposition Congress went viral, drawing half a million views.
Deepfakes of Bollywood stars spark worries of AI meddling in India election
The two videos have been viewed on social media more than half a million times since last week, a Reuters review shows.
Fact check: Mossad did not describe deceased US airman as 'enemy'
More claims suggesting the remark came from Mossad spread across X and TikTok.
Meta to set up team to counter disinformation, AI abuse in EU elections
European Parliament elections will take place June 6-9. Its 720 lawmakers, together with EU governments, pass new EU policies and laws.
Misinformation and disinformation: A threat to democracy in Bangladesh
In today’s digital age, the spread of misinformation and disinformation has arisen as a major challenge to global democracy.
OpenAI to launch anti-disinformation tools for 2024 elections
The explosive success of text generator ChatGPT spurred a global artificial intelligence revolution but also triggered warnings that such tools could flood the internet with disinformation and sway voters.
Deepfake video targeting Gaibandha-1 candidate surfaces on Facebook
On the day of the National Election 2024, a fabricated video surfaced on Facebook featuring Nahid Niger, an independent candidate for the Gaibandha-1 seat, announcing her withdrawal from the election. Subsequent verification by Dismislab, an online platform specialising in media research and verification, confirmed that the video was a product of AI-based deepfake technology.
Podcast on fake news: Impact of Israel-Hamas conflict on Bangladesh's national election
Uncover the sources and intentions behind these circulating rumors.
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