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Donald Trump becomes first US president convicted of a crime
Trump faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison
Biden allows Ukraine limited use of US arms to strike inside Russia
President Joe Biden quietly has authorised Kyiv to launch US-supplied weapons at military targets inside Russia that are supporting an offensive against the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, four US officials said on Thursday
Petrol, octane prices to rise Tk 2.50, diesel 75p
Diesel and kerosene prices were set at Tk 107 per litre while the price of petrol will be Tk 127, and octane Tk 131 from June 1
England overwhelm Pakistan in final T20 before World Cup defence
Reigning champions England produced a fine all-round display with both bat and ball as they beat Pakistan by seven wickets at The Oval on Thursday in their last competitive match before they begin the defence of their Twenty20 World Cup title.
Truck helper killed in Ctg port as RTG crane runs over him
A transport worker was killed after being accidentally run over by a rubber tyred gantry (RTG) crane in Chattogram port this afternoon
Opinion
Why are so many areas still in the dark?
Government must intensify efforts to restore power swiftly
Managing dengue hotspots can be the difference between life and death
DGHS survey finds high density of Aedes larvae in 41 Dhaka wards
Rafah on fire: Is the cult of the US and Israel above international law?
The world is now slowly opening its eyes to the genocide in Gaza, coming to terms with the need for Israel's accountability.
Business
Business environment worsens for sluggish reforms
Measured on a scale of 0-100, the index fell to 58.75 last year from 61.95 in 2022, according to the BBX 2023-24 launched yesterday by the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and the Policy Exchange Bangladesh (PEB). This is the third edition of the BBX.
Sports
Heirs fail to block sale of Maradona's 1986 World Cup 'Golden Ball'
Diego Maradona's heirs on Thursday lost their legal bid in France to block the sale of the Argentine football legend's 'Golden Ball' trophy from the 1986 Mexico World Cup.
Djokovic untroubled at French Open as fans hit by alcohol ban
Novak Djokovic reached the French Open last 32 for the 19th successive year on Thursday as Roland Garros organisers banned alcohol from the stands in an effort to counter growing complaints from players over disrespectful, rowdy fans.
Saifuddin's axing, Afif's inclusion: How was Tigers' T20 WC squad?
Of the nine teams that have managed to play all the editions of the T20 World Cup since its inauguration in 2007 (Bangladesh, West Indies, India, Australia, England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and South Africa), the Tigers are the only side to have never qualified for the semifinal of the tournament.
News
Under water for over 36 hours!
“Where were you for so long?” The frustration was palpable in the voices of the residents. “It’s been 36 hours since the rain stopped, and our homes are still underwater!”
Lines that lead to nowhere
Last Friday, Nargis queued in front of the TCB shop in East Shewrapara around 6:00am, hoping to secure a serial that would allow her to purchase subsidised products on Sunday. After waiting for five hours, she was finally handed serial number 126 around 11:00am.
Man to die for killing child over ransom in N'ganj
A Narayanganj court today sentenced a man to death in a case filed over the killing of a child after abduction seven years ago in Rupganj upazila..Judge Nazmul Haque Shyamol, of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal, handed down the verdict in the absence of the convict, Md
50 robbers surrender to home minister in Ctg
Of them, 49 were male and one female. Three of them were on the home ministry's list of top robbers
Vitamin A plus campaign for 2.2cr children June 1
However, the campaign would not be possible in many centres in the coastal areas, which are affected by Cyclone Remal
5 reasons why Dhaka is so rude
Let’s neither beat about the bush nor indulge in sugar-coating because we neither have the time nor the empathy for any of that. The plain fact is -- Dhaka is an impatient, mean, rude, cruel, and...
One act of kindness a day keeps sadness away
An act of kindness a day is what mental health counsellors suggest we do; we, the ones who find it difficult to navigate through life’s unforeseen situations. It can be something as trivial as...
Entertainment
Backstreet Boys perform at the Anant Ambani’s pre-wedding cruise in Europe
The pre-wedding celebrations for Anant Ambani, son of Reliance chairperson Mukesh Ambani, and Radhika Merchant are in full swing, featuring a luxurious private cruise across Europe. A newly surfaced video online shows the renowned American band Backstreet Boys performing for guests aboard a cruise in Italy.
‘Boishtomi Rockfest 2024’ kicks off with festive bang
Performers at the first concert included Mizan, the former vocalist of the band Warfaze, with his new band Mizan and Brothers. Other performers included the popular band Bangla Five and hard rock singer KHN and his Rock Wing.
Kamar Ahmad’s ‘Shikolbaha’ to compete for Golden Goblet at Shanghai Film Festival
The Bangladeshi director, best-known for his multi-award winning documentary “Shunte Ki Pao! (Are You Listening!)”, has scored again with his fourth film "Shikolbaha" (“Iron Stream”) being nominated for the prestigious Golden Goblet award in the main competition of the Shanghai International Film Festival.
Life & Living
Painless period pointer: Period patches are your new must-haves!
Menstrual cramp patches, known as period pain relief patches are your new best friend during our dreaded week. When our least favourite uninvited guest Aunt Flo pays her visit, we can be prepared to deal with her unnecessary tantrums.
#Perspective / The importance of trees in Dhaka’s concrete jungle
Overurbanisation has destroyed the trees of Dhaka, leaving Dhaka dwellers in an environment where the air is too toxic to breathe in. Land clearing has made the already-hot summer season hotter and prolonged.
Cherishing the vogue from the golden era
Recently, a web-series reminded us subtly about the importance of elegance, detailing, and the finesse of traditional cuts and embroidery in the way we used to dress.
Youth
Panda diplomacy explained
How some of the laziest animals in the world became so important in international relations.
DIU students to represent Bangladesh at NASA
Team Diamonds from DIU won the NASA Space Apps Challenge 2022 with their project "Diamond in the Sky".
Getting into the Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme
The Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme is an opportunity tailor-made for competitive corporate women with leadership aspirations.
Tech & Startup
Meta removes pages linked to Awami League for "inauthentic behaviour"
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has announced the removal of numerous accounts and pages linked to Bangladesh's ruling Awami League, citing violations of its policy against "coordinated inauthentic behaviour".
Over 2,500 internal documents leaked, Google confirms
The leaked documents suggest that Google collects and might use data that company representatives have previously claimed do not contribute to webpage rankings in Google Search, such as clicks and Chrome user data
Elon Musk's AI startup xAI now worth $24 bln
Elon Musk's AI startup, xAI, has recently raised $6 billion in Series B funding, culminating in a total post-money valuation of $24 billion, according to the company.
Star Multimedia
US will not commemorate Raisi at the UN
The US will skip the event honouring Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash, at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday. Reuters reported this on Wednesday, quoting a US official
A look into Benazir’s corruption allegations
Former police chief Benazir Ahmed has now made headlines due to unprecedented corruption allegations against him
Thousands of cyclone-hit people suffering in Khulna
Around 14,000 people of 11 villages in Khulna's Deluti union have been marooned following Cyclone Remal. Also, there has been no electricity in the area for the last four days. See video for more.
Locals take it upon themselves to protect dam
Due to Cyclone Remal, the embankment of Soladana village in Paikgachha upazila of Khulna collapsed and five villages in the upazila were flooded. Instead of waiting for government help, thousands of people have taken it upon themselves to protect the dam.
Why are cyclones lasting longer?
Cyclone Remal has lingered for a long time. In recent times, there has been a trend of cyclones forming in the Bay of Bengal and staying for such a long time. Recent cyclones take a long time to make landfall, move slowly, and produce significant amounts of rainfall. At the same time, they flood coastal areas and cities.
Daily Star Books
Environment
Cyclone Remal: Crops on 1.53 lakh hectares affected
More than half of all standing crops across 48 districts have been affected by Cyclone Remal, according to a preliminary report prepared by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
Flash floods maroon 5 lakh people in Sylhet
More than five lakh people in Sylhet remain marooned as flash floods hit five upazilas. The floods were triggered by heavy rains in the border areas of the district and India’s Meghalaya.
Cyclone Remal: Crops on 1.53 lakh hectares affected
More than half of all standing crops across 48 districts have been affected by Cyclone Remal, according to a preliminary report prepared by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
Power supply to 97pc cyclone-hit consumers restored
Power supply to 97 percent consumers of Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) was restored while it was cent percent for consumers of West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd (WZPDC) till noon today
PM assures support to cyclone-hit people
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today distributed relief materials among the cyclone-affected people reiterating that her government and the Awami League party will stand by them as long as they need the assistance to rebuild their lives
Rain likely in Dhaka, 4 other divisions
Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) forecast rain or thundershowers in five divisions, including Dhaka, in 24 hours starting from 9:00am today
Cyclone Remal damages crops worth over Tk 26cr in Patuakhali
Cyclone Remal has left a trail of destruction in Patuakhali, impacting nearly 60 thousand farmers and damaging crops worth over Tk 26 crore, according to the Directorate of Agricultural Extension (DAE) of the district
New investment opportunity: Adani team meets finance minister
Representatives of Adani Group met Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali at the secretariat yesterday and discussed the new investment opportunities in Bangladesh..Besides, the representatives have sought the dues of Adani Power, from where the country has been importing electricity sin
Fact-check
Disinformation war engulfs Mexican presidential race
Internet users using old videos or footage taken out of context have repeatedly accused opposition candidate Xochitl Galvez of wanting to scrap outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's social programs.
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.
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