The governments of Bangladesh and Malaysia have agreed to reopen Malaysia’s labor market for Bangladeshi workers and reduce migration costs. The decision followed a bilateral meeting held on Thursday in Putrajaya, attended by Bangladesh’s Minister for Labor and Employment Ariful Haque Chowdhury and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Both sides committed to ensuring a fair, ethical, and transparent recruitment process based on Malaysia’s sectoral labor demands.

According to a joint press statement, the two countries reaffirmed their long-standing partnership in labor migration and pledged to strengthen cooperation through a transparent and inclusive framework. The agreement includes addressing structural barriers that increase costs, using credible recruitment agencies, and expediting the placement of stranded workers. Malaysia also informed Bangladesh about its plan to introduce a technology-driven, AI-based recruitment system aimed at reducing intermediaries and ensuring that employers bear all recruitment expenses in line with International Labour Organization guidelines.

Bangladesh expressed full support for implementing such a digital platform as part of a broader global initiative involving other labor-sending countries.

Meta on Wednesday launched a new artificial intelligence model named 'Muse Spark', following a major overhaul of its Super Intelligence Labs unit. According to a company blog post cited by AFP from San Francisco, the lab has rebuilt Meta’s AI framework from scratch over the past nine months. The model, currently available only in the United States, is described as smaller but faster, capable of solving complex questions in science, mathematics, and health.

'Muse Spark' succeeds Meta’s earlier model 'Llama 4' and will be integrated across Meta’s AI applications, smart glasses, and platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. It is the first in Meta’s new 'Muse' series, with work already underway on its next generation.

The launch follows significant leadership and structural changes within Meta’s AI division. CEO Mark Zuckerberg reorganized the team after 'Llama 4' lagged behind competitors from China, France, and the United States. He appointed Scale AI co-founder Alexandr Wang to lead the new lab and recruited senior executives from rival firms including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.

Meta announced an updated Advanced AI Scaling Framework and a forthcoming Safety & Preparedness Report for its Muse Spark model, emphasizing stronger safety, reliability, and user protections. The new framework expands on the company’s earlier Frontier AI Framework by broadening the range of risks assessed, including chemical, biological, cybersecurity, and loss-of-control scenarios. It also introduces stricter deployment standards and transparency measures through detailed reporting on risk assessments and evaluation results.

The Safety & Preparedness Report for Muse Spark highlights extensive pre-deployment testing across thousands of scenarios to identify weaknesses and ensure safeguards function effectively. Meta evaluated the model’s reasoning capabilities, potential for autonomous behavior, and adherence to safety policies covering violence prevention, child safety, and ideological balance. The company reports that Muse Spark demonstrated strong safeguards and minimal ideological bias.

Meta stated that safety mechanisms are integrated throughout the model’s lifecycle, from data filtering to product-level guardrails. The company’s evolving approach trains models to understand the reasoning behind safety principles, enabling them to handle new situations more effectively while maintaining human oversight and continuous monitoring.

Factory.ai has released its new Factory desktop app, a native interface for managing Droids across software workflows. The app is available immediately on macOS and Windows and supports running multiple Droid sessions simultaneously. Each session maintains its own context, progress, and history, allowing users to manage different tasks such as feature builds or migrations without interruption. The app also introduces persistent Droid Computers that retain installed packages, repositories, and credentials between sessions.

The release expands Factory’s ecosystem with support for both cloud-managed and user-provided machines. Teams can register their own hardware, including GPU-equipped systems, to run local AI models through Factory’s BYOK system, ensuring data remains within secure networks. The desktop app integrates with VS Code, supports AI-native visualizations, and provides a unified interface for monitoring logs, configurations, and system status. It also extends to mobile devices, enabling users to manage sessions remotely.

Factory.ai reports that enterprise adoption of Droids increases significantly when both CLI and desktop interfaces are available, suggesting broader accessibility for non-engineering roles such as designers and product managers.

North East University Bangladesh (NEUB) Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Engineer Mohammad Iqbal stated that artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize the education system. Speaking on Wednesday as the chief guest at a two-day training and seminar organized by NEUB’s Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), he emphasized that continuous learning and skill development are essential to remain competitive globally. He also highlighted the need for both teachers and administrative officials to enhance their skills through training to build a competent and qualified workforce.

The event, held on Tuesday and Wednesday at the university’s auditorium and conference room, focused on improving professional skills, institutional capacity, and ensuring quality education. Certificates were distributed among participants. The program was presided over by IQAC Director Professor Dr. Ranjit Kumar Dey and conducted by Additional Director Rathindra Chandra Gop.

Deans, department heads, members of the Board of Trustees, and administrative officials attended the event. Participants reaffirmed their commitment to improving skills, institutional capacity, and maintaining a quality learning environment.

Cursor has released version 3.0, transforming its platform into a unified workspace for AI coding agents. The update allows developers to run multiple agents simultaneously across local machines, cloud environments, isolated worktrees, and remote SSH sessions. The new Agents Window enables parallel execution and switching between cloud and local setups within the same interface. Cursor also introduced a /best-of-n feature that runs tasks across multiple models in parallel, letting developers compare outputs and select the strongest result.

The company is positioning Cursor 3 as an orchestration layer rather than a traditional AI-enhanced editor. The release reflects a broader industry shift toward platforms that help developers manage, review, and coordinate multiple AI agents efficiently. Cursor’s enterprise focus includes self-hosted cloud agents, audit logs, sandboxed terminal commands, and admin controls, aimed at organizations seeking secure AI integration within their own infrastructure.

Cursor’s approach underscores the growing competition to become the default workspace for AI development. The company’s bet is that developers want a full AI workspace with parallel workflows and enterprise-grade controls, though it remains uncertain whether more agents will lead to better software outcomes.

The Actors’ Association of Bangladesh has announced a special memorial event titled “Bondhu Priyo Shams Sumon… Smritite Amlan” to honor late National Film Award-winning actor Shams Sumon. The event will take place on Thursday, April 9, at 6 p.m. at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The association’s general secretary, Rashed Mamunur Rahman Apu, confirmed the arrangement.

According to the organizers, the gathering will feature a video documentary on Shams Sumon’s life and work, followed by recollections from his colleagues. Shams Sumon, who passed away on March 17, had a long and diverse career across stage, television, and film. He earned the National Film Award in 2008 for his supporting role in the film “Swapnopuron.” He also served as the station head of Radio Bhumi and as program director at Channel i.

Once a familiar face in television dramas, Shams Sumon was admired for his acting talent, personality, and sincerity toward his peers, which made him beloved across the entertainment community.

OpenAI has introduced a new policy blueprint aimed at reinforcing child protection frameworks in the United States amid the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence. The initiative, developed in collaboration with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the Attorney General Alliance, and other child safety organizations, outlines a coordinated approach to prevent and detect child sexual exploitation online. The blueprint emphasizes modernizing laws to address AI-generated and altered child sexual abuse material (CSAM), improving provider reporting and coordination for investigations, and embedding safety-by-design measures into AI systems.

The framework integrates legal, operational, and technical strategies to identify risks earlier, accelerate responses, and enhance accountability across the digital ecosystem. It underscores that no single intervention can solve the problem alone, calling for shared standards and stronger collaboration between technology providers and law enforcement. State Attorneys General Jeff Jackson and Derek Brown, co-chairs of the Attorney General Alliance’s AI Task Force, endorsed the blueprint as a significant step toward aligning industry practices with enforcement needs.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Attorney General Alliance both commended OpenAI’s continued commitment to child safety and responsible AI design, highlighting the importance of collective action to protect children online.

The CIA used a previously undisclosed technology called “Ghost Murmur” to locate and rescue an American airman shot down in southern Iran, according to The Post. The system, employing long-range quantum magnetometry and artificial intelligence, detects the electromagnetic fingerprint of a human heartbeat and isolates it from background noise. This marked the tool’s first operational use, and both President Trump and CIA Director John Ratcliffe referenced it during a White House briefing. The airman, identified publicly only as “Dude 44 Bravo,” survived two days in a mountain crevice before being found.

Sources told The Post that Ghost Murmur was developed by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division and had been tested on Black Hawk helicopters for potential use on F-35 jets. The barren desert terrain provided ideal conditions for the technology’s debut, with minimal electromagnetic interference and strong thermal contrast aiding detection. The system’s sensitivity stems from advances in quantum magnetometry using synthetic diamond sensors, though it requires significant processing time and works best in low-clutter environments.

The CIA’s success in confirming the airman’s survival triggered the mission’s execution phase, with Trump praising the agency’s performance and hinting at the classified nature of the technology.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman told Parliament on April 8, 2026, that the government is implementing short-, medium-, and long-term plans across 43 areas of the education sector. He said each student and teacher will receive a unique digital identity called 'Edu-ID'. The initiative is part of a broader plan to gradually raise education spending to 5 percent of GDP, as outlined in the government’s election manifesto.

Rahman said the government views education as the best investment and is committed to building a quality, inclusive, and life-oriented education system. Plans include distributing free school uniforms to 200,000 primary students this fiscal year, expanding school feeding programs nationwide, and installing multimedia classrooms in all primary and secondary institutions. Additionally, 1,500 institutions will receive free Wi-Fi to reduce digital inequality.

The Prime Minister also announced that the ICT Division’s Bangladesh Computer Council will train students in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, mobile app development, Python programming, and AI-based digital marketing within six months. The government is also considering nationalizing one women’s college in each upazila to promote female education and empowerment.

Intel announced on Tuesday that it will join Elon Musk’s Terafab AI chip complex project alongside SpaceX and Tesla to produce processors supporting Musk’s robotics and data center goals. The company shared a photo of CEO Lip-Bu Tan and Musk meeting at Intel’s campus, noting that the collaboration aims to accelerate Terafab’s target of generating one terawatt per year of compute capacity for AI and robotics. Intel’s shares rose more than 2% following the announcement.

The partnership follows Musk’s earlier plans for Tesla to build a large AI chip fabrication facility to power autonomous vehicle development, with Intel now confirmed as a collaborator. Musk previously said SpaceX and Tesla would construct two advanced chip factories in Austin, Texas—one focused on cars and humanoid robots, and another for AI data centers in space. SpaceX has also confidentially filed for a U.S. initial public offering expected later this year.

For Intel, the deal represents a significant step in its turnaround strategy under CEO Lip-Bu Tan, as the company seeks to regain competitiveness in AI and semiconductor manufacturing through restructuring, job cuts, and new partnerships.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman announced that the government has begun work to build a humane and integrated health system across Bangladesh. In a message marking World Health Day 2026, he said the initiative aims to ensure quality healthcare in both urban and rural areas, expand maternal and child health services, and strengthen preventive programs. The theme for this year’s observance is “Together for Health, Stand with Science.”

Rahman emphasized the importance of the “One Health” approach, linking the well-being of humans, animals, and the environment. He highlighted the role of modern technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and machine learning in delivering sustainable and equitable healthcare, particularly for marginalized communities. The government plans to recruit 100,000 health workers—80 percent of them women—and introduce e-health cards for all citizens.

Additional measures include expanding public-private partnerships for complex disease treatment, launching and scaling health insurance, strengthening medical education and research, and raising health sector funding to 5 percent of GDP. The Prime Minister expressed hope that integrity and dedication would help build a healthy and strong nation.

Blockbuster Cinemas, one of Dhaka’s most popular multiplexes, announced on Saturday that all movie shows scheduled after 6 PM will remain suspended indefinitely. The management said the decision follows a recent government directive requiring all shops and markets to close after 6 PM starting Sunday. Customers who purchased advance tickets for evening shows will receive refunds through designated procedures.

The announcement comes just after the Eid festival period, disappointing many moviegoers who typically attend evening screenings considered prime time for cinemas. Following Blockbuster’s move, concern spread among audiences of Star Cineplex, the country’s largest multiplex chain, as most viewers prefer evening shows.

Star Cineplex’s senior marketing official Mesbahuddin Ahmed stated that they are reviewing the government directive and have suspended all post-6 PM shows until Monday. Other theaters across the country are reportedly taking similar steps, which analysts believe could deliver a fresh blow to the already struggling cinema market.

Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed, Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh, has called for the effective use of research-based knowledge and technology to address social problems. Speaking as a special guest at the inauguration of the 6th Young Scientist Congress organized by the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, he emphasized developing artificial intelligence (AI) that understands the nation’s language, culture, religious values, and social context.

He noted that AI is no longer science fiction and is opening new horizons in healthcare, sustainable development, and scientific research. However, he cautioned that the rapid growth of generative AI also brings challenges related to employment, ethics, and data security. Highlighting the country’s demographic advantage, he urged young scientists to apply technology in rural healthcare, agriculture, and research-based startups, while ensuring ethical and secure innovation.

The UGC chairman said the commission is strengthening the research ecosystem to make higher education institutions centers of AI-based innovation. He encouraged researchers to utilize the facilities of UGC’s ongoing projects, including HEAT, ICSETEP, and the Bangladesh Research and Education Network.

OpenAI announced on Tuesday that it has closed a record-breaking $122 billion funding round, valuing the company at $852 billion post-money. The round was co-led by SoftBank, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz, D. E. Shaw Ventures, and other investors. The total represents an increase from the $110 billion in commitments announced in February. OpenAI said the new capital will support its continued leadership in artificial intelligence development as anticipation builds for a potential initial public offering.

The company, which launched the ChatGPT chatbot in 2022, now reports more than 900 million weekly active users and over 50 million subscribers. OpenAI stated that AI is driving productivity and scientific progress, and that the new funding will help it operate at the scale required by current demand. CEO Sam Altman faces pressure to justify the company’s valuation as OpenAI reins in spending, including shutting down its short-form video app Sora.

OpenAI reported $2 billion in monthly revenue and $13.1 billion in revenue last year but remains unprofitable. Strategic investors include Amazon, Nvidia, and Microsoft, though the size of Microsoft’s latest investment was not disclosed.