Delhi Police have sent notices to multiple X account holders and some news portals over allegedly objectionable posts about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and security forces during protests by the Kokroach Janata Party in Delhi and other parts of India. The report, published on July 29, 2026, said the notices sought the identities and information of those who made the posts. Police did not disclose how many accounts received notices.

Police said they were reviewing social-media posts, videos and comments published during and after the protests to examine possible legal violations and potential effects on public order. They alleged that more than 450 accounts circulated false information, rumours and artificial-intelligence-generated deepfake videos during the movement.

Two days earlier, Delhi Police directed various social-media platforms to remove posts and videos containing objectionable comments about Modi. Police said their cyber and social-media monitoring teams regularly track online activity and are taking necessary action against content deemed unlawful. Several objectionable posts and videos have already been removed, according to police.

In an article published on July 29, 2026, Amar Desh editor Mahmudur Rahman examined social media’s growing influence on politics in Bangladesh and India. He cited the expulsion of an elderly Jamaat-e-Islami MP after videos went viral, saying the case again demonstrated the platform’s power in political and social life. Rahman wrote that Amar Desh spoke with relevant people in Dhaka and Satkhira and verified information before publishing its report.

The article also referred to a viral telephone conversation involving Education Minister Ehsanul Haq Milon, arrests over alleged online propaganda concerning the family of the prime minister’s security adviser, retired Major General Shamsul Islam, and anxiety among leaders from several political groups. Rahman argued that Facebook and YouTube had previously become tools of movements as trust in mainstream media weakened.

He discussed India’s satirical “Cockroach Janata Party” online platform and its role in mobilising protest. However, he warned that weak accountability can make social media a vehicle for false information, privacy violations and cyberbullying. He added that artificial intelligence has increased risks of authoritarian governments spreading false, distorted and defamatory material against dissenters, making balanced social media use a major challenge.

Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said the country is prepared to confront any threat and that its defense capabilities became stronger during the recent war. Speaking at a meeting with deputy ministers at the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade on July 28, he emphasized industrial modernization, artificial intelligence, and development of domestic technology-based industries.

Aref said the opposing side deliberately targeted Iran’s industrial sector during the recent conflict, but that the damage was overcome through rapid, high-quality reconstruction. He described recent wars as technology-driven and said Iran’s young scientists prevented the opponent from achieving its objectives despite the use of advanced capabilities.

He said Iran’s industrial policy since the Islamic Revolution has aimed to move from assembly-based production toward domestic knowledge-based industry, supported by research, development, and university-industry coordination. Aref also stressed expanding economic cooperation with neighboring countries and regional blocs, and called for a two-year strategic plan and practical solutions to challenges facing the automobile industry.

Bangladesh plans to introduce an artificial intelligence-based data analysis system to keep supplies of essential and sensitive goods stable, Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muqtadir said on Tuesday. He announced the initiative while speaking as chief guest at an e-commerce implementation meeting at the Commerce Ministry conference room. Ministry Secretary Md Ataur Rahman Khan chaired the meeting.

The minister said ministries and agencies dealing with agriculture, food, industry and other sectors need an integrated management system to assess domestic production, import dependence and products supplied through a mix of local output and imports. He identified supply shortages as a frequent cause of price increases and said authorities must prepare in advance when production or import sources face problems, so abrupt shortages do not destabilize markets.

The proposed platform would analyze 10 years of market, production, import-export and international market data to support faster decisions. It is expected to identify possible shortages, favorable import sources, exporters’ capacity and advantageous purchasing periods. The Commerce Ministry said it would work jointly with relevant ministries and agencies, building a database from government information as well as international open-source and subscription-based sources.

Veteran singer Runa Laila thanked fans in a video message after recently performing a solo concert at the main auditorium of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The report, published on July 28, 2026, said she was moved by the audience’s love, respect and messages following the event. She said she felt truly honoured by their response.

Laila said she was proud to live in Bangladesh and to be a singer of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. She credited the prayers and affection of her many admirers and fans for helping her come this far. Comments and messages sent after the recent concert had touched her heart, she said, adding that she wanted to continue singing for those who love her and her music.

The concert was her first solo singing event at Shilpakala Academy in a 62-year professional music career. Because the auditorium had limited seating, more than 750 audience members could not be accommodated. Laila expressed hope of holding a larger concert in the future so that many more people could attend, and said she hoped to have another opportunity to sing for her fans.

Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo is set to make his acting and producing debut in the television drama series Day Ones. He is working with British director Matthew Vaughn and actor Damian Lewis on the project, which focuses on the behind-the-scenes lives of football agents in the United Kingdom. Filming has already begun in London, according to a report published on July 28, 2026.

The series was conceived by football agent Darren Dine and features Damian Lewis as central character Stanley Dalton. Ronaldo will also serve as an executive producer rather than limiting his role to acting. French football legend Thierry Henry and British rapper Dave may appear in guest roles, the report said.

Day Ones is the first major formal project from UR Marv Studios, the joint production company established by Ronaldo and Vaughn. The independently financed series aims to open a new avenue in sports-based entertainment content. Ronaldo, 41, currently plays for Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr and is preparing for a post-football career. No official comment on the project has yet been received from Ronaldo, Vaughn or Lewis.

An HSC candidate was expelled in Chattogram after allegedly using an artificial intelligence app to cheat during an examination. The incident occurred Monday at the Government Haji Muhammad Mohsin College examination centre in the city. After receiving the question paper, the student secretly photographed it and used an AI application on a mobile phone to find answers, which were then written in the examination hall.

A centre inspector noticed the activity and the candidate was immediately expelled. The mobile phone used by the student was also seized. The expelled candidate is a humanities student from a college in Chattogram city. On the day, the Chattogram Education Board held first-paper examinations in civics and good governance, theoretical biology, business organisation and management, and food and nutrition.

Chattogram Education Board examination controller Md Parvez Sazzad Chowdhury confirmed the incident. He said the candidate had collected answers through an AI app using a mobile phone and was expelled under examination conduct regulations after being caught. Board sources said carrying mobile phones in examination halls is completely prohibited during the ongoing HSC examinations, while strict monitoring against cheating and irregularities continues at centres.

Model and actress Snigdha Chowdhury has sought justice and security in a case alleging physical abuse by the chairman of an institution. At a press conference on the afternoon of July 27, 2026, she said she was called to a hospital after being offered an advertising contract and was then physically abused. She said she has filed a case over the allegation.

Chowdhury said the accused has already obtained bail, expressing anger that no arrest was made despite the allegation. She appealed to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for justice, saying she believed he would look into the matter and ensure that she receives a fair outcome.

She also told journalists that she has repeatedly received death threats. Chowdhury said her safety and a fair investigation were urgently needed, while the accused had instead received anticipatory bail. She said those involved would be responsible if anything happened to her or if she suffered an unnatural death. Chowdhury began modelling in 2018 and became known through the film “Pressure Cooker.”

Elon Musk’s paper wealth fell by roughly $650 billion to $700 billion in five weeks, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. At the close of trading on July 23, the index estimated his wealth at about $738 billion. Six weeks earlier, after SpaceX completed its initial public offering on June 12, the company’s valuation reached $2.64 trillion and Musk’s paper wealth rose to around $1.45 trillion.

Much of the loss was tied to SpaceX shares, which fell 41.41 percent from their June 16 peak through the July 23 close, dropping from $201.80 to $118.24. The company’s market capitalization stood at $895.24 billion, more than $1 trillion below its peak valuation. The report cited news of a Starship launch delay, fading IPO enthusiasm and broader market reconsideration of high valuations for AI-related companies.

Tesla provided a second setback despite reporting $28.24 billion in second-quarter revenue and record deliveries of 480,126 vehicles. Its non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.33 missed the $0.5367 analyst forecast, while operating income declined 56.88 percent year on year. Tesla shares closed July 23 at $319.69, down 14.52 percent for the day. Musk nevertheless remained the world’s richest person, with about $650 billion more wealth than the second-ranked individual.

Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, formally launched his campaign for Brazil’s upcoming presidential election on Saturday. Speaking at the Liberal Party’s national convention, he announced his candidacy against incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Argentine President Javier Milei attended the event, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered support in a video message.

Flavio Bolsonaro has long been viewed as a potential presidential candidate for Brazil’s right wing, but his campaign has struggled to gain momentum amid political controversies and setbacks. Recent opinion polls place him behind the left-wing president Lula. The convention emphasized endorsements from foreign leaders, while prominent Brazilian political figures were notably scarce and centre-right parties have kept their distance from his campaign.

Jair Bolsonaro, serving a 27-year prison sentence over an attempted coup after losing the 2022 election to Lula, could not attend the convention. An AI-generated video message featuring him was shown instead. Flavio Bolsonaro and his allies face criticism over alleged efforts to use ties with the Trump administration for electoral advantage. Lula’s Workers’ Party plans to formally approve the 80-year-old president’s re-election candidacy at its national convention on August 2.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan said journalists must ensure the objectivity of information to maintain professionalism, arguing that neutral work based on facts and data should be the central principle of professional journalism. He made the remarks on July 25 at a Bengal Delta Conference 2026 panel discussion at Hotel InterContinental in the capital.

Swapan said journalism serves as a mirror of society in line with public expectations, and journalists should not become activists. Without proper information and data, a claim is not news but may only be opinion, he said. Speakers at the panel said pressure and challenges facing media differ across South Asian countries, though their effects are often similar, and stressed the need for independent, responsible and professional journalism.

The minister also described protecting people from false, disinformation and misleading information while ensuring freedom of expression as a major challenge. Later, as chief guest at the Global Conference on AI Leadership at the capital's Sonargaon Hotel, he said Bangladesh must keep pace with rapid technological change. He called for effective use of artificial intelligence to improve efficiency in the state, industry and service sectors, and to support innovation, productivity and good governance.

Veteran South Asian singer and composer Runa Laila performed her first solo concert at the main auditorium of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Segunbagicha, Dhaka, on the evening of July 24. Although she had sung at the academy two or three times during her 62-year professional music career, this was her first appearance there for a solo musical programme.

Culture Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury, State Minister Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyam, academy Director General Sheikh Rezauddin Stalin and Secretary Mohammad Zakir Hossain presented her with an honourary memento. Hosted by actor Afzal Hossain, the programme featured about 10 modern, film and patriotic songs over roughly an hour and a half, including a Nazrul song performed in observance of Nazrul anniversary.

Laila opened with a song dedicated to those who gave their lives for the country and ended the evening with “Damadom Mast Kalandar.” She said audiences’ love, respect and prayers were the greatest achievements of her musical life. Organisers said all ticket-sale proceeds would be deposited in the Prime Minister’s Relief and Welfare Fund to support flood-affected people.

Sohel Rana Bayati’s film Noya Manush will open the first three-day New York Bangla Film Festival in New York, United States, on July 30. The screening is scheduled for 7 pm local time at RTV Theatre on the festival’s opening day. The festival will feature selected Bangladeshi short films, documentaries and feature films.

The film is based on A. M. M. Hasanuzzaman’s novel Bedonar Baluchore, with dialogue and screenplay by Masum Reza. Its cast includes A. M. M. Hasanuzzaman, Ashish Khandakar, Jhuna Chowdhury, Rawnak Hasan, Mousumi Hamid, Shikha Karmakar and Nilufar Wahid, among others. Bayati said Noya Manush has already been screened at film festivals in several countries.

The director said the festival is especially significant because only films by Bangladeshi filmmakers will be screened and awarded, adding that it could support the promotion of domestic cinema. The movie was filmed by Kamal Chandra Das in remote Kanudir Char in Chandpur during Super Cyclone Sitrang. The festival’s closing and award ceremony is scheduled for August 2.

Meta is introducing a free verified badge on Facebook to curb the spread of AI-generated fake content, impersonation profiles and low-quality posts. Facebook chief Tom Alison announced the system on July 24. The badge is intended to confirm that a real person is behind an account, and users will not have to pay for the verification.

Under the new process, users must submit a selfie video. Facial-recognition technology will compare the video with an existing profile picture to verify identity, a process Meta said may take only a few minutes. Applicants must be at least 18 and their accounts must comply with Facebook’s Community Standards. Once verified, the badge will appear across areas including Facebook Marketplace and Dating.

Meta said the badge does not signify endorsement of a celebrity, organization or content, and it is not a replacement for its paid Meta Verified service. Pages and promoted accounts will not qualify. The feature will begin rolling out gradually from Monday in a limited number of markets before expanding elsewhere. Meta also announced testing of a TikTok-style full-screen immersive video experience for selected Facebook users.

Facebook is unlikely to open an office in Bangladesh at present, its director of network operations, Dr Hayat Shahid Shipon, told Amar Desh. The report, published on July 25, 2026, says Facebook had previously discussed establishing an office in Purbachal near Dhaka with the former Awami League government, but did not proceed after its conditions were not addressed further.

Facebook reportedly sought security for its office and senior officials, prompt responses when it applied to the government, and protection from intervention when users expressed independent views on the platform. Bangladesh has about 130 million internet users, including 40.5 million Facebook users, nearly 20 million TikTok users and 30.5 million YouTube users, according to the report.

Users said the lack of local offices limits access to quick remedies for fraud, hacked accounts, false identities, harassment, cyberbullying and objectionable content. Telecom-related sources said Facebook believes a local office would have to manage a large volume of customer complaints. The report says the current government is reconsidering the establishment of Google and Facebook offices and has begun work under guidelines while holding discussions with domestic and foreign technology companies.