Mahmudur Rahman, editor of Amar Desh and joint convener of the National Editors Council, emphasized that newspapers must not become party mouthpieces or engage in anti-state or anti-public activities while shaping narratives. He made these remarks on Wednesday morning at a workshop on digital journalism, AI, and fact-checking organized by the National Editors Council in collaboration with the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB).

Rahman said the press, as the fourth pillar of the state, has suffered decline over the past 16 years and must be restored to credibility. He urged journalists to remain honest, skilled, and dedicated to their profession. PIB Director General Faruk Wasif noted that journalists now need fact-checking skills and said PIB has trained 7,000–8,000 journalists in the past two years. Other speakers highlighted the growing importance of AI and fact-checking in combating misinformation.

The two-day workshop included hands-on sessions on AI tools, Google Trends, and Notebook LM, with 29 senior sub-editors and staff reporters participating. The second day will focus on fact-checking principles, data security, and journalistic ethics.

Meta Platforms and eyewear manufacturer EssilorLuxottica have jointly announced the launch of a new line of AI-powered smart glasses priced at 299 US dollars. The product, named 'Meta Glasses', will be significantly more affordable than last year’s 800-dollar 'Ray-Ban Display' model, aiming to make AI-integrated wearables accessible to a wider consumer base.

Although developed in partnership with Luxottica, this marks the first eyewear series released under Meta’s own branding rather than Luxottica’s well-known labels such as Ray-Ban or Oakley. The glasses will be available in multiple colors and shapes, including a rectangular design and a slim oval frame created in collaboration with media personality Kylie Jenner. The devices will feature Meta’s first in-house AI model, 'Muse Spark', developed by its Superintelligence Labs to deliver advanced Meta AI services.

Unlike Snap’s smart glasses that overlay digital content on real-world views, Meta’s new glasses focus on text display and direct AI interaction, highlighting the company’s continued investment in personal artificial intelligence technologies.

Bangladeshi model, actress, and lawyer Peya Jannatul shared an emotional post on June 23 marking the first death anniversary of her father. In her social media message, she reflected on the brevity of life and expressed sorrow over two additional deaths that deeply affected her on the same day.

Peya mourned the sudden passing of Priya, a young entrepreneur and founder of the fashion brand Pakhi, who died at the age of 32. She recalled their recent conversation about Priya’s dreams and vision for Bangladesh. Peya also expressed grief over the death of choreographer Zakir Hossain, who had worked with her on a film and passed away at 50.

In her post, Peya emphasized that death is everyone’s final destination and urged people to live with kindness and humanity. She concluded by asking for prayers for her late father’s peace and eternal reward.

Google has begun rolling out a new feature for Gemini in Chrome called “Select from screen,” allowing users to highlight specific text or images from a webpage and send them directly to the AI assistant. The tool appears in Gemini’s “+” menu and functions like a built-in screenshot utility. Once activated, users can select any visible content in the current browser tab, which is automatically attached to a Gemini prompt. The feature is part of Chrome version 149, and some users may need to restart their browser to see it.

The update is part of Google’s broader effort to make Gemini more integrated with user activity rather than a standalone chatbot. On the same day, Google also announced that developers can now access computer use capabilities through Gemini 3.5 Flash, enabling AI agents to see, reason, and act across browsers, mobile apps, and desktop environments. The company says this integration enhances complex, multi-step automation tasks.

By enabling Gemini to understand and interact directly with on-screen content, Google aims to reduce friction and move toward an AI assistant that can anticipate user intent and assist with tasks more intuitively.

Chinese technology giant Alibaba Group has filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Defense after being labeled a 'Chinese military company' and placed on a blacklist. The company argues that the designation was arbitrary and lacked proper legal procedure. The case was filed on Monday in a federal court in San Francisco, according to AFP. Alibaba claims the Pentagon’s decision has no factual or legal basis and violates its constitutional rights.

On June 8, the Pentagon released a new blacklist naming 80 companies and affiliates allegedly supporting Chinese military activities, including Alibaba, Baidu, and electric vehicle maker BYD. Under the decision, the Defense Department will be barred from entering new contracts with these firms or their subsidiaries from June 30. Alibaba’s lawsuit also contends that the restrictions hinder its ability to hire lobbying firms in the US, violating the First Amendment.

In response, China imposed export controls on ten US companies in the defense and rare minerals sectors, escalating trade tensions despite recent efforts by Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to stabilize relations.

Pope Leo XIV, in his first encyclical ‘Magnifica Humanitas’ published on May 15, 2026, warned that artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping human life, work, politics, and identity, raising moral questions similar to those of the industrial revolution. His message has resonated across the Muslim world, where scholars in Qatar, Malaysia, and Indonesia are increasingly engaging with the ethical and social implications of AI.

Islamic ethicists are exploring how concepts such as ‘takrim’ (human honor), ‘khilafah’ (stewardship), and ‘amanah’ (moral responsibility) define human dignity and accountability in the age of automation. They emphasize that moral responsibility cannot be transferred to machines and that AI should not be treated as an ultimate power, given the Islamic principle of ‘tawhid’ (oneness of God). The debate also extends to political and economic concerns over data ownership, algorithmic control, and profit concentration.

Experts warn that AI’s growing centralization in a few private corporations could deepen global inequality, particularly affecting the Middle East, Africa, and the Global South. They call for a coordinated ethical dialogue across Muslim societies to ensure that technology upholds justice and human dignity.

US technology company Oracle has laid off about 21,000 employees over the past year as part of a business restructuring centered on artificial intelligence (AI). According to its latest annual report, Oracle’s full-time workforce stood at around 141,000 as of May 31, 2026, down from approximately 162,000 a year earlier. The company said increased use of AI across its operations has reduced the need for human staff, and this trend may continue.

The layoffs account for roughly 13 percent of Oracle’s global workforce. The company spent about 1.8 billion dollars on severance and restructuring during the year, compared with 374 million dollars in the previous fiscal year. Oracle also warned that shortages of skilled workers in certain roles could affect productivity and future earnings.

The report noted that the move aligns with a broader industry trend, as major technology firms such as Amazon and Meta have also cut thousands of jobs amid heavy investment in AI infrastructure and data center expansion.

SpaceX’s stock price fell sharply for three consecutive days following its announcement to issue investment-grade bonds. The company, led by Elon Musk, saw its share price drop by 16 percent on Monday to close at $154.60, marking its lowest level since trading began. Over the three-day period, SpaceX’s shares declined by a total of 23 percent, erasing more than $600 billion in market value. Despite the losses, the company remains the world’s sixth-largest by market capitalization, now slightly above $2 trillion.

The sell-off followed SpaceX’s plan to raise at least $20 billion through its first bond issuance to fund its artificial intelligence ambitions. The company also signed a multibillion-dollar deal with AI startup Reflection AI to provide computing resources. Analysts noted that while SpaceX continues to lead in space-launch and related sectors, much of its long-term value is already reflected in its current share price.

Retail investors have shown strong interest since the record $75 billion IPO, purchasing $405 million worth of shares in the first five trading days, though inflows slowed this week.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan informed the National Parliament that 16 websites, more than 300 Facebook accounts, and 100 X accounts have been identified for spreading propaganda and misinformation under the guise of news outlets. He disclosed this on Monday during the budget session in response to a written question from MP Md. Mostafizur Rahman Babul of Jamalpur-3.

The minister said that to combat rumors and misinformation, training has been provided on fact-checking, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in journalism, and information verification. The Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) has also published a research book titled “Shikari Sangbadikata.” Under the PIB’s “BanglaFact” initiative, 783 fact-checks, analyses, and investigative reports have been published, including 229 since the current government took office.

Between October 2024 and June, PIB conducted 123 training sessions across 64 districts, training 5,977 journalists. A “Fact-Check Manual” will soon be published to assist media professionals, while BanglaFact continues to verify three to five claims daily.

The official ball of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, named TRIONDA, has transformed traditional football design by integrating advanced digital technology. Developed to symbolize the unity of host nations—the United States, Canada, and Mexico—the ball features a four-panel structure and embedded sensors, microprocessors, and data transmission systems. At its core lies an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensor that records position, speed, direction, and touch data 500 times per second, enabling precise tracking of every movement on the field.

The TRIONDA ball works in coordination with high-powered stadium cameras and AI systems to determine offside moments, handballs, and other disputed plays within seconds. This integration allows faster and more accurate decisions, reducing delays in Video Assistant Referee (VAR) reviews. Additionally, the Connected Ball Technology transmits real-time data directly to VAR, cutting decision times to as little as 20–25 seconds.

Beyond officiating, the technology enhances broadcast experiences with AI-driven replays, 3D visualizations, and real-time performance analytics. While some fans fear technology may diminish football’s human drama, others welcome its precision and fairness, marking TRIONDA as a milestone in football’s technological evolution.

A research team at MIT has introduced DAAAM (Describe Anything, Anywhere, at Any Moment), an artificial intelligence system that enables robots to form and access long-term memory in real time. The system tracks what a robot sees, where it saw it, and when, allowing it to answer natural language questions about its environment. Using a depth-sensing camera, DAAAM builds a continuously updated “4D scene graph” that records objects, their 3D positions, and timestamps. Tested on large-scale benchmarks, the system outperformed existing methods in accuracy, timing, and navigation tasks.

DAAAM’s key innovation lies in batching visual data for efficient processing, achieving roughly tenfold speed improvements over standard approaches. The system’s Describe Anything Model generates textual descriptions of objects, though it sometimes misidentifies unusual items due to limited training data. Researchers note that while DAAAM operates effectively for ground robots, it may be too slow for drones or virtual reality applications. The team plans to release the code and data as open-source resources.

The project, presented at the Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, was supported by the ARL DCIST and ONR RAPID programs. Its developers see potential for use in hospitals, warehouses, and other dynamic environments requiring spatial memory.

Bangladesh’s Science and Technology Secretary Md. Anwar Hossain said that the country’s greatest opportunity for advancement lies in effectively utilizing technology. Speaking as the chief guest at the opening of a two-day seminar titled “Evaluation of Research Progress and Acquired Knowledge of Science and Technology Fellowship Trust Fellows” at the National Science and Technology Complex in Agargaon, Dhaka, he emphasized the need to harness the nation’s intellectual and innovative capacity.

The secretary noted that while many countries possess wealth and resources, they often lack the necessary human capital. In contrast, Bangladesh has a young population, with about 65 percent under the youth category, which he described as a major strength. He stressed that this demographic advantage must be used productively to drive national development.

Hossain also remarked that artificial intelligence cannot solve all problems, as it can only suggest but not make decisions. He expressed confidence that Bangladesh’s young scientists will achieve significant success in the future.

Education Minister Ehchanul Haque Milon emphasized the need to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to develop Bangladesh’s textile sector. Speaking on Saturday at the Fourth International Conference on Textile Science and Engineering at the Bangladesh University of Textiles campus in Tejgaon, Dhaka, he described the textile industry as one of the country’s most vital sectors and noted that Bangladesh ranks second globally in garment exports.

The minister said Bangladesh aims to lead the global textile industry through increased research and innovative ideas beyond traditional practices. He highlighted the inclusion of textile studies in private universities and stressed the importance of modern laboratories to help students compete internationally. Milon also underscored the need to strengthen green textile and recycling initiatives.

The event was chaired by Bangladesh University of Textiles Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Julhas Uddin, with University Grants Commission Chairman Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed attending as special guest. Earlier, the minister inaugurated the 2026 tree plantation program at the university as part of a nationwide initiative to plant 250 million trees over five years.

The United Arab Emirates has announced a complete ban on social media use for children under the age of 15. The UAE Cabinet issued a directive setting 15 as the minimum age for accessing social media platforms. The decision follows growing concerns over children’s exposure to inappropriate content, unsafe interactions, data collection, and excessive use of digital platforms.

According to the government, all social media companies operating in the country, including Meta, TikTok, and X, must comply with the new regulation. Platforms are required to use advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and digital identity verification to confirm users’ real ages. Declaring age manually will no longer be accepted.

All accounts belonging to users under 15 must be immediately closed, and any attempt to bypass the rule will face strict action. Advertising based on children’s data or behavioral profiling is also prohibited. Platforms have been given up to 12 months to fully adapt to the new requirements.

Popular actor Ziaul Faruq Apurba is returning to OTT nearly two years after his last release, 'Golam Mamun'. He stars as investigative journalist Zahid in the upcoming web series 'Headline', directed by Saleh Sobhan Anim. The series will premiere on the streaming platform Hoichoi on June 25, with its trailer already generating excitement for its intense portrayal of journalism and truth-seeking.

According to the source, the story explores the struggles of uncovering truth while balancing family ties, personal conflicts, and moral dilemmas. Apurba expressed enthusiasm for portraying a layered character that evolves through emotional and realistic challenges. He said the story’s pace, mystery, and contemporary relevance made the project irresistible, promising viewers both entertainment and reflection.

The series also marks the OTT return of Lux star Afsan Ara Bindu after three years. Featuring a star-studded cast including Yash Rohan, Sarika Sabrin, and others, 'Headline' is expected to spark new excitement among OTT audiences with its blend of journalism and crime drama.