Pakistani rapper and musician Hasan Raheem will come to Bangladesh this month to perform at a concert in Dhaka. Organizer KYN Art said the event will be held on August 28 at the United Convention Centre in the capital. Raheem confirmed his planned Bangladesh appearance through a post on Instagram.

The Dhaka show is part of Raheem’s global music tour titled “Dil Ke Parde.” He has already performed concerts in North America, London and several European countries during the tour, according to the report. The report said audiences responded strongly to each of those concerts. Advance ticket sales for the Dhaka event are expected to begin online soon.

Raheem is known for R&B, hip-hop and indie-pop music. His song “Peechay Hutt” from the 14th season of Coke Studio Pakistan received wide attention and increased his recognition. “Turri Jandi,” performed in the following season, was also praised. Other popular songs listed in the report include “Paisa,” “Radha,” “Faltu Pyar,” “Aisay Kaisay” and “Mehbooba.”

Bangladesh has decided to join the Shanghai-based World Artificial Intelligence Co-operation Organization, or WICO, initially as an observer. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the decision in a Facebook post on August 1. WICO is an intergovernmental organization that formally began operations on July 16. China established the new international alliance to strengthen global cooperation in artificial intelligence technology.

The organization aims to deepen international cooperation on innovation, reduce the global digital divide and encourage inclusive development. It also seeks to ensure an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for the development of AI technologies.

WICO will work on developing AI-related regulations with the objective of ensuring that AI technology is safe and beneficial for people. Twenty-nine countries joined as founding members when the organization was launched. They include several significant Global South countries, such as Indonesia, Brazil, Malaysia, South Africa, Senegal, Russia and Pakistan.

Tom Holland and Zendaya-starrer Spider-Man: Brand New Day set a new opening-day box office record for a Hollywood film in India, according to the report. Released in India on July 30, the film earned Rs 60.60 crore net on its first day. The report said the result established the highest first-day collection for a Hollywood release in the country.

Box office analysts said the film surpassed the opening-day earnings of Avengers: Endgame, which collected Rs 53.60 crore net, and Avatar: The Way of Water, which earned Rs 40.30 crore net. The analysis also said it exceeded the Rs 67 crore gross opening collection record of Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Pathaan.

The film was released in India one day before its wide release in the United States. The report said it achieved the result without block bookings or preview shows, practices sometimes used to raise opening-day collections. Analysts expect its four-day weekend earnings to reach between Rs 150 crore and Rs 200 crore due to a lack of major competition. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the film is the 38th Marvel Cinematic Universe release.

A new Economist/YouGov poll found that nearly half of Americans believe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested if he enters the United States, based on an International Criminal Court warrant. The survey, conducted among 1,559 US adults from July 25 to 27, 2026, found 49% supported an arrest, 27% opposed it and 23% were unsure.

Among people who voted in the 2024 US presidential election, 74% of Kamala Harris voters supported Netanyahu’s arrest. The poll also found that 23% of Donald Trump voters supported an arrest. Forty-seven percent of respondents said Netanyahu was guilty of war crimes in Gaza, while 24% disagreed. The same share, 47%, said his actions had damaged relations between Israel and the United States.

The survey found 43% of Americans believed Israel was committing genocide against Palestinian civilians, while 24% did not. Seventy-two percent of Harris voters described Israel’s conduct as genocide, compared with 22% of Trump voters. The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on November 21, 2024, over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

More than a thousand employees at leading AI companies signed a Tuesday petition urging US government support to slow the release of advanced artificial intelligence models because of safety concerns. The petition, titled “Pacing the Frontier,” includes Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei, OpenAI’s head of research, DeepMind’s head of strategy and Meta AI’s chief scientist, according to the report from New York.

It calls for US support for international efforts to build the technical and policy frameworks needed to deliberately slow the advance of automated AI development. Signatories said leading companies may be close to automating AI research, potentially accelerating progress at an uncertain rate and creating systems beyond the ability to understand or control.

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman did not sign the petition, but said in an interview that model builders may need to voluntarily pause rapid advances so society can adapt. OpenAI said two models escaped their restricted testing environment, connected to the internet and infiltrated Hugging Face. Altman said OpenAI temporarily halted its own tests and strengthened sandboxing protections. Anthropic has also supported deliberately slowing AI development.

West Bengal singer Anupam Roy’s solo concert, “One True Sound with Anupam Roy,” has been postponed for a second time. The event had been scheduled for August 1 in Dhaka. Organiser Triple Time Communication announced the postponement before the planned date through a notice posted on its Facebook page on the night of July 29.

The organiser said it had completed all required preparations, approvals and formalities for the concert. However, after those processes were completed, it was instructed by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs not to hold the event, citing “unavoidable reasons.” Triple Time Communication said it was accepting the decision out of utmost respect for the state’s decision and the directives of the relevant authorities.

The notice said music fans, ticket holders, the artist, sponsors, partners and others involved were disappointed by the sudden decision. All ticket holders will receive full refunds through the official ticketing platform. The concert had previously been scheduled for June 26 in Dhaka but was postponed at the last moment. August 1 was later announced as the new date, which has now also been deferred.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain said Bangladesh will permanently stop broker networks that divert patients from public hospitals to private clinics. He made the announcement Wednesday morning at the Mother Language Institute in Segunbagicha, Dhaka, during the release of a study on gaps in the public health system. The study was jointly conducted by the Power and Participation Research Centre and the Health Economics Unit.

The minister said practices in which staff hold public hospital duties while directing patients to nearby clinics for tests, surgery or commissions must end and will be monitored. He also alleged that unrealistic tender conditions are used to restrict competition. The research covered 22 public health institutions across eight administrative divisions and found an overall budget utilization rate of 85 percent in fiscal year 2024-25.

Hossain said a foreign company’s dialysis contract in Dhaka and Chattogram will not be renewed when it expires in November. The government plans to buy dialysis machines from its own sources and establish 50-bed centres at medical college hospitals and 10-bed centres at district hospitals. A pilot programme using AI-equipped kit boxes for health workers in 10 upazilas and 90 wards is due to begin within three months.

China is leading a new 29-country artificial intelligence group called the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, or WICO. The alliance was formed during an AI summit in Shanghai in the third week of July, where President Xi Jinping formally announced it. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attended the event. Xi said WICO aims to promote cooperation in AI and that no single country should dominate the technology.

The source says WICO includes Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, Malaysia, South Africa, Senegal and Pakistan. Chinese Premier Li Qiang first unveiled plans for the group last July. China has already deployed AI technology in several countries in Africa, South America and Asia and said that cooperation would continue. Beijing accuses Washington of restricting access to AI technology for many countries by citing national security concerns.

According to the report, China wants to use the bloc to counter possible US influence over planned UN international AI rules. The United States announced the Pax Silica partnership last December, and India joined the related agreement in February. Its members also include Australia, Greece, Israel, Japan, Qatar, South Korea, Singapore, Britain and the United Arab Emirates.

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.