A daylong cybersecurity workshop was held on Saturday at the Bangladesh Army University of Science and Technology (BAUST) campus in Saidpur. The event, organized by the university’s Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) Department in collaboration with the Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) and Creative IT Institute of Dhaka, was attended by 60 students from the CSE department.

The workshop aimed to raise awareness about cybersecurity, provide practical knowledge on network security, and enhance students’ skills to address modern technology-based security challenges. Rafsan Anwar, CEO of the Networking and Cyber Security Department at Creative IT Institute, served as the keynote speaker, while Shihab Hossain Rafat, a senior faculty member and cybersecurity specialist, conducted hands-on training sessions.

The program, chaired by Professor Dr. Nakib Hayat Chowdhury, head of the CSE department, featured four sessions covering computer and network security fundamentals, web application security, ethical hacking, social engineering, incident response, and career opportunities in cybersecurity. Certificates were distributed to participants, and organizers reported strong enthusiasm and positive feedback from students.

OpenAI and the Government of Malta have announced a partnership that will provide every citizen and resident free access to ChatGPT Plus for one year. The initiative, unveiled on Saturday, marks OpenAI’s first collaboration with a national government. Access will be granted through a government-led AI literacy program, with participants required to complete a free online course titled “AI for All,” developed by the University of Malta. The first phase of the program is scheduled to launch in May, and the Malta Digital Innovation Authority will oversee the distribution of subscriptions.

According to the Malta Digital Innovation Authority, the course aims to help people understand what artificial intelligence is, its capabilities and limitations, and how to use it responsibly in daily life and work. Malta’s Minister for Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects, Silvio Schembri, said the initiative combines education with access to advanced digital tools to make AI practical for families, students, and workers. George Osborne, head of OpenAI for Countries, described the partnership as a model for how nations can empower citizens to benefit from AI’s transformative potential.

The announcement places Malta among a growing number of governments exploring ways to integrate AI into public education and services, following similar initiatives in Iceland, Greece, and the United Kingdom.

Popular Bangladeshi content creator and actress Karina Kaiser has died in Chennai, India, after suffering from liver complications and other health issues. Her body was flown to Dhaka on Friday afternoon via a US-Bangla Airlines flight. According to family sources, three funeral prayers were scheduled in the capital: the first after Maghrib at Banani DOHS Jame Mosque, the second at 8 p.m. at Banani Darbar Sharif Mosque, and the third at 10 p.m. at the Central Shaheed Minar, where fans and colleagues could pay their respects.

A fourth funeral prayer will be held on Monday morning in Abdullahpur, Gazaria upazila of Munshiganj, followed by burial at the family graveyard. Karina gained wide popularity among young audiences through her lively social media presence and realistic content. She also worked in OTT productions and television dramas, earning recognition as both an actress and screenwriter. Her notable works include the web series “Internship” and the film “36-24-36.”

Her untimely death has cast a shadow over the cultural community, with colleagues, directors, and fans expressing grief and condolences online.

Bangladesh-based technology company Bitspearhead has entered into a new partnership with Canada’s AIR Media-Tech, announced on May 17, 2026. The collaboration aims to provide South Asian content creators with international technology support and opportunities to increase global revenue. Both companies stated that the initiative will help overcome language and geographic barriers that have limited regional creators’ access to international audiences.

Under the partnership, three main services will be launched for creators: distribution of existing video content through Microsoft platforms, continuous live broadcasting, and multilingual translation with AI-assisted voice integration. The companies claim these tools will allow creators to reach new audiences without producing additional content, while also increasing viewer engagement and watch time.

AIR Media-Tech’s global business development director Vira Slivinska said the initiative will play a key role for creators whose content has been restricted by language limitations. Bitspearhead’s managing director Rady Ahmed Chowdhury added that the partnership will open major opportunities for Bangladeshi creators to showcase their work internationally and gain financial benefits.

Bangladesh’s Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Fakir Mahbub Anam, announced that artificial intelligence (AI) training centers will be set up in every upazila across the country. Speaking at a seminar titled “Future of the Telecom Sector: What the Government Thinks,” organized by the Telecom and Technology Reporters Network, Bangladesh (TRNB) at Hotel Intercontinental in Dhaka, he said the initiative aims to expand AI use and train youth in AI and freelancing. The government is preparing an implementation plan, with a framework expected in the upcoming national budget.

The minister said the government is executing an integrated plan to modernize the telecom sector, ensure investment-friendly policies, and expand high-speed internet access to rural areas. He emphasized the importance of 5G, AI, IoT, and cloud-based services through stronger public-private partnerships. The government also aims to create one million ICT jobs within five years and modernize state-owned enterprises to improve service quality.

Prime Minister’s ICT adviser Rehan Asif Asad added that the upcoming budget will include positive measures for the ICT sector, targeting a 10–15 percent GDP contribution and prioritizing affordable smartphones, 5G, AI, and cybersecurity.

Nihan Alam from Mirsarai secured first place in the senior group of the Cyber Security category at the National High School Programming Competition and Cyber Security Olympiad 2026. The regional round was held on Saturday morning at the conference room of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), where Nihan received a crest in recognition of his achievement.

A ninth-grade student of Maruf Model High School in Mirsarai, Nihan has been known for his academic excellence from an early age. He previously earned government scholarships in both fifth and eighth grades, marking consistent academic success. Nihan is the son of Nurul Alam, president of the Mirsarai Press Club and journalist, and Jinnat Ara Begum.

The event highlighted young talent in programming and cybersecurity across the Chattogram region, encouraging participation from high school students in technology-oriented competitions.

Cyber intrusions have been detected in automatic tank gauge (ATG) systems at gas stations across several US states, with officials suspecting Iran-backed hackers. Sources said the attackers accessed many internet-exposed, password-free ATG systems and in some cases altered displayed fuel data without affecting actual fuel levels. Investigators noted that Iran had previously targeted similar energy infrastructure, though definitive attribution remains uncertain due to limited forensic evidence.

Analysts linked the incident to the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, suggesting Tehran may be using cyber operations as an alternative to direct military action. The attack could also pose political challenges for the Trump administration, as rising fuel prices and public concern over the war’s economic impact intensify. Cybersecurity researchers have long warned that internet-connected ATG systems are vulnerable to exploitation.

Experts further cautioned that Iran’s cyber activity has expanded in scope and sophistication, including disruptive operations against US energy and water systems. They warned that future US elections could face Iranian cyber and disinformation campaigns, potentially amplified by artificial intelligence tools.

Democratic lawmakers in the United States have accused President Donald Trump of corruption related to large stock transactions, particularly involving Nvidia. Senator Elizabeth Warren alleged on social media that Trump’s actions posed a national security risk, citing his approval for Nvidia to sell advanced AI chips to China and his subsequent purchase of millions of dollars’ worth of the company’s shares. Warren claimed Trump traveled to China with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to persuade President Xi Jinping to buy the chips.

Eric Trump, who manages the Trump family’s business, denied the allegations, stating that all family assets are held in blind trusts managed by major financial institutions and that no family member engages in personal stock trading. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker also criticized Trump, calling him the most corrupt president in U.S. history.

Documents released Thursday showed Trump traded over $200 million in shares from major corporations including Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Boeing. Forbes estimated Trump’s personal wealth at $6.5 billion as of March 2026, up $1.4 billion from the previous year.

Popular Bangladeshi content creator and actress Karina Kaiser has passed away in Chennai, India, after suffering from severe liver-related complications. She was taken to Chennai for advanced treatment and was under care at the Christian Medical College (CMC) Hospital in Vellore. Her father, former national footballer Kaiser Hamid, confirmed her death. Doctors reportedly tried their best to save her after her blood pressure dropped suddenly during antibiotic treatment on Friday.

According to family sources, Karina initially developed a fever that later turned into a severe infection. She was diagnosed with liver failure caused by complications from hepatitis A and E. After her condition worsened, she was moved to intensive care and placed on life support at a private hospital in Dhaka before being flown to India by air ambulance.

Karina Kaiser was well known among young audiences for her creative social media content and acting performances. She had recently been focusing on acting and scriptwriting. Her untimely death has cast a shadow of grief over the entertainment community and her admirers.

OpenAI has introduced Codex capabilities to the ChatGPT mobile app, allowing users to manage coding tasks and ongoing projects directly from their phones. The integration enables users to connect to laptops, devboxes, or remote environments where Codex is running, providing real-time access to live project states, approvals, and outputs. The update supports fluid collaboration across devices, letting users review results, approve commands, or start new threads while keeping files and credentials securely stored on their machines.

The new mobile experience is designed to help users stay engaged with Codex-driven work from anywhere, using a secure relay layer that syncs session states across devices without exposing machines to the public internet. OpenAI also announced Remote SSH support, allowing Codex to connect directly to managed remote environments, and introduced Hooks for prompt scanning, validation, and customization. Programmatic access tokens and HIPAA-compliant local use are also being rolled out for enterprise users.

Codex in the ChatGPT mobile app is now available in preview on iOS and Android across all plans, with Windows connectivity coming soon. Remote SSH and Hooks are available to all users, while enterprise features are limited to eligible plans.

Sifar Café, located in the Bamzu area of Anantnag about 40 kilometers from Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, has become a major tourist attraction following the shooting of the Tamil blockbuster film 'Leo'. Once a quiet local hangout, the café was featured in the movie as 'Café Wild Beans', where actor Vijay portrayed a café owner leading a double life as a gangster.

Since the film’s release in 2023, the café has drawn large numbers of visitors from Tamil Nadu, particularly after Vijay took office as the state’s chief minister. Fans recreate scenes from the movie, make social media reels, and dance to Vijay’s popular songs during their visits.

The café’s signature item, ‘chocolate coffee’, has become a favorite among tourists, as it was served by Vijay in the film. Staff members said Tamil Nadu location scouts first selected the site in 2022, and filming continued there for 25 days with stars including Trisha Krishnan, Sanjay Dutt, and Sandy Master.

OpenAI has introduced a new sandbox environment for its Codex coding agent on Windows, designed to improve both safety and usability. The company previously lacked a sandbox implementation for Windows, forcing users to choose between excessive command approvals or unrestricted access. The new sandbox enforces strict boundaries for file writes and network access, ensuring that Codex operates safely within user workspaces while maintaining productivity.

The development followed an evaluation of existing Windows isolation tools such as AppContainer, Windows Sandbox, and Mandatory Integrity Control labeling, all of which proved unsuitable for Codex’s open-ended workflows. OpenAI first built an unelevated prototype using Windows security identifiers (SIDs) and write-restricted tokens to control file access, but this version offered only weak network protection. To address that limitation, the team created an elevated sandbox that uses dedicated Windows user accounts and firewall rules to enforce stronger network restrictions.

The elevated sandbox requires administrative setup but provides more robust isolation and control. This implementation aims to make Codex as secure and efficient on Windows as it is on macOS and Linux, offering developers a safer environment for AI-assisted coding.

TikTok has introduced its Model Context Protocol (MCP) server and developer toolkit, allowing marketers to connect their own AI agents directly to the TikTok ads platform. Announced by global head of product marketing Jose Villalobos during TikTok World, the company’s sixth annual global ad product summit, the new system enables AI agents to plan, launch, and optimize ad campaigns without manual input. The MCP automates tasks such as setting up creatives, adjusting bids, and managing budgets, aiming to improve performance through a combination of automation and AI.

The initiative continues TikTok’s broader 2024 strategy to automate advertising operations. Similar developments have been seen across the industry, with Google, Meta, and Amazon each launching their own MCP servers to let AI models interact directly with their ad systems. According to adtech expert Shirley Marschall, a major motivation behind these proprietary MCPs is data sovereignty, as platforms seek to retain control over how AI agents access and use their data.

The announcement came alongside other product updates at TikTok World, which also marked leadership changes within the company’s marketing division following the resolution of its U.S.-China deal earlier in the year.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has emphasized the need to reform Bangladesh’s education system in line with technological advancements. Speaking at a University Grants Commission workshop on “Transformation of Higher Education in Bangladesh” held at Dhaka University’s Senate Building on May 12, he said that knowledge is now interdisciplinary and that education must evolve to meet the demands of the modern world. He called for a curriculum overhaul from primary to higher education to make it more time-appropriate and employment-oriented.

Rahman highlighted the importance of research, innovation, and skill development to reduce unemployment among graduates. He announced government initiatives to modernize higher education through apprenticeships, internships, and industry-academia collaboration. Plans include establishing Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Institutes and Science Parks in universities, as well as promoting innovation fairs and technical education from school level.

Addressing the Fourth Industrial Revolution, he noted that technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and biotechnology are reshaping job markets. The prime minister urged educators and professionals to embrace technological excellence while preserving moral and social values to build a knowledge-based, ethical society.

The Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) stated that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is indispensable in achieving accreditation for engineering programs. He made the remarks on Monday, May 11, 2026, at a workshop in Gazipur titled “AI Tools and Result Preparation with Course Outcome-Program Outcome Mapping for Capacity Building in Academia,” organized by the university’s Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC). The event featured keynote speakers from East West University and the Bangladesh Research and Education Network (BdREN).

The Vice-Chancellor noted that Bangladesh’s membership in the Washington Accord has opened pathways for international recognition of its engineering degrees and expanded job opportunities for Bangladeshi engineers abroad. He emphasized that AI and machine learning have simplified the implementation of course outcome-program outcome mapping in academia and expressed optimism that DUET’s departments would soon achieve accreditation. He also highlighted ongoing efforts to enhance collaboration with universities, research institutions, and industries to strengthen education, research, innovation, and employment.

IQAC Director Professor Md. Obaidur Rahman added that outcome-based education has replaced result-oriented methods globally, and implementing CO-PO mapping is essential for meeting international accreditation criteria.