The Louvre Museum, the world’s most visited art institution, is struggling to secure funds for urgent infrastructure and facility repairs. During a recent Senate hearing, its new director, Christophe Leribault, acknowledged the museum’s deteriorating condition and financial distress. The crisis follows a daring theft of royal jewelry worth about 100 million dollars, which exposed internal weaknesses and led to the resignation of the previous director.

Leribault, an art historian specializing in eighteenth-century art, took charge in February after the October theft incident. He stated that the museum’s equipment and infrastructure have reached the end of their functional life, and pressing building issues are accumulating. Located on the banks of the Seine in central Paris, the Louvre attracts around nine million visitors annually and houses Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.”

The museum is also facing revenue losses from repeated strikes, a ticket fraud case involving about 10 million euros, water leakage, and maintenance complications, deepening its financial and operational challenges.

The Jordanian government has announced a general amnesty for undocumented Bangladeshi expatriates living in the country. According to a special notice issued by the Bangladesh Embassy in Jordan on Wednesday, the amnesty allows undocumented workers to either regularize their status or return to Bangladesh without paying fines. The embassy also published the announcement on its official Facebook page.

Under the amnesty, any undocumented worker may return home without penalty or continue working in Jordan under certain conditions. Workers are also permitted to change employers if they wish. Domestic workers can transfer to new employers, and individuals who entered Jordan on travel visas may apply for work permits. The embassy has urged all eligible Bangladeshis to contact it for assistance in availing the benefits of the amnesty.

The initiative aims to help undocumented Bangladeshi workers resolve their legal status and reduce the risks associated with irregular employment in Jordan.

More than a hundred workers at the Palli Rani Dressman garment factory in Chandra Trimor, Kaliakoir upazila of Gazipur, fell ill after drinking water on Thursday morning. The incident occurred around 10 a.m., when workers began to feel unwell shortly after consuming water at the factory. They were immediately taken to Kaliakoir Upazila Health Complex and other nearby medical centers for treatment.

According to a worker admitted to the health complex, she experienced stomach pain and nausea after drinking a glass of water and later lost consciousness. Another worker said the water had tasted bad for several days, but no action had been taken by the factory authorities. Duty doctor Nowrin Ahmed confirmed that over a hundred patients were admitted, with six in critical condition referred to Gazipur Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital.

Factory Assistant General Manager Atikul Islam stated that around 30 to 35 workers were hospitalized and suggested that rainwater contamination might have caused the problem. The factory has been temporarily closed to ensure proper treatment for the affected workers.

Tales of July began its journey on July 31, 2024, with the publication of a literary anthology. Initially conceived as a single publication, the initiative has since expanded into a multifaceted platform dedicated to research, archiving, publishing, and memory preservation related to the July Revolution. To date, it has published seven books exploring various aspects of the revolution, including personal stories, experiences, and historical narratives.

At the 2026 Amar Ekushey Book Fair, the platform released two major works: “Julaiyer Phool,” a 600-page volume chronicling the lives of 111 child martyrs, and a commemorative book on martyr Osman Hadi. Previous publications include collections of poems and memorial issues dedicated to other martyrs. Tales of July is run by a 13-member governing body led by founder and executive head poet Israfil Akand Rudra and executive director Tahsin Ahmed, with all members being university students.

The organization maintains contact with injured individuals and families of martyrs, documenting their memories and experiences. It also collaborates with researchers and institutions to collect and analyze data on the July uprising, aiming to keep history alive through continuous study and documentation.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Aminur Rashid announced that Bangladesh has launched an initiative to revive extinct native fruit species by encouraging farmers to produce them. He made the statement on June 18, 2026, while briefing journalists at the inauguration of the three-day National Fruit Fair at the Bangladesh Agricultural Institute premises in Khamarbari. The minister toured the fair, met with entrepreneurs, and assured them of full government support.

Rashid said the annual fruit fair has sparked a revolution in fruit production across the country. He noted that the government is also introducing genetic material from imported fruit varieties to promote domestic cultivation and reduce import dependency. Using dragon fruit as an example, he said locally grown varieties are tastier and farmers are being encouraged to innovate in fruit production.

The minister further stated that the agriculture budget has increased by 10 percent compared to the previous year, while development and incentive allocations have risen by 59 percent, rejecting claims that the agriculture budget has been reduced.

For the first time in history, Bangladesh’s banking sector has collectively reported a net loss, amounting to Tk 1.36 trillion in 2025. The loss, revealed in Bangladesh Bank’s Financial Stability Report 2025, stemmed from record-high provisions against non-performing loans. Despite generating Tk 134,815 crore in interest income, banks faced higher interest expenses of Tk 147,352 crore, resulting in a negative interest margin. Operating profits before provisions stood at Tk 19,571 crore, but provisioning surged to Tk 143,855 crore, turning overall profits into deep losses.

The report shows that most banks suffered losses, including First Security Islami Bank, Exim Bank, and Social Islami Bank, while a few such as Standard Chartered, BRAC Bank, and City Bank managed to stay profitable. Sector-wide net profit dropped by Tk 148,824 crore compared to 2024, marking a 1,224 percent negative growth. Bank executives attributed the losses to long-accumulated bad loans and stressed assets totaling Tk 11 trillion.

Experts warned that with 60 percent of loans under stress and a 35 percent default rate, the sector’s financial stability remains at risk, and the crisis may deepen in the coming years.

The government of Bangladesh has planned to install underground fiber lines to deliver dynamic internet services to 87,000 villages and enhance digital access for marginalized communities. The initiative, originally launched as the ‘Tiger Project’ in 2022 and later renamed ‘D-Star’ or ‘Digital Star,’ received an initial allocation of 300 million US dollars. The Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission began groundwork to implement the project aimed at strengthening rural connectivity.

Progress has stalled due to disputes between mobile operators and fiber network businesses. Mobile operators have urged the government to expand spectrum coverage instead of direct fiber connections, while fiber providers argue that underground fiber connectivity at the union level would ensure better quality and resilience. The project remains pending at the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council as both sides lobby for control.

Telecom experts have supported the underground approach, citing reduced risk of cable damage during natural disasters and less infrastructure clutter. The government has reportedly decided in principle to route fiber lines underground to improve reliability and minimize corruption risks.

A 24-year-old man named Rajib Mia died after being struck by lightning early Thursday morning in Ganesh Haor under Kaitail Union of Madan upazila, Netrakona. According to local and family sources, Rajib, a brick kiln worker from Joypasha village, had gone fishing near his home when the lightning strike occurred, killing him on the spot.

The incident has cast a shadow of grief over his family and the local community. Rajib’s wife is four months pregnant, and his family of eight has lost its only earning member, leaving them in a vulnerable situation. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Nadir Hossain Shamim expressed condolences to the bereaved family and assured that the administration would provide possible government assistance.

Local authorities are expected to extend support to the affected family as part of standard disaster response measures following lightning-related fatalities.

Allegations have emerged that the recruitment process for new teachers in the law department of Dhaka University prioritized political affiliations over merit. According to the report, during a selection board meeting on May 5, six candidates were recommended from a pool of 24, allegedly ignoring established criteria such as academic results, research publications, and professional experience. The board included senior university officials and faculty members. Several top-ranked candidates were reportedly excluded, while others with lower academic scores and political connections were recommended.

Among the recommended candidates, Moniruzzaman and Maksuda Sarker faced accusations of publishing in predatory journals and maintaining close ties with politically influential figures. Moniruzzaman acknowledged publishing in such journals by mistake and later retracting the papers. Another candidate, Ali Mashraf, was accused of benefiting from political lobbying. University officials, including the pro-vice-chancellor (education), acknowledged the issue of predatory journals but declined to comment on the recruitment decisions.

Teachers, students, and applicants have called for an investigation to ensure transparency and merit-based recruitment, warning that failure to address the allegations could harm the university’s academic integrity and reputation.

The United States military used Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence technology ‘Grok’ to conduct strikes on more than 2,000 Iranian targets within four days, according to a written testimony by Cameron Stanley, head of Digital and Artificial Intelligence at the Pentagon. The disclosure came during a civil case in the Northern District Court of Mississippi, where the Trump administration intervened in an environmental lawsuit filed against Musk’s company xAI.

Stanley stated that the US government deployed a ‘Grok Gov Model’ based on xAI’s commercial version, integrated into the Pentagon’s Maven Smart Systems (MSS) for target identification, intelligence gathering, and military readiness. The testimony did not specify the exact dates of use, leaving unclear whether the AI was linked to a February 28 strike that killed 156 civilians, including 120 schoolchildren. Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans reported about 3,500 civilian deaths since the joint US-Israeli offensive began.

The lawsuit, filed by the NAACP on April 26, accuses xAI of violating environmental laws by operating 27 methane gas turbines in Southaven, Mississippi, to power the ‘Colossus 2’ data center. The Pentagon and the US Department of Justice opposed the case, citing national security risks if the data center’s operations were disrupted.

Bangladesh’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has prepared a 150-page draft charge sheet in the country’s largest financial scandal, the Bangladesh Bank reserve theft case. After more than a decade of investigation, the draft has been submitted to the Attorney General’s Office for legal review. The document accuses 64 individuals and organizations, including former Bangladesh Bank governor Dr. Atiur Rahman, who is alleged to have attempted to conceal the incident and is currently absconding.

The accused include nine other Bangladeshi officials and citizens, as well as foreign nationals from India, North Korea, China, Japan, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. Among them are former deputy governor Abul Kashem, former executive directors Shuvankar Saha and Mezbaul Haque, and several international hackers and institutions such as North Korea’s Lazarus Group. The CID found that the stolen funds were laundered through casinos and foreign entities.

The 2016 cyber theft involved $101 million stolen via fraudulent SWIFT messages from Bangladesh Bank’s account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Only $34.6 million has been recovered so far. Authorities expect the final charge sheet to be filed in court once legal clearance is received.

Olympic Cement Limited, a Barishal-based company under Khan Sons Group, has been abruptly shut down after allegations of large-scale money laundering and financial irregularities. Reports claim the company’s chairman, managing director, and directors siphoned off billions of taka to the United States, the United Kingdom, and Dubai, withdrawing all capital from company accounts and defaulting on bank loans. The closure has left over 350 workers without pay or benefits, while the company was allegedly sold secretly to Scan Cement.

Following complaints, Barishal Divisional Commissioner Khalil Ahmed summoned company officials and ordered immediate payment of workers’ dues. Authorities have frozen 90 company trucks and a lighter vessel and restricted the directors from leaving the country. The managing director has promised to pay Tk 9 crore in wages and benefits by June 19.

The National Board of Revenue’s customs and VAT intelligence units have launched investigations into alleged tax evasion, VAT fraud, and money laundering by the company. Officials indicated that the factory’s financial crisis deepened after years of irregularities and foreign fund transfers.

Government employees across Afghanistan have stopped using smartphones following a new directive issued by the country’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada. The order, which took effect on June 17, 2026, strictly prohibits smartphone use by all civil and military officials. The decision was announced through a letter bearing the Supreme Court’s emblem that circulated on social media last week.

According to the letter, provincial department heads were instructed to inform all senior and junior staff about the ban. It also stated that only the supreme leader has the authority to grant exemptions to this restriction. The Supreme Court did not respond to requests for comment regarding the order.

Two Afghan government spokespersons were contacted by Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper for clarification but did not provide any response. The order marks a significant step in tightening communication controls within Afghanistan’s public sector.

An Israeli reserve soldier was killed and seven others were injured when an explosive device, reportedly planted by Hezbollah, detonated in southern Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the incident occurred around 5 p.m. local time along the Litani River, affecting members of the 36th Division’s forward command team. The deceased was identified as Master Sergeant (Reserve) Alexander Filin, 29, from Haifa, who served at the division’s headquarters.

Among the injured were the deputy commander of the 36th Division, a battalion commander from the 556th Transport Regiment, and another reserve soldier, all in moderately serious condition. One active-duty soldier, two reserve soldiers, and a female soldier sustained minor injuries. The IDF stated that all wounded personnel were hospitalized and their families informed.

Preliminary investigations suggest the explosion was caused by a Hezbollah-planted device, though the exact circumstances remain under investigation. Following the blast, Israeli forces shelled Hezbollah infrastructure in the area.

A devastating fire caused by a gas cylinder explosion in Alfadanga upazila of Faridpur killed one person and injured three others early Thursday morning. The incident occurred around 4 a.m. at Vennatola Bazar in Pachuria Union, where the blaze began at Nur Mia’s grocery shop before spreading to nearby stores. Local residents attempted to control the fire when a gas cylinder exploded, severely injuring several people. The injured were taken to Boalmari Upazila Health Complex, where 38-year-old Babul Molya was declared dead.

Two fire service units arrived and brought the fire under control after two hours. According to Boalmari Fire Service Station Officer Royel Ahmed, the fire likely originated from an electrical short circuit before the cylinder explosion intensified it. Five shops, including grocery, tea, fertilizer, and repair stores, were completely destroyed, with estimated losses reaching around one crore taka.

Authorities confirmed that all goods inside the affected shops were burned to ashes, and the area suffered extensive property damage.