The UK will set up a new centre to “stem the poisonous tide” of disinformation, including from Russia, and lead efforts to establish global safety standards for artificial intelligence, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said. In his first major international speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, Burnham warned Russian agencies are using “every means at ...

A west London councillor has called for stronger protections for elected officials after AI-generated caricatures depicting her were posted on social media by the local Conservative Party. Sital Punja, a Labour member of Tory-controlled Hillingdon Council, said the images using AI to manipulate her likeness contained “racist and antisemitic tropes”. One cartoon image posted by the Hillingdon Conservatives on X ...

A heat network that will run under and alongside the River Thames, using recycled heat to warm 650,000 homes in London, has been awarded £41m in government funding. The London Strategic Heat Main will use excess heat from sources like data centres or factories, and transport it via a system of hot water pipes. The initial phase will cross seven ...

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has joined a meeting on the Rohingya crisis in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. The meeting began at 11:15am local time on Wednesday at the UN Headquarters. Co-hosted by Bangladesh and Gambia with support from the European Union, the meeting, titled “The Rohingya Crisis: A Renewed Call ...

Banks authorised for Hajj services must keep their branches open this Friday and Saturday to facilitate registration for next year’s pilgrimage, Bangladesh Bank has said. On Wednesday, the central bank instructed commercial banks to operate the relevant branches like normal working days in the interest of smooth Hajj management. Under the roadmap announced by the Saudi government, Hajj registration must ...

The health benefits of exercising in cities generally outweigh the risks from air pollution, although experts have warned that choosing where and when to exercise can significantly reduce exposure, according to the BBC. Air pollution is linked to heart disease, respiratory problems, cancer and an increased risk of early death. The BBC reported that fine particles known as PM2.5 can ...

The paramilitary force Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), in a special drive here, seized 3,500 kilogrammes of illegally imported Indian onions, 120 bottles of liquor and other Indian goods worth approximately Tk 60.63 lakh. “Acting on intelligence information, a special operational team of Sylhet Battalion (48 BGB) conducted the drive on Tuesday night in the border area under the Pratappur Border ...

US Ambassador in Dhaka Brent T Christensen on Wednesday welcomed Dhaka’s decision to procure 11 additional Boeing aircraft and congratulated Biman Bangladesh and the US aircraft producer as they are set to seal an agreement finalising the procurement in New York. “Congratulations to Boeing and Biman on the agreement to purchase 11 more of the world’s best commercial planes,” he ...

The parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has recommended setting up specialized ‘Shishu Swargo’ healthcare and rehabilitation services for children, while expansion of ICU and specialised treatment centres across the country. The recommendations came during the JS body’s first meeting of the 13th National Parliament on Wednesday at the Jatiya Sangshad Bhaban. Chairman of the ...

The death count from dengue has reached 201 in the country in 2026, with six more fatalities reported in the past 24 hours until Wednesday morning. Bangladesh has seen a surge in fatalities from the Aedes mosquito-borne disease in recent weeks, with the figures crossing the 100-mark on 1 September. Meanwhile, in the 24-hour span, 1,868 more patients were hospitalised ...