MNA Feature Desk: The 93rd birth anniversary of Tajuddin Ahmed, the first Prime Minister of Bangladesh wartime provisional government during the Liberation War in 1971, is being observed today. Liberation War Museum is organising a week-long programme titled ‘Tajuddin Ahmed: Works and Life’ marking the anniversary. The programmes include discussions, exhibition and recitation of the letters of Tajuddin. Tajuddin Smriti Parishad will organise a discussion and milad mahfil at Tajuddin’s village at Kapashia in Gazipur marking the day. Tajuddin was a close associate of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Tajuddin was born at Kapashia in Gazipur on ...

MNA Tech Desk: Photo-messaging app Snapchat is reportedly terminating its digital peer-to-peer payment service “Snapcash” on 30 August, ending its four-year long partnership with US-based mobile payment company “Square”. “Yes, we’re discontinuing the ‘Snapcash’ feature as of 30 August 2018. ‘Snapcash’ was our first product created in partnership with another company – ‘Square’. We’re thankful for all the Snapchatters who used Snapcash for the last four years and for Square’s partnership,” TechCrunch quoted a Snapchat spokesperson as saying late on Sunday. “Snapcash” used the regular number, expiration date and card verification value (CVV) of a debit card, allowing Snapchatters to ...

MNA Sports Desk: Bangladesh banished the blues of the Test series to outclass hosts West Indies by 48 runs in the first ODI on Sunday, reported news agency. Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan made 207 runs in the second wicket to lead Bangladesh to 279 for 4 and then skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza bagged four wickets to flatten the Caribbean who could only manage 231 for 9.  The 280-run target did not look too difficult for a team that boasted the likes of Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis and Andre Russell, but the Bangladesh bowlers were right on their job ...

MNA Life Style Desk: Successful people have to go through lots of struggles, uncertainty and pains. Struggle is different for everyone but psychologists say some characteristics are very common in all successful people. Here are some characteristics of successful people. Self-Control: Self-control is also needed for success. In your journey to success, you have to give-up many bad habits. Without self-control, it is highly unlikely that you will reach your goal. If you read successful people, you will find that they rarely lose control. Big Dreams: If you go through biographies of successful people, you will hardly find anyone who ...

MNA Education Desk: A 3-day ‘Mr. Mango Candy-DIU Marketing Fest-2018’ began at 71 Milonayoton of Daffodil International University (DIU) on 22 July 2018. The Department of Business Administration and the DIU Marketing Club jointly organized the program. Syed Alamgir, managing director of ACI Limited, inaugurated the fest as chief guest, while Aman Ashraf Fayez, CEO of GTV, Shariful Islam, managing director of Bangladesh Brand Forum and John Kabir, popular actor and rock singer were present as special guests. 3-day Marketing Festival includes: advertise making competition, brand building competition, marketing case competition, business quiz, digital marketing game, marketing debate etc. The ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: Taylor Swift has been cast in a big screen version of the stage musical “Cats,” in what will be the pop singer’s biggest movie role so far, entertainment publications Variety and the Hollywood Reporter said. The 28-year-old “Look What You Made Me Do” singer will join Oscar-winning singer and actress Jennifer Hudson, talk show host James Corden and veteran British actor Ian McKellen in the movie, the publications said. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats,” based on a book of poems by T.S. Eliot, was first staged in London in 1981 and has been produced around the world. ...

MNA International Desk: Israel’s parliament has passed into law a controversial bill that defines the country as an exclusively Jewish state. The “Jewish nation state” bill downgrades Arabic as an official language and says advancing Jewish settlement is a national interest. It also states that the “whole and united” Jerusalem is its capital. Israeli Arab MPs condemned the legislation, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised it as a “defining moment”. The bill, backed by the country’s right-wing government, says that “Israel is the historic homeland of the Jewish people and they have an exclusive right to national self-determination in it”. ...

MNA Business Desk: South Korea cut its economic growth to 2.9 per cent forecast from 3.0 per cent for the current year, citing a feeble labour market recovery and global trade tensions. In its bi-annual economic policy report, the nation’s finance ministry projected growth of 2.9 per cent, in line with the Bank of Korea’s projections and down from a 3.0 per cent estimate in December. The South Korean policymakers are trying to drive a sustained return to growth rates that match the country’s potential after a 3.1 per cent expansion last year, the fastest in three years. The government ...

MNA Sports Desk: Former South African international player Neil McKenzie appointed as batting consultant for Bangladesh cricket team until next year’s World Cup, according to cricbuzz. Earlier, McKenzie was scheduled to join the team on July 7 but according to the BCB chief executive, he will now team up with the squad in the West Indies on July 22. Neil McKenzie, the former South African right handed opening batsman has represented South Africa in 124 matches, will take over his charge from former Sri Lankan batsman Thilan Samaraweera. The 42-year old McKenzie, who had previously served as the batting coach ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: After months of rumours, it is now looking ever likely that Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan will be paired opposite superstar Shah Rukh Khan for a biopic titled- Salute. The biopic will be made on an astronaut named Rakesh Sharma. Several Indian newsportals published reports on Thursday (July 19) that Kareena has been finalized to play Sharma’s wife Madhu and will soon be signing for the project. As well as remuneration and dates, other things need to be worked out before an official announcement is made. This will be the first time after ‘Ra.One’ (2011), SRK and ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday laid emphasis on increasing the use of jute-made products giving up plastic-made ones, reported news agency. “Plastic has become a huge problem for the world; plastics cause pollution. Sometimes we saw it blocks the drainage system and also canals. Wherever there is plastic, you’ll find problem there,” she said. The Prime Minister was speaking at the function of World Environment Day, Tree Fair and Campaign for Tree Plantation at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC). She said when Awami League came to power in 1996, it took steps to ban the use ...

MNA International Desk: US president Donald Trump on Tuesday moved to limit the damage from his summit with Vladimir Putin, claiming he misspoke in appearing to accept the Russian leader’s denial of election meddling-in a rebuke to US intelligence chiefs. At their meeting in Helsinki on Monday, Trump failed to challenge Putin over the 2016 presidential election, seeming to accept at face value the strongman’s denial that Moscow interfered in a bid to undermine Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. But faced with outrage at home, with even some of his political allies demanding that he reverse course, Trump-in an extraordinary postscript ...

MNA Business Desk: Gold weighing almost 1000 kilograms kept in Bangladesh Bank’s vault has been adulterated, reveals an investigation by the customs intelligence. The 22-carat gold has turned into 18-carat gold as other metals were mixed with it after the central bank received gold discs and rings over a period of time, investigators believe. The customs intelligence and investigation directorate of the National Board of Revenue dug out serious discrepancies in gold management, as the investigators examined 963 kg of gold out of huge quantity kept at the central bank’s vault, on the basis of random sampling. This is another ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: Bollywood actor Vidya Balan has confirmed that she will be playing a significant role in the upcoming film NTR, which is based on the life of legendary actor and politician N T Rama Rao. Last month, speculations were rife that she has been approached by filmmakers to play the role of NTR’s wife Basavatarakam. In a recent interview, Vidya confirmed that she is indeed part of the biopic, which will mark her debut in Telugu. “People knew of her but they didn’t know her and that is interesting for me as an actor,” the Dirty Picture actor ...

MNA Tech Desk: Twitter suspended at least 58 million user accounts in the final three months of 2017, according to data obtained by The Associated Press. The figure highlights the company’s newly aggressive stance against malicious or suspicious accounts in the wake of Russian disinformation efforts during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign. Last week, Twitter confirmed a Washington Post report that it had suspended 70 million accounts in May and June. The cavalcade of suspensions has raised questions as to whether the crackdown could affect Twitter’s user growth and whether the company should have warned investors earlier. The company has ...

MNA Sports Desk: The World Cup-winning French team returned home to a heroes’ welcome on Monday, parading down the Champs-Elysees as hundreds of thousands of cheering fans gave a raucous welcome to the country’s newest idols, reported news agency. After overcoming a determined Croatia to win 4-2 in Sunday’s final in Russia, the team came back to euphoric crowds in Paris hoping to catch a glimpse of the players that have captured the country’s imagination. They did not disappoint, passing the golden World Cup trophy from player to player as they jumped and danced on an open-air bus with “World ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Education is said to be the backbone of a country. Hence, it is very important that the citizens are provided with proper education facility. Proper education will build the competency, excellence and potential of a person and that will turn him as an asset for the country rather than a burden. Education is also fundamental to the development and growth of a nation. A country needs to take steps to flourish the potential of human mind and to capitalise the potential of its citizens fully, and there is no effective way for doing so than education. Bangladesh ...

MNA Education Desk: The online application process for admission into first year honours programmes in Dhaka University (DU) under 2018-2019 academic session will begin on July 31. The online application process will begin from 5:30pm on the day and will continue till 12:00am on August 26, according to a University press release on Monday evening. The decision was made at a meeting of DU’s committee on admissions into first year honours programmes held at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Buildingon on Monday, the release read. DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman chaired the meeting, while Pro-vice Chancellor (education) Prof ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: Rapper Cardi B on Monday topped nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards, where Jay-Z and Beyonce’s ornate work shot at the Louvre and the politically charged “This is America” also enjoyed recognition. Cardi B, who in little more than a year has become one of the most prominent women in the male-dominated world of hip-hop, received 10 nominations for the awards show that will take place on 20 August in New York, reported news agency. The Bronx native born as Belcalis Almanzar was in the running in both hip-hop and Latin categories as well as Artist ...

MNA Sports Desk: France won the World Cup for the second time by ending battling Croatia’s dream of a first title with a 4-2 victory on Sunday in one of the most entertaining and action-packed finals for decades. France led 2-1 at halftime after a Mario Mandzukic own goal and an Antoine Griezmann VAR penalty, with Ivan Perisic briefly bringing first-time finalists Croatia level. Quickfire strikes by Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe midway through the second half put France on course for the title but Mandzukic was gifted a goal by French keeper Hugo Lloris to set up a nervous ...

MNA Tech Desk: Apple launched a new collaboration between its 10 Apple Developer Academies in Brazil and Malala Fund to advance girls’ education opportunities, reported news agency. As part of its new expansion into Latin America, Malala Fund, which works to provide safe, quality secondary education and opportunities for girls, has also offered grants to local advocates in Brazil. The advocates join Malala Fund’s network of Gulmakai champions and will implement projects across the country designed to empower girls, teachers and policymakers through skills development, school enrollment efforts and education advocacy. The challenge will harness the creativity and ingenuity of ...

MNA National Desk: Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday visited Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in the capital and paid tributes to the great leader and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, reported news agency. After placing floral wreaths on portrait of Bangabandhu, he also signed visitors’ book there. He wrote, “I was very touched to visit the home of late Bangabandhu Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh. I pay my homage to late Bangabandhu and his martyred family. He will be always remembered as a freedom fighter not only in Bangladesh but throughout the world.” ...

MNA Feature Desk: World Youth Skills Day is being celebrated globally, which is held on 15th July every year. This day is celebrated to amplify awareness on the importance of investing in youth skills development. In today’s world, the increment in youth unemployment is one of the most considerable problems and for the development and evolutive countries alike. At least 475 million new jobs are required to be fabricated over the next decade to absorb the 73 million youth currently unemployed and the 40 million new annual entrants to the labour market. The unofficial sector and traditional rural sector remains ...

MNA International Desk: Embattled Haiti Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant resigned on Saturday following deadly violence and looting sparked by a now-abandoned plan to raise fuel prices. “I submitted my resignation to the president of the republic,” who has “accepted my resignation,” Lafontant said in the lower house of Haiti’s legislature. Lafontant had faced a potential vote of no confidence had he not resigned — something he had previously insisted he would not do. Last week, the government in the impoverished Caribbean country announced plans for major fuel price hikes — 38 per cent for gasoline, 47 per cent for ...

MNA Business Desk: Chinese giant Kunming Iron and Steel Holding Company (KISC) is all set to invest US$ 2.3 billion in a steel manufacturing project in Mirersarai, reported news agency. A delegation of the KISC led by its chairman Zhao Yongping is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka tomorrow (Monday). The delegation will hold final negotiations with senior officials of the government and Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), people familiar with the development told the FE on Saturday. This will be the largest investment in manufacturing sector in the country. KISC will make the investment through its subsidiary company Chinese Yunnan ...

MNA Life Style Desk: For thousands of years, people from all around the globe have been practicing meditation for its many life-improving benefits. In recent years, the practice has grown in popularity thanks to the many studies that support its numerous physical and mental health benefits. Better Sleep If you’ve ever spent a restless night tossing and turning, then you already know that your active mind can keep you awake for hours worrying and wondering about events of the day or what may happen tomorrow. A bit of meditation before bed can serve to completely clear your mind so that ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: Bollywood actress Sunny Leone’s upcoming web series ‘Karenjit Kaur: The Untold Story of Sunny Leone’ on Saturday faced its first trouble as a committee of the Indian Sikh community Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) objected to the use of “Kaur” in the title of the actor’s upcoming biopic. The Indian SGPC’s additional secretary and spokesperson Diljit Singh Bedi said that the usage would hurt Sikh sentiments as Sunny did not follow the teachings of the Sikh gurus. Hence, she had no right to use the title “Kaur”. “Kaur is a very respectable name given by Sikh gurus ...