MNA Tech Desk: Taking on professional collaboration tool Slack, Microsoft’s Teams is now available for free in 40 languages worldwide, reported news agency. Currently, more than 200,000 businesses across 181 markets globally use Teams-a hub for chatting, sharing documents, video and voice calling in Microsoft 365 — to collaborate and get work done. “Whether you’re a freelancer, a small business owner, or part of a team inside a large organisation, you can start using Teams today,” Ron Markezich, Corporate Vice President for Microsoft, said in a statement on Friday. The free version, that can be used in a organisation with ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: Actress Priyanka Chopra, reportedly dating American singer Nick Jonas, says her marital status will not affect her feminist opinions, and she would like to get married some day. The 35-year-old actress spoke about the things that bring her joy in life and love at a Saks x Vogue event at Wolffer Estate Vineyards in the Hamptons, reports news agency. “I love the idea of getting married. I totally want to get married at some point,” Priyanka said. “And I don’t think marriage makes you smaller or bigger or more feminist or not. Feminism basically is women saying ...

MNA Sports Desk: Bangladesh women cricket team confirmed their participation of ICC World Women’s T20 tournament crushing Scotland by 49-runs in the second semifinal of the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier at Amstelveen on Thursday. Chasing a 126-run winning target set by Bangladesh, Scotland found the chase stiff and they were eventually restricted at 76 for 7 in 20 overs. Earlier, Bangladesh women’s cricket team scored 125 for the loss of – wickets from their stipulated 20 overs. Brief score Bangladesh 125 for 6 in 20 overs, Nigar 31, Shamima 22, Ayasha 20, Sanjida 19, Fahima 15, Priyanaz 2/17. Scotland ...

MNA Education Desk: A 2-day DIU NFE Career Expo 2018 ended at the permanent campus of Daffodil International University (DIU) on July 13, 2018 with remarkable achievement. Media personality and host of Hridoye Mati O Manush  Shykh Siraj was present as the chief guest at the closing and award giving ceremony of the program. The programme was presided over by Prof Dr Yousuf Mahabubul Islam, vice-chancellor of DIU.  Waresul Habib, chief operating officer, agricultural marketing company Pran-RFL Group, was present as the special guest. The function was also addressed among others by Prof Dr Ahmed Ismail Mostafa, dean, faculty of ...

MNA International Desk: In a high-stakes gamble to galvanise their beleaguered party ahead of a July 25 election, ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam returned to country, and were consequently arrested on Friday to face lengthy prison sentences. Uniformed men escorted the Sharifs, who were sentenced in absentia on corruption charges last week, from their airplane after it touched down in the central city of Lahore at around 8:45pm (1645 GMT), reported news agency. A spokesman for Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party confirmed they were arrested soon afterwards. Local Geo TV said Sharif and his ...

MNA International Desk: NATO leaders plan to turn their attentions to the conflict in Afghanistan, on the second day of a summit so far dominated by demands from President Donald Trump, reported news agency. Mr Trump on Wednesday urged NATO allies to commit 4% of their annual output (GDP) to military spending. He also singled out Germany for criticism over its defence spending. NATO leaders are hoping for a more conciliatory tone on Thursday before Mr Trump leaves for the UK. But in a late night tweet from Brussels, the US president reiterated his criticism. Billions of additional dollars are ...

MNA Sports Desk: Mario Mandzukic scored in the 109th minute as Croatia came from behind to beat England 2-1 after extra time on Wednesday and reach their first World Cup final, where they will face France on Sunday, and send the Balkan nation into raptures. England, appearing in their first semi-final since 1990, had looked on course for their first final since 1966 as they led through Kieran Trippier’s fifth-minute free kick and totally dominated the opening half. Croatia, in their first semi since 1998, levelled through Ivan Perisic after 68 minutes and then looked the more dangerous side. It ...

MNA National Desk: A Dhaka court on Wednesday issued arrest warrant against Bangaldesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia and her party’s standing committee member Goyeshwar Chandra Roy for making derogatory remarks about the number of martyrs in war of liberation and martyred intellectuals, reported news agency. Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Abu Sayeed issued the warrant allowing a plea of plaintiff AB Siddiqui. The court also set 7 August for submitting report on execution of the order. According to the case documents, Khaleda at a rally of Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal on 21 December 2015, had made the objectionable remarks. Her party ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: Bollywood actor Sonali Bendre said she has been diagnosed with “high-grade cancer”. The 43-year-old actor said on Twitter she is undergoing treatment in New York. “We remain optimistic and I am determined to fight every step of the way,” said Bendre, who starred in several hit Bollywood films in the 90’s. Bendre is married to film-maker Goldie Behl and has a son. She was a celebrity judge on a reality TV show until a week ago. Ever since the actress posted the news about her health on Twitter and Instagram, prayers and wishes have been pouring in ...

MNA Feature Desk: World Population Day is being celebrated worldwide including Bangladesh on Wednesday to spread awareness and discuss issues related to population growth. In 1989, the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme recommended that July 11 be observed by the international community as World Population Day, a day to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues. The theme of the day 2018 is ‘Family planning is a human right’, marking the 50th anniversary of the 1968 International Conference on Human Rights, where family planning was, for the first time, globally affirmed to be a ...

MNA International Desk: All 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped for more than two weeks deep inside a flood Thai cave have been rescued, a Thai navy SEAL unit said on Tuesday, a successful end to a perilous mission that has gripped the world. “The 12 Wild Boars and coach have emerged from the cave and they are safe,” the Thai navy SEAL unit said on its official Facebook page. The “Wild Boars” soccer team and their coach got trapped on 23 June while exploring the cave complex in the northern province of Chiang Rai after soccer practice and ...

MNA National Desk: Amid growing pressure on Myanmar to create conditions for the safe return of Rohingyas, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali will soon visit Myanmar to see in person the conditions in Rakhine State, reported news agency. Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque on Tuesday shared Minister Ali’s plan to visit Myanmar to see whether any visible progress is there in Rakhine. Haque spoke to journalists after inaugurating a workshop on maritime counter-terrorism in Dhaka. The decision follows a recent meeting between the foreign minister and Myanmar’s Union Minister for the State Counsellor’s Office Kyaw Tint Swe with Chinese Foreign ...

MNA Feature Desk: Born on July 10, 1885 Dr Muhammad Shahidullah passed his Entrance examination in 1904 from Howrah Zila School. In 1906 he passed the FA examination from Presidency College, Calcutta (now Kolkata). He received the Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in Sanskrit in 1910 from City College, Calcutta, and Master of Arts in 1912 in Comparative Philology from the same institution. Shahidullah’s teaching career started in Jessore District School where he taught between 1908 and 1909. He also worked as the headmaster of Sitakunda High School, Chittagong between 1914 and 1915. He practised law for some time ...

MNA Tech Desk: Samsung opened the world’s largest smartphone factory in India on Monday, a move Prime Minister Narendra Modi said would help transform Asia’s third-largest economy into a global manufacturing hub, reported news agency. Modi and South Korean President Moon Jae-in inaugurated the giant assembling plant — an expansion of an existing Samsung facility — in the city of Noida on the outskirts of New Delhi. “The Noida plant has now become Samsung’s largest smartphone manufacturing unit,” Moon said, as the company announced that it planned to eventually manufacture 120 million smartphones a year at the factory. The decision ...

MNA Education Desk: Dhaka University has decided to restrict outsiders from moving around the campus. Without the permission of the DU proctor or authorities, no outsider will be allowed to roam around the campus or carry out activities there, says a press statement of the university issued on Monday. According to the statement, DU’s Provost Committee took the decision in a meeting held on 5 July in the backdrop of ‘unwanted incidents centering the quota reform demonstrations’. A seven-member committee led by DU pro-vice-chancellor professor Muhammad Samad was also formed in the meeting over the ‘unwanted incidents of the quota ...

MNA International Desk: At least 100 people are thought to have died after record rainfall caused flooding and landslides in western Japan, a government spokesman says. More than 50 others are believed to be missing, news agency reported. Since Thursday, parts of western Japan have received three times the usual rainfall for the whole of July. Two million people have been ordered to evacuate as rivers burst their banks. Rescuers restarted their search through the mud for any survivors or the bodies of those killed on Monday morning. Most of the deaths have occurred in Hiroshima prefecture. Prime Minister Shinzo ...

MNA Exclusive Desk: A court in Myanmar on Monday charged two jailed Reuters journalists with obtaining secret state documents, moving the landmark press freedom case into its trial stage after six months of preliminary hearings. Yangon district judge Ye Lwin charged reporters Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, with breaching of the colonial-era Official Secret Act which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison. The journalists pleaded “not guilty” to the charges. The case has attracted global attention. Some Western diplomats and rights groups say it is a test of progress towards full democracy under the ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: Trouble-prone pop star Justin Bieber will be a married man after popping the question to model Hailey Baldwin whom he has dated for one month, reports said on Sunday. The 24-year-old Canadian heartthrob, who has become better known for his off-stage antics, proposed to the 21-year-old over dinner Saturday night at a restaurant in The Bahamas, the celebrity news site TMZ said. The site quoted witnesses at the restaurant, who said that Bieber’s security team asked them all to put their phones away for the proposal. A representative for Bieber did not comment but relatives of the ...

MNA National Desk: The owners of private clinics and diagnostic centres in Chittagong announced an indefinite closure of their organisations following an inspection by law enforcers in three hospitals including Max Hospital, reported news agency. A team of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) conducted a drive at Max Hospital today after the committee formed to investigate the cause of death of Rafida Khan Raifa in the privately-run hospital found negligence in treatment as the primary reason. After conducting the raid, Sarowar Alam, Rab’s executive magistrate, said Max Hospital has ben fined with Tk 10 lakh over different irregularities during today’s raid. ...

MNA National Desk: The first meeting of the seven-member committee formed to review the existing quota system in public service was held at the secretariat here on Sunday. Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam presided over the meeting with the presence of all members, Public Administration Ministry’s Joint Secretary Abul Kashem Md Mohiuddin, spokesperson of the committee, told reporters after the meeting, reported news agency. In April, students of public and private universities across the country waged a strong movement demanding reform in the quota system. In the face of the movement, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced in parliament on April ...

MNA Sports Desk: Croatia beat hosts Russia 4-3 on penalties after the teams were level at 2-2 following extra time in their World Cup quarter-final on Saturday and will meet England in the semi-finals, reported news agency. Croatia defender Domagoj Vida put them 2-1 ahead from a Luka Modric corner in the first period of extra time but Russia’s Mario Fernandes headed an equalizer with five minutes remaining, much to the delight of the partisan crowd at the Fisht Stadium. Denis Cheryshev’s swerving left-footer from the edge of the box had opened the scoring for Russia in the 31st minute ...

MNA Business Desk: The 17th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited was held on Sunday at RAOWA Convention Centre in Dhaka, said a press release. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank Mr. Akkas Uddin Mollah presided over the meeting. The meeting approved 10 per cent stock dividend for the shareholders for the year of 2017 and the Directors Reported and audited Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss Account for the year ended on 31 December 2017. Chairman of the Bank Mr. Akkas Uddin Mollah, Managing Director Mr. Farman R Chowdhury and the shareholders ...

MNA National Desk: President M Abdul Hamid on Saturday left Dhaka for London for health check-up and treatment of eyes. “A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited carrying the President took off from Hazrat Shahjalal (R) International Airport at 10:55 am,” said President’s Assistant Press Secretary (APS) Imranul Hasan. Abdul Hamid is scheduled to have his check-up at Moorfields Eye Hospital and Bupa Cromwell Hospital in London, reported news agency. “The President is expected to return home on July 15,” the APS added. Abdul Hamid has been suffering from Glaucoma since long. He used to have his health check-up ...

MNA Sports Desk: Belgium struck early and then held off a late Brazil fightback to send the five-times champions tumbling out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage with a 2-1 victory in an end-to-end thriller on Friday. A Fernandinho own goal and brilliant Kevin De Bruyne strike, after Thiago Silva had hit the post for Brazil, earned Belgium a date with neighbours France in St Petersburg on Tuesday, their second trip to the last four at a World Cup after 1986. Brazil will depart at the last eight stage for the third time in the last four World ...

MNA Exclusive Desk: Rohingya community leaders have rejected an agreement between the United Nations and government of Myanmar for the return of refugees who fled violence in Rakhine state. Having seen a leaked text, the leaders say it does not address their concerns and will not help in the repatriation of the refugees. “The agreement is on the issue of return of the Rohingya to their homes. Strangely, they did not bother to consult the Rohingya community before going for the deal. In the agreement there is no commitment from the Burmese government to fulfill our key demands as a ...

MNA Tech Desk: India has told WhatsApp to take “immediate action” after a spate of horrific lynchings sparked by false rumours being shared on the hugely popular smartphone messaging service, reported news agency. More than 25 people have been killed in India in recent months after rumours were spread on smartphones about child kidnappers, thieves and sexual predators. The attacks-usually targeting outsiders-have left authorities scrambling to mount an effective response, with awareness campaigns and public alerts having limited effect. A stern statement issued by the electronics and IT ministry late on Tuesday expressed the government’s “deep disapproval” to the senior ...

MNA Education Desk: Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) is going to celebrate its 57 years of glorious journey on university campus on July 19. Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) and BAU Alumni Association are organising this. President Md Abdul Hamid is supposed to be present at the programme as chief guest, says Prof Dr Mohammad Al-Mamun at BAU Journalists’ Office on Friday afternoon. After that a technology fair will be held at the university helipad where the achievement of six faculties of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) & Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) will be displayed. For the ...