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MNA Tech Desk: Facebook said it is offering a series of new formats for its online video platform including interactive game shows, quizzes and polls, reported news agency. The new formats will be available to those creating video content on the social network, which is searching for a niche to compete against rivals ranging from Netflix to Google-owned YouTube. One of the features from Facebook will allow interactivity, which could be used for live game shows or challenges which offer cash prizes. “We believe that watching video doesn’t have to be passive, and that many types of traditional entertainment formats ...

MNA Life Style Desk: With all the sweat and grime in the air, it seems impossible to pull off healthy hair and skin in the summer season and here are some simple tips for making your skin summer tolerable. Prepare your skin The most crucial step to getting any look right, is prepping your skin. You can begin with the quintessential need for hydration, it’s very important to drink lots of water to keep your skin healthy and glowing from the inside. Exfoliate, circulate and radiate Exfoliating your skin in the summer not only removes dead skin, but also improves ...

MNA Education Desk: The government has named Anisuzzaman, Rafiqul Islam and Jamilur Reza Choudhury as National Professor, reported news agency. The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education issued an order on their appointment as national professors on Tuesday. Anisuzzaman, professor emeritus of Dhaka University’s Bangla department, taught at Chittagong University. He is known for playing an active role in the movements against fundamentalism and fanaticism. University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh Professor Emeritus Rafiqul Islam is an adviser to Bangla Adhyan Kendra. Jamilur, who also taught civil engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), was the founding vice-chancellor of ...

MNA Tech Desk: Google will invest $550 million in Chinese e-commerce powerhouse JD.com, part of the US internet giant’s efforts to expand its presence in fast-growing Asian markets and battle rivals including Amazon.com. The two companies described the investment announced on Monday as one piece of a broader partnership that will include the promotion of JD.com products on Google’s shopping service. This could help JD.com expand beyond its base in China and Southeast Asia and establish a meaningful presence in US and European markets. Company officials said the agreement initially would not involve any major new Google initiatives in China, ...

MNA Feature Desk: World Refugee Day is being observed in the country along with elsewhere across the globe on Wednesday, reported news agency. June 20 is the day when the world commemorates the strength, courage and perseverance of millions of refugees. According to UNHCR, one in every 113 people has been forced to flee their homes because of war or persecution in the world. In September 2016, global leaders agreed to work towards a Global Compact for refugees and in 2018 where all parts of society stand together #WithRefugees and do their fair share instead of leaving individual states to ...

MNA Life Style Desk: As responsible citizens, everyone should do their bit and contribute to Eco-friendly lifestyle in their own small way. Did you know, something as small as the oil you use and even your beauty routine can be eco-friendly as well? Gautam Dhar, CEO and executive director at Divine Organics and Abhinandan Dhoke, CEO, Organic India list down some quick tips that you can follow in your daily routine that will go a long way for the environment: * Choose brands that are vegan, organic, not tested on animals and not laden with chemicals, enhance the overall quality ...

MNA Feature Desk: An special day for a special person –  Father’s day is just like that as it is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. This Sunday, families across the world will mark the special bond between fathers and their children. For many, this is often done through the giving of gifts and cards. Others prefer to enjoy a meal and quality time. The date when Father’s Day is celebrated varies from country to country. It is celebrated in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States on the ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: Actress Karishma Tanna, who is gearing up for the release of her second Hindi film “Sanju”, says her co-star Ranbir Kapoor is amazing to work with and is a complete brat. Asked how would she describe Ranbir, Karishma told news agency here: “He is amazing, a thorough professional and a brat. He’s a lot of fun on the set. He has very good humour, talks well and a lovely guy to work with.” “Sanju” is directed by Rajkumar Hirani and also stars Sonam Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal and Anushka Sharma. The film is slated to release on 29 ...

MNA Tech Desk: Apple is closing a security gap that allowed outsiders to pry personal information from locked iPhones without a password, a change that will thwart law enforcement agencies that have been exploiting the vulnerability to collect evidence in criminal investigations. The loophole will be shut down in a forthcoming update to Apple’s iOS software, which powers iPhones, reported news agency. Once fixed, iPhones will no longer be vulnerable to intrusion via the Lightning port used both to transfer data and to charge iPhones. The port will still function after the update, but will shut off data an hour ...

MNA Education Desk: British queen will honour Ayman Sadiq and Zaiba Tahyya with a ‘Queen’s Young Leaders Award’ at a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace, London on 26 June, reported news agency. The awards recognise the work that young people from across the Commonwealth countries are doing to transform lives in their community and beyond. Ayman Sadiq, 25, from Dhaka, will receive a Queen’s Young Leaders Award for the work he is doing to improve access to education for young people throughout Bangladesh. Zaiba Tahyya, 27, from Dhaka, will receive a Queen’s Young Leaders Award for the work she is ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: Singer Ariana Grande and comedian Pete Davidson reportedly got engaged after several weeks of dating, reported news agency. “It’s a recent engagement. They’re just two people who found love quickly and make each other happy all the time. They both started talking about it this past weekend. It’s nothing they’ve been hiding,” a source close to the couple told media. Grande tweeted an emoji-filled message moments after the news went public on Monday. “I love you,” she wrote, flanked by laughing monkey faces. She continued by writing “sm” (presumably “so much”) before adding more monkey faces and ...

MNA Tech Desk: Many people are switching from Facebook to closed forums like WhatsApp to discuss daily news because of worries about privacy, fake stories and toxic debates, a survey said on Thursday. The latest Digital News Report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that news consumption via Facebook is falling, particularly among the young, who prefer WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat. Facebook remains the most popular social network for news, with 36 per cent using it in the last week. But it has lost ground to other apps, especially WhatsApp, which has tripled in popularity as ...

MNA Feature Desk: Millions of people are all set to leave the busy city Dhaka for their roots to enjoy the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr. Not only from Dhaka but also from other districts people will rush to their homes to celebrate the largest festival of the Muslims with their near and dear ones. Throughout the year, many of us wait for this auspicious occasion to unite with our relatives. This is the greatest joy of our hectic lives. But every year, some of us do not come back to their regular lives as they have to sacrifice their lives on the ...

MNA Education Desk: Exceptional students in mathematics and physics can compete for research fellowships in honour of the late British physicist Stephen Hawking, who died in March, the government announced on Monday. Up to 10 fellowship will be awarded each year for the next five years to candidates completing doctoral studies in maths, physics and computer sciences, according to the department for business, energy and industrial Strategy. The 50 recipients will receive financial support allowing them to continue their work in any British institution for up to three years, it said. The creation of the “Stephen Hawking Fellowships” follow discussions ...

MNA Life Style Desk: Observing the end of the holy month of Ramadan, we celebrate Eid, a glorious occasion that is followed by rejoicing, giving of alms and a feast of various and delicious foods. Here are a few tips for a happy and healthy Eid: Before your Fajr prayers, make sure to eat something, like a few dates. After prayers, it is recommended to have something light such as milk or laban, preferably low fat or zero fat. A moderately light breakfast can follow. For example you can have whole grain breakfast cereals with low fat milk and a ...

MNA Education Desk: A total of 1,314 candidates have been recommended for different cadres of civil service in the 37th Bangladesh Civil Service examinations, according to officials. Public Service Commission (PSC), the body that hires civil servants, published the final results on Tuesday after a special meeting at its office in the capital. Though in 37th BCS circular the number of cadres was mentioned as 1,226, the commission finally recommended 1,314 candidates for different cadres. Of them, 465 cadidates are enlisted as general cadres, 272 as assistant surgeons, 51 as dental surgeons, 316 for other categories and 210 for education ...

MNA Feature Desk: Muslims across the country will observe holy Lailatul Qadr tonight with due religious fervour and solemnity. The holy Quran was revealed to Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) on this night to show mankind the path of worldly and eternal emancipation. Laylatul Qadr (the Night of Power) is designated in the Quran as, “better than a thousand months” (97:3) and it is very important to know the things you can do on this night in Ramadan. Any deed done on this night such as reciting the Quran, remembering Allah, etc. is better than acting for one thousand months which ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: A Dhaka court on Monday granted singer Asif Akbar bail in a case filed under Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Keshob Roy Chowdhury granted him bail on a bond of Tk 10,000. Earlier on Sunday, Asif’s lawyer Adv Kazi Nazibullah Hiru filed the petition with Dhaka CMM court. The court on June 6, rejected both remand and bail petitions of the singer and sent him to jail. A team of Criminal Investigation Department arrested Asif from his Tejgaon studio at about 1:30am on June 6 in a case under the ICT Act. ...

MNA Education Desk: Daffodil International University Air Rover Scout Group organized Scouts’ Own and 6th National COMDECA Camp Certificate Distribution Ceremony followed by Iftar Mahfil on 07 June, 2018 at Banquet Hall of the university. Baden Powel Fellow and Vice-Chancellor of BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology, Professor Dr. Nizam Uddin Ahmed, was present as the chief guest at the program while Flight Lt. M. Shah Alam, Region Secretary and Professor Dr. Farhana Helal Mehtab, Associate Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences were present as special guests. Professor Dr. Yousuf Mahabubul Islam, Vice Chancellor of Daffodil International University and ...

MNA Feature Desk: Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam and holds huge importance for the Muslims during Ramadan. One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to Allah, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. Therefore, our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need. Zakat – also known as zakah – is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, and serves principally as the welfare contribution to poor and deprived individuals. This mandatory payment is obligatory for every sane and mature Muslim whenever ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: Anjan Dutt will appear on TV for his fans in this Eid. A special celebrity talk show designed for him will be aired on the third day of Eid at 5.15pm on BanglaVision. The show is titled after Anjan Dutt’s hugely successful song “Bela Bos Tumi Parcho Ki Shunte”. Anjan will talk about his songs, cinema and many unrevealed facets of his life in the show. The show will be hosted by singer Mithila and has been produced by Sajjad. About the show Anjan has said that he liked the arrangement made by Bangla Vision particularly for ...

MNA Science & Tech Desk: Google will not allow its artificial intelligence software to be used in weapons or unreasonable surveillance efforts, the Alphabet Inc unit said Thursday in standards for its business decisions in the nascent field, reported news agency. The new restrictions could help Google management defuse months of protest by thousands of employees against the company’s work with the U.S. military to identify objects in drone video. Google will pursue other government contracts including around cybersecurity, military recruitment and search and rescue, chief executive Sundar Pichai said in a blog post Thursday. “We want to be clear ...

MNA Feature Desk: On this day in 1870, great Victorian novelist and social campaigner Charles Dickens died. A celebrity even in his day, the nation mourned at news of his death and he was buried amid great ceremony in Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey. Today marks not only the 148th anniversary of Dickens’s death, but also the 153th anniversary of the tragic Staplehurst rail crash in which Dickens was involved. Charles Dickens is one the most read English authors of all times. He is famously known for his works- A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, Hard Times, Davis Copperfield ...

MNA Education Desk: A remarkable program was arranged for street children in Aftabnagar area on the occasion of the inauguration of online knowledge based association, ‘Olympiad Bangladesh’. The aim of the association is to open the window of knowledge for the children in cooperation with different sections of the society. It aims to organize knowledge and skills based activities for the school, college and university students. This event has many interactive sessions for the children focusing on general knowledge, puzzles, and general math. Olympiad Bangladesh will undertake more of this kind of mini-Olympiad for the street children in different parts ...

MNA Feature Desk: As it is for the first and second ten days of Ramadan, there is unbound specific significance of the last 10 days of Ramadan. The Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) said, “If any Muslim comes out of Ramadan without gaining forgiveness and goodness, he is a real loser.” (Ibn Hibban and At-Tabarani) The last ten days of Ramadan are very special days in the life of every Muslim. According to Muslims, they are the most blessed days in the blessed month of Ramadan, the month the Holy Quran was revealed. Muslims believe that although the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) was ...

MNA Feature Desk: Political and economic deprivation of the Bengalis prompted Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to put forward in 1966 his historic six points, the “Magna Carta” which in effect structured the foundation for East Pakistan`s future independence. Following the partition of India, the new state of Pakistan came into being. The inhabitants of East Pakistan (later Bangladesh) made up the majority of its population, and exports from East Pakistan (such as jute) were a majority of Pakistan’s export income. However, East Pakistanis did not feel they had a proportional share of political power and economic benefits within Pakistan. East ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: The film ‘Komola Rocket’ produced by Impress Telefilm, will be released on the occasion of upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr, reported news agency. The two minutes 24-second long official trailer of the movie also has been released on Youtube channel titled Channel-i TV. Audience can see the popular actors Tauquir Ahmed and Mosharraf Karim’s acting together for the second time on screen. Komola Rocket, movie of comedy genre, has been directed by Noor Imran Mithu based on Bangla Academy Award winner and expatriate writer Shahaduzzaman’s stories ‘Moulik’ and ‘Saipras’. Tauquir Ahmed and Lux-Channel I Super Star contestant Samiya will play ...