BD News 24

Bangladesh has recorded four more deaths with measles symptoms in a 24-hour count. Of those, two were detected in Dhaka Division, while 135 new infections were confirmed, according to the Directorate General of Health Services. The new cases were recorded in the 24 hours to 8am Thursday. The official death toll from confirmed measles has reached 96, while 739 people have died with symptoms of the disease nationwide.

An estimated 9,800 people across Germany have died so far this year due to heat-related causes, said Germany's RKI health body in its weekly report on Thursday, as temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius are expected to hit several regions. The largest proportion of heat-related deaths occurs in the age group of 75 and older, RKI said. The mortality rate rises significantly during weeks with average temperatures over 20 degrees Celsius, according to the institute.

Sergio Gor, US President Donald Trump's special envoy for South and Central Asia, has arrived in Dhaka. The US Embassy in Dhaka released information and photos of his arrival in the capital on Thursday afternoon on Facebook. The post quoted US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen as saying: "I am delighted to welcome to Bangladesh my friend, the US special envoy to South and Central Asia, Ambassador Sergio Gor.

Kader Siddiqui has condemned the imprisonment of his elder brother Abdul Latif Siddiqui, a former Awami League Presidium member and freedom fighter. He called the case against him over the 2013 Shapla Chattar crackdown “unjust” and “purpose-driven”. Speaking outside the International Crimes Tribunal on Thursday, the Krishak Sramik Janata League president said he could not understand the basis of the allegations, arguing that Latif, then the jute minister, had no role in planning the operation.

Police say notorious Chattogram “criminal” David Emon had planned to flee to India on the advice of alleged fugitive gangster Boro Sajjad after fearing arrest in Bangladesh. Superintendent of Police Masud Alam on Thursday said detectives seek to interrogate Emon in custody for 10 days. Emon, also known as Mobarak Hossain Emon, is accused in at least 18 cases, including a high-profile double murder. He was arrested with three associates at Narail's Jhumjhum early on Wednesday.

Amazon and Walmart AI shopping assistants can often detect when "Made in USA" product labels are false, but the big retailers are not using that technology to crack down on the listings, according to a new study from a think tank led by a former chair of the US Federal Trade Commission, Lina Khan. The study resurfaces questions about AI shopping assistants' mixed incentives, as retailers see the technology as a way to boost spend.

England named Joe Root as Test captain and appointed former New Zealand batter Stephen Fleming as head coach on Thursday following the departures of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. Root, 35, England's all-time leading run scorer in Tests, captained the side in a record 64 matches between 2017 and 2022, winning 27 of them. He returns to the role after Stokes retired from international cricket in June and will lead England in the three-Test home series against Pakistan starting on Aug 19.

K-pop group BTS said on Wednesday they will not submit any music for consideration at the 69th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2027, citing dissatisfaction with the academy's new category for best Asian pop music performance. The decision marks the first time the South Korean group, one of the biggest names in K-pop, have opted out of the awards ceremony. Each member of the group shared the news in a post on Instagram. "We have decided not to enter the Grammys this year.

Irish musician Glen Hansard, who won a Best Original Song Oscar in 2008 for the indie film "Once" and was lead singer for rock group The Frames, died in a motorcycle crash at the age of 56 early on Wednesday, his management company said.

The opening ceremony of the Prime Minister's Gold Cup National Football Tournament has been postponed by a month and will now be held in September. Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon told a press conference in Chattogram on Thursday that matches would still go ahead as per the earlier schedule. He said the ceremony, originally set for Aug 9, was delayed due to recent flood recovery efforts in Chattogram and unfinished board exams in the region, with preparations also running behind.