India’s Ministry of Information Technology has updated rules for the use of generative artificial intelligence on social media platforms. The government is also holding social media platforms responsible if this synthetic content is published without the required markings. Certain categories of synthetic content are banned in the new rules, which were published on Tuesday as amendments to the country’s 2021 IT Rules. This makes it an important market for social media. The announcement of the new rules comes as New Delhi is preparing to host a major global AI summit next week.

About 8 lakh officials will be engaged in election duty in the 13th national parliamentary elections and referendum to be held on Thursday. According to the Election Commission (EC), there will be a total of 69 returning officers and 598 assistant returning officers will remain on duty in the polls. Voting will take place at 42,779 polling centres nationwide. Among the officials to be involved in the election, there will be 42,779 presiding officers, 2,47,482 assistant presiding officers and 4,94,964 polling officers. In total, 7,85,225 officials will be engaged in election duty.

Thakurgaon district unit Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Belal Uddin Pradhan, who was detained at Saidpur Airport "with around Tk50 lakh", fell ill and was admitted to a hospital on Tuesday afternoon. After he complained of illness, he was taken to Saidpur 100-bed Hospital in Nilphamari district by an ambulance at 1:47pm. Nazmul Huda, Resident Medical Officer of the hospital, said: “No sign of a heart attack was found in the Jamaat leader after conducting medical tests. Earlier in the day, police arrested Belal Uddin at Saidpur Airport in Nilphamari and recovered "Tk 50 lakh" from his possession. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair on Wednesday claimed the arrest of Thakurgaon district Jamaat Ameer Belal Uddin with a large amount of cash was a ‘stage-managed drama by law enforcers’.

A total of 2,028 candidates from 50 political parties and independent ones, are contesting in 299 seats in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad polls slated for Thursday. Of them, 83 are women candidates, said Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah. According to the EC, out of the total candidates, 1,755 are contesting from political parties and 273 are independent ones. Among the female candidates, 63 are from parties and 20 are independent. Among the male candidates, 1,692 are vying in the polls from parties and 253 are independent ones.

He said that 766,862 ballots were sent to destination countries for voters registered through the Postal Vote BD app. According to him, 573,722 expatriate voters deposited their ballots at post offices or post boxes in their respective countries. Overall, 1,096,284 voters have cast postal ballots so far, including expatriates, government officials on election duty and prisoners eligible to vote. So far, 561,013 have deposited their ballots at post offices or post boxes, and 438,095 ballots have been received by returning officers. According to the Postal Vote BD website, a total of 1,533,684 voters at home and abroad registered for postal voting in the two upcoming polls.

A total of 1,400 polling stations across 13 constituencies in Dhaka have been identified as high risk for the 13th National Parliamentary Election and the referendum. Dhaka Divisional Commissioner and Returning Officer Sharf Uddin Ahmed Choudhury disclosed the information during a briefing on overall election preparations on Wednesday. “All voting materials will be delivered to the polling stations through the presiding officers by this evening,” he added. The Election Commission has classified 1,400 polling stations in 13 Dhaka constituencies as high risk. He further noted that 90% of polling stations in Dhaka are under CCTV surveillance.

The attack occurred in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, a picturesque mountain valley town in the foothills of the Rockies. Police said an alert was issued about an active shooter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on Tuesday afternoon. Tumbler Ridge student Darian Quist told public broadcaster CBC that he was in his mechanics class when there was an announcement that the school was in lockdown. Trent Ernst, a local journalist and a former substitute teacher at Tumbler Ridge, told AFP that one of his children just graduated from the school. Tumbler Ridge, a quiet town with roughly 2,400 residents, is more than 1,100 kilometers north of Vancouver, British Columbia’s largest city.

Russia said Wednesday it would abide by limits on its nuclear weapons set out in a lapsed arms control treaty with the United States, so long as Washington did the same. “We proceed from the fact that this moratorium, which was announced by our president, remains in effect, but only while the United States does not exceed the outlined limits,” Lavrov said in an address to Russia’s parliament. Washington is pushing for China to be included in the talks, pointing to its growing nuclear arsenal. Moscow says if China is brought into a new deal, then so too should the United States’ nuclear allies, Britain and France. But it said it had remained committed to the quantitative limits set down.

The Election Commission (EC) has outlined specific authorities and procedures for lodging complaints in case of fake voting or other irregularities, aiming to ensure a free and fair election process. Assistant Returning Officer:Complaints—either written or oral—can be submitted to the concerned assistant returning officer. Returning Officer:The returning officer of the constituency can also receive complaints. Election Investigation and Judicial Committee:Complaints may be filed directly with the Election Investigation and Judicial Committee, which works in the field to address irregularities. In cases of grave offences, it submits a report to the Election Commission for a final decision.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin will address the nation on Wednesday evening ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election and Referendum scheduled for Thursday. The Election Commission (EC) said the speech was recorded on Tuesday evening and will be broadcast simultaneously on Bangladesh Television (BTV), Bangladesh Betar and all private television and radio channels across the country. Earlier, on December 11 last year, the CEC addressed the nation while announcing the election schedule. Wednesday’s speech will be his second address regarding the upcoming polls. In his address, the CEC is expected to brief the nation on overall preparations for the election and urge voters to go to polling stations without fear to exercise their franchise.

The Election Commission ( EC ) has strengthened digital surveillance to ensure security at polling centres during the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum by introducing a mobile application titled " Election Protection ". The letter states that during the election and referendum, any unwanted or emergency situation at a polling centre can be reported immediately through the app . The Election Commission said field-level officials have already received training on how to use the " Election Protection " app . Election commissioner’s remarksSpeaking about the initiative, an election commissioner said the EC is prioritising technology-driven solutions to improve polling centre security . “ Election security can no longer rely solely on manpower.

Police arrested Belal Uddin, Ameer of Thakurgaon district Jamaat-e-Islami, at Saidpur Airport in Nilphamari on Tuesday after he arrived from Dhaka by air, recovering approximately Tk50 lac in cash from his possession. Officials said the arrest was made during a special operation conducted on the basis of confidential information. Belal Uddin arrived on a Novoair flight, and law enforcers recovered the large sum of money after searching his bag. During preliminary interrogation, police said the total amount seized was estimated at around Tk50 lakh, which is currently being recounted. Officer-in-Charge of Saidpur Police Station Abdus Sattar confirmed the arrest and said a case is being processed in connection with the cash recovery.

This election is not only about political change, it is about whether Bangladesh will invest decisively in its future. Investments in children consistently deliver the highest returns through better health, stronger education outcomes, reduced inequality and sustained economic growth. Education demands honesty and urgencyToo many children leave school without the skills needed for work or civic life. Spending on health, education and child protection remains among the lowest globally. If the soul of a society is revealed by how it treats its children, then this election is Bangladesh’s moment of truth.

A shooting at a high school in the Canadian province of British Columbia left eight dead, including the suspect, authorities said on Tuesday. "As part of the initial response to the active shooting, police entered the school to locate the threat. Tumbler Ridge is a remote Canadian townTumbler Ridge is a remote municipality with a population of around 2,400 people. School shootings are rare in Canada. The shooting at Tumbler Ridge is the second-deadliest school shooting in Canadian history, according to Canadian national broadcaster CBC.

A total of 26,515 police personnel have been deployed across the capital to ensure maximum security during the national election and the referendum, said DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media) Muhammad Talebur Rahman on Wednesday. Specialised units including the Bomb Disposal Unit, SWAT, K-9 Unit and Crime Scene Unit will remain deployed in the field alongside security at polling centres, Talebur Rahman told reporters at his office on Minto Road. Dhaka Metropolitan Police has put in place maximum security measures, he said. Police have deployed striking forces, mobile teams and reserve forces in the city, he added. Talebur Rahman said police have stepped up checkposts and patrols in the capital to maintain law and order.