Jonathan Majors is out of Marvel Studios in a big career crisis for the on-the-rise actor. On December 18, a jury in Manhattan found Majors guilty of reckless assault in the third degree and guilty of harassment following a 2 week trial that stemmed from a March incident between the actor and his ex-partner, Grace Jabbari.

Before his arrest in March 2023, Majors was set to be the key figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the Disney-owned studio building its whole current story arc around Majors’ Kang the Conqueror. The time-traveling villain is a part of this year’s ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ as well as both seasons of Loki, and lead ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’, planned for May 1, 2026. The film is still in the script phase and yet to begin filming. No director is currently affiliated.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

In a big change from Vatican policy, Pope Francis officially permitted Roman Catholic priests bless same-sex couples on Monday. A document from the Vatican that was approved by the pope says that the blessings can happen as long as they are not part of normal Church rituals or liturgies and they are not done at the same time as a civil union.

The latest rule elaborates on the opening the pope made to blessing same-sex couples last October and marks a shift away from a 2021 rule from the Vatican doctrine office which banned any blessings saying God “cannot bless sin.”

But since July 2023, the doctrine department has been headed by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, an Argentinian prelate and ally of Francis, who has a different tone than that of his predecessors.

“When people ask for a blessing, an exhaustive moral analysis should not be placed as a precondition for giving it,” the declaration, authored by Cardinal Fernandez and another official, states. “The grace of God works in the lives of those who do not claim to be righteous but who acknowledge themselves humbly as sinners, like everyone else.”

The new ruling says it is allowing “the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex” although says it is leaving decisions to “the prudent and fatherly discernment of ordained ministers.”

Source: CNN

In a strange event, police in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, put a rat in a cage because they said the rodent drank alcohol that had been taken and kept at the Kotwali Police station. The police said that at least 60 bottles, or five dozen, were broken. They said that rats were to blame because they liked “sipping liquor.”

The “arrest” has added a strange twist to a case that was already going on. It has to do with someone from whom the cops confiscated the illegal alcohol. It is hard for the police to explain what happened to the court now that the proof has been destroyed. The cops will have to show proof and other materials in court, which is causing them a lot of difficulties.

The Kotwali Police have caught one rat so far by setting a trap, but the others are still free.

Source: https://twitter.com/pubity/status/1735645095502705025?t=mhH3a0kQDuy7PQHJGPAnJQ&s=19

India has stopped onion exports till March to meet domestic demand. This has adversely affected the country’s onion market. Daily necessities have to be bought at almost twice the price. Meanwhile, due to India’s decision, onion-carrying cargo trucks have been stuck in the land ports of the Bangladesh-India border. As a result, importers and exporters are also affected. These onions have already started rotting on the truck due to the lack of permit.

At least 100 cargo trucks are waiting at the Bangladesh-India border with the orders of the importers of Bangladesh who had ordered onion before the export ban. The amount of onion waiting is more than 3 thousand tons. As soon as the trucks with these onions arrived at the border, the central government suddenly decided to stop the export. As a result, the trucks got stuck at the border. These onions have already started rotting and smelling bad. The online edition of India’s influential newspaper The Telegraph reported this information.

Truckloads of onions have started to stink in parts of West Bengal on the Indo-Bangladesh border. On the other hand, its price is increasing in Bangladesh. These trucks are stuck in the land port due to the sudden decision of the central government of India to stop exports. Exporters and freighters are also facing losses. Due to India’s decision, the price of onion in Bangladesh has increased from Tk 80 to Tk 200.

Source: Daily Ittefaq

Today India confirmed a case of JN 1, a sub-variant of Covid-19 whose cases have risen in China and the United States. It has been detected in the state of Kerala.

The case was found in a RT-PCR positive sample from Karakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, in Kerala on December 8. The patient had mild symptoms of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and has since recovered from Covid-19, said Rajiv Bahl, Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the prime body of medical research. Chief of INSACOG N.K. Arora said JN.1 variant was isolated and reported in November and is a subvariant of BA 2.86 of Covid-19. He said JN.1 was first detected in September 2023 in the US.

According to Rajeev Jayadevan, the National Indian Medical Association Covid Task Force’s co-chairman, “after a seven-month gap, cases are rising in India. In Kerala, there are reports of people getting Covid-19.’

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/asia/india/news/covid-19-subvariant-jn-1-found-indias-kerala-3496031

Bangladeshis earn more on average than people in India & Pakistan. 20 years ago, people of both countries would earn much more than people of Bangladesh. After independence, Bangladesh was named a ‘basket case’. But by just 50 years of independence, Bangladesh crossed 2 of the largest powers in South Asia in GDP per capita.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Bangladesh has been ahead of India for 4 years in a row in terms of per capita GDP. The country has had a higher per capita GDP than Pakistan for 8 years in a row. Bangladesh’s per capita GDP is USD 2,621 while India has USD 2,612 and Pakistan has USD 1,471. Not just economic indicators, Bangladesh is also doing great in social aspects. Average life expectancy of Bangladeshis is 72.4 years. Life expectancy is 72 years in India and around 69 years in Pakistan.

Bangladesh is also advancing in basic education. Literacy rate in both Bangladesh and India are 77 percent while 59 percent in Pakistan.

Bangladesh is also doing great in maternal mortality, child mortality and birth rate.

Source: Prothom Alo

A gang was caught in Khulna selling dog meat disguised as beef and mutton. The meat they sold was used in different popular items like biryani, burgers, and grilled items in multiple local restaurants. Police arrested 5 members of this gang.

The arrests took place on Wednesday, December 13, in an abandoned building within the Khulna Polytechnic Institute (KPI) premises in the Khalishpur area of Khulna city. They were caught with the dog meat prepared for sale.

Among those arrested were the leader of the gang, a 16-year-old named Taj, son of Habibur Rahman from the North Zone-23 of Bangbasi Mor in Khalishpur, along with 37-year-old Abu Saeed, son of Qutb Ali from the No. 2 navigate area. Other members caught were Siam and Prem Sardar, both 16, from the Charer Hat area, and Abu Saeed, who participated in purchasing dog meat and selling biryani by the street. Two other accomplices are still at large.

The Officer-in-Charge at Khalishpur Police Station, Mohammad Anwar Hossain, mentioned that the operation was set off based on information regarding Abu Saeed, who had been selling biryani in the city for 30 taka only. The discovery of the dog meat selling operation was largely due to this intel.

Source: https://www.risingbd.com/bangladesh/news/533079

The Dragon Warrior has made his return. DreamWorks has shared the trailer for “Kung Fu Panda 4,” planned to release on March 8. The series follows a panda named Po (Jack Black), who, in the first film, is destined to become the prophesized Dragon Warrior, the only kung fu master with the ability to defeat Tai Lung.

The “Kung Fu Panda” series has been a hit at the box office over the years, bringing in $1.8 billion in total. The movies have also inspired three offshoot television series: “Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness,” “The Paws of Destiny” and “The Dragon Knight.”

Source: Variety

Ramadan, the holiest month for Muslims, will start in just three months. It will be about 90 days before Muslims observe their usual fast from dawn to dusk.

Most months on the Islamic calendar are 29 or 30 days long. Since the moon’s appearance determines when these months begin and end, the exact start date of Ramadan changes every year.

The Hijri calendar on the website of the Dubai Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) says that Ramadan will begin in the UAE on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. It’s expected to end on April 9, which means a 29-day fasting period. In this case, the Emirates will enjoy Eid-ul-Fitr on April 10, which is the holiday that marks the end of Ramadan.

In Bangladesh, Ramadan generally starts one day later than in countries in the Middle East. This year, it’s expected to begin on March 13 and finish on April 10 in Bangladesh. On April 11, Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated.

Source: https://www.jagonews24.com/m/international/news/907797

The 4G network use in Bangladesh has gradually increased over the last few years, crossing the 10-crore mark for the first time in October. According to information from Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), there were about 18.96 crore mobile subscribers as of October. Of them, 10.05 crore use 4G.

This means more than half the users, or 53 percent to be exact, are now using 4G SIMs, displaying a positive trend in the use of high-speed mobile internet. The telecom authority gave 4G licences to operators in February 2018, taking Bangladesh into the days of fourth-generation data services. The number of 4G subscribers crossed 5 million in June the same year. But despite these advancements, Bangladesh finds itself lagging behind neighbouring countries in the South Asian region, which have seen more rapid and widespread 4G network development.

In 2022, more than 72 percent of mobile users in India were using 4G while it was 57 percent in Pakistan and an average of 70 percent across the Asia Pacific region, according to GSMA’s The Mobile Economy Asia Pacific 2023.

Source: The Daily Star

Actor Andre Braugher, who was in the hit TV show “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, has died aged 61. Jennifer Allen, Braugher’s publicist, confirmed the story to Variety. As Captain Raymond Holt on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, Braugher was loved right away by fans because of how serious and stoic his character was, especially when he was paired with Andy Samberg’s hotshot Det. Jake Peralta.

He won the Emmy in 1998, and two Television Critics Association Awards in 1997 and 1998. When Braugher got into comedy and played Captain Raymond Holt for Brooklyn Nine-Nine, sharing the screen with Andy Samberg, his portrayal won him four more Emmy nominations for supporting actor. The series ended its 8 season long run in 2021.

Source: https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/andre-braugher-brooklyn-nine-nine-dead-obituary-1234926934/

Giorgio Chiellini announces his retirement from professional football. The defender had been playing at MLS team LAFC for the past 18 months, after joining them in 2022 from Juventus.

A statement on social media on Tuesday read: “You have been the most beautiful and intense journey of my life. You have been my everything. With you I have travelled a unique and unforgettable path. But now it is time to start new chapters, face new challenges and write further important and exciting pages of life.” Chiellini played in Juventus and had a great time in Turin. He played in 561 games, which put him third on the club’s all-time list of appearances, behind Gianluigi Buffon (685) and Alessandro Del Piero (705).

Chiellini was an important part of the Juventus team that won nine straight Serie A titles from 2011–12 to 2019–20. He also won a Serie B league title and five Coppa Italia titles. The Italian also came in second place twice in the Champions League with Juventus, losing to Barcelona in 2015 and Real Madrid in 2017.

Source: The Athletic

Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez were photographed attending a stand-up comedy show, with the proceeds of the event going towards humanitarian relief in Gaza. The event was hosted by comedian Ramy Youssef in Brooklyn, New York. Other celebrities were also photographed there including Cara Delevingne, Anya Taylor-Joy and Zoe Kravitz.

Youssef wrote in an Instagram post on November 15 that “all of the proceeds for the remainder of the ‘Ramy Youssef: more feelings’ standup tour will be donated to ANERA, providing humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.” A nonprofit organization called American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) helps refugees and weak communities in Palestine and Lebanon. The organization was created after the 1967 war to help Palestinian refugees by putting money into schools and training teachers.

Source: Middle East Eye

Fashion brand Zara said today it regretted the “misunderstanding” over an ad campaign where they depicted statues wrapped in white, triggering calls for a boycott by some pro-Palestinian activists, and removed the images.

People left tens of thousands of complaints about the campaign on Zara’s Instagram handle, asserting that the images resembled photos of bodies in white clothes in Gaza. “#BoycottZara” trended on social media platform X (previously Twitter).

Zara confirmed that the campaign, which also featured mannequins with missing legs and arms, had been plannrd in July and photographed in September of this year, even before the conflict occured in October, and was meant to show sculptures that were unfinished in a studio. “Unfortunately, some customers felt offended by these images, which have now been removed, and saw in them something far from what was intended when they were created,” Zara said in an Instagram post.

The images were used “with the sole purpose of showcasing craftmade garments in an artistic context”, it added. “Zara regrets that misunderstanding and we reaffirm our deep respect towards everyone,” Zara said.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/world/news/zara-regrets-misunderstanding-over-photoshoot-after-gaza-boycott-calls-3492596

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rated the pitch used for the 2nd Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur as ‘unsatisfactory’. They have handed it one demerit point.

Match Referee David Boon put forward his report to the ICC including concerns of the match officials and after discussing with the captains of both teams. “The outfield was very good and held up extremely well with the rain. However, it appeared that the pitch may have been under prepared, as it was not hard and was covered in grass clippings on day one.”

“From the first session onwards, throughout the remainder of the match the bounce was inconsistent with numerous balls bursting the surface. Deliveries from spin bowlers often went over the batter’s shoulder when playing forward and then occasionally stayed very low,” he said.

The demerit point will be valid for a 5-year period. If the venue has 6 demerit points, it will be suspended from hosting any international cricket for 1 year.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/sports/cricket/news/icc-slaps-unsatisfactory-mirpur-wicket-demerit-point-3492671

A spokesperson for Puma said that they will no longer sponsor Israel’s national football team after 2024. On Tuesday they have said that the move had been planned since last year and has nothing to do with calls for people to stop buying Israeli goods because of the war in Gaza.

A Puma representative told Reuters in an email that the company’s contracts with several federations, such as Serbia and Israel, would not be extended after they expired in 2024.

According to the spokesperson, Puma’s “fewer-bigger-better strategy” would soon include deals with a number of new national teams.

Source: Al Jazeera

The National Center for Meteorology in Saudi Arabia says that on Sunday, heavy thunderstorms and rain fell in some parts of the country. Videos have been posted online of Makkah’s streets flooded during the heavy rain in the area. The NCM says that some parts of the country are on a yellow alert.

The weather service for the whole country says that it will rain, storm, and dust storm until Wednesday. Through Arab Storms videos, we can see cars trying to get through flooded streets near parked cars where the water is up to the window level.

In a different video, rituals are being done by pilgrims near the Kaaba while strong winds and heavy rain rage around the area. Some people could be seen moving around in search of safety.

Source: Zawya

Meta just released a deal breaker feature: the ability to change messages that have already been sent. Users can now change any message they sent within 15 minutes of sending it thanks to this new update. To change something in a Messenger message, all you have to do is tap on it. When the first choice comes up, click “More.” Then, click “Edit,” which is next to “Forward,” “Bump,” and “Remove.”

The ‘Edit’ feature will be available only to messages sent in the last 15 minutes. Messages sent before 15 minutes from now will not have this feature available when you tap on that message.

In the official announcement, Meta also said that users can still report edited messages. Moreover, even after editing, Meta can see the previous editions of the message.

Source: The Daily Star

A study by Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) found that at least 74% of the students in the country who are trying to get into university are depressed. Two-fifths of the students are depressed, with 26% having mild depression, 26% having moderate depression, and 22% having serious depression.

A group of researchers led by Dr. Jamal Uddin, a professor in the statistics department at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in Sylhet, did a study called “Prevalence of depression and its associated factors among undergraduate admission candidates in Bangladesh: A nation-wide cross-sectional study.” They asked about 5,000 people in Bangladesh’s divisional cities who were applying to universities for the 2021-22 academic year.

Through this poll, the researchers were able to divide the level of depression among people applying to college into three groups.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/education/333300/study-74%25-university-admission-seekers-suffer

Australia said on Monday that it would make it more difficult for foreign students and low-skilled workers to get visas. This could cut the number of migrants coming to Australia in half over the next two years, as the government tries to fix what it calls a “broken” migration system. Under the new rules, foreign students would have to get better scores on English tests, and their applications for a second visa, which would allow them to stay longer, would be looked at more closely.

Over the weekend, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the number of people moving there needed to be lowered to a “sustainable level.” He also said that “the system is broken.”

O’Neil said that the government’s targeted changes were already lowering net overseas migration and will help the expected drop in the number of migrants even more.

It was thought that net immigration would reach a high point of 510,000 in 2022–23, when the choice was made. Official numbers showed that it was expected to drop to about a quarter of a million in 2024–25 and 2025–26, which is about the same amount as before COVID.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/world/africa-rest-the-world/australia/news/australia-plans-halve-migrant-intake-tighten-student-visa-rules-3491601

Today, four traders were given a Tk 40,000 fine for selling onions for more than they were worth and keeping them in the port city. They were given fines during different drives in Chattogram’s Khatunganj wholesale market and Pahartali kitchen market.

A group from the Directorate of National Consumers’ Right Protection (DNCRP) went on a drive through the Pahartali food market this morning and found that a store called M/s Bachamia Sawdagor had written “no onion” on their price list of goods. Rana Dev Nath, assistant director of the DNCRP’s Chattogram division, said that the team searched a godown of the shop and found 36 sacks of onions stacked inside that weighed 1.7 tonnes.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/17-tonnes-onion-found-shop-no-onion-sign-3491056

Nasrul Hamid, the State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources, said today that oil reserves have been found at the Sylhet-10 well.

He said that a total of four layers of fuel reserves had been found. In the first layer, oil was found in Jaintiapur and Mainatghat in Sylhet. On the first day, 70 barrels of crude oil were found. The state minister told reporters about it on Sunday (December 10), when he was at his staff office.

Source: https://www.risingbd.com/english/national/news/100840

Nabil Islam had his picture taken while on his bike in front of the “Welcome to Bangladesh” sign. He has a big smile on his face in that picture, even though he is very tired from riding so far. When he got close to the border, he said, “I had this feeling that this country is something special for me. My family lives here.” Nabil, 30, had lived in France all his life.

Nabil decided to make his dreams happen. He had the dream of travelling the Earth on a bicycle, so he saved up money for 5 years, quit his engineering job and headed out with his bicycle. He has already travelled to more than 12 countries in Europe and Asia. After 9 and a half months of starting his journey, he’s now in Bangladesh, his parents’ homeland. He had to take flights only 2 times on his way to travel all these countries.

Nabil’s last trip to Bangladesh was when he was a teenager, in 2006. He saw that this place had changed a lot in the last 17 years.

“Most of the roads are wide and smooth,” he said. There are now more buildings than before. It’s easy to get a cell phone signal because everyone has one. “Now there are engines in rickshaws too (easybike). Several of his friends are married and have children. The kids he saw last time are now all grown up, he said.

Source: https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/hzboer5du6

Denmark’s government has passed a law that makes it illegal to burn the Quran in public places. The goal was to calm things down with Muslim countries after a series of protests in Denmark in which the holy book of Islam was burned, which caused a lot of anger. Anti-Islam campaigners burned or otherwise damaged copies of the Quran at a number of public protests in Denmark and Sweden this year. This led to calls for the Nordic governments to ban the practice.

Peter Hummelgaard, the minister of justice, says that since July, there have been more than 500 protests where the Quran or flags were burned.

“Such demonstrations can hurt Denmark’s relations to other nations, our interests and ultimately our safety,” said Hummelgaard.

Denmark has tried to find a balance between national security and legally protected freedom of speech, which includes the right to criticize religion. This is because they are afraid that Islamists will attack if Qurans are burned.

Source: https://en.prothomalo.com/international/36s3v2r5tv

The Dhaka University and Bijoy Sarani stations of the metro rail will be open for public from December 13. MAN Siddique, managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), confirmed the development to reporters today.

PM Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the country’s first-ever metro rail on December 28, 2022 and it was opened to public the following day.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/transport/news/metro-rail-dhaka-university-and-bijoy-sarani-stations-open-dec-13-3488426

Businesses in Bangladesh that make readymade clothes were concerned about the new US labor policy that was made public on November 16. Now the worries are even bigger because a US clothing company put a condition in the letter of credit it sent to a Bangladeshi clothing factory. The condition says that it won’t receive the goods or pay the money if Bangladesh is hit with any kind of sanction.

As proof, Faruque Hassan, President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), told Prothom Alo on Wednesday that a buyer organization put a general condition in its LC. It said they wouldn’t get any goods if Bangladesh was sanctioned.

He also said that the company made it clear that it would not receive the goods if the sanction is put in place after it has been shipped, nor would it pay any money for that. The head of the BGMEA did not say the name of the buyer organization that included this condition, though.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/no-payments-if-bangladesh-faces-sanction-says-us-retailer-its-supplier-3487506?amp

Iftaar, the traditional meal that marks the end of the daily Ramadan fast, has recently been named an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. A joint application from Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan to UNESCO showed how important iftaar is in the Muslim world and led to this approval. Iftaar is a time when Muslims break their fast after the call to prayer at sunset during Ramadan. It is known for bringing people together, being kind, and making friends.

In some Muslim countries, iftaar is done in different ways, but eating a date to break the fast is a popular practice. The meals and baked goods made for iftaar are very different from one country to the next. This shows how diverse Islamic societies are. This range shows how the iftaar meal is different in different parts of the world in terms of the food that is served.

UNESCO stressed that families play a big part in passing on the tradition of iftaar, with kids and teens often helping to make traditional meals. Not only does this help keep the food customs alive, but it also builds stronger bonds between generations and keeps the culture alive. UNESCO’s listing of iftaar as an intangible cultural heritage shows how important it is as a social and cultural activity with deep roots in the Islamic faith and community life.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/world/333158/unesco-recognizes-ramadan-meal-tradition-of-iftar

Starlink is a satellite internet connection which provides broadband connections to people in 60 plus countries. “In principle, I have told the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to give Starlink a license,” Zunaid Ahmed Palak, state minister for telecom and ICT, told The Daily Star yesterday.

Starlink is a satellite internet service from Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The Bangladeshi government is going to give it a license, which could change the country’s internet sector. Starlink offers high-speed internet in more than 60 countries. It is possible that this will bring competition to both urban and rural internet markets. The decision was made public by State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak, who emphasized the goal of improving internet access in rural places.

After talking with the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), Palak made the news, which shows that the country wants to offer more types of internet services. Starlink’s arrival is likely to put standard phone and cable internet services to the test, which could lead to better service quality and access.

Starlink might not be as popular in Bangladesh, though, because it costs a lot more than other internet services in the country. Local ISPs offer much lower rates than Starlink, which costs about $120 a month plus $599 for the gear. Along with the fact that mobile internet and broadband are already widely available, this cost factor could affect Starlink’s ability to make an effect in the Bangladesh market.

Source: The Daily Star

Meta is launching a new generative AI experience on the web, Imagine with Meta, that lets users create images by describing them in natural language.

Imagine with Meta, which is based on Meta’s current Emu image generation model, turns text into high-resolution images in a way similar to OpenAI’s DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion. For now, people in the U.S. can use it for free, and each prompt makes four images.

Many people have told us that they enjoy using imagine, Meta AI’s text-to-image feature, to make creative and fun chat material. “Today, we’re making it easier for people to use imagine outside of chats,” Meta writes in a blog post that came out this morning. “Our messaging app is made for more casual back-and-forth conversations, but you can now make free pictures on the web as well.”

Source: TechCrunch

Taylor Swift ends 2023 on a high note by being named Time Magazine’s person of the year. The singer follows the likes of Barack Obama, Greta Thunberg and Volodymyr Zelensky. She told the magazine that she is the proudest and happiest she has ever felt. The award is given to an event or person considered to have had the most influence on international events over the past year.

Right now, Taylor Swift is having a gap before launching the Asian and Australian legs of her Eras tour in February of 2024. The shows arrive at Europe in May of the same year, and Swift is also set to release a re-recorded version of her album Reputation in the new year.

Her wish to re-make all of her first 6 albums came after her old record label, Big Machine, sold her master tapes to music mogul Scooter Braun in 2019. Braun later sold the tapes to an investment company. Speaking to Time, Swift said she had initially recoiled at the idea, which had been suggested by both her father and fellow pop star Kelly Clarkson. “I’d look at them and go, ‘How can I possibly do that?’ Nobody wants to redo their homework if on the way to school, the wind blows your book report away.”

In the end, she took up the project. “It’s all in how you deal with loss,” she says. “I respond to extreme pain with defiance.”

Source: BBC

At the 18th meeting of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which is currently taking place in Botswana, rickshaws and art on rickshaws were recognized as intangible cultural heritage.

UNESCO has named Dhaka’s rickshaw paintings as the fifth cultural heritage. The other four are the Jamdani and Shital Pati weaving industries, Baul songs, and the Mongol Shobhajatra.

Faisal Hasan, who is the senior information officer for the Ministry of Culture, confirmed the story.

Source: The Daily Star

Starbucks Corp’s market value has dropped by $10.98 billion because of staff strikes, boycotts, and a lackluster holiday promotion. As Starbucks deals with complicated social problems, the stock market has put a lot of pressure on the company. Investors have pulled their money out, and Starbucks’ shares have been losing value for the longest time since their initial public offering in 1992.

Starbucks stock has dropped 8.96% since its November 16 Red Cup Day promotion, which is equal to a loss of almost $11 billion. There are deep roots to the boycotts, which touch on touchy global issues. The company got into trouble after a tweet from Starbucks Workers United, the union that represents many of its baristas, showing support for Palestinians.

The union’s lawsuits against the company have heated up the discussion, leaving Starbucks to run its business while dealing with political speech. Even though the economy is bad and people’s habits are changing, Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan is still confident in the company’s many ways to reach customers and keep them interested.

Source: Newsweek

The government plans to bring nearly half of the country’s population to electric car facilities within two decades. This will result in a major change in fuel consumption and a huge amount of money saved. According to the “Integrated Energy and Power Masterplan 2023”, by 2050, 50 percent of the country’s population will be covered by electric vehicles.

The government has started taking initiatives to implement that plan. Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO) has developed a charging station for the use of electric vehicles. It is expected that implementation will be easier if other investors gradually join the initiative.

DESCO Managing Director Kawsar Amir Ali said that if the use of electric vehicles increases, the number of charging stations will be increased gradually. Apart from easybikes and battery rickshaws, there are no electric vehicles in the country yet. The government plans to electrify 40% of private cars and 10% of buses and trucks by 2050.

Recently, Dhaka North City has emphasized on importing electric buses. Now there are buses in the market that can travel up to 300 km on a single charge. Again in case of private car it is possible to go up to 300 to 500 km.

Source: Dhaka Tribune

The government is about to start a Health Card system that will use a patient’s unique ID number to store information about them. This card, which you can get for free by signing up online, is part of a special system that was made to protect patients’ privacy and safety.

It is a big goal for the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to reach 60 million people in the next five years. From anywhere in Bangladesh, doctors and patients can use the number on the health card to log in and get specific information. The DGHS says that giving patients health cards with unique IDs is in line with efforts to digitize the healthcare industry around the world.

This plan, which is like national ID cards, will include a lot of details about health care.

The DGHS’s Management Information System (MIS) department is in charge of improving the health system. They started the Shared Health Record to make it easier for all public and private healthcare institutions to share health information with each other. This will create a single place where all of Bangladesh’s citizens’ health information can be stored.

According to sources inside the ministry, automation has already been put in place in 62 hospitals. It will be slowly put in place in all government hospitals, and a project in the Planning Commission is waiting for approval so that it can be put in place within the next three years.

It is the goal of the DGHS to have Health ID at all schools, including private ones, by 2041. By 2030, Health ID will be at all government hospitals in the country.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/333077/health-id-for-all-seamless-medical-information

One in three women around the world are victims of violence against women, which is still a societal problem. In 2022, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released a study that showed 450,000 murders related to female intimate partners or family members around the world. In 2021, about 17,800 of these victims were in Asia.

An Action Aid report in 2015 which covered 7 cities in Bangladesh revealed that women faced 84% verbal abuse, including insulting comments and sexually abusive language, 57% experienced sexual harassment, and 22% lived in fear of rape in the past year. Shahnaj Parvin, a nursing officer at the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM), asserted that there are around 44,000 nurses in health complexes all over the country, with 26,000 providing maternal and child health services. A study following a year of the Covid-19 pandemic on workplace violence against Bangladeshi registered nurses on 1,264 nurses from 2 divisions revealed that 70% of them were victims of workplace violence, and 14.8% were verbally harassed.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/333078/speakers-70%25-of-nurses-face-gender-based-violence

Mushfiqur Rahim became the first Bangladeshi player to be out obstructing the field on the first day of the second Test against New Zealand in Dhaka today. Tamim Iqbal is making his international debut as a commentator the same day, and he said that a player who has played 80+ Tests should have known better than to handle the ball.

Mushfiqur had scored 35 when he fended off a delivery which dropped close to his feet. Even when the ball was moving away from the stumps, he shoved the ball away with his gloves leading to the umpires going upstairs to verify for obstructing the field dismissal. “A cricketer who has played over 80 Tests, should know he can’t do that,” Tamim said from the commentary box. Tamim asserted that net practice can sometimes form the bad habit of handling the ball.

“Practice habit can make this happen. In the nets, batters often take the ball in hand and return it back to the bowler. Maybe Mushfiqur did it unconsciously and extended his hands. But this obviously can’t be an excuse,” Tamim further added in commentary.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/sports/cricket/news/player-over-80-tests-cant-do-tamim-mushfiqur-dismissal-3487386

Forbes has named Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina the 46th most powerful woman in the world in 2023. In 2023, she was named ninth among the 18 most powerful women in politics and policy. The list was topped by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, came in second. US Vice President Kamala Harris, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and US pop star Taylor Swift were ranked third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.

“Sheikh Hasina Wazed, the longest serving prime minister in the history of Bangladesh, is currently serving her fourth term,” Forbes wrote in Hasina’s Forbes profile. “She is also the world’s longest-serving female head of government.”

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/forbes-ranks-hasina-9th-most-powerful-among-women-politics-3487431

Amin Uddin Mollah has been dead for 2 years and 10 months. But according to a surprising case statement, police officer in Gazipur “clearly saw” him and 21 other people on October 28 when the they were fleeing after throwing a crude bomb at a police team.

The supposed incident took place in Targaon Medical Intersection area at 11:30 PM, and the sub inspector said in the case statement that he could clearly see the suspects under the street lights. Mozammel Haque, Amin’s son-in-law, and Md. Saifullah, the man’s neighbor from Khirati village, said the man died on January 25, 2021, while getting care at a hospital in the capital. He was 65 years old.

The local union parishad member Mostafa Kamal said that Kapasia police even got Amin’s death certificate for a case after he died in 2021. Three people in the area and a Jamaat leader said that Amin quit as the education officer for Narsingdi’s Monohordi upazila and then joined the Jamaat-e-Islami party.

The officer in charge of the Kapasia Police Station, Md Abu Bakar Mia, said they would look into it.

Leaders of the BNP and Jamaat have long said that the government is using the police and other parts of the government to silence the opposition by putting their leaders and workers on false charges.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/police-see-dead-man-running-3486836

Time Magazine named Lionel Messi Athlete of the Year for 2023. This comes after he moved to the US to play for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. Some other people who have won the award are Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, LeBron James, and the US women’s national team. Aaron Judge, who plays right field for the New York Yankees, won the award in 2022.

Messi played his first game for Inter Miami in July. He made a big impression by scoring a free kick in the last few minutes to give his team a 2-1 win. He has made a huge difference in the MLS since then.

Before Messi joined Inter Miami, they had never won a big trophy. But after he joined, they beat Nashville in the final and Messi scored the winning goal. At the end of the season, the Argentinean scored 11 goals in 14 games across all categories. He was also nominated for MLS MVP.

When he led Argentina to win at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he won his record-setting eighth Ballon d’Or in October.

Source: https://www.espn.in/football/story/_/id/39047627/inter-miami-lionel-messi-named-athlete-year

On Tuesday, Britain suggested new age-check guidelines to keep kids from accessing pornography online. One idea was to use AI-based technology to check if a viewer seems to be of legal age. In Britain, you have to be at least 18 years old to watch porn.

The regulator said that its advice for figuring out someone’s age by looking at their features using AI. To do that, you’d probably need to take a selfie and share it.

The government watchdog said its suggested rules would include credit card checks and photo identification matching, where a user would have to upload a photo ID like a passport or driver’s license to show their age. Open banking was another idea. This means that people can agree for their bank to share information with online porn sites to make sure they are over 18.

A free-market think tank called the Institute of Economic Affairs said that making people prove their age would violate their privacy and leave them open to abuse because third parties would have more private information about them.

Source: Economic Times