Globo, a Brazilian news outlet, reported on Wednesday that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee is scheduled to initiate an inquiry into the violent incident that occurred between supporters of Brazil and Argentina during their World Cup qualifying match at Maracana Stadium on Wednesday. In its 2023 edition, Article 17 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code explicitly designates the host team and its governing body, the CBF, as the exclusive entities accountable for ensuring the safety of the game.

“Home clubs and federations are responsible for order and security in and around the stadium before, during and after games. […] They are responsible for incidents of any type,” the article reads. Fines, playing one or more matches with a limited audience, a prohibition from playing at a specific stadium, a requirement to play on a neutral field, point deductions, or even expulsion from competitions may be imposed as penalties. “You think about the families, the people who are there, who don’t know what’s going on and we were more concerned about that than playing a match that, at that point, was of secondary importance.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino condemned the incident on Wednesday.

“Without exception, all players, fans, staff and managers need to be safe and protected to play and enjoy football and I urge the competent authorities to ensure this is respected at all levels,” Infantino said in his statement.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/sports/football/news/brazil-be-sanctioned-maracana-violence-argentina-clash-3477171

Bret Taylor, former co-CEO of Salesforce, and Larry Summers, former US Treasury Secretary and President of Harvard University, have been added to the reorganized board. The new board will retain Adam D’Angelo, the CEO of Quora and a current member of the preceding board.

After assuming leadership of OpenAI since 2020, Altman, 38, made a temporary transition to a new role at Microsoft, where he oversaw the formation of an AI research team. Greg Brockman, a former president and co-founder of OpenAI, accompanied Altman on this endeavor. In the aftermath of Altman’s termination, nevertheless, a considerable proportion of OpenAI personnel voiced their dissatisfaction. The employees demanded Altman and Brockman’s reinstatement in an open letter, with the majority threatening to resign and join the pair at Microsoft. Kevin Scott, chief technology officer of Microsoft, extended an invitation to OpenAI employees contemplating resignation in light of this potential departure. Altman coming back to OpenAI signals a new era for the company, which has been at the forefront of AI research. The changes in the board, along with the return of Altman, suggest a possible realignment of the company’s leadership and strategic goals.

As part of his return, Altman has repeated his commitment to OpenAI’s mission, stating on X, “I love OpenAI, and everything I’ve done over the past few days has been in service of keeping this team and its mission together.”

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/tech-startup/news/sam-altman-fires-board-fired-him-3476846

YouTube issued the following statement to Business Insider: “Users are encouraged to avoid ad blockers and either allow advertisements or subscribe to YouTube Premium to have advertisements removed entirely.” Additionally, people who use ad blockers may experience a subpar viewing experience. “Advertising is an essential lifeline for our creators, allowing them to run and grow their businesses.” “Therefore, using ad blockers is in violation of YouTube’s Terms of Service,” a representative from YouTube explained to Business Insider.

It appeared that YouTube confirmed reports that people using ad-blockers encountered delays of several seconds before they could view a video. According to the Android-based news website Android Authority, people who didn’t use Google Chrome encountered the delays, as seen on Reddit where users reported not facing the issue while using browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge. Google informed Insider, however, that the delays were observed in all browsers that had ad-blockers enabled.

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-warns-worse-viewing-experience-ad-blocker-2023-11?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=tech-sf&utm_source=twitter

Bangladesh has gone through a decrease in ranking in terms of fixed broadband output on the global stage, having the 108th position out of 182 countries, according to the Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index for the month of October. In the July report, Bangladesh came 106th out of 182 countries in regards to this.

In contrast, the median download speed for fixed broadband in October was documented as 38.65Mbps, reflecting a growth from the previous month’s median download speed of 37.92Mbps. In the fixed broadband sector, Singapore exhibited the highest median download speed of 264.15Mbps. Regarding the speed of broadband internet, Nepal is rated 87th and India is ranked 89th among South Asian nations.

Afghanistan occupied the 181st position, while Sri Lanka was positioned 139th, Pakistan 149th, and the Maldives 151st.

In terms of mobile internet performance, Bangladesh has exhibited progress, as evidenced by its current ranking of 111th out of 142 countries in the October edition of Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index.

According to the July edition of Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index, the nation was positioned 120th out of 143 countries. The most recent report indicates that the median download speed in Bangladesh has increased from 17.18Mbps in July to 20.66Mbps at present. The United Arab Emirates secured the highest position in the ranking, boasting a median download speed of 269.41Mbps.

Source: https://www.newagebd.net/article/218276/bangladesh-goes-down-to-108th-in-broadband-speed-ookla?fbclid=IwAR2GVomgU2T2xWEp8BBWr7IsX8ggQ5AP2xrJ14bqd0ytVxe1LD98Iophs4c

The government will construct a power plant where each unit will cost Tk 21.16 and electricity will be generated from waste materials. The 13 megawatt (MW) electricity-generating facility will be constructed by the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).

If electricity is bought at tariff rates, the government will need to pay around Tk 4,068 crore to the plant at a rate of Tk 21.105 a kilowatt hour for 25 years. Purchasing for the establishment of the plant in the Brahmanbaria municipality was approved by the Bangladesh Power Development Board, according to Cabinet Division Additional Secretary Sayeed Mahbub Khan’s statement following the meeting.

Furthermore, tariff sanction was granted by the cabinet committee to the BPDB for the establishment of a 100-MW (AC) solar power plant in Sonagazi upazila, Feni. The government will be obligated to pay the plant with Tk 3,566.4 crore over a 20-year period, or Tk 11.0058 per kilowatt hour, if electricity is bought at tariff rates.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/govt-set-plant-produce-power-waste-3476171

Sam Altman will be back as CEO of OpenAI, after navigating an attempted boardroom coup that struck panic into the company over the last few days. Former OpenAI President Greg Brockman, who quit after Altman’s firing, will return too.

The company said in a statement on Tuesday that it has an “agreement in principle” with Altman to return alongside a new board made up of Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo. D’Angelo is a holdover from the prior board that initially sacked Altman on Friday. He stays on this new board to give the prior board a voice, we’re told.

People who know the negotiations say that the real job of the initial board is to check and place an expanded board of up to 9 people that will change the governance of OpenAI. Microsoft, which has invested over $10 billion into the company, wants to take a seat on that expanded board, as does Altman himself. During a press tour, CEO Satya Nadella said the company didn’t want more “surprises.”

Source: https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/22/23967223/sam-altman-returns-ceo-open-ai

To prevent the dissemination of false propaganda, several secretaries have proposed shutting down Facebook on the day of the National Parliament election. Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal presided over an inter-ministerial meeting on the 12th national parliament election on November 1 in the conference chamber of the election building in Agargaon, Dhaka, where the subject was discussed.

During the meeting, senior government officials voiced their viewpoints, wherein a number of them advocated for a halt of Facebook operations on election day, citing the substantial harm that could result from the dissemination of misleading data. Under the condition of anonymity, a secretary in attendance at the meeting emphasized the danger that rumor mongers could use to mislead electors and the critical nature of preventing such misinformation. He stated that the Election Commission has the ultimate authority regarding this issue. Election Commission Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath confirmed the talks of halting Facebook on election day but mentioned that no decision has been made till now.

Source: https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/zqdfv70bg5

A significant portion of the OpenAI workforce has expressed intentions to resign and join Microsoft, which has appointed former OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman and ousted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to oversee a new “advanced AI research team.” Over 500 current OpenAI employees state in a letter to the board of directors, as reported by Wired and journalist Kara Swisher this morning, that “Microsoft has assured us that there are positions available for all OpenAI employees at this new subsidiary should we decide to join.”

The OpenAI staff will resign, according to the letter, if the board fails to reinstate Altman and Brockman and subsequently resign. However, considering that the board has already reached a decision to retain Altman and Brockman while appointing a new CEO, it appears that Microsoft may have just hired several hundred of Altman’s employees, assuming the company fulfills its promise to hire them all. OpenAI employees who signed the letter accuse the company’s board of sabotaging their work and having “undermined our mission and company.” They are also against the idea that OpenAI was pushing ahead too quickly without concern for safety. “Our work on AI safety and governance shapes global norms,” they write.

Source: The Verge

Sotheby’s announced on Monday that a collection of six jerseys worn by Lionel Messi during Argentina’s 2022 World Cup victory will be auctioned off in December. The estimated value of the jerseys is $10 million. In addition to the final match against France, the football sensation wore these shirts during the first halves of the group-stage matches against Saudi Arabia and Mexico, as well as subsequent matches against Australia, the Netherlands, and Croatia.

Basketball legend Michael Jordan donned the most expensive individual jersey ever sold at auction in 1998, during his run to the NBA finals with the Chicago Bulls. A year ago, it was sold for $10.1 million. In recent years, auction houses have become more cognizant of sports memorabilia, which is regarded as a market that is expanding. American technology startup AC Momento, which assists athletes in managing memorabilia collections, is auctioning off the shirts.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the UNICAS Project, an initiative that assists children with rare maladies and is a collaboration with a children’s hospital in Barcelona.

The jerseys will be accessible to the public for no cost during the auction period of November 30 to December 14.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/sports/football/news/messis-2022-world-cup-jerseys-go-auction-3474491

Former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman are being hired by Microsoft. On Friday, OpenAI terminated Altman’s employment after the board stated it “no longer has confidence in his capability to continue leading OpenAI.” Following an extended weekend of deliberations regarding the possibility of Altman rejoining OpenAI, Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, declared that Greg Brockman and Sam Altman would be joining the organization to assume leadership roles on its novel advanced AI research team.

“We’re extremely excited to share the news that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, together with colleagues, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team,” says Nadella. “We look forward to moving quickly to provide them with the resources needed for their success.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Altman acknowledged he was joining Microsoft by reposting Nadella with the message “the mission continues.” Nadella responded by providing some hints at how he sees Altman’s role at Microsoft. “We’ve learned a lot over the years about how to give founders and innovators space to build independent identities and cultures within Microsoft, including GitHub, Mojang Studios, and LinkedIn, and I’m looking forward to having you do the same.” A new advanced AI research team has been established by Microsoft, under the leadership of Altman and Brockman. It follows Microsoft’s announcement a week ago that it has developed a custom AI processor capable of training large language models and potentially eliminating the need for an expensive reliance on Nvidia. Also designed for cloud applications is an Arm-based CPU developed by Microsoft. The purpose of both custom silicon processors is to supply power to the Azure data centers.

Source: https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/20/23968829/microsoft-hires-sam-altman-greg-brockman-employees-openai

The results of this year’s HSC and equivalent examinations would be released on November 26. Professor Tapan Kumar Sarkar, chairman of the Dhaka Education Board and director of the inter-education board coordination committee, confirmed the information to Prothom Alo on Monday.

According to him, the education ministry has confirmed orally that the results will be made public on November 26.

The education authorities had previously submitted to the government a proposal to release the results from November 26th to the 28th. In addition, the boards requested that the ministry of education make the required preparations to publish the results on any of these three days. The HSC and equivalent examinations for this year commenced on August 17th. However, as a result of the natural disaster, the examination for the Chattogram, madrasa, and technical boards commenced several days later. With the exception of a single subject, all other examinations were full-time and administered in accordance with the revised curriculum. At the last minute, it was decided that the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) examination would be worth 75 points as opposed to 100.

Source: Prothom Alo

A protestor got into the crease while India was facing Australia in the final of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 at Narendra Modi Stadium here on Sunday.

The match was halted after the person wearing a mask and a t-shirt saying ‘Stop Bombing Palestine’ approached Virat Kohli and tried to hug him. The security hurried to the spot and took the person off the crease.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/ind-vs-aus-cwc-2023-final-pitch-invader-breaches-security-to-interrupt-summit-clash-at-narendra-modi-stadium-watch

The jewellery makers of the country hiked 22-carat gold prices by Tk 1,750 and so the new price will be Tk 106,376 a bhori, an all-time high. The new price is 1.67% more than the previous all-time high of Tk 104,626 per bhori (11.664 grammes), which was recorded on November 5 this year.

The gold price crossed the Tk 100,000-mark for the very 1st time in Bangladesh in July. Gold prices have increased for over a year due to fluctuations in the domestic market and increases in the international market.

Despite the fact that Bangladesh does not engage in substantial gold imports, its gold prices are virtually correlated with global trends. The annual gold demand in Bangladesh varied between 20 and 40 tonnes. Approximately 80% of the global demand is fulfilled by means of illicitly transported gold.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/gold-hits-record-tk-106376-bhori-3472756

Right now MrBeast is in a subscriber battle with T-Series to reach the top position. They have only 41K subscribers between them, so the YouTuber is pulling all the stops to surpass the music label. However, his newest attempt to surpass them had him risk a lot.

He tried to stay buried alive for 7 straight days. This idea may trigger some people, so reader discretion is suggested. Most of his fans are already loving this video as it has surpassed 8 million views in just 2 hours! On the night of day 4, MrBeast said, “I hope tomorrow’s easier. It’s a weird feeling. I am very tired, but for some reason I can’t sleep. I don’t know. I’ve never had this happen before. Why am I crying? I don’t know.” This clearly brought up the fact that solitude and being buried alive did a number on his mental health. After the 7th day of being buried alive, his friends started to dig him out. After lying down in that position for 7 straight days, if MrBeast stood up suddenly, he would risk fatal blood clots forming in his body. So they first brought in a medic to check how his vitals were.

Source: MrBeast YT

A large majority of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza say that they don’t see a future where they can coexist peacefully with Israel, according to the results of a survey.

The densely-populated Gaza enclave has been bombarded for more than 5 weeks as part of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s pledge to “eliminate Hamas” in response to the militant group’s cross-border attack on October 7. 90% of Palestinian respondents to a survey conducted by the Arab World for Research and Development (AWRAD) believe that “coexistence [with Israel] is becoming increasingly impossible” in light of the Israeli military operation in Gaza. Additionally, 98% of respondents to the survey, which was conducted from October 31 to November 7, stated they would “never forget and never forgive” Israel. In contrast, Israel’s offensive is perceived by 65% of respondents as a “war against all Palestinians” and not just Hamas, according to another AWRAD survey in which 100% of respondents stated that there is no “safe space” in Gaza. Additionally, nearly half of respondents (48 percent) reported that their homes had been partially or completely devastated, and ninety percent supported a ceasefire. In-person interviews were utilized to gather data for the survey from 688 Palestinians. AWRAD stated that its sample was composed of individuals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, with men and women being represented equally.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/world/israel-hamas-war/news/90pc-palestinians-say-they-cant-coexist-israel-poll-3472581

Study has shown that 55 percent of Bangladeshis that responded believe Bangladesh is not a peaceful country, and 57 percent think the state of justice has worsened here over the last 5 years. The findings came up in the “Youth Matters Survey 2023.” It was conducted by Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC) in collaboration with Brac University’s Center for Peace and Justice (CPJ). They surveyed 5,609 participants between the ages 16 and 35 through Facebook.

Lead researcher on the study, Hossain Mohammed Omar Khayum, delivered the report at a Dhaka press conference yesterday. 71.5 percent of those who were surveyed said they feel afraid when expressing their views on public platforms like Facebook etc.

Despite concerns, a surprising 72 percent of them showed interest in general elections and voting. The study displayed that, due to these challenges, 42.4 percent of young Bangladeshis plan on moving abroad. BYLC’s founder and executive chairperson Ejaj Ahmad said, “We should not see the young people as future leaders. We should see them as current leaders.” BYLC conducts a survey every 5 years, especially before elections, to give Bangladeshi youths a space to share their ambitions and issues about the country’s present and future state.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/youth/news/72pc-the-youth-feel-unsafe-express-opinions-survey-3471441

Bangladeshi students from United International University (UIU) have achieved a historic victory at the International Blockchain Olympiad in Amsterdam, Netherlands, showing a glimpse of the country’s imminent talent in blockchain related tech.

Team Apocalypse from UIU consists of Sadia Ahmmed, Sahid Hossain Ratul, Jishanul Islam, and Aadiba Tasneem Anam. They achieved the gold medal under the event’s slogan “A Digital Journey to our Sustainable Future.” Their project, IPBlockchainPro, is an inventive ecosystem for intellectual resource management, matching up with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8, 9, 16, and 17. In addition to that, another team from UIU Team Unchained achieved 6th place (Merit Award) at the same program. The team members Anika Khaer Aurpy, Shoaib Hasan, and Farhee Aalina Ahmad were congratulated for their amazing performance. 9 teams in total from Bangladesh participated in the event, with 4 teams getting the Award of Merit. Among them were GreyDevs from Sylhet Cadet College, Beecrypt, Cuet Anonymous from CUET, and Team Blockbit from SUST & IUT, and Team Unchained. The International Blockchain Olympiad is an annual global platform that enables students to solve real-world problems using emerging technologies like Blockchain and Web3.

This year’s event was part of Digiquest Amsterdam, sponsored by Inholland University of Applied Sciences. The event seeks to unite young talents worldwide to address global challenges, collaborating across industry, academia, and non-profit sectors.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/tech-startup/news/uiu-team-wins-gold-international-blockchain-olympiad-2023-3472626

Bangladesh cricket team skipper Shakib Al Hasan has bought 3 nomination forms of Bangladesh Awami League to compete in the upcoming 12th parliamentary election.

A representative of his bought the nomination forms for Magura-1, 2 and Dhaka-10 constituencies from Awami League’s central office located at 23 Bangabandhu Avenue, Dhaka on Saturday.

Source: https://en.somoynews.tv/news/2023-11-18/shakib-al-hasan-buys-al-nomination-paper

In the serene village of Purbo Atkhali in Patuakhali’s Galachipa upazila, Sirajul Islam Hawladar, 82, is known by all for planting trees. For over 70 years, he has been planting trees, transforming his village and 10 other surrounding ones. In all those years, he has planted around 50,000 trees, caring for them as if they were his own children.

“At a young age, I was encouraged to plant trees.” Trees produce fruits, oxygen, and shade. “A weary traveler may find comfort and rest in the shade of a tree,” Sirajul emphasized. Sirajul is the only surviving sibling out of his seven siblings and the youngest. Dhaka Nesaria Kamil Madrasa awarded him a Kamil (MA) degree, and he has presided over several mosques in the upazila, including the one in his hometown, in his capacity as imam. He is presently incapable of working as a result of age-related health complications. Hamida, the youngest of his four daughters, is a student at the undergraduate level. The other three are all married. Sirajul typically grows seedlings at home, but sometimes he buys from the shop before planting those on vacant lands in the area, and caring for those whole day. His neighbour, Delwar Hossain said, “He takes care of the trees day and night. If a tree becomes sellable, the owner sells it and shares the earnings with Sirajul.” Although his family has concerns about his deteriorating health, Sirajul remains determined.

“We’re proud of his efforts. But he is getting weak due to old age and we often tell him to rest, but he won’t,” said his daughter Hamida.

Source: The Daily Star

The board of directors of OpenAI, the organization that developed the artificial intelligence platforms ChatGPT and GPT-4, has terminated Sam Altman’s position as CEO. This momentous choice made by the firm, supported by Microsoft signifies a substantial transformation in the technological sector. According to the statement released by OpenAI on Friday, the board has lost confidence in Altman’s capacity to effectively lead the organization.

The decision for this leadership change came after a long review process by the board, which found Altman’s communication with them as lacking in transparency, thereby hindering their governance role. The board, in acknowledging Altman’s valuable contributions, emphasized the significance of appointing fresh leadership to steer the organization’s future undertakings. However, the specific factors that prompted Altman’s departure were not elaborated upon in the statement. Mira Murati, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of OpenAI, has been appointed as the acting CEO in the interim. A permanent successor is yet to be found to lead the $90 billion company.

Source: The Daily Star

The personal data of Bangladeshi citizens linked to the National Telecommunications Monitoring Centre (NTMC), the state’s lawful communication interception and intelligence agency, have been leaked, according to Wired magazine.

US-based tech magazine Wired shared a report yesterday where it said that the leaked data contains people’s names, addresses, national identity card information, phone numbers, duration of phone calls, fingerprint photos, and passport and bank account information. The data also has lists of cell towers and the parts of mobile phone networks used. Wired reports that Security researcher Viktor Markopoulos who works with CloudDefense.AI discovered the leak. The Director General of NTMC, Major General Ziaul Ahsan, admitted to The Daily Star that there has been a leak of some data, but not from their system. “We have a seven-layer security system and there is no chance for leakage from it.” He also said that it was just sample data. Markopoulos and Wired verified the data to see if it was in fact citizen’s personal data and found it being so. They contacted some of the people through the phone numbers. The majority of the data leaked is metadata, reports Wired, which they call “the extremely powerful — “who, what, how, and when” of everyone’s communications. Markopoulos had notified the government’s Bangladesh Government’s e-Government Computer Incident Response Team (BGD e-GOV CIRT) on November 8 who received the message and acknowledged it. Major General Ahsan said they were notified of the breach 2 days ago (from yesterday). The project director of BGD e-GOV CIRT was called and texted for comments but he has not yet responded.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/peoples-personal-info-leaked-database-linked-ntmc-3471631

By introducing the Xiaomi SU7 car series, Xiaomi is daringly entering the electric vehicle (EV) market. In an effort to broaden its product portfolio, the consumer technology company has presently submitted an application for a sales license in China in support of this ambitious endeavor. Xiaomi’s regulatory filing with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which was disclosed via a Weibo post by user abenzene, offers an exclusive glimpse at the vehicle’s specifications and design.

Two models comprise Xiaomi’s foray into the automotive sector: the Xiaomi SU7 and the SU7 Max. Both vehicles are anticipated to be produced by the BAIC Group, headquartered in Beijing. Although the two models do have some similarities, they distinguish themselves significantly through their battery technology and performance capabilities. It is stated that the SU7 has a maximum speed of 210 kilometers per hour, while the SU7 Max has the capability to attain 265 kilometers per hour.

Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. (BAIC) will produce the Xiaomi SU7 series, which will consist of the SU7, SU7 Pro, and SU7 Max models. Reportedly, the automobiles will offer both RWD and AWD drivetrain alternatives, with the heaviest model reaching 165 mph and weighting 2.66 tons. The delivery of the five-seater SU7 is expected to commence in February.

Source: https://www-thedailystar-net.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.thedailystar.net/tech-startup/news/the-xiaomi-car-real-and-baic-making-it-3470446?amp=&amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIUAKwASCAAgM%3D

Kim Kardashian, apart from being a reality TV personality, model, businesswoman, socialite and trainee lawyer, is surprisingly one of GQ’s “Men Of The Year” for 2023.

Kim founded the Skims clothing brand as well as cosmetics lines, perfumes, an energy drink, a mobile game, and a private equity fund. She has been named “Tycoon Of The Year” on this year’s list, which follows her newest line of men’s underwear. The spread features Kim adorning predominantly masculine attire, such as a patterned tie and pinstripe shirt, a bomber jacket, an oversized blazer, and a cropped tank top bearing dumbbells. The apparel serves as trivial props to the predominantly masculine settings, including the gym, an office desk, or a water cooler, in which she is photographed. Kim’s deliberate choice of designs across the images serves as a lighthearted allusion to her efforts to challenge conventional masculine stereotypes and establish her authority in the realm of business. This is evidenced by the selection on GQ’s MOTY 2023 inventory. Some social media users are puzzled and even upset at her inclusion as the cover star for GQ’s 2023 “Men Of The Year” competition.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/entertainment/tv-film/news/kim-kardashian-gqs-man-the-year-3471096?fbclid=IwAR24x6OGasOsVovhDfBCQYxKTezxmyEXqxRJ-GuzGHXFSf6A4KjAhKcDVoo

The Election Commission issued an announcement today declaring the date for the 12th national election. It will be held on January 7, 2024.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal called on all political parties to participate in the election. As seen in TVs around Bangladesh, he also said in his speech that all political parties can be assured about necessary measures being taken to ensure a free and fair election.

Source: The Daily Star

The number of Bangladeshi students increased from 3,314 during the 2011-2012 academic year to 13,563 during the 2022-2023 academic year, as reported by Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange 2023. “The number of Bangladeshi students studying in the United States has reached an all-time high,” according to Open Doors, a resource that provides information on international scholars and students in the US.

A Bangladeshi former Columbia University student Z Islam stated that Bangladeshi students are increasingly migrating to the United States due to the greater availability of student loans and their parents’ increased disposable income in comparison to the 1980s and 1990s. “More and more students are choosing to move abroad as a way of kickstarting the immigration process that will ultimately allow them to permanently settle in the US in their adult lives,” she reported to The Daily Star. The total number of international students in the US surpassed one million and got back to near pre-pandemic numbers. The 2022-2023 academic year was the fastest growth of international students in the US in 4 decades, according to the report.

“We are excited to see that more and more Bangladeshi students are choosing the United States for higher education study,” said US Ambassador Peter Haas in a statement.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/education/news/number-bangladeshi-students-us-rose-300-10-years-3470381

Controversy surrounding today’s semi final match as claims were made that BCCI has changed the pitch for the game at Mumbai without ICC approval. Andy Atkinson is the ICC’s independent pitch consultant. The home board and Atkinson agrees on the designated pitches but a Daily Mail report has said that agreement has not been honoured for today’s match.

The first semi-final was to be played on pitch 7 but has been shifted to pitch 6. Daily Mail reports that Atkinson was told about an ‘unspecified problem’ of the pitch 7, one that he does not agree to. Pitch 7 was a new pitch while pitch 6 is old and has been used in previous matches.

Atkinson emailed his boss writing that the changes were made ‘without proper notice.’

“6-8-6-8-7 was the planned rotation at Wankhede. 6-8-6-8 is what has been used so far,” ESPNCricinfo cited a source as saying.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/sports/sports-special/icc-cricket-world-cup-2023/news/india-accused-changing-pitches-daily-mail-report-says-3470201

The Biman Bangladesh Airlines has denied boarding of 45 Bangladeshi passengers wanting to travel to Canada for supposedly attending a wedding.

On November 10, the passengers who were bound for Canada, cleared immigration at Osmani International Airport in Sylhet.

Although they had valid passports, country visas, and return flight tickets proving their return after the wedding, the airline authorities at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka denied them boarding after they arrived from Sylhet. Inconsistencies in their travel documents were identified and reported at the check-in counter of the Dhaka airport. It is worth noting that although all 42 passengers received identical wedding invitations, they opted for a joint house rental instead of making separate hotel reservations. When queried regarding this anomaly, every passenger offered a different explanation, thereby heightening suspicions. Biman Bangladesh Airlines sent emails to Canadian visa offices in Singapore and Delhi for verification, informing the passengers that boarding will depend on approval from relevant authorities.

Shafiul Azim, managing director and CEO of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, said that inconsistencies in the passengers’ travel documents led the airline to contact Canadian authorities, who confirmed the fraudulent acquisition of visas. According to various sources, specific travel agencies may be complicit in the issuance of counterfeit invitations to Canada, where the travelers apply for asylum. A syndicate from Sylhet and Canada is purportedly responsible for coordinating the issuance of visas for the 42 passengers by means of illegitimate wedding invitations. Per person, these organizations charge between Tk12 and 18 lakh to facilitate entry into Canada.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/dhaka/331063/canada-visa-45-sylhet-passengers-grounded-over

A Biman passenger became ill and passed away during a Monday flight from Sylhet to London, two and a half hours into the journey, but the aircraft continued for nine hours to reach the United Kingdom without making an emergency landing. “The purser removed the passenger’s body from his seat and placed it on an empty row of seats after it was presumed that he was deceased,” said pilot-in-command Capt Fazal Mahmud.

The deceased was identified to be Shuaibur Rahman Chowdhury, who initially fell ill and then passed away, according to the flight log obtained. Protocol says that the instant a passenger has a medical emergency, the plane should send out an SOS declaring a medical emergency and get ready to land at the closest airport possible.

All airports have the facility to handle medical emergencies, a process in which the closest hospitals are notified and ambulances are kept on standby, according Biman sources.

When the pilot was asked why he did not land at the nearest airport, he said, “My goal was to save him, not organise a funeral. He was presumed dead already.” There was no doctor on board to declare him dead, said the pilot, but there was the flight purser who is only trained in giving first aid.

“All we know is that the plane landed with a dead passenger. The Heathrow International Airport authorities handled it as soon as the plane landed and interviewed all concerned. The police and medical professionals came to the airport. We are awaiting a written report,” said Irteza Kamal Chowdhury, Biman country head in London.

The plane had to wait for two and a half hours at Heathrow before the passengers were allowed to exit, he said. The deceased was taken to a nearby hospital for corroboration of his death.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/nrb/departure-arrival/airlines-more/news/passenger-dies-mid-flight-biman-does-not-land-carries-9-hours-3469311

Salman Khan implored his followers to observe the premiere of his film “Tiger 3” in a conscientious manner subsequent to the wide spreading of social media videos depicting supporters setting off fireworks within a crowded movie theater.
Police say that during last night’s screening of the film in the Nashik district of Maharashtra, a gathering of fervent enthusiasts lit firecrackers inside the Mohan Cinema. This incident caused a disturbance to the tranquil ambiance and elicited widespread concern among fellow moviegoers.

“I’m hearing about fireworks inside theaters during Tiger3. This is dangerous. Let’s enjoy the film without putting ourselves and others at risk. Stay safe,” Mr Khan wrote on X. As the initial explosion of crackers sends blasts through the cinema hall, a second wave blows from under the surrounding seats. While many fans were excited and took part in the Diwali-like scenes inside the theatre, panic gripped others who ran from the explosions. According to the police, the theatre owner has lodged a complaint and an investigation is underway.

Source: NDTV

Concerned authorities have been served a legal notice to ban the manufacture, import, distribution, marketing, and use of electronic cigarettes in Bangladesh. The secretaries of the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Commerce, and Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs have been served with the legal notice. Barrister Mohammad Humayun Kabir, representing the human rights organization Law and Life Foundation Trust, delivered the legal notice on Monday on behalf of the Supreme Court.

The notice mentioned that at least 47 countries including Brazil, Singapore, China, Bhutan, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Argentina, Bhutan, India have already banned the production, marketing and use of e-cigarettes in accordance with the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO). If necessary action is not taken before seven days of receiving the notice, a case will be filed in the Supreme Court of Bangladesh in public interest and directions will be looked for to stop e-cigarettes, said the legal notice. On the other hand, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, and online companies like Daraz have been asked to cease the commercializing of e-cigarettes.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/court/330907/legal-notice-seeks-ban-on-e-cigarette-production

Transgender model Yasin Ahmed Sokal became second runner-up in “Miss Evergreen Bangladesh 2023.” This is the first time that a trans woman has participated and won an award at a Bangladeshi beauty pageant. Excited about the news, Sokal shared that she would like to represent the transgender community in front of everyone.

“I consider this achievement as a victory for humanity. We, transgender people, are more than our external appearance, and I dedicate this title to my fellow transgender people who are not yet recognised by society,” said Sokal. Happy Akhter Momotaj was crowned as “Miss Evergreen Bangladesh,” and Nusrat Jahan Dipti became first runner-up. The awardees got Tk 50,000, Tk 2,00,000, and Tk 1,00,000, respectively, at a ceremony on Friday at a famous 5 star hotel in Dhaka.

Source: The Daily Star

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan Papon, CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury and national team captain Shakib Al Hasan were served a legal notice today, asking them to resign from their positions and taking responsibility for the ICC World Cup 2023 debacle. Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Khundkar Hasan Shahriyar sent the legal notice through registered post.

Within thirty days, he demanded that the BCB’s highest-ranking officials dismiss the entire national team coaching staff and selection committee, as well as establish a committee to investigate the team’s debacle at the World Cup. The attorney stated in the legal notice that if they fail to comply, suitable legal proceedings will be initiated. The Bangladeshi squad had earlier returned from India in the early hours of Saturday after a catastrophic performance in the World Cup. The Tigers narrowly qualified for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy by finishing eighth in the competition with only two wins out of nine matches.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/sports/sports-special/icc-cricket-world-cup-2023/news/shakib-papon-nizamuddin-sent-legal-notice-step-down-world-cup-failure-3468031

Genofax, a healthcare technology startup, has unveiled AI-enabled Health-Metric Determination (AIeh-MD), a novel technological solution that potentially detects early indications of conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, and diabetes by monitoring the gut microbiome of an individual. Two Bangladeshi scientists named Zahangir Alam and Dr. Abed Chaudhury founded the company.

The gut is home to trillions of microbes, which is called the gut microbiome. Disruption of the microbiome, known as dysbiosis, has been associated with a variety of health problems including obesity, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), among others. Genofax employs this notion to forecast metabolic patterns and deliver tailored recommendations through the examination of fecal samples utilizing DNA sequencing technology and big data analytics.

Zahangir Alam is a CSE graduate from RUET who moved to Australia in 2011. That year he founded a global enterprise that creates innovative technology solutions called Teleaus. The other founder of Genofax is renowned geneticist, author and scientist Dr Abed Chaudhury, who has been an expert on biology and genetics for over 40 years.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/tech-startup/news/two-bangladeshi-scientists-ai-tech-can-predict-diabetes-3467871

Netflix has officially confirmed an anime adapted from the famous sci-fi series ‘Terminator’. The anime series will be jointly made by Production I.G, Skydance Media, and writer Mattson Tomlin. Netflix made this announcement in a trailer from their official YouTube channel.

This series will be produced by Production I.G, a Japanese animation studio renowned for its work on iconic anime series including Ghost in the Shell, xxxHolic, Eden of the East, Psycho-Pass, and others. Additionally, Production I.G. developed the original anime series B: The Beginning, which debuted globally on Netflix in March 2018. Additionally, the trailer revealed that Matt Tomlin, renowned for his work on the script for the Netflix series Project Power, will be contributing to the production. The anime will have original characters. The story, set in a fictional alternate timeline, will revolve around an AI scientist, Malcolm Lee, who is preyed upon by a robot assassin sent to the past by the self-aware AI network Skynet. A “soldier from the future” also comes to the past to keep Malcolm safe. The story so far sounds similar to the original 1984 ‘The Terminator’ movie. It is currently not known when Netflix plans to release this anime series, with the trailer only saying: ‘coming soon, only on Netflix’.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/tech-startup/news/netflixs-terminator-anime-series-coming-soon-3467856

Robonium Bangladesh, a Bangladeshi robotics team, has achieved 5th position in the World Robot Olympiad 2023 held in Panama. The young team consists of Israfil Shaheen Arannya of Cantonment Public School and College, Rangpur; and Qazi Mostahid Labib and Tafsir Tahrim of Sunnydale. They participated in the ‘Future Innovators (Senior)’ category and won the 5th position, competing against 451 teams from 77 different countries.

Bangladeshi team ‘mechaScratch_404,’ consisting of Abu Nafis Mohammad Noor Rohan and Mahir Tajwar Chowdhury, secured the 11th position in the ‘Future Engineers’ category. Another Bangladeshi team, ‘Bite Bandits,’ whose members are Chowdhury Muhammad Minhatullah, Atika Binte Amin, and Hashibuzzaman Bhuiyan, achieved the 16th position in the ‘Future Innovators (Senior)’ category. WRO has four primary categories: RoboMission, RoboSports, Future Innovators, and Future Engineers. In the RoboMission and Future Innovators segments, competitors are placed into 3 age-based groups: Elementary, Junior High, and Senior High. Elementary category consists of participants under 13 years old, Junior High is for those aged 11 to 15, and Senior High includes ages 14 to 19.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/tech-startup/news/bangladeshi-team-5th-world-robot-olympiad-2023-3466496

Bollywood fans in Bangladesh got to watch the Shah Rukh Khan starrer film “Jawan”, on the same day as its global release. Similarly, there was much eagerness that the Salman Khan starrer film “Tiger 3” will be released in Bangladesh on the same day as the global release. But the film will now be releasing on November 17 instead, confirmed Jaaz Multimedia, the importers of the movie.

In accordance to the SAFTA agreement, Jaaz Multimedia applied to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting asking for permission to release “Tiger 3” in Bangladesh on October 31. They have yet to receive that permission. The import and release policy has been affected by the exchange of the 2018 film “Poramon 2” with “Tiger 3.”

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/entertainment/tv-film/news/tiger-3-not-releasing-bangladesh-its-global-release-3467051

Today, 3 Bangladeshi travelers were killed in a houseboat fire on Dal Lake in Srinagar. The police reported that hours after a massive fire reduced several houseboats on the lake to embers early this morning, the remains were discovered. The three visitors were residing on the Safeena houseboat, which was destroyed in the fire.

At least five houseboats have been destroyed, some others suffered damage, officials said. Police said the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/3-tourists-from-bangladesh-killed-in-houseboat-fire-at-srinagars-dal-lake-4566810

Tourists who will be visiting Cox’s Bazar can now have open-top bus rides as the district administration has introduced 2 tourist buses, set to travel the 80km Marine Drive within the tourist zone. PM Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate these buses on Saturday.

The unveiling of these tourist buses is targeted at increasing Cox’s Bazar’s attractiveness among visitors. The buses, adorned with BRTC and tourist bus stickers of Cox’s Bazar’s destinations, were displayed Saturday morning near the district administration’s information centre. The buses will accommodate 55 passengers each, will be operated by the district administration of Cox’s Bazar. The route covers Labani, Sugandha, and Kalatali points on Cox’s Bazar beach to Rejukhal Bridge, continuing to Patuartek on Marine Drive. Stops along the way will let tourists explore various destinations.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/330680/open-top-bus-service-starts-in-cox-s-bazar