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

Netizens are criticizing the rendition of the iconic song “Karar Oi Louho Kopat” by A.R. Rahman, that was featured in the film Pippa. The essence of the song has been lost in this rendition, according to some. In the past, numerous musicians have attempted to preserve the song’s integrity while performing alternative renditions, but this attempt has been widely deemed unsuccessful.

Music composer Debojyoti Mishra said, “We all know A.R. Rahman as a genius composer and an insightful individual. Personally, he’s a friend of mine. However, it’s distressing to see that the iconic song of the legendary rebel poet and composer, Kazi Nazrul Islam, has been brutally murdered. Like many others, I’m deeply shocked by this tragedy. It’s a nightmarish scenario, and even as a standalone piece.”

Source: https://m.timesofindia.com/entertainment/bengali/music/a-r-rahman-is-being-heavily-criticised-for-his-version-of-kazi-nazrul-islams-patriotic-song/articleshow/105121666.cms

The United States is the single largest market for Bangladeshi-made garments. Bangladesh’s garment exports are on the decline. In the first nine months of this year (January-September), the export of clothing to the US market has decreased by 23.33 percent. Out of this, exports have decreased by almost 35 percent (34.71 percent) in the month of September alone.

According to data from the US Department of Commerce, Bangladesh exported $5.78 billion worth of ready-made garments to the country during the January-September period, compared to $7.54 billion in the same period last year. Comparing these two periods, garment exports in the country decreased by 1.76 billion dollars or 1.76 billion dollars.

Exporters say the economic slowdown and high inflation caused by the Russia-Ukraine war have reduced the purchasing power of US consumers. And because of this, the demand for ready-made clothes has decreased. This has had a negative impact on the export of garments to the country.

According to them, such situation may prevail for another three to four months. Then maybe exports can increase gradually.

Source: Jugantor

নিত্যপণ্যের দরের ঊর্ধ্বগতির কারণে দেশের বিভিন্ন অঞ্চলের মানুষ কষ্টে থাকলেও কৃষিভিত্তিক অর্থনীতির অঞ্চল রংপুরে তার নির্বাচনী এলাকার মানুষ বেশ ভালো আছে বলে দাবি করেছেন বাণিজ্য মন্ত্রী টিপু মুনশি।

সেই ভালো থাকার ‘প্রমাণ’ ফ্যাশনে পড়েছে বলেও মনে করেন তিনি। দাবি করেছেন, তার এলাকার নারীরা এখন ‘লিপস্টিকে মন দিয়েছে।’

এ কারণে আগামী নির্বাচনের বৈতরণী পার হতে তেমন সমস্যা হবে না বলেও আশা করছেন বাণিজ্যমন্ত্রী। বুধবার সাংবাদিকদের এক প্রশ্নে তিনি বলেন, “আমার এলাকার মানুষের কোনো কষ্ট নেই। তারা আলুর দাম পাচ্ছে।” “দেশের একেকটা এলাকায় একেক পরিস্থিতি। আমার এলাকা কৃষিপ্রধান হওয়ায় তারা ভালো আছেন। কিন্তু ঢাকা শহরে যে নির্বাচন করবে তার অনেক সমস্যা হবে।”

“আমার এলাকায় কৃষিভিত্তিক অর্থনীতি, আলুভিত্তিক অর্থনীতি। তাদের কোনো কষ্ট নেই। মহিলারা দিনে তিনবার করে লিপিস্টিক লাগাচ্ছে, চারবার করে স্যান্ডেল পাল্টাচ্ছে। সুতরাং আমার ভোটের কোনো সমস্যা হবে না। এটা আমি খুব ভালো করেই জানি।”

Source: https://bangla.bdnews24.com/business/lkg2ktlk7a

Yonhap News Agency reported on Wednesday that a man was crushed to death by a robot in South Korea after the machine evidently failed to distinguish him from the boxes of bell peppers it was handling.

According to Yonhap, the robotic arm pressured the man’s upper body against the conveyor belt, causing his face and torso to be crushed. According to the report, he was transferred to the hospital but later passed away.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/asia/news/south-korean-man-killed-industrial-robot-identified-him-box-3465376

A woman from Teknaf, Monira Begum, went to jail in place of Senuwara Begum, who was charged with a connection to a narcotics case. Senuwara Begum paid her to do jail time in place of her. When Monira Begum’s fingerprints were taken in jail last month so that those could be matched with the records in the NID server, police found the discrepancy.

The Chattogram Prison authorities found around 12 more similar incidents in the prison in 2023. Among them, 2 are still in jail while the rest are on bail, said the authorities. In most cases, poor people serve the time instead of the actual convicts. The authorities said that the inmates told them they got between Tk 3,000 and Tk 15,000 to serve someone else’s time. Jail officials said the prison authority got access to the NID server since January, which allowed them to detect such fraudulence. Chattogram Central Jail’s Superintendent Muhammad Manjur Hossain said, “We have a prisoner database where we keep details of prisoners, including fingerprints. Recently, we have been able to match our data with the NID server.”

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/serving-others-jail-term-just-tk-3000-3465316

Yesterday EU scientists said that 2023 is set to be the world’s warmest in 125,000 years, after data showed last month was the hottest recorded October by a large margin.

Last month crossed the previous highest October mean temperature, from 2019, by 0.4 degrees Celsius, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) Deputy Director Samantha Burgess said, describing the temperature anomaly as “very extreme”. This has resulted in 2023 as a whole “virtually certain” to be the warmest year captured. The heat is a consequence of continued greenhouse gas release from burning of fossil fuels, added to the naturally occurring El Nino climate pattern, which warms the surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The latest hottest year on record is 2016, which is also an El Nino year, although 2023 is on track to surpass that.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/world/news/2023-set-be-warmest-125000-years-3465106

A Jubo League leader in Feni ended up in jail yesterday in a case over torching a truck on Thursday during a 3-day blockade enforced by the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islaami.

The 35-year-old arrestee, Nurul Uddin Tipu, is a member of both the Feni Jubo League and the Dhalia Union Jubo League, according to Feni Sadar Jubo League President Nurul Abbas, who spoke to The Daily Star. On Thursday, according to the OC of the Feni Sadar Model Police Station, Mohammad Shahidul Islam Chowdhury, some criminals set fire to a vehicle from a Chattogram sugar factory on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Feni. Ujjal Baidya, the truck owner who is from the Dewan Bazar area in Chattogram’s Bakalia, filed a case against 15 to 20 unidentifiable people under the Special Powers Act with Feni Model Police Station on Thursday night. He claimed that the damage caused by the fire cost Tk 1.5 lakh. The primary investigation unearthed Tipu being involved in the arson incident, said the OC.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/countrywide-blockade/news/torching-truck-feni-jubo-league-leader-lands-jail-3464046

Actor Patrick Dempsey, who starred in the show “Grey’s Anatomy”, was named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” for 2023 on Tuesday, succeeding Marvel star Chris Evans, who had the honor for the year of 2022.

Dempsey, who is currently 57 years of age, said he was “completely shocked” when he got the news and thought it was some kind of a joke. “It’s nice to have the recognition, and certainly my ego takes a little bump, but it gives me the platform to use it for something positive,” Dempsey told the magazine for their cover story. In December of this year, Dempsey will star in the biopic “Ferrari”, directed by Michael Mann, where he will portray Italian Formula One driver Piero Taruffi. The movie also features Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz in its cast.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/entertainment/tv-film/news/patrick-dempsey-named-people-magazines-sexiest-man-alive-3464656

According to reports, Grand Theft Auto VI, the upcoming installment in the immensely popular open-world franchise, could be unveiled by Rockstar Games as early as this week. Bloomberg reports that an announcement regarding the release of a trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI in December, which will commemorate the 25th anniversary of Rockstar Games, could be made this week.

In February 2022, Rockstar made its initial confirmation that it was at work on the next Grand Theft Auto and that active development was “well underway.” Since then, Bloomberg has reported that Grand Theft Auto VI, inspired by Bonnie and Clyde, will feature the series’ first female protagonist. Reportedly, Grand Theft Auto VI will also take place in a fictitious version of Miami, comparable to the setting of GTA: Vice City (2002). Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to arrive in 2024.

Source: Rockstar Games

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh has been urged by UN Rights Chief Volker Turk to release Khaleda Zia, the main opposition leader, so that she may receive urgent medical treatment abroad. Zia, a two-time former premier, was at “high risk” of dying without medical intervention abroad, according to Bangladeshi clinicians, after the Hasina administration denied her requests to depart.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Turk said in a letter to the Bangladeshi PM that Zia’s release would be seen as “a significant step towards political dialogue & reconciliation”. “I call upon your government to consider her release to allow her to receive the urgent and specialised medical care that she needs abroad,” he wrote in the letter dated 1 November.

Source: https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/3iixv2lu76

Once more, the United Nations (UN) has conveyed concerns regarding the mass arrest and the broader state of affairs in Bangladesh. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the United Nations secretary-general, stated this on Tuesday during a press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York. Stephane Dujarric was questioned regarding the Bangladeshi government’s rejection of the secretary-general’s appeals to cease violence, excessive force, and detention.

The journalist mentioned that the ruling party’s secretary has called the UN useless and said it has no role in the world except for saying some good words. “So what is your position as over 8,000 opposition protesters had been detained, and people are killed by the police?”, he asked. In reply, the spokesman said such allegations on the UN is nothing new. “On the situation in Bangladesh, I would refer you to what we’ve been saying for the last week, if not more, expressing our concern at the high number of arrests and the overall environment,” he added.

Source: https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/24okytictq