United News of Bangladesh

Elon Musk has taken control of Twitter and ousted the CEO, chief financial officer and the company’s general counsel, two people familiar with the deal said Thursday night. The people wouldn’t say if all the paperwork for the deal, originally valued at $44 billion, had been signed or if the deal has closed. But they said Musk is in charge of the social media platform and has fired CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal and General Counsel Vijaya Gadde. Neither person wanted to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the deal. The departures come just hours before a deadline set by a Delaware judge to finalize the deal on Friday. She threatened to schedule a trial if no agreement was reached. The major personnel moves are expected to be the first of many changes made by Musk, who says he can increase Twitter's subscriber base and and revenue. Earlier in the day, Musk tried to soothe leery Twitter advertisers saying that he is buying the platform to help humanity and doesn’t want it to become a “free-for-all hellscape.” The message appeared to be aimed at addressing concerns among advertisers — Twitter’s chief source of revenue — that Musk’s plans to promote free speech by cutting back on moderating content will open the floodgates to more online toxicity and drive away users. “The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence,” Musk wrote in an uncharacteristically long message for the Tesla CEO, who typically projects his thoughts in one-line tweets. Also read: ‘Entering Twitter HQ - let that sink in!’: Musk tweets He continued: “There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society.” Musk has previously expressed distaste for advertising and Twitter’s dependence on it, suggesting more emphasis on other business models such as paid subscriptions that won’t allow big corporations to dictate policy on how social media operates. But on Thursday, he assured advertisers he wants Twitter to be “the most respected advertising platform in the world.” The note is a shift from Musk's position that Twitter is unfairly infringing on free speech rights by blocking misinformation or graphic content, said Pinar Yildirim, associate professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.   But it’s also a realization that having no content moderation is bad for business, putting Twitter at risk of losing advertisers and subscribers, she said.   “You do not want a place where consumers just simply are bombarded with things they do not want to hear about, and the platform takes no responsibility,” Yildirim said.   Musk said Twitter should be “warm and welcoming to all” and enable users to choose the experience they want to have. “I didn’t do it to make money,” he said of the pending acquisition. “I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love. And I do so with humility, recognizing that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility.” Friday’s deadline to close the deal was ordered by the Delaware Chancery Court in early October. It is the latest step in a battle that began in April with Musk signing a deal to acquire Twitter, then tried to back out of it, leading Twitter to sue the Tesla CEO to force him to go through with the acquisition. If the two sides don’t meet Friday's deadline, the next step could be a November trial that could lead to a judge forcing Musk to complete the deal. But Musk has been signaling that the deal is going through. He strolled into the company’s San Francisco headquarters Wednesday carrying a porcelain sink, changed his Twitter profile to “Chief Twit," and tweeted “Entering Twitter HQ — let that sink in!” And overnight the New York Stock Exchange notified investors that it will suspend trading in shares of Twitter before the opening bell Friday in anticipation of the company going private under Musk. Musk is expected to speak to Twitter employees directly Friday if the deal is finalized, according to an internal memo cited in several media outlets. Despite internal confusion and low morale tied to fears of layoffs or a dismantling of the company's culture and operations, Twitter leaders this week have at least outwardly welcomed Musk's arrival and messaging. Top sales executive Sarah Personette, the company's chief customer officer, said she had a “great discussion” with Musk on Wednesday and appeared to endorse his Thursday message to advertisers. “Our continued commitment to brand safety for advertisers remains unchanged,” Personette tweeted Thursday. “Looking forward to the future!” Musk's apparent enthusiasm about visiting Twitter headquarters this week stood in sharp contrast to one of his earlier suggestions: The building should be turned into a homeless shelter because so few employees actually worked there. The Washington Post reported last week that Musk told prospective investors that he plans to cut three quarters of Twitter’s 7,500 workers when he becomes owner of the company. The newspaper cited documents and unnamed sources familiar with the deliberation. Musk has spent months deriding Twitter's “spam bots" and making sometimes contradictory pronouncements about Twitter's problems and how to fix them. But he has shared few concrete details about his plans for the social media platform. Thursday's note to advertisers shows a newfound emphasis on advertising revenue, especially a need for Twitter to provide more “relevant ads” — which typically means targeted ads that rely on collecting and analyzing users' personal information. Yildirim said that, unlike Facebook, Twitter has not been good at targeting advertising to what users want to see. Musk’s message suggests he wants to fix that, she said. Insider Intelligence principal analyst Jasmine Enberg said Musk has good reason to avoid a massive shakeup of Twitter’s ad business because Twitter's revenues have taken a beating from the weakening economy, months of uncertainty surrounding Musk's proposed takeover, changing consumer behaviors and the fact that "there's no other revenue source waiting in the wings." “Even slightly loosening content moderation on the platform is sure to spook advertisers, many of whom already find Twitter’s brand safety tools to be lacking compared with other social platforms,” Enberg said.

Ultra-broadband 5.5G will be a key milestone on the path to an intelligent world, David Wang, Huawei's executive director of the board and chairman of the ICT infrastructure managing board, said Thursday. He was speaking at the two-day Ultra-Broadband Forum 2022 which began in Bangkok today. "As we approach the intelligent world of 2030, home broadband speeds will reach 10 Gbit/s, marking a huge improvement over today's 1 Gbit/s experience," David said. "Now homes have an average of 5 to 20 devices connected to their Wi-Fi networks. However, this is set to change as smart home devices see broad adoption, which will drive this number up to 150 to 200. It will therefore be essential that fibre can reach every room of every home." Read: 5.5G: 'The key to building an intelligent world' By 2030, Wi-Fi networks will also be capable of delivering several 10 Gbit/s experiences for mid- and large-sized campuses and will need to support intelligent operations and management, David said. "Micro and small enterprises will need Wi-Fi networks that can deliver large bandwidth, premium experiences, and one-stop intranet services. Industrial Internet will require a bandwidth higher than 10 Gbit/s and latency lower than one millisecond," he added. "Enterprises will adopt a multi-cloud strategy that requires networks to dynamically adjust routing. Driven by green development and automation, we will see 10-fold increases in network capacity, energy efficiency, and O&M efficiency," David said.

Microsoft on Tuesday reported a 14% drop in profit for the July-September quarter compared to the same time last year, reflecting a weak market for personal computers affecting its Windows business. The company reported quarterly net income of $17.6 billion, or $2.35 per share, which still slightly beat Wall Street expectations despite undershooting last year’s results. The Redmond, Washington-based software maker posted revenue of $50.1 billion in the quarter, up 11% from last year, also beating expectations. Analysts expected Microsoft to earn $2.31 per share on revenue of $49.7 billion for the quarter. Microsoft’s personal computing business, centered on its Windows software, was widely expected to take a hit given economic uncertainties such as inflation. In addition, many consumers bought new devices during the pandemic, helping crimp demand. The company gets licensing revenue from PC manufacturers who install its Windows operating system on their products. Revenue from those licenses dropped 15% in the quarter, Microsoft said. Worldwide shipments of personal computers declined almost 20% in the quarter from the same time last year, according to market research firm Gartner, which said it was the steepest decline since it began tracking the PC market in the mid-1990s. A disappointing back-to-school sales season for new computers also contributed to a fourth consecutive quarter of year-over-year decline, Gartner said. Microsoft shares slipped more than 6% in after-hours trading Tuesday. Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood said on a conference call with investors that some of the negative factors affecting the last quarter could extend into the near future. Alluding to recent layoffs and the past year of new hires, she said net headcount growth “will be minimal” heading into the current quarter. Microsoft made up for some of the Windows-related losses through the strength of its cloud-computing services supplied to big businesses and other institutions. Revenue from that segment grew 20% from the same time last year to $20.3 billion, making it the largest source of Microsoft’s sales and growth during the period. But growth in the company’s flagship Azure cloud computing platform was lower than what analysts anticipated, in part because of what Hood described as an ongoing spike in the cost of energy needed to run powerful data centers. The second-largest business segment, made up of productivity-related software such as the Office suite of work products, grew 9% to $16.5 billion in revenue.

Summertime revenue growth at Google’s corporate parent slipped to its slowest pace since the pandemic jarred the economy more than two years ago, with advertisers clamping down on spending and bracing for a potential recession. Alphabet Inc., which owns an array of smaller technology companies in addition to Google, on Tuesday posted revenue of $69.1 billion for the July-September quarter, a 6% increase from the same time last year. It marked the first time Alphabet’s year-over-year quarterly revenue has risen by less than 10% since the April-June period of 2020. At that time, the advertisers that generate most of its revenue pulled in their reins because of the economic uncertainty during the pandemic’s early months. Google’s ad sales weakened even more dramatically than Alphabet’s overall revenue. Ad revenue totaled $54.5 billion, up just 2.5% from the same time last year. In another sign of more challenging times, YouTube’s quarterly ad sales decreased 2% from last year, the first time the video site’s revenue has regressed since Google began disclosing its results in 2019. The revenue slowdown also created a drag on Alphabet’s profits. The Mountain View, California, company earned $13.9 billion, $1.06 per share, a 27% drop from the same time last year. Both revenue and earnings per share fell below projections of analysts surveyed by FactSet. Alphabet’s shares declined nearly 7% in extended trading after the numbers came out. The stock price has plummeted by more than 30% this year, erasing about $600 billion in shareholder wealth. “Online ad spending is clearly slowing more than we thought,” said David Heger, an analyst for Edward Jones. “It looks like it is going to be tough sledding for the next few quarters.” Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai described the conditions as “uncertain” and told analysts during a conference call, “it is a moment where you take the time to optimize the company to make sure we are set up for the next decade of growth ahead.” Google’s moneymaking machine, propelled by its dominant search engine, roared back as pandemic restrictions loosened last year and government stimulus juiced the economy, helping power Alphabet to a 41% increase in its revenue last year that lifted its stock price to new peaks. But the economy has been sputtering in recent months as central bankers steadily lift interest rates to combat the highest inflation rates in more than 40 years, a strategy that is threatening to plunge the economy into a recession. As it is, many households have already tightened their budgets and cut back on some discretionary items — a trend that has prompted advertisers to spend less marketing their products and services. “This disappointing quarter for Google signifies hard times ahead,” warned Insider Intelligence analyst Evelyn Mitchell. Alphabet has vowed to scale back its hiring, but didn’t show much restraint during the summer months. After adding 17,500 employees to its payroll during the first half of the year, the company’s workforce increased by another 11,765 people in the past quarter. Alphabet ended September with nearly 187,000 employees. Ruth Porat, Alphabet’s chief financial officer, predicted during the conference call that the company will hire fewer than 6,380 workers during the final three months of this year, a more measured approach that Pichai said would continue into next year. The cautious remarks came after Pichai told Alphabet employees last month to be “a bit more responsible through one of the toughest macroeconomic conditions” of the past decade and urged them not to “equate fun with money.” Although the economy is squeezing its finances, Google is faring far better than other internet companies whose fortunes are tied to digital advertising. Facebook suffered its first year-over-year quarterly decline in revenue earlier this year. Another social networking company, Snap, has been so hard hit that its stock price has plunged by more than 80% so far this year. Facebook, Snap and a variety of other internet services rely on being able to track users’ whereabouts and online activities to target ads. Apple began blocking that tracking on iPhones 18 months ago unless users consented to the surveillance. Google’s search engine is still able to gather personal information prized by advertisers through its search engine, minimizing the impact of Apple’s tougher privacy controls on its revenue. Facebook’s corporate parent, Meta Platforms, is scheduled to report its results for the latest quarter Wednesday afternoon.

Global tech giant Huawei has called upon all industry players to prepare on all fronts so that they can move faster towards the 5.5G era and eventually build a better, intelligent world together. David Wang, Huawei's executive director of the Board and Chairman of ICT Infrastructure Managing Board, said this while delivering a keynote address at the Global Mobile Broadband Forum which began in Bangkok on Tuesday. "With the intelligent world fast approaching, the rapid changes we are set to experience will all be accompanied by increasing requirements for digital infrastructure. The next milestone we must hit on the path to the intelligent world is 5.5G. 5.5G will deliver 10 Gbit/s experiences, support hundreds of billions of connections, and help us achieve native intelligence," he said. Wang emphasized that after two years of concerted efforts across the industry, 5.5G has seen huge progress and three things have become clear. "First, the standardization of 5.5G has been initiated and is on the right track, making it more than just a vision. Second, the industry has made breakthroughs in key technologies for 5.5G, and ultra-large bandwidth and ELAA can now deliver 10 Gbit/s experience. "Third, the industry has a clear vision for the IoT landscape. Three types of 5.5G-enabled IoT technologies supported by 5.5G, namely NB-IoT, RedCap, and passive IoT, are developing rapidly and will support numerous IoT connections," he said. The communications industry, Wang said, is constantly evolving. "5.5G has been kicked into high gear. Looking ahead, our task is to tackle these five new areas – standards, spectrum, products, ecosystems, and applications. Together, let's stride to 5.5G and build a better, intelligent world." The Global Mobile Broadband Forum 2022 is hosted by Huawei, together with its industry partners, GSMA and GTI. This annual forum gathers mobile network carriers, vertical industry leaders, and ecosystem partners from around the world to discuss how to make 5G a commercial success and other hot topics like green development, intelligence, and 5G evolution. It may be mentioned that in December 2021, telecom regulator BTRC launched the initial 5G network in Bangladesh in collaboration with state-owned mobile operator Teletalk. But the initial coverage remains extremely limited, extending only to the Prime Minister's Office, Parliament, Secretariat, Bangabandhu Museum on Dhanmondi 32, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's birth place Tungipara in Gopalganj, and the National Martyrs' Memorial in Savar. The country, however, has big ambitions with 5G and its expanded capabilities in the near future, as coverage expands. Till now, it has partnered with Huawei in bringing 5G to Bangladesh.

The call for submission of research on the fourth industrial revolution – a first of its kind initiative by Awami League's subcommittee on science and technology – drew overwhelming response with papers submitted by globally and nationally acclaimed academics and experts. As many as 578 authors came up with their research papers encompassing different fields revolving 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) in technology – mostly to complement the party’s effort to build on the pledge of “Smart Bangladesh”, the next phase of digital transformation the government seeks to implement to address future challenges. Among them there are researchers from the Silicon Valley, London Imperial College, Australia’s Monash University, McMaster and Calgary universities in Canada, several universities in US, and Kyoto University in Japan, according to a press release. Set to be held next month, the two-day international conference would see participation from the country’s state minister for ICT Junaid Ahmed Palak and Engineer Md Abdus Sabur, AL’s Science and Technology Secretary, among other experts. It will take place at the capital's Engineers' Institution, Bangladesh (IEB). The international conference provides a unique opportunity for professionals, scientists, engineers, educators, researchers and students to share their views and thoughts on both the innovative drives of the government targeting 4IR and exploring emerging technologies that can lead to a “smart Bangladesh” by 2041. The organizers believe the country is progressing rapidly and to address the course of future progress, such initiatives stand as a pointer to the party’s measures for chartering out timely ideas to shape its visions. Courtesy Sajeeb Wazed, the ICT affairs advisor to PM, who has been credited with the country’s real and measurable gains in digital landscape with setting many records from making internet cost effective, taking public services at people’s doorstep, setting up ICT parks, and expansion of mobile financial services over the space of a decade, Bangladesh now boasts a significant earning from overseas through offering different services. Digital Bangladesh is a vision introduced by AL before the 2008 national election, seeking to brining about a revolution in the country’s overall rise in South Asia. In a word, this is one step forward towards works on 4IR and the party believes that this conference will give a chance to make inter and intra relationships and share knowledge among policymakers, scientists and researchers. 

After the longest reported downtime, WhatsApp messaging services are now operational again. For approximately 90 minutes, the instant messaging service was not available. Users reported receiving all messages now that WhatsApp is officially up and running. WhatsApp is currently functional on WhatsApp Web, Android, and iOS apps. Although some users claim that services on WhatsApp Web are still not functioning, phone app should be functional. Read WhatsApp down: Users report not being able to send, receive messages Many worldwide use WhatsApp, a popular messaging service owned by Meta, to send rapid texts. Earlier today, WhatsApp experienced a significant outage that lasted for about two hours. This prevented millions of WhatsApp users from sending or receiving messages globally. WhatsApp earlier claimed that it was working to resume operations. “We’re aware that some people are currently having trouble sending messages and we’re working to restore WhatsApp for everyone as quickly as possible,” a Meta spokesperson has said. Read Users report not able to send, receive messages Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are all owned by the US-based firm Meta.

Global giant Huawei’s chairman Ken Hu on Tuesday (October 25, 2022) promised to expand its investment and enhance innovation for ensuring better telecommunication under the 5G regime across the world. "5G has grown faster than any previous generation of mobile technology," Hu said in a keynote paper at the 13th Global Mobile Broadband Forum 2022, which began in Bangkok on Tuesday.  "In just three years, we've seen solid progress in network deployment, consumer services, and industry applications,” he added saying that more than 230 carriers around the world have already launched commercial 5G services. Read:Huawei ICT Incubator announces top 6 startups from Bangladesh In total, he said, the industry has set up over three million 5G base stations, serving more than 700 million subscribers.  "5G is in the fast lane," Hu said. “But there's more we can do…We need to work together to fully unleash the power of 5G networks and expand into services like cloud and system integration,” he said. Chinese company Huawei, together with its industry partners GSMA and GTI, is hosting the two-day event. Organisers say mobile network carriers, vertical industry leaders and ecosystem partners from around the world will discuss how to make 5G a commercial success, as well as other high-priority industry topics like green development, intelligence, and 5G evolution. Read:Huawei, RedDot team up to develop Bangladesh cloud market Hu said that in telecoms, consumer services still account for the bulk of carrier revenue. But now, he said, as 5G becomes more prevalent, its vastly superior experience is driving new shifts in consumer behavior, including a sharp rise in high-definition video traffic. He also said B2B 5G applications are also becoming a new engine for carrier revenue growth, producing considerable value in industries like oil and gas, manufacturing, and transportation.  Read Huawei launches its largest-ever regional Seeds for the Future Program He said these applications are not only innovative – they're generating real commercial value for carriers. In 2021, for example, Chinese carriers brought in over $500 million in new revenue from more than 3,000 industrial 5G projects. “B2B 5G applications are poised to become the fastest growing revenue stream for carriers. 5G is enabling new service scenarios, applications, and business models, paving the way for unprecedented growth opportunities in the industry,” he said. He said to keep this momentum the carriers should work together. Read Huawei cloud, digital power teams onboard 60 fresh graduates "The industry needs to come together to define standards, prepare the spectrum, and build out the ecosystem," said Hu. “Industry digitalisation is the next wave of global economic development. As a key enabler of digital transformation, 5G opens up a world of new opportunities. But the ICT ecosystem needs to work together to make the most of them,” he said. He said Huawei would continue to follow the trend of innovation. Read Huawei: Maximise network resources for 5G's commercial success

Users in several countries, including in Bangladesh, are reporting problems with WhatsApp’s text sending and receiving capabilities – suggesting that the app may be experiencing a bug. The number of people reporting the outage of WhatsApp has sharply increased, according to Downdetector, a website that measures online outages throughout the world. According to the BBC, users in the UK cannot access the messaging service. Italian and Turkish social media users both complained about not being able to send messages on WhatsApp. Read Users report not able to send, receive messages According to Downdetector, more than 11,000 users in India have reported a WhatsApp outage, compared to 68,000 in the UK and 19,000 in Singapore, as of 7:50GMT (Bangladesh time 1:50pm). WhatsApp has claimed that it is working to resume operations. “We’re aware that some people are currently having trouble sending messages and we’re working to restore WhatsApp for everyone as quickly as possible,” a Meta spokesperson has said. Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are all owned by the US-based firm Meta.  Read Top WhatsApp Alternatives for Free Calling and Group Chatting

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) mobilised a $135 million financing package for VinFast Trading and Production Joint Stock Company (VinFast) for manufacturing Vietnam's first fully-electric public transport bus fleet and first national electric vehicle (EV) charging network. The assistance will support Vietnam's efforts to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and expand high-tech manufacturing industries. The seven-year climate financing comprises a $20 million loan funded by ADB, parallel loans of $87 million facilitated by ADB as mandated lead arranger, and concessional financing of up to $28 million. Climate financing is certified by the Climate Bonds Initiative, a scientifically-based standard for labelling bonds, loans, and other debt instruments which contribute to addressing climate change. ADB has partially offset the project's risks by using concessional financing from its managed trust funds comprising a loan of up to $20 million from the Australian Climate Finance Partnership funded by the Australian Government (ACFP); a loan of up to $5 million from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF); and a grant of up to $3 million from the Climate Innovation and Development Fund, funded by Goldman Sachs and Bloomberg Philanthropies. Parallel loans were also mobilised by ADB from Export Finance Australia, the Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation, Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank AG, and ResponsAbility. "This project delivers a high-impact, sustainable transport solution for Vietnam while helping it meet its climate goals and supporting the growth of climate finance in the region," ADB Private Sector Operations Department Director General Suzanne Gaboury said. "Asia and the Pacific is the frontline of the global fight against climate change, and private sector projects like this one with innovative partners such as VinFast are crucial to help its countries decarbonise their economies." Vietnam's transport sector accounts for 18 percent of the country's annual greenhouse gas emissions, and its decarbonisation, through options like e-mobility, is expected to directly impact the country's ambition to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. "We are delighted to receive this extensive support and a long-term financing package from ADB and several esteemed international development finance Institutions. We see this as a vote of confidence in our efforts to become a global smart mobility company that offers environmentally friendly public transportation, and to advance Vietnam's transition to a low carbon economy," said VinFast's Global CEO Thuy Le. Established in 2017, VinFast is Vietnam's first domestic car company and e-vehicle manufacturer. VinFast is a subsidiary of Vingroup Joint Stock Company, Vietnam's largest private enterprise and the largest listed company in Vietnam. VinFast develops e-cars for the domestic and international markets and is investing in a nationwide network of fast-charging units to support its e-vehicle expansion in Vietnam.