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HC waives toll collection from Fire Service vehicles
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01 Jul 2024, 16:40
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HC waives toll collection from Fire Service vehicles
The High Court (HC) has directed the authorities concerned not to collect toll from fire service vehicles while plying on expressways, highways, important bridges, ferries and roads.The HC also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain as to why toll collection on fire service vehicles should not be declared illegal.
A two-member HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Masud Hossain Dolon passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed in this regard.
Earlier, on May 7 lawyer Mohammad Monir Uddin filled the writ petition in public interest.
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Google Wants Nuclear Reactors to Power its AI Data Centers
US technology giant Google said on Monday that it plans to purchase nuclear power in order to operate data centers.
Google announced an agreement with California-based Kairos Power to bring small modular reactors (SMR) online by 2030, with additional reactor deployments through 2035, the company said.
No financial details of the deal have been made available and it is still unclear whether Google wants to co-finance the construction of the power plants or just purchase electricity after completion.
With the announcement, Google becomes the latest tech company to turn to nuclear energy to cope with the high demand of electricity propelled by its development of artificial intelligence (AI).
"We believe that nuclear energy has a critical role to play in supporting our clean growth and helping to deliver on the progress of AI," Google senior director of energy and climate said during a briefing.
"The grid needs these kinds of clean, reliable sources of energy that can support the build out of these technologies."
Kairos says SMRs are safer
Other companies like Microsoft have already bet on nuclear energy. Three Mile Island, the site of America's worst nuclear accident, is expected to restart operations to provide energy to Microsoft.
Kairos Power said that the SMRs that it will provide for Google are cooled with molten fluoride salts instead of water. The company said that this design is deemed safer than conventional reactors because the coolant does not boil.
Although SMRs are seen as a pioneering new technology, backed by big investors such as Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the technology is still nascent and lacks regulatory approval.
Data centers use more electricity than entire countries
Data centers raise Google's emissions
US tech companies have recently made commitments to climate-neutral operations.
In recent years, they have increasingly relied on renewable energy, but AI has challenged that model with its increasingly high demand for electricity.
"Overall, this deal will enable up to 500 MW of new 24/7 carbon-free power to US electricity grids and help more communities benefit from clean and affordable nuclear power," Google manager Michael Terrell said in a blog post.
In 2023, 64% of the energy used by Google's data centers and offices was CO2-free, but the company's CO2 emissions still rose by 13% within a year.
Data centers' energy consumption played a major role in Google's rising emissions.
Netflix Adds Millions of Subscribers But Growth Slows
Netflix on Thursday said it added more than five million subscribers in the recently ended quarter but signaled slowing growth. BSS news.
The streaming juggernaut said it ended September with 282.7 million subscribers, reporting a profit of $2.4 billion on revenue that jumped 15 percent to $9.8 billion compared with the same period a year earlier.
Netflix said it continued to build up its US advertising business, which is on track to launch in Canada by the end of this year and in other countries in 2025.
"We've delivered on our plan to reaccelerate our business, and we're excited to finish the year strong with a great slate (of shows)," the streaming television powerhouse said in a letter to investors.
Shows set for release on Netflix this quarter include a second season of the global hit "Squid Game."
The dystopian Korean horror tale about a fictional, deadly game show remains by far the most-watched Netflix TV series ever.
Netflix this quarter will also stream a boxing match-up between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul as well as a pair of US National Football League games on Christmas.
The streamer said that membership on the ads plan grew 35 percent quarter-over-quarter and accounted for over half of sign-ups in countries where it's available.
Emarketer senior analyst Ross Benes warned that Netflix will need to be careful not to degrade the experience for viewers as it weaves ads into programming, and forecast that US ad revenue would be a small fraction of the money the company takes in.
Netflix said the average amount of time spent watching its platform grew in the recently-ended quarter, touting a string of hits including "The Perfect Couple", "Emily in Paris", and "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F".
350cc Royal Enfield to be Launched in Bangladesh, Price and Features
350cc motorcycle is coming to the market of the country after a long year of approval. 350cc 'Royal Enfield' bike will be launched in Bangladesh on October 21.
Ifad Motors, the local manufacturer of Royal Enfield motorcycles, revealed this information on Friday (October 18).
A new LED headlamp is going to be seen in it, along with a new taillight, updates are going to be seen in the USB charging port, as well as many changes have been given in its instrument cluster.
According to the report, disc brakes and single and dual-channel ABS are also going to be seen on two wheels.
Apart from this, new colors are going to be seen in Royal Enfield Classic 350, which includes Jodhpur Blue, Medallion Bronze, Commando Sand, Madras Red, Copper with Copper Highlights, Regal Green, Grey, Black, Chrome, and it has been launched in Signal, Dark, Emerald, Heritage, Heritage Premium variant varieties
Ifad Motors has set up a state-of-the-art production facility under its own management at Chauddagram, Cumilla for the production of Royal Enfield. Which is capable of producing world-class motorcycles. Royal Enfield's 350cc bike will be launched in Bangladesh on October 21. However, they have kept the price of the bike as a surprise for the customers.
However, according to sources, the Royal Enfield 350cc bike can be priced between four and a half lakh to five and a half lakh taka.
Earlier, in September last year, the Ministry of Home Affairs gave permission to drive motorcycles up to 350cc on the road. As a result, high CC bikes get an opportunity to enter the country's market.
Cyclone Dana May Hit Khulna, Trigger Coastal Flooding
A low-pressure system has formed over the southeastern Bay of Bengal, which is expected to develop into a depression on Monday, October 21, and intensify into a deep depression on Tuesday. By Wednesday, it could transform into Cyclone Dana, posing a threat to West Bengal, India, and Bangladesh’s Khulna region.
Forecasts from American and European weather models on Sunday, October 20, suggest that the cyclone may strike the Bangladesh coast. The system is projected to make landfall between midnight on October 23 and the evening of October 24 as a severe cyclone, with wind speeds ranging from 89 to 110 kilometers per hour, possibly gusting up to 140 km/h.
Coastal Areas at Risk of High Tides
If Cyclone Dana makes landfall during high tide, coastal areas of Satkhira, Khulna, and Bagerhat may experience high tide surges 6 to 8 feet higher than usual. In the event of low tide, surges of 2 to 4 feet above normal levels are expected.
India’s Meteorological Department (IMD) has also reported that the system is steadily strengthening. IMD forecasts suggest the cyclone will form on October 23 and advance towards the northwestern Bay of Bengal, potentially impacting Odisha and West Bengal on the morning of October 24. The Bay of Bengal is expected to remain turbulent until October 25, with wind speeds over the sea reaching 110-120 km/h.
Meteorologist Md. Omar Faruk has warned that while the cyclone is likely to impact Odisha and West Bengal, there is still a chance it could shift course and hit Bangladesh directly.
DU Admission Tests Begin January 4
The admission tests for the new academic year at Dhaka University (DU) will commence on January 4.
The decision was announced on Monday (October 21) following a meeting of the university's general admissions committee. As per the schedule, the Fine Arts unit exam will take place on January 4, followed by the Arts, Law, and Social Sciences unit on January 25. The Science unit test is set for February 1, and the Business Studies unit exam will be held on February 8.
Additionally, the IBA unit's admission test is scheduled for January 3.
Applications for the admission tests will open on November 4 at 12 PM and close on November 25 at 11:59 PM. This year's application fee is set at 1,050 BDT.
6.2 Million Girls to Receive Cervical Cancer Vaccine
The government has launched an initiative to administer the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to prevent cervical cancer among adolescent girls. As part of this effort, free vaccinations will begin on Thursday (October 24) across seven divisions, excluding Dhaka.
At a national advocacy meeting on the 2024 HPV Vaccination Campaign, held on Tuesday (October 22) at the InterContinental Hotel in Dhaka, officials shared these details.
Last year, the first phase of the campaign began in Dhaka Division, covering approximately 1.5 million girls. This year’s second phase will expand to all districts, upazilas, city corporations, and municipalities in Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal, Sylhet, Rangpur, and Mymensingh. Girls aged 10-14 can receive the vaccine at educational institutions and EPI centers.
The campaign will run for 18 days, aiming to vaccinate 6,212,532 girls. Registration is required on the website www.vaxepi.gov.bd using a 17-digit birth registration number.
UNICEF Country Representative Emma Brigham emphasized the importance of protecting young girls' health and rights, calling the campaign a significant step for millions of girls in Bangladesh.
WHO Deputy Representative Dr. Rajesh Narwal highlighted the preventability of cervical cancer, stating, “This campaign is not only crucial for prevention but also for achieving elimination by 2030.”
Senior Secretary of the Health Services Division, M.A. Akmal Hossain Azad, expressed hope that collaboration among all stakeholders will ensure the campaign’s success.
The meeting was chaired by Dr. Md. Abu Jafar, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), with other key officials from health, education, and family planning sectors in attendance.
AI Listens for Diabetes: Detecting Disease in 10 Seconds Flat
In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), many tasks have become easier. A recent study shows that AI can detect Type-2 diabetes just by analyzing a person’s voice. It is now possible to determine whether someone has diabetes using AI-powered voice analysis.
The study was published in Digital Health, a journal by the Mayo Clinic. For women, AI was able to accurately detect diabetes with an 86% success rate, the same as for men. The research involved 267 participants, both diabetic and non-diabetic.
Over a two-week period, each participant's voice was recorded six times a day. With just a 10-second voice sample, the AI system could identify individuals with diabetes. Often, elevated blood sugar levels show no visible symptoms, making early detection challenging. By the time diabetes is diagnosed, the blood sugar level may have already crossed the danger threshold.
However, the simplicity of using AI to diagnose diabetes has sparked discussions.
Ian Fosat, one of the researchers involved in the study, remarked, “This voice-based diabetes detection is like a breakthrough. We are also exploring whether this voice technology can be used to diagnose other diseases.”
