Facebook Inc's WhatsApp messenger was down for many users in India and other countries, according to reports from multiple users on Facebook and Twitter on Friday afternoon.

Users in countries from Myanmar to Russia and Vietnam to Brazil reported that WhatsApp was down in their countries too on social media.

The extent of the outage was not immediately known, but some users reported that WhatsApp, the world's most popular messaging service, had begun to function again about 30 minutes after initial complaints of an outage.

A spokeswoman for Facebook in Singapore said the company was investigating the matter.

Whatsappdown was the top trending item on Twitter in India, which is its biggest market with roughly 200 million of its billion-plus users.

Users in Malaysia and Singapore also complained of WhatsApp being down in those regions.

Telekom Malaysia (TM) has entered a 15-year MYR916.1 million (US$210.2 million) arrangement to provide Altel Holdings subsidiary MYTV with digital broadcasting services.

Owned by tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary, MYTV was established in April 2010 to build and operate the infrastructure and network facilities for digital terrestrial television services in Malaysia. The company received a licence in 2014 for digital terrestrial TV in Malaysia, ahead of the switch from analogue broadcasting.

Under the new agreement, TM will provide MYTV with the terrestrial distribution network, satellite distribution network, broadcast contribution network, station facilities and infrastructure, operation and maintenance, satellite transponder, plus business process outsourcing contact centre, TM direct Internet connectivity and managed IP telephony.

In a filing to Bursa Malaysia, TM said the service agreement enables the telecommunications operator to take part in the transformation of the broadcasting industry in Malaysia.

“The collaboration with MYTV also gives TM the opportunity to be part of MYTV’s growth, in line with TM’s commitment of ‘Business Made Easier’ for its valued business partners,” TM told Bursa Malaysia, according to TheEdgeMarkets.com.

MYTV will develop a digital multimedia hub and a network of digital TV transmitters capable of carrying up to 39 standard definition or 13 high definition TV channels. It plans to launch broadcasting services this year, and has committed to distribute two million free decoder and antenna units to help reach 98% of Malaysia’s households.

TM will provide broadcasting infrastructure, network facilities and other related services to MYTV until the end of 2030, with an option to extend the partnership.

- rapidtvnews

 

Khazanah Nasional Bhd has announced the appointment of Christoph R. Mueller, the current chief executive officer (CEO) of Ireland's Aer Lingus Plc as CEO-designate of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) NewCo, which will be operational by July 1, 2015.

The MAS Board, effective 1 January 2015, will comprise:

* Tan Sri Md Nor Yusof (Non-Independent Non-Executive Chairman)

* Ahmad Jauhari Yahya (Managing Director/Group Chief Executive Officer)

* Christoph R. Mueller (Non-Executive Director/CEO-designate of MAS NewCo)

* David Lau Nai Pek (Senior Independent Non-Executive Director)

* Tan Sri Dr. Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah (Non-Independent Non-Executive Director)

* Mohd Shahazwan Mohd Harris (Non-Independent Non-Executive Director)

* Tan Sri Krishnan Tan Boon Seng (Independent Non-Executive Director)

* Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani (Independent Non-Executive Director)

* Tan Sri Sukarti Wakiman (Independent Non-Executive Director)

* Dr. Mohamadon Abdullah (Independent Non-Executive Director)

* Mohd Izani Ashari (Non-Independent Non-Executive Director)

* Datuk Sri Mohammed Shazalli Ramly (Non-Executive Director)

* Datuk Fauziah Yaacob (Alternate Director to Tan Sri Dr. Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah /Non-Independent Non-Executive Director)

Under the line-up of key leaderships in the NewCo, the current Celcom Axiata Bhd CEO Datuk Seri Shazalli Ramly will be appointed as non-executive director and Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd advisor Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad Abdul Majid as chairman of the Corporate Reskilling Centre.

Khazanah said the appointments were deliberated and resolved at the meeting of the Khazanah Board of Directors, chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

The appointments announced today are part of efforts by the government and Khazanah to lay strong foundations for the future success of our national carrier.

Christoph is the best candidate, and he has two equally important tasks: to lead the turnaround of our national carrier and to build local succession,” he said in the statement.

A German citizen, Mueller has been CEO of Aer Lingus since 2009. He brings more than 25 years of relevant experience in the aviation, logistics and tourism sectors to MAS.

At Aer Lingus, in the last four-and-half years, Mueller turned around the loss-making airline within a year, in a declining Irish market and tepid European market conditions.

Aer Lingus’ sustainable profitability and cash generation are built on a new strategy and business model that has enabled the 78-year-old carrier to compete in a difficult market environment with both traditional legacy airlines and low-cost carriers. It has also developed Dublin to become one of the leading hubs for North Atlantic long-haul traffic.

Aer Lingus has overall, ventured into new markets and business models, and successfully repositioned itself from primarily a business-to-business model to a business-to-consumer Model, with a 90 per cent online distribution.

Khazanah said Mueller’s appointment as MAS CEO-designate and non-executive director will take effect on Januari 1. His contract as CEO of Aer Lingus, the national airline of Ireland, ends on May 1 2015.

Source : New Straits Times