Is TikTok affecting children’s focus?

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Is TikTok affecting children’s focus?

Popular social media platform TikTok and other fast-paced video apps could be ruining the attention span of the youth and children with an “endless flow” of pleasure via short, 15-second, videos warn an expert from Oxford University.

According to James Williams, an ethicist at Oxford, the Chinese short-video making app TikTok is like a “candy store” full of “immediate pleasure”, Wall Street Journal reported.

“It’s like we’ve made kids live in a candy store and then we tell them to ignore all that candy and eat a plate of vegetables,” Williams was quoted as saying.

“We have an endless flow of immediate pleasures that’s unprecedented in human history,” he added.

Williams noted this could leave children struggling to focus on everyday tasks.

The prefrontal cortex is the area of the brain that helps humans control focus. While adults are able to fully use it, children cannot as the brain is still not fully developed until the age of 25.

Scientists warn that if the brain becomes accustomed to ‘constant changes’ – like those in the digital world – it finds it difficult to stay focused, Daily Mail reported.

The short-video platform was also an instant success in India soon after it launched in September 2016. Though it was banned in the country in June 2020, over national security issues, several homegrown short-form video platforms hurriedly filled the vacuum. They now collectively attract over 240 million active monthly users.

To take on TikTok, Meta, formerly Facebook, had also launched Reels on Instagram. With Reels, one can record and edit 15-30 second multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools.

TikTok and others draw users by monitoring which videos they spend the longest watching and then showing them more videos similar to these.

Studies show that when users watch these it activates centers of the brain involved in addiction, further making it harder to put down the app.

TikTok is the second most popular social media platform among children in the US, after YouTube, with around 60 percent of those aged 12 to 15 using it weekly.

A TikTok spokeswoman told WSJ that the app had recently made changes to curb extensive use of the app, including blocking users under-15 from receiving notifications beyond 9 p.m. and sending them regular reminders to take a break, the report said.

Suriya extends Tamil new year greetings as he walks his bull in video clip

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Suriya extends Tamil new year greetings as he walks his bull in video clip

A video clip posted by actor Suriya in which he is seen walking his bull even as he wishes everybody a happy Tamil New Year, has thrilled fans of the actor.

Suriya on Thursday posted a video clip on his Twitter timeline in which the actor is seen walking his bull. He says, “My Tamizh! Sweet Tamizh New Year greetings.”

The actor is presently working on National Award-winning director Vetrimaran’s hugely anticipated action entertainer ‘Vaadivaasal’.

Actor Soori, who is also a part of the film, had on social media said that ‘Vaadivaasal’ would be an epic film that would look to take to the world, the significance of the traditional bull-taming sport of the Tamil land from where courage had originated for thousands of years.

The film is being produced by one of Tamil cinema’s popular producers Kalaipuli S Thanu.

The film is based on the novel ‘Vaadivaasal’, written by well-known Tamil writer Ci. Su. Chellappa. ‘Vaadivaasal’ was a story based on the bull-taming sport of Jallikattu.

Ranbir-Alia wedding: Sumptuous menu has vegan burgers for Alia, sushi for Ranbir

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Ranbir-Alia wedding: Sumptuous menu has vegan burgers for Alia, sushi for Ranbir

The stage is set for Ranbir Kapoor and his lady love Alia Bhatt’s big day as the two will tie the nuptial knot anytime now.

The intimate ceremony and celebrations are being attended by roughly 50 guests out of which 20 are the couple’s closest pals.

It’s no secret that the food is the cornerstone of the Kapoor Khandaan and keeping up with the tradition, the wedding menu is a delight for the attendees. While the food served to the guests has everything from tandoori chicken to dal makhni, as per media reports, a special vegan burger stall has been set up for Alia.

The ‘Highway’ actress and her BFF Anushka are big fans of vegan burgers. Hence, the stall has been stationed at the venue keeping in mind the bride’s taste. Apart from the Indian delicacies, there will also be fusion food and a sushi station at the wedding. That sushi counter is for Ranbir as he absolutely loves sushi.

ED questions ex-Punjab CM Channi in illegal sand mining case

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ED questions ex-Punjab CM Channi in illegal sand mining case

The Enforcement Directorate has questioned former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi at its Jalandhar office in connection with the illegal sand mining case involving Channi’s nephew, Bhupinder Singh Honey, and others.

The ED has already filed a charge sheet in this connection against his Honey.

“I was summoned by the ED yesterday regarding the mining case. I attended and replied to the queries put forward by them to the best of my knowledge. A challan, in this case, has already been presented by the ED in the court. The authorities have not asked me to come again,” Channi tweeted.

The ED case is based on a two-year-old FIR.

On March 7, 2018, an FIR was lodged by the Punjab Police against more than ten accused persons.

Honey was not named in the FIR, while Kudrat Deep Singh was given a clean chit in the matter.

The ED initiated a money-laundering probe on the basis of this FIR pertaining to illegal sand mining in Punjab in November 2021.

Bengal govt rations beer supply to retail liquor outlets

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Bengal govt rations beer supply to retail liquor outlets

There is bad news for beer lovers in West Bengal, and that too at a time when demand for mild alcoholic beverages is on the rise because of the scorching summer heat.

The state excise department has decided to ration the supply of the beverage to retail liquor outlets of the state till further orders.

The excise department has issued clear instructions to the West Bengal State Beverage Corporation (WBSBC), the sole wholesale supplier of alcoholic beverages in the state, on this count and also provided a formula for rationing.

Explaining the rationing formula, a senior official of the WBSBC said on condition of anonymity that as per the excise department directive, one retail liquor outlet in a month will receive only that amount of beer bottles or cans that they raised from the corporation in the same month of the previous year, i.e., 2021.

The directive is effective from April 2022 and will continue till further orders, which means till the production and supply of beer get stabilized.

Excise Commissioner S. Umashankar admitted that because of the pandemic situation, the pace of beer production had slowed, leading to the supply crisis.

However, he expressed hope that the situation will come under control soon, supplies will be stabilized and rationing will be withdrawn.

This is not the first time that the excise department has decided to ration the supply of beer in the state.

O.P. Gupta, who owns multiple retail liquor outlets, told in an interview that the new rule will be a matter of worry if the rationing continues for a long time since the demand for beer will rise further in the next three months when the summer heat will be at its peak.

The interview also contacted the office of the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies in New Delhi to get its comment on this issue. But it declined to comment on the matter.

Apple’s privacy features to cost Facebook $12.8 bn in 2022

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Apple’s privacy features to cost Facebook $12.8 bn in 2022

Months after tech giant Apple launched App Tracking Transparency (ATT), a new analysis has predicted its second year will still see major disruption to advertisers, with Facebook, YouTube, and more collectively losing around $16 billion.

According to AppleInsider, the tech giant released its feature in iOS 14 on April 26, last year, and it immediately had an impact on companies relying on advertising revenue.

By July, it was estimated to be causing a 15 percent to 20 percent revenue drop for advertisers.

Then Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg reported that his company would see a $10 billion revenue hit in 2022. In October 2021, Snapchat’s parent company Snap saw its stock price fall 25 percent over fears regarding the impact of ATT.

Now a new analysis by research firm Lotame said that ATT is continuing to have an impact — even though it is lessening.

Alongside ATT, Apple deprecated its old IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers) technology, but it has introduced new frameworks to help advertisers, and they appear to be being adopted.

“[For its second year] we think the IDFA change will have an impact on the companies of nearly $16 billion,” said Lotame in its report.

“Again with the lion’s share of that impact (81 percent) coming from Facebook,” it added.

That 81 percent for Facebook represents an estimated $12.8 billion.

Lotame estimated the rest of the lost revenue as $546 million for Snap, $323 million for Twitter, and $2.2 billion for YouTube.

However, Lotame described both Snap and Twitter as having “largely shrugged off” the situation. Each is adapting to using the new measurement systems provided by Apple, for instance.

Then, too, Facebook is working to decrease its reliance on Apple and is reportedly providing advertisers with new tools.

Telugu states pay rich tributes to Ambedkar

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Telugu states pay rich tributes to Ambedkar

Rich tributes were paid to Bharat Ratna Dr. B. R. Ambedkar in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on his 131st birth anniversary on Thursday.

Governors and chief ministers of both the Telugu states paid tributes to the architect of the Indian Constitution and recalled his services in uplifting the oppressed sections of society.

Leaders of political parties, top officials, and various Dalit organizations garlanded the statues of Ambedkar at various places on the occasion.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, in his message, recollected the unstinted efforts put by Ambedkar into the social and economic empowerment of the backward communities.

Ambedkar has enshrined adequate Acts and Laws in the Constitution to ensure the rights of backward communities and Dalits are protected despite the change of dispensations, the CM observed.

He said taking inspiration from the architect of the Indian constitution, the Telangana Government has introduced a slew of welfare schemes for BC, SC, and ST welfare by earmarking crores of rupees of funds. To empower Dalits, the Government also launched first of its kind Dalit Bandhu scheme in the country in Telangana. Under the scheme, each beneficiary will get Rs 10 lakh financial assistance with a 100 percent subsidy.

KCR said that high-standard Gurukulams were also opened to extend quality education and root out backwardness among the particular communities. He asserted Education is an important weapon to eradicate social inequalities and the empowering of poor communities.

Under Ambedkar Overseas Vidhya Nidhi, the government is also offering Rs 20 lakh scholarships to those who dreamt of pursuing higher studies in the reputed institutions in foreign countries. He said the welfare and development programs launched for SC and ST communities are drawing fruitful results as their living standards have been improved and they are leading a respectable life in society.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy offered floral tributes to Ambedkar’s portrait at his official residence in Amaravati. Some of his Cabinet colleagues were also present.

The chief minister in his message said Baba Saheb’s ideals will always be alive. He said Baba Saheb was the hope of the weaker sections.

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararjan said in her message that Ambedkar is one of India’s greatest sons, having shaped the country’s constitution. He was a zealous social reformer and a renowned lawyer.

Respected Babasaheb’s life is a shining example of the human soul’s triumph over repression, as well as a trumpet appeal for justice for the impoverished and downtrodden and ensuring basic constitutional rights of each and everyone, she said.

“Let us all follow the ideals and mandates of the Constitution respecting the constitutional office/institutions created under it, for our Nation to achieve the glory of her yore days,” she added.

In Hyderabad, Telangana’s minister for social welfare Koppula Eshwar, and minister for home Mehmood Ali garlanded the Ambedkar statue near Tank Bund.

Telangana Legislative Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Legislative Council Chairman G. Sukhender Reddy, Council member K. Kavitha, and others paid tributes to Ambedkar at his statue on Assembly premises.

Speaking on the occasion, Srinivas Reddy said Ambedkar will always be remembered for his struggle to ensure equal rights to oppressed sections of society. He said Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government was following in the footsteps of Ambedkar by implementing schemes for the upliftment of Dalits and other weaker sections.

BJP’s Telangana unit president Bandi Sanjay and other leaders paid tributes to Ambedkar at the party office in Hyderabad. Sanjay demanded that Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao pay tributes to Ambedkar’s statue. He said during the last seven years the chief minister did not garland Ambedkar’s statue even once.

Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu paid floral tributes to Ambedkar’s portrait at his residence in Amaravati.

ICC Review: Watson rates Kohli ahead of Smith, Williamson, Root and Babar among big five Test batters

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ICC Review: Watson rates Kohli ahead of Smith, Williamson, Root and Babar among big five Test batters

He may not have scored a hundred in Test matches since November 2019, but former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has picked Virat Kohli as the best among the current ‘big five’ batters in red-ball cricket.

Watson has rated Kohli ahead of Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, Australia’s Steve Smith, and England Test captain Joe Root in the latest episode of The ICC Review, the ICC’s monthly podcast.

The world’s current No.1 Test batter Marnus Labuschagne, who has played 26 Test matches and averages 54.31, would have increased the ‘big ‘ive’ to a ‘big six’, but was left out of the debate for this topic due to a 40-Test minimum being the criteria selected, the ICC said in a report on its official website.

Watson rates the 33-year-old Kohli at the top of the unofficial ‘big five’ with Babar Azam second, with Smith, Williamson, and Root following in that order from third to fifth. Kohli has scored 8043 runs in 171 innings of 101 Tests at an average of 49.95, Babar has 2851 in 71 innings of 40 Tests at 45.98 is second while Smith with 8010 runs from 151 innings of 85 matches is third with an average of 59.77.

Williamson has scored 7272 runs in 150 innings of 86 Tests at 53.57 while Root has 9889 runs in 216 innings of 117 Test matches at 49.19.

Though Smith and Williamson have a batting average that is better than Kohli and Joe Root has amassed more runs than all of them, Watson said he will rate the former India captain as No 1 among the unofficial Big Five because of his high intensity every time he goes out to play.

“In Test match cricket, I am always going to say, Virat Kohli,” Watson said, when asked by Isa Guha, former England cricketer and commentator, about who he thought is the best Test batter in the world.

“It’s nearly superhuman, what he is able to do because he has such high intensity every time he goes out to play,” Watson was quoted as saying by the ICC website.

While Kohli is only rated 10th on the ICC Men’s Test batter rankings, the Indian great holds a remarkable Test batting record. Kohli has scored 27 Test centuries and 28 half-centuries and currently has a Test batting average of just under 50, it said,

Though Azam finished as Pakistan’s second-highest run-scorer during the recent three-Test series against Australia and has impressed everyone, Watson said he still has some way to go to claim his top ranking in the illustrious group.

As far as his compatriot Steve Smith, Watson said the former Australia captain has dropped down that list a little bit.

“Steve Smith has just started to come off a little bit,” Watson added. “It looks like Smith has really started to play for time a little bit more and is not putting as much pressure on the bowlers as he did when was at his absolute best. For me, Steve has dropped down that list a little bit.”

About Williamson, Watson said the Black Caps captain has been hampered by elbow issues. As far as Root is concerned Watson said the England captain has not been able to score big like has done in the past.

“Joe Root recently scored a hundred but he has had a bit of time along the lines of Steve Smith where he hasn’t been able to nail the big scores as he has done in the past,” Watson said.

“It’s incredible how these world-class batters just go through waves where instead of scoring those big hundreds, get the 70s-80s, but still have an impact on the game but are not able to really maintain that really high standard of getting those big runs as they have done in the past.”

Currently rated fourth on the ICC Men’s Test batter rankings, Root showed his class during England’s recent Test series against the West Indies by making consecutive centuries for his country. In total, he has 25 Test centuries to his name.

The ICC said Watson’s ranking of the ‘big five’ is sure to generate a debate and it sure will as Kohli has not been that successful in recent times.

In the last-10 matches, he trails the other four with 553 runs at 30.72 while Williamson leads the pack 950 from 17 innings. Root has 789 from 19 innings of 10 Tests, Smith 773 in 16 innings while Azam has amassed 769 runs in 16 innings of his last 10 Tests at an average of 48.06.

Delhi school teacher, student test positive for Covid

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Delhi school teacher, student test positive for Covid

A Delhi school teacher and student at a private school tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, and both have been sent on leave, officials said.

As a precautionary measure, all classmates of the affected student have also been sent home.

The worrying news has come a day after Delhi recorded 299 new Covid cases on Wednesday, a rise of nearly 50 percent.

“There are reports of a child and a teacher testing positive for Covid. Other students in the class have been sent home. We are closely tracking the situation,” ruling AAP’s MLA Atishi said.

Several schools in Delhi and adjoining areas have reported Covid cases since the beginning of the new academic session. Around 22 students from four schools in Noida have tested positive for Covid infection in the last few days.

The Gautam Buddh Nagar Health Department on Monday issued an advisory to schools across Noida and Greater Noida, asking them to immediately inform it about any child with cough, cold, fever or any Covid-like symptoms for timely treatment.

Fans impressed with Jr NTR’s post-RRR look

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Fans impressed with Jr NTR’s post-RRR look

Following the phenomenal success of S.S. Rajamouli’s epic ‘RRR,’ Jr NTR appears to have taken a break to build his looks for his next film.

A year after the announcement of NTR’s next film ‘NTR30, a photo of Jr NTR with another person has surfaced, with his fans claiming it to be the most recent snap.

As the photo suggests, Jr NTR has undergone a visible makeover. Tarak’s fans think he looks better with cropped hair and a trimmed beard.

This suave look has struck a chord with Tarak’s fans after seeing him in a rugged look as Bheem in ‘RRR’.

This image of Jr NTR in a new look has come as a breath of fresh air to his fans, as in the said snap, he certainly appears to be well-dressed, and his weight loss is obvious too.

Tarak’s new look has his fans excited, amidst the reports that he is losing weight for ‘NTR30’.

Fans upset as Kajal Aggarwal absent in ‘Acharya’ trailer

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Fans upset as Kajal Aggarwal absent in ‘Acharya’ trailer

‘Acharya’ makers released the theatrical trailer of the movie a few days ago, which featured Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan.

Kajal Aggarwal, who is one of the female leads, was nowhere to be seen in the trailer, which has upset her fans.

Fans of Kajal, who expected to see her in the trailer, were disappointed by her absence. “In a 2.33-minute trailer, the makers didn’t care to show at least a glimpse of Kajal’s role, which isn’t fair,” one of her fans wrote.

“Is Kajal’s role in the movie cut?” asked another Twitter user. “Perhaps her role isn’t introduced to keep the suspense going?” asks one commenter.

Not only that, but Kajal Aggarwal, who has been very active on social media recently, chose not to share the ‘Acharya’ trailer.

There is widespread speculation in the film industry that all is not well between Chiranjeevi and Kajal Aggarwal after the release of the ‘Acharya trailer.

‘Acharya’ directed by Koratala Siva, is set to be released on April 29.

Pooja Hegde co-stars with Ram Charan, while Kajal Aggarwal co-stars with Chiranjeevi.

‘KGF’ team collaborates with Snapchat for AR lenses

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‘KGF’ team collaborates with Snapchat for AR lenses

‘KGF: Chapter 2’ is set to open in theatres around the world on Thursday and the ‘KGF’ team has worked with Snapchat to develop the most engaging AR lenses for fans all over the world.

The Snapchat lens allows fans to show their support for their big-screen idols while also getting closer to their favorite ‘KGF’ characters. Snapchat has released two new ‘KGF lenses.

The user can use the ‘KGF 1’ and ‘KGF 2’ character transition lens to see himself or herself in Rocky’s iconic look in ‘KGF 1’ and then transition to Rocky’s most recent look in ‘KGF 2’, accompanied by background music and dialogues.

Another intriguing Snapchat feature is the ‘KGF 2’ character appearance, which allows the user to use the lens to choose one of three sides – Rocky, Adheera, or Ramika Sen – and view himself or herself in that mode.

Kannada superstar Yash stated, “It’s been an incredible experience to be a part of the KGF franchise.” The overwhelming support and encouragement we received from our first chapter’s fans have pushed us to deliver an even more powerful performance this time.”

“I believe that with the KGF-themed lenses, everyone will be able to celebrate the triumphant return of Chapter 2”, Yash conveyed.

Chaluve Gowda, Partner, and Co-Founder of Hombale Films commented on the AR-led promotion strategy, saying, “We are very excited to bring the ‘KGF: Chapter 2’ to our fans all over the world.

“Our goal with the ‘KGF’ AR lenses was to bring fans closer to their favorite stars, strengthen the fan-community spirit, and proudly celebrate their fandom.”

No change in Omicron BA.4, BA.5 severity or transmissibility so far:Omicron

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No change in Omicron BA.4, BA.5 severity or transmissibility so far:Omicron

While there have been a few cases of new Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5, so far there is no change seen in the severity of transmissibility, the World Health Organisation has said.

The new sub-variants have to date been detected in South Africa, Botswana, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, and the UK.

The global health agency earlier said that it is keeping a track of the new variants.

“There are less than 200 sequences available so far and we expect this to change…We are tracking (the virus) very closely to see if there is an uptick in case detection, but (so far) we haven’t seen any change in epidemiology or severity,” WHO lead epidemiologist Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove said at a press event on Wednesday.

The global health agency said it had begun tracking the two sub-variants because of their “additional mutations that need to be further studied to understand their impact on immune escape potential”.

In its latest weekly epidemiological update, the WHO noted that the number of new Covid-19 cases and deaths continues to decline. During the week of April 4-10 for a third consecutive week, more than 7 million cases and over 22,000 deaths were reported, a decrease of 24 percent and 18 percent, respectively, as compared to the previous week.

“On Covid-19, there’s good news. Last week, the lowest number of Covid-19 deaths was recorded since the early days of the pandemic,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press briefing in Geneva on Wednesday.

However, the agency warned that lower case numbers and deaths do not necessarily mean ‘lower risk’ as the pandemic continues to remain a public health emergency.

Ghebreyesus advised countries to be prepared to scale up Covid-19 response rapidly.

He reiterated that higher testing and sequencing rates are vital for scientists to track existing variants and identify new ones as they emerge.

“At present, there are a number of Omicron sub-lineages we’re following closely, including BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5 and another recombinant detected, made up of BA.1 and BA.2”, he said.

WHO’s director of emergencies, Michael Ryan warned that as the virus continues to evolve, the world “cannot simply afford to lose sight of it”.

“It would be very short-sighted at this point to assume that lower numbers of cases mean absolute lower risks. We are pleased to see deaths dropping but this virus has surprised us before, it has caught us off guard before,” he added.

Meanwhile, WHO’s lead scientist Dr. Soumiya Swaminathan, said that sub-lineages and recombinants will continue to appear, and the world must continue investing in improved tools such as new vaccines.

“We have to be prepared for the possibility that this virus can change so much that it might be able to evade existing immunity”, she said.

Ghebreyesus emphasized that currently, the virus remains deadly, especially for the unprotected and unvaccinated that don’t have access to health care and antivirals.

Besides getting vaccinated, he also advised people to continue wearing masks – especially in crowded indoor spaces and maintain good ventilation.

The WHO chief also urged forA equitable distribution of Covid tools and strengthening of health systems.

“Bridging the vaccine equity gap is the best way to boost population immunity and insulate against future waves”, he highlighted.

Diesel set to rise above Rs 200/litre for the first time in Pak

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Diesel set to rise above Rs 200/litre for the first time in Pak

The price of diesel is set to cross Rs 200 per liter for the first time in Pakistan’s history on the back of soaring crude oil prices in the global market and sharp depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar, Express Tribune reported.

In the second fortnight of the current month starting April 16, the newly formed Pakistan government would be required to either jack up the price of diesel by Rs 60.54 per liter or enhance subsidy to maintain the existing price, officials said.

If the leadership chooses to increase the price, the per-liter diesel cost will jump to Rs 204.69.

Earlier, former Prime Minister Imran Khan announced a reduction of Rs 10 per liter in petrol and diesel prices and a price freeze till the announcement of the Budget for 2022-23.

Sources pointed out that the new government would be in a critical situation and might choose not to increase prices in a bid to win over public support.

Officials said that the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had maintained petroleum prices since mid-March, which pushed up the subsidy bill for petroleum products by Rs 30 billion for the first fortnight of April.

However, the decision of keeping oil prices unchanged had no legal cover as it had not been officially approved.

If the current government decides to continue the policy, then it will be forced to give another Rs 30 billion in subsidy from April 16 to 30. Overall, it will have to bear a burden of Rs 60 billion for keeping oil prices unchanged.

Officials said that the rupee depreciation against the US dollar had also had an impact, which resulted in an increase in petroleum prices by Rs 5.54 per liter, or 3.03 percent. The average dollar value jumped from Rs 182.15 to Rs 188.15 in the past, the report said.

WhatsApp to boost UPI adoption for next 500 mn Indian users

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WhatsApp to boost UPI adoption for next 500 mn Indian users

Meta-owned WhatsApp Thursday said that its simple, reliable, and secure experience will accelerate the adoption of a unified payments interface (UPI) for the next 500 million Indians.

Welcoming the approval by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for an additional 60 million users for UPI for WhatsApp — taking its cap to 100 million for Payments — Manesh Mahatme, Director-Payments, WhatsApp India, told to interview that the UPI has been an unquestioned success.

“We believe there is an opportunity for UPI to have an even greater impact for the country — especially in rural regions where digital and financial inclusion can significantly improve people’s lives,” Mahatme said.

“We believe that ‘payments on WhatsApp’ can be a key partner to NPCI and the RBI as we all aim to scale adoption of UPI and financial inclusion to those most in need,” he added.

In November last year, the NPCI approved increasing the user cap for WhatsApp’s payment service from the current 20 million to 40 million users.

The NPCI has been giving approval to WhatsApp in a phased manner so that the competition in the digital payment space in the country is not stifled.

“Since our initial approval from the NPCI, we have been working to deliver a simple, reliable, and secure experience for WhatsApp users that we hope will accelerate adoption of UPI for the next five hundred million Indians,” Mahatme told to interview.

As part of this roadmap, he said that the company has planned significant investments in ‘payments on WhatsApp’ across India “including ‘India-first’ features and focus on creating awareness and driving adoption among our users”.

As the adoption of ‘payments on WhatsApp’ increases with users across the country, the company looks forward to working with the NPCI to further expand it to all users.

WhatsApp kicked off its ambitious peer-to-peer (P2P) digital payments pilot project in India in 2018 with nearly 10 lakh users.

According to the NPCI, UPI had processed 5.04 billion transactions till March 29, amounting to Rs 8.88 trillion.

Ranbir-Alia wedding: Select few guests invited for nuptials

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Ranbir-Alia wedding: Select few guests invited for nuptials

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt are set to exchange wedding vows on Thursday reportedly at 2 p.m. in Vastu Apartments, Pali Hill area of Mumbai. The couple has been very private about their wedding and that reflects in the guest list.

As per media reports, only a handful of 30 to 50 guests, which includes Ranbir and Alia’s closest friends and family members have been invited for the star couple’s D-Day. The ‘baraat’ will start from the iconic Krishna Raj bungalow, which is currently under construction and will head to Ranbir’s Vastu Apartments.

The bungalow is named after Ranbir’s grandmother Krishna Raj. Prior to the ‘phera’ ceremony, Ranbir and Alia will also take part in a special pooja. Earlier, a video of Alia’s sister Shaheen Bhatt losing her cool on the paparazzi emerged on social media.

Shaheen slammed the shutterbugs as she arrived at Ranbir Kapoor’s Vastu building.

KKR’s Tim Southee named New Zealand’s player of the year for 2021

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KKR’s Tim Southee named New Zealand’s player of the year for 2021

New Zealand pacer Tim Southee on Thursday crowned a stellar season in international cricket by winning the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal, the award given to the top men’s performer of the year in the country.

Southee, who is currently representing Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League, was announced as the winner of the event on the third and final day of the New Zealand Cricket Awards.

Southee shared the podium with Bert Sutcliffe Medal recipient Penny Kinsella; the test player of the year, Devon Conway, the women’s and men’s domestic players of the year — Nensi Patel, and joint male winners Tom Bruce and Robb’s O’Donnell.

Southee was named the winner based on his sheer consistency throughout the summer; at home and abroad, in red and white-ball cricket, according to reports in the New Zealand media.

Already named as the winner of this year’s Winsor Cup for first-class bowling, he captured 36 Test wickets at 23.88, including best figures of six for 43 against England at Lord’s and five crucial wickets against India in the victorious ICC World Test Championship final at Southampton, www.suff.co.nz reported.

Southee has taken 338 Test wickets — 23 fewer than Daniel Vettori and 93 short of the record-holder the award is named after, Hadlee.

“It’s a huge honor to win such a prestigious award,” Southee said, speaking from KKR’s base in Mumbai. “Like most cricketers growing up I knew all about the exploits of Sir Richard and it’s certainly pretty humbling to win his award this year.”

“While the accolades are nice, I think it really just reflects the way we have worked together as a group and played our cricket for a long period of time.

“It’s been great to be a part of this period and being able to win games for our country which is something that’s very special,” he said on the occasion.

WhatsApp gets NPCI nod to extend payments service to 100 mn Indian users

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WhatsApp gets NPCI nod to extend payments service to 100 mn Indian users

In a major flip to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to make deeper inroads into the Indian digital payments ecosystem, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has approved an additional 60 million users on the unified payments interface (UPI) for WhatsApp.

With this approval, WhatsApp will now be able to expand the service to 100 million users out of more than 400 million in the country.

In November last year, the NPCI approved increasing the user cap for WhatsApp’s payment service from the current 20 million to 40 million users.

The NPCI has been giving approval to WhatsApp in a phased manner so that the competition in the digital payment space — dominated by PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm — is not stifled.

WhatsApp India has said it will make significant investments regarding digital payments on its platform across the country, to accelerate its growth in a market where adoption of UPI-based payments has exploded.

As the adoption of ‘payments on WhatsApp’ increases with users across the country, the company looks forward to working with the NPCI to further expand it to all users.

The Meta-owned company has introduced several India-specific features in payments on WhatsApp and has seen exciting results.

WhatsApp kicked off its ambitious peer-to-peer (P2P) digital payments pilot project in India in 2018 with nearly 10 lakh users.

According to the NPCI, UPI had processed 5.04 billion transactions till March 29, amounting to Rs 8.88 trillion.

This was 11.5 percent higher than the volume of transactions processed in February and 7.5 percent higher in terms of the value of transactions processed.

IPL 2022: Punjab Kings skipper Mayank Agarwal happy to contribute to team’s win against Mumbai Indians

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IPL 2022: Punjab Kings skipper Mayank Agarwal happy to contribute to team’s win against Mumbai Indians

After scores of 1 (v KKR), 4 (v CSK) and 5 (v GT) in their last three matches following an opening knock of 32 (v RCB), Punjab Kings skipper Mayank Agarwal struck his first half-century in Match 23 of IPL 2022 in which his team defeated Mumbai Indians by 12 runs.

Agarwal obviously was happy with the performance that earned him the Player of the Match award.

“It was a good night, very very happy to contribute to the team’s win but the crucial thing for us was the two points. I can’t really say that it was just the runs on the board. I thought this game had a lot of ups and downs, there were a lot of crucial moments and more often than not we were nailing those crucial moments and winning those crucial moments,” Agarwal said after the match on Wednesday night.

Agarwal said his team won the crucial points which eventually resulted in his team winning the match.

“Somehow or the other, when the game was 50/50, those moments came towards us. So it wasn’t just the batting. It was those periods of the game.

“At the start of the tournament, we said that’s the brand of cricket we want to play. We want to play aggressive, hard cricket, and with that, we need to show good intent. I think this time around we were a lot smarter with the bat as well. So we showed great intent but we were a lot smarter so that we could keep wickets in hand and use the death as well,” he added.

“I thought in the last game against Gujarat, we gave wickets to Rashid when it wasn’t required. But this time we were a lot more aware and careful. We made sure to not give wickets to their main bowlers and if it’s your day, you have to take the team through. It can get hard,” he said.

Agarwal said his team had to change strategy to counter the onslaught by Mumbai Indians’ young batter Dewald Brevis, who blasted 49 off 25 to wrest back the initiative. His knock and partnership with Tilak Varma (36) helped Mumbai Indians recover after being reduced to 2/32 in their chase of 199.

“Credit to (Dewald) Brevis for the way he took on Rahul (Chahar) and got the better of him, but then a great comeback from Rahul as well. After that one over, the other three overs he bowled were tight. Obviously, when Tilak and Brevis were going the way they were going, we had to change our strategy and get into the main bowlers to try to get a wicket and luckily that happened through a runout.”

Agarwal said his bowling unit does not rely only on South African pacer Kagiso Rabada along.

“We don’t rely on just Rabada, yes he leads the attack for us but we have two other guys to come and do that. It’s nice and very happy to have three wins. I think we’re playing good cricket overall and if we get 5-10% better every game, I think we’ll go on to do special things,” Agarwal added.

Video chat app Zoom unveils new products as its stock nosedives

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Video chat app Zoom unveils new products as its stock nosedives

As countries reopen and millions rejoin offices, video collaboration and chat app Zoom has seen a massive erosion in its stock value — nearly 80 percent — from its high in 2020.

The demand for Zoom soared in the two years of the pandemic as companies shut offices and employees had to work from home.

Remote learning and telemedicine also gave a boost to Zoom Video’s cloud-based services.

Now, the growth of Zoom has slowed down as in-person meetings resume and schools/colleges reopen.

Zoom is now undergoing a year of transition in 2022.

Alarmed at its slow user growth, the company has unveiled the latest innovations in the Zoom platform to help businesses improve customer and employee experiences for the new ‘work anywhere’ workforce.

For example, ‘Zoom IQ for Sales’ is a conversation intelligence solution for sales professionals, as well as new Zoom Events and Webinar functionalities such as backstage and Webinar session branding aim to put engagement at the center of the experience and transform the way we work, connect, and collaborate.

The new products announcements helped Zoom stock zoom 8 percent on Wednesday.

“Following our recent launch of Zoom Contact Centre, Zoom IQ for Sales, and our latest Zoom Events innovations mark further steps in Zoom’s journey to establish new heights for customer experiences and flexible collaboration across the workforce,” said Oded Gal, Chief Product Officer at Zoom.

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