Ajay Devgn's Bholaa is struggling to gain momentum at the box office. The movie has witnessed a major drop on day 2 compared to its opening business.
Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh have finally put a smile on their fans faces as the couple were seen holding hands at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) opening at the Jio World Gardens.
Priyanka Chopra and Karan Johar have debunked the rumours of their alleged tiff as the two were seen hugging and chatting with each other at the NMACC opening.The telecom subscriber base in the country grew marginally to 1,170.75 million in January, driven by net customer gain in the fixed line segment, according to a sector regulator TRAI report released on Friday.
The net gain in the wireline segment was 0.28 million customers while mobile telephony recorded a net gain of 0.09 million subscribers.
Even though Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel jointly added 0.29 million new customers, the gain was offset by BSNL and Vodafone Idea (VIL) losing 0.28 million customers.
"The number of telephone subscribers in India increased from 1,170.38 million at the end of December 2022 to 1,170.75 million at the end of January 2023, thereby showing a monthly growth rate of 0.03 percent," the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said in the subscriber report for the month of January 2023.
The wireline or fixed line connections in the country increased to 27.73 million in January from 27.45 million in December.
The growth in the wireline segment was driven by Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Quadrant, which added 0.21 million, 0.11 million and 5,949 customers, respectively.
State-owned MTNL was the biggest loser in the segment as it lost 29,857 customers. It was followed by BSNL, which lost 19,781 wireline customers, Tata Teleservices 9,444, VIL 3,727 and Reliance Communications 275 customers.
In the mobile telephony or wireless segment, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel added 1.65 million and 1.28 million customers, respectively. BSNL, VIL and MTNL mitigated the growth in the segment by losing 1.48 million, 1.35 million and 2,960 mobile subscribers, respectively.
The broadband subscriber base in the country grew to 839.18 million in January from 832.2 million in December.
"Top five service providers constituted 98.39 per cent market share of the total broadband subscribers at the end of January-23. These service providers were Reliance Jio Infocomm (434.02 million), Bharti Airtel (237.40 million), Vodafone Idea (125.03 million), BSNL (27.05 million) and Atria Convergence (2.14 million)," TRAI said.
Sara Ali Khan recently opened up about sharing screen space with Kartik Aaryan in filmmaker Anurag Basu's upcoming film Aashiqui 3.Do Kwon, the cryptocurrency entrepreneur behind two digital currencies that lost an estimated $40 billion (nearly Rs. 3,28,500 crore) or more last year, has been charged with fraud by US prosecutors.
An eight-count indictment against Kwon was made public in the US District Court in Manhattan, several hours after news of his arrest earlier Thursday in Montenegro.
Lawyers for Kwon in the United States did not immediately respond to requests for comment after business hours.
Thursday's indictment charges Kwon, a South Korean national who co-founded Terraform Labs and developed the TerraUSD and Luna currencies, with two counts each of securities fraud, wire fraud, commodities fraud and conspiracy.
The criminal case follows related US Securities and Exchange Commission civil charges against Kwon and Terraform last month.
Kwon had been a fugitive for several months, and South Korean authorities issued an arrest warrant for him last September.
South Korean police said on Friday that the identity of the suspect arrested in Montenegro had been confirmed as Kwon after his fingerprints matched the information held by the country's National Police Agency (KNPA).
"This has been shared with the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office and Interpol in Montenegro," one official at the KNPA said.
Prosecutors will work with other institutions to carry out a swift repatriation, a spokesperson for the country's prosecution service said.
Montenegro's interior ministry said police detained a person thought to be Kwon and a second suspect, who were trying to board a flight to Dubai at Podgorica airport.
Police found forged passports of Costa Rica and Belgium during the encounter, the ministry said.
"The person is suspected of being one of the most wanted fugitives, South Korean national Do Kwon, a co-founder and CEO of the Singapore-based Terraform Labs," Interior Minister Filip Adzic wrote on Twitter.
"The former cryptocurrency king who is behind losses of over $40 billion, has been apprehended at the Podgorica airport with forged documents," Adzic added.
TerraUSD was a so-called "stablecoin" designed to maintain a constant $1 price, while Luna's value fluctuated.
But authorities have said TerraUSD and Luna were paired, such that a decline in one could take down the other.
They also said Kwon misrepresented the stability of TerraUSD, once among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market value.
Both currencies crashed last May, with TerraUSD's price sinking to less than one penny.
In its civil case, the SEC accused Kwon and Terraform of "orchestrating a multi-billion dollar crypto asset securities fraud.
"We also allege that they committed fraud by repeating false and misleading statements to build trust before causing devastating losses for investors," SEC Chair Gary Gensler said in a statement at the time.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
Manisha Koirala was unsure about playing the role of a mother in Bombay. She got a reality check when she was fired at by cinematographer Ashok Mehta for refusing the film initially.
Ajay Devgn starrer Bholaa has taken a fair opening at the box office. The movie has managed to put up a decent total of Rs 10 crore nett plus on the first day of its theatrical release.
Kajal Aggarwal opened up about her pregnancy phase and how people body-shamed her by calling her fat.
Veteran actor Zeenat Aman has been treating her fans to details from her personal and professional lives on Instagram.
To acknowledge and celebrate the pieces of cinematic beauty in the Marathi industry, the 7th edition of Planet Marathi presents Filmfare Awards Marathi 2022 was held. And here is the list of winners from the night!
Filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor has turned 56 today and we take a look at some of his less obvious stories.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has released the provisional IB SA, MTS Answer Key 2023. Candidates who appeared in the exam can access the answer key from the official website by entering their User ID and Password. The MHA conducted the recruitment exam for Security Assistant and Multi Tasking Staff on March 23 and 24, 2023.
The health and family welfare department had submitted a requisition to OPSC for the recruitment of 3481 vacancies of medical officers (assistant surgeon) in group-A (junior branch) of Odisha medical and health service cadre. Read more to get the details on medical officer recruitment.OnePlus is all set to launch the successor to Nord CE 2 Lite in India on April 4. The company has confirmed to launch the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G on the above-mentioned date. A teaser page for the phone is already live on the OnePlus India website. The site has revealed its colour variants and key specifications. Meanwhile, a reliable tipster has now tipped the expected price of the upcoming smartphone in India. The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite will be powered by a Snapdragon 695 5G SoC.
Tipster Abhishek Yadav (Twitter: @yabhishekhd) has tipped that the upcoming OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G will start at Rs. 21,999 in India. However, the storage variants of the upcoming smartphone are yet to be known. It is tipped to pack 8GB of RAM and 128GB of inbuilt storage.
The company has also shared that the phone will be equipped with a 5,000mAh battery with 67W fast charging support. Additionally, the phone will come in Pastel Lime and Chromatic Gray colour options.
A recent report also suggested the expected price of OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G in European markets. It is speculated to be priced at EUR 329 (roughly Rs. 29,000).
Meanwhile, other specifications of the phone have also been leaked. It is said to come with an LCD display with 1,800 x 2,400 pixels resolution, and a Snapdragon 695 5G SoC. The phone is tipped to feature a 108-megapixel triple rear camera setup with a 2-megapixel macro sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. Moreover, leaked images have suggested that the phone will have a selfie camera housed in a hole-punch cutout.
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G will succeed the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G that was launched in India last year. It features a 6.59-inch full-HD+ display with a dynamic refresh rate of 120Hz. The handset is powered by the octa-core Snapdragon 695 SoC, paired with Adreno 619 GPU and up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM.
In her recent Instagram post, Sameera Reddy shared her deepest thoughts while talking about coping with her parents ageing. She openly admitted that she is scared of losing her mother and her father.
Last month, Sushmita Sen had suffered a massive heart attack. On the completion of one month, Sushmita celebrated the occasion by doing something which she loves the most.
Vikrant Massey says that if people can't call Salman Khan and Amitabh Bachchan as TV actors, then they should not call him an OTT actor.
Shah Rukh Khan's darling daughter Suhana Khan in one of the most sought-after star kids we have in Bollywood. Her pictures and videos make their way onto the internet and go viral in no time.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) will release the JEE Main Session-II Admit Card 2023 for registered candidates soon. The exam will be held on April 06, 08, 10, 11, and 12, 2023, with reserve dates on April 13 and 15, 2023. Candidates can download their hall ticket from jeemain.nta.nic.in by logging in with the application number and date of birth.
Tamil Nadu Class XII answer script evaluation will commence on April 10 at over 70 locations, with over 60,000 teachers evaluating 50 lakh papers. Due to ongoing Class XI exams, the assessment begins a week after the last Class XII test. The evaluation will take place over two weeks, with detailed guidelines in place, including a ban on mobile phones and restricted entry to examination camps.
Manoj Bajpayee recalled his wife and former actress Shabana Raza telling him that it was miraculous that he is still existing in the industry despite upsetting a lot of people.
Priyanka Chopra, who welcomed daughter Malti Marie with Nick Jonas in 2022 via surrogacy, revealed that she had frozen her eggs in her early 30s upon the advice of her mother Madhu Chopra.
Priyanka Chopra opened up about how her dusky skin was lightened up in her movies and how it was extremely damaging to participate in commercials for fairness creams.
Sara Ali Khan said that she doesn't associate herself with royals despite her lineage and considers herself to be a Mumbai girl who has lived a simple life away from royalty.
A complaint has been lodged against film actress Taapsee Pannu by the Hind Rakshak Sangathan of the city for insulting Hindu deities and spreading obscenity, police said on Monday.
With the results now announced, students can check their performance online and apply for photocopies and re-evaluation if needed. The KSDNB has provided a user-friendly interface for students to access their results and apply for these additional services, making the process quick and easy.
As Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway earned around $3 million worldwide, Rani Mukerji talked about fighting cynicism around the release of her film and how the term OTT content has bothered her a lot.
One of his childhood idols, Suniel Shetty was getting beat up by goons in a film and young Karan Mehta decided, enough was enough.
Recently, Shruti Haasan shared an AI generated picture of herself on her Instagram account and people started thinking that something went wrong with her face. The Salaar actress was visibly annoyed talking about people's reactions in her video.
Actress-producer Neetu Chandra is ready with her second film in the Maithili language. It goes by the intriguing title of Jackson Halt and is directed by Neetu’s brother Nitin. Neetu who was Los Angeles based until recently, is now back in India to pursue a career as actor and a producer.
Ram Charan, who is currently riding high on the success of his film, 'RRR' and all the accolades that it has received of late, celebrates his 38th birthday today, on March 27.
As the annual High School Certificate examination came to an end on Monday, the opposition stalled proceedings in the state assembly over allegations that the maths question paper, which the students appeared for on Monday, was leaked. Education minister Samir Ranjan Dash, however, denied the allegations and said the exam was conducted peacefully without any disturbances.
The school education department would take special efforts to make the students who had abstained from writing plus two examinations write the supplementary exams, said minister for school education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi in the assembly on Friday.
The third installment of the film was in news after Akshay Kumar said he won't be a part of it and fans were heartbroken.
The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) will soon announce the results for the General Duty (GD) Constable recruitment exam conducted in February 2023. Once released, candidates will be able to check their results on the official website. A total of 46,435 vacancies will be filled under this recruitment drive, and the recruitment of candidates will take place in two parts.
Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh recently hit headlines after a video of the former refusing to hold hands with her hubby surfaced on the internet. This incident occurred on the red carpet of an event and Deepika preferred to hold onto her saree instead of holding Ranveer Singh’s extended hand.
ATVC, or the Aravalli Terrain Vehicle Championship, is one of the most grueling and demanding off-road events in India. The championship is renowned for its unforgiving track, which puts the skills and knowledge of the best All-Terrain Vehicle designers and racers to the test. It saw the participation of 34 teams from all over India.
From Lady Gaga in 'Joker2' to Dua Lipa in 'Argylle', here's a list of Pop stars who became actors.
Desh Bhagat University, Mandi Gobindgarh celebrated World Theatre Day in collaboration with the faculty of performing arts and media, cultural club of the university. Speaking on this occasion, Dr. Harsh Sadawarti, Vice President, DBU underlined the importance of World Theatre Day which is celebrated to highlight the importance of theatre.
It is a shimmering sun-soaked mirror of small town values wherein every sneeze or fart is noted and evaluated across the communities. And yet the story of Anaarkali (Swara Bhasker, spectacular) is also the story of Everywoman, urban or rural.
Celebrities such as Anupam Kher, Sonu Nigam, Shabana Azmi, Hema Malini, Pankaj Udhas among others were seen coming together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sangit Kala Kendra in Mumbai.
In the video, Ranbir Kapoor can be seen sporting a thick bear and long hair. He looks quite bulky as he walks through the corridor while shooting for director Sandeep Reddy Vanga's upcoming film Animal.Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi on Friday reported a record drop in fourth-quarter revenue as the company weathered a slowdown in consumption and disruptions due to China's COVID-19 curbs.
Early signs suggest China's economy will only rebound slowly, as consumers remain cautious about spending money despite an easing of restrictions on domestic and international travel.
Xiaomi group president Lu Weibing, speaking on a company earnings call, said China's consumer electronics was seeing early signs of a recovery at present but "it will take time."
Year-on-year declines may continue in the first half of the year before a rebound occurs, he added.
Xiaomi's sales in the fourth quarter of 2022 reached CNY 66.05 billion (nearly Rs. 79,200 crore), down 22.8 percent from CNY 85.58 billion (nearly Rs.1,02,600 crore) a year earlier.
The numbers were slightly ahead of analyst expectations, but they mark the fourth consecutive revenue drop for the company, and its steepest on record yet.
Net income fell to CNY 1.46 billion (nearly Rs. 1,750 crore) over the period, down 67.3 percent from CNY 4.473 billion (nearly Rs.5,360 crore) a year earlier.
The company's revenue for 2022 was CNY 280.04 billion (nearly Rs. 3,35,800 crore), a drop of 14.7 percent, while net income came in at CNY 8.52 billion (nearly Rs. 10,200 crore), down 61.4 percent. Both figures fell short of analyst expectations.
Smartphone slump
Overall consumption in China dragged on most product categories in the fourth quarter, as the abrupt lifting of strict COVID-19 curbs led to a rapid spread in infections across the country.
All major smartphone brands experienced a sales slump in China over the period, based on research firm Canalys. Xiaomi, however, took the largest hit with shipments dropping 37 percent year on year, the Canalys data showed.
China's smartphone sales endured a record fall in 2022, down 14 percent to 287 million units, Canalys data shows. That marked the first time in ten years shipments fell below 300 million units.
Xiaomi is also facing headwinds in India, where it failed to notice a rising consumer preference for higher-end devices and ended up losing its position as the top-selling phone brand to South Korea's Samsung in the fourth quarter.
The company, along with its rivals, could also face new security probes from Indian authorities due to national security concerns over pre-installed apps.
India is Xiaomi's largest overseas market and world's second biggest market for smartphones.
Xiaomi is also expanding into electric vehicles. The company said on Friday that it is "on track" to reach its goal of mass producing its first cars in the first half of 2024.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
Montenegrin police on Friday formally charged Do Kwon, the cryptocurrency entrepreneur behind two digital currencies that lost an estimated $40 billion (nearly Rs. 3,29,500 crore) or more last year, for forging official documents after arresting him on Podgorica airport.
Do Kwon, a South Korean national, and a second suspect have been held on Thursday while trying to board a flight to Dubai at Podgorica airport.
Police said in a statement they had found forged Costa Rican passports and a separate set of Belgian passports in their luggage during the encounter.
The two suspects have also been charged before a Podgorica court with forging of official documents, it said.
"Pending completion of the (court) proceedings they will be taken to an investigative judge...for further actions according to an international (arrest) warrant," it said.
It also said that an international warrant had been issued against the two "to ensure their presence... before the Southern District Court in Seoul on suspicion of committing several criminal acts in the field of economy."
Several hours after Kwon was detained in Podgorica, the US District Court in Manhattan made public an eight-count indictment against him.
Lawyers for Kwon in the United States did not immediately respond to requests for comment after business hours.
Thursday's indictment charges Kwon, who co-founded Terraform Labs and developed the TerraUSD and Luna currencies, with two counts each of securities fraud, wire fraud, commodities fraud and conspiracy.
Both currencies crashed last May, with TerraUSD's price sinking to less than one penny.
The criminal case follows related US Securities and Exchange Commission civil charges against Kwon and Terraform last month.
Kwon had been a fugitive for several months. South Korean authorities issued an arrest warrant for him last September.
South Korean police said on Friday the identity of the suspect arrested in Montenegro had been confirmed as Kwon after his fingerprints matched the information held by the country's National Police Agency (KNPA).
© Thomson Reuters 2023
Singer Adnan Sami has opened up about people's extreme reaction when he had given up his Pakistani citizenship and acquired Indian citizenship in 2016.German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz plans to launch four new electric vehicles in India in the next 8-12 months to accelerate its electric mobility drive, Mercedes-Benz AG Head of Region Overseas Matthias Luehrs said on Thursday.
The company expects 25 percent of its total sales in India to come from electric vehicles in India by 2027.
"We are very happy with the development of our EVs (electric vehicles) here in the Indian market with (models such as) the EQS and the EQB. We'll have four more vehicles coming in," Luehrs told reporters here in an interaction.
The company currently sells four luxury electric vehicle models — EQS, EQB, EQC and EQS AMG — in the Indian market.
On the sales expectation from the EV portfolio in India, Luehrs said, "We will have 25 percent (of total sales), that's our planning assumption, of electric vehicles in the next four years." At present, sales of EVs account for around 3 percent of the company's total sales in India.
Last year, Mercedes-Benz India posted a 41 percent growth in its total sales with a record 15,822 units as compared to 11,242 units sold a year ago. Its previous best sales were achieved in 2018 at 15,583 units.
On being asked when the new four EV models would be launched, Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director & CEO Santosh Iyer said it would be in the next 8-12 months, as a combination of import of completely built units and import of completely knocked down units assembled at the company's Chakan plant.
In terms of the potential of the market here, Luehrs said, at present, India is the fifth largest market in the "overseas" region — which comprises 120 markets other than Germany, the US, UK and China — for Mercedes-Benz. South Korea, Japan, Australia and Turkey are ahead of India in the company's rankings in the overseas markets.
It might be possible for India to become the fourth in the next two years, he said when asked if India can move up the ladder.
"The factors which make us very optimistic is that we have seen a big change in the structure of customers in India," Luehrs said on company being bullish on India.
Currently, the average age of the buyers of the company's top end sedan S Class is 38 years and that of C Class model is 35 years "that's 10 years younger than 10 years ago... and we see a 15 per cent female customer share, which is 10 per cent more than 10 years ago", he said, adding that the customers in India were also very quick and keen to adopt new technologies that the company offers.
Asked if high taxation is hampering the growth of the luxury car market in India, Luehrs said, "In general, any tax that is going higher prevents from selling more cars or goods but that's the normal equation." While different markets in the globe cannot be compared as they have their own peculiarities, he said, "But obviously, if you have one market with less taxes, then you will sell more cars. That's very obvious. That's the case in the US. That's the case in Europe, that's the case in China. Therefore, obviously, if you have more taxes then the niche becomes smaller."
When asked about the impact of regulatory challenges, he said, "I can only say we (have) operated (globally) since 100 years and in all sorts of markets, and regulations go, and change up and down and sideways everywhere. Also, in Germany, also in India, in China, also in the US, and we adapt to it. That's why we are a leading luxury company in the automotive market. So we just adapt to the regulations and some regulations are more beneficial than the others."
"When a new regulation comes up in the first instance it is a new obstacle, a new challenge," he said, adding, "We manage the challenge. We have ideas how to manage that. For one or two months, obviously slowing down the process if you want to, but then afterwards, we manage, we have new suppliers, and we will manage them." On whether some more predictability would help plan business better, Luehrs said it is not unique to the Indian market but is an international topic.
"While doing business with more lead time you can adapt easier to any new regulations," he said.
A massive data breach that has implications for national security was unearthed by Cyberabad Police here, who arrested seven people of a gang allegedly involved in the theft and sale of sensitive data of the government and important organisations, including details of 2.55 lakh defence personnel as well as the personal and confidential data of about 16.8 crore citizens across the country.
The accused persons were found selling more than 140 different categories of information, which include sensitive information such as details of defence personnel and the mobile numbers of citizens and NEET students, among others, Cyberabad Police Commissioner M Stephen Raveendra told reporters here on Thursday.
Seven data brokers were arrested from Delhi, police said adding that the accused had been operating through three companies (call centres) in Noida and other places. So far it has been found that the accused sold data to at least 100 fraudsters, who used it for committing cyber crimes. Investigations are still on, police said.
Sensitive data of defence personnel containing their ranks, email ids, place of posting, was found available with the accused, Commissioner Raveendra said.
"This will have serious national security implications. The data of defence and government employees can be used for espionage; to impersonate them and commit serious offences that may jeopardise national security. We are in the process of finding out how this data got leaked and who are the insiders who are doing it," he added.
The arrested accused were selling the data through a contact details directory service provider and similar platforms, police said, adding that during the course of the investigation it was found that the accused had sold data of 50,000 citizens for as low as Rs. 2,000.
Notices will be sent to the service providers and they will be examined and legal action will be initiated against them also, police said.
"When any individual calls the toll-free numbers of service providers for any sector or category related confidential data of individuals, their query is listed and sent to that category of service providers. Then these fraudsters contact the clients and send them samples. If the client agrees to purchase, they make payment and are provided the data," police said, explaining the modus operandi.
The accused had aggregated the data leaked from different organisations and, having registered themselves as service delivery agents, sold the data to cyber criminals, police said.
DCP (Cybercrime Wing) Ritiraj said a complaint was lodged with the Cyber Crime wing of Cyberabad Police about the sale and purchase of confidential and sensitive data, even as police had also been investigating how cyber criminals were getting access to data. Police have been working on the case for the past two months.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crimes) Cyberabad Police Kalmeshwar Shingenavar said that during investigations it was found that private organisations are collecting data both with consent and without the knowledge of individuals. There is no data privacy or protection policy offered by most of these private organisations who possess and process the data of individuals, he said.
The accused were also found selling information in categories such as Energy and Power sector, PAN card data, Government employees, Gas and Petroleum, HNIs (High Net-worth Individuals), demat accounts, student databases, women databases, data of people who have applied for loans and insurance, and credit card and debit card holders (of private banks), WhatsApp users, Facebook users, IT organisation employees, frequent flyers etc.
The data of NEET students, with their names, mobile number and their residential address, was also found with the accused. A PAN card database containing sensitive information on the income, email ids, phone numbers, address of citizens was also found.
As many as 1.2 crore WhatsApp users and 17 lakh Facebook users had also been targeted in the data theft, police said. Police also found data pertaining to two crore students, 12 lakh CBSE Class 12 students, 40 lakh jobseekers, 1.47 crore car owners, details of 11 lakh government employees and 15 lakh IT professionals among others.
Further, a mobile number database of three crore individuals, probably leaked from telecom service providers, was also found, the Commissioner said.
The sensitive data that has been leaked can be used for unauthorised access to important organisations and institutions. The data related to PAN card can be used to commit serious financial offences. It is being used to commit a large number of cyber crimes whereby the perpetrators gain the confidence of victims by disclosing such information, police added.
Anshula Kapoor was looking visibly thin with a glowing skin in a bodysuit. She also penned a long note about overcoming body image issues and her insecurities with stretch marks, cellulite and tummy rolls.Meta Platforms on Thursday voiced its strongest criticism to date of a push by EU telecoms operators to get Big Tech to foot additional network costs, saying this would not solve their financial problems and also ignores tech companies' hefty investments.
Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica, Telecom Italia and other operators have lobbied for two decades for US tech giants to contribute to 5G and broadband roll-out.
The operators say that given they account for more than half of data internet traffic, Alphabet's Google, Apple, Meta, Netflix, Amazon and Microsoft should contribute to the billions of euros in infrastructure costs.
"We recognise the financial challenges that European telecom operators now face after decades of strong performance," Kevin Salvadori, Meta's vice president for network and Bruno Cendon Martin, its director and head of reality labs wireless, wrote in a blog post.
"However, proposals by some European telecom operators to impose network fees on Content Application Providers (CAPs) such as Meta are not the solution," they said.
"Network fee proposals are built on a false premise because they do not recognise the value that CAPs create for the digital ecosystem, nor the investments we make in the infrastructure that underpins it."
Telecoms lobbying group ETNO rejected Meta's claims and pointed to the massive outlay required in coming years.
"Official figures show that EUR 174 billion (nearly Rs. 15,54,000 crore) is still required to meet Europe's network investment needs," a spokesperson said.
"Big tech should contribute to filling this gap, as their business heavily relies on the traffic carried by European networks. The average metaverse user is expected to consume up to 40 times more data than today."
Salvadori and Martin cited the tens of billions of euros Meta invests in its apps and platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Quest which in turn creates the demand that allows telecom operators to charge people for internet access.
Meta pointed to the over $880 billion (nearly Rs. 72,27,800 crore) in digital infrastructure around the globe, including about $120 billion (nearly Rs. 9,85,600 crore) a year from 2018 to 2021, which tech companies have collectively invested, saving telecom operators around $6 billion (nearly Rs. 49,280 crore) per year.
It dismissed telecoms providers' arguments that the expansion of the metaverse, shared virtual worlds accessible via the internet, would strain infrastructure capacity.
"But this is nonsense. The development of the metaverse will not require telecom operators to grow capital expenditures for greater network investment," Salvadori and Martin said.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui told the Bombay High Court that he will withdraw his habeas corpus petition filed against his estranged wife Aaliya Siddiqui if he is allowed to meet his two children, Yani and Shora.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, on Wednesday, praised veteran lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar over his comment on the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in Pakistan. He said that our country wants Muslims like him who can speak against Pakistan.The European Union wants to give consumers the right to have worn-out products like washing machines and televisions repaired by producers even after the sales guarantee has expired, to cut waste and make goods last longer.
The European Commission proposed rules on Wednesday that would oblige producers to offer repairs for a product for between five and ten years after it was sold — regardless of whether or not the legal guarantee is still valid.
The rules would apply to fridges, vacuum cleaners, televisions, washing machines and other goods that are deemed "repairable" under EU law. The EU is negotiating rules that would extend the requirement to smartphones and tablets.
European consumers and businesses routinely throw away goods that could be repaired, piling up waste and tossing away parts that could be recovered and reused.
A 2020 survey on behalf of Germany's Environment Agency found that the "first-use" lifespan for products including televisions and large household appliances has decreased in recent years.
Some products were not designed to be easily repaired, while for others it was cheaper to buy a new product than repair an old one, the study found. In many cases, consumers simply replaced still-functioning goods because they wanted a newer version.
Under the EU rules, companies would have to repair a defective product for free within the two-year legal guarantee period, if the cost of repair is cheaper or equal to replacing the product.
After that date, companies must still offer repairs, either for free or for a charge. The EU also wants to launch an online service to help consumers find local repairers and thinks competition with other repairers will keep a lid on costs.
European Consumer Organisation BEUC welcomed the proposal, but said it would have made more sense to extend the legal guarantee period for long-lasting products like fridges.
The EU is negotiating a handful of policies designed to nudge companies towards making more sustainable products, and give consumers clearer information about the environmental impact of what they consume.
A second law, proposed by Brussels on Wednesday, would force companies to verify claims that their products are "green" or "eco-friendly".
EU countries and the European Parliament must negotiate and approve both laws, a process that typically takes more than a year.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
Bollywood actors who turned singers for their films
Bihar Day, also known as Bihar Diwas, marks the creation of Bihar and Orissa as separate states on March 22, 1912. Bihar Diwas 2023 will be celebrated from March 22 - 24 and has a "Yuva Shakti Bihar Ki Pragati" theme, focused on the progress of Bihar through youth power. The event will feature various cultural and entertainment programs by popular musicians like Javed Ali, Maithili Thakur and Indian Ocean.