Latest News

  As countries reopen and millions rejoin offices, video collaboration and chat app Zoom has seen a massive erosion in its stock value -- nearly 80 per cent -- 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. Read More

  Fans of superstar Prabhas will have to wait a little longer to witness the much-anticipated story of 'love and destiny' as the makers of ' Radhe Shyam ' have postponed the release of the movie due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Taking to their Twitter handle, the makers released an official statement noting, "We have been trying our best for the past few days but considering the growing cases of omicron variant it looks like we will have to wait for our labour of love to get to the big screens."  " Radhe Shyam Postponed is a story about love vs destiny and we are sure that your love will help us rise over these tough times together. Will see you in the cinemas soon!!" the statement concluded. Helmed by Radha Krishna Kumar, 'Radhe Shyam', which stars Pooja Hegde opposite Prabhas, was scheduled to hit the screens on January 14, 2022. No new release date has been unveiled yet. Read More

  Thailand halted its quarantine-free entry program after less than two months, citing concerns about the potential spread of the omicron variant by arriving tourists. The Covid-19 panel chaired by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha suspended approval of visitors for quarantine-free entry from Tuesday to Jan. 4 amid rising imported cases of the strain. The Covid panel will reassess the policy on Jan. 4, said Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow. Tourism-dependent Thailand waived the requirement for more than 60 jurisdictions last month provided travelers were fully vaccinated and had negative tests for the virus both before and immediately after arrival in the country. Click Here

  After 20 months of travel restrictions, the US is reopening its land and air borders to foreign visitors fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from Monday. The United States is flinging its doors wide open to vaccinated international travellers on Monday, welcoming many visitors who've been shut out of the country for 20 months, reported CNN. The United States is largely wide open, although there are some state and local restrictions that still apply. For example, there are mask mandates in Hawaii, Illinois, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Washington, DC and Puerto Rico also require masks in indoor public spaces. Click Here

  Organisers of the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday confirmed that a foreign athlete has tested positive for Covid-19 at the Games Athletes' Village. As per Kyodo News, eight more people related to the Tokyo Olympics 2021 have also tested positive for the coronavirus. Earlier, a female gymnast from the United States tested positive for COVID-19 at her pre-Tokyo Olympic training camp. The athlete was training in the city of Inzai, Chiba Prefecture ahead of the opening of the Tokyo Olympics, as per Kyodo News. The name of the athlete has not been revealed as of now but it is being reported that the female gymnast is a teenager. Earlier on Monday, the Czech Republic's beach volleyball player Ondrej Perusic came out COVID-19 positive ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Ondrej is currently asymptomatic and is in isolation according to the rules. Click Here

  A single dose of the Sputnik V vaccine may be enough to elicit strong antibody response against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in already infected people, according to a study. Previous studies have found that two doses of Sputnik V, a vector vaccine produced using a combination of two adenoviruses, results in 92 per cent efficacy against COVID-19 infection. Adenoviruses are common viruses that cause a range of illness with cold-like symptoms such as fever and sore throat. The new study, published on Tuesday in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, examined whether a single dose would achieve greater public health benefit than two doses by allowing protection of a larger population more quickly. Click Here

  Restaurants, gyms, salons, public grounds and other commercial establishments reopened after nearly two months on Monday in Mumbai, which falls in level-3 of the Maharashtra government's five-level 'unlock plan'. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) appealed to citizens not to let their guard down and follow all precautions to check the spread of COVID-19 . Buses of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), the city civic body's transport wing, were allowed to ferry passengers with 100 per cent seating capacity, though local trains were restricted for those working in medical and essential services. The BMC in a tweet said, "Mumbai, a gentle reminder! While we are getting back on track with the phase-wise opening, we can't go off the rails on our common main goal - a Covid free Mumbai. Let's reopen, but with care. Follow all precautions!" Read More

  Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has shared words of encouragement for fans facing various crises amidst the ongoing second wave of the Covid pandemic .  "I would just like to say that we all need to stay positive and hold the fort until these bad times pass. This is a phase and it shall pass. I know all of us are going through very critical times, we must have faith and help each other in whatever way we can," Salman said. Meanwhile, he is excited about his popular "Dabangg" avatar of Inspector Chulbul Pandey getting an animated avatar on the small screen. "Dabangg: The Animated Series" will be created keeping in mind his young fans. "'Dabangg: The Animated Series' is an adaptation and reimagination of 'Dabangg'. The action-comedy series chronicles the day-to-day life of police officer Chulbul Pandey, who stands in the face of evil to keep the city safe. He is joined by his younger brother Makkhi, who, new to the police force,...

  The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has decided to delay the 2022 edition of the Oscars by a month. The award ceremony, which was earlier set for February 27, will now be held on March 27, 2022, the AMPAS said in a statement. The eligibility period for Academy Awards consideration, however, will return to the standard December 31 deadline. For the previous edition, the Academy made changes to the eligibility, extending it until February 28, 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic . The rule change had enabled movies such as "The United States vs. Billie Holiday" and "Judas and the Black Messiah" to be considered for the awards. Click Here

  The Centre on Thursday issued guidelines to facilitate expeditious COVID-19 vaccination of aviation personnel working in government as well as private entities. A dedicated vaccination facility will be established by the airport operators in their respective airports to facilitate expeditious vaccination of staff, the guidelines issued by the the Civil Aviation Ministry stated. Priority during vaccination should be given to the air traffic controllers (ATCs), cockpit and cabin crews of the airlines as well as mission-critical and passenger-facing staff, it said. India has been badly hit by the second wave of coronavirus infections even as hospitals in several states are reeling under a severe shortage of vaccines, oxygen, drugs, equipment and beds. Click Here

  The 2021 season of Indian Premier League has been suspended after some players were found Covid-19 positive, said the organisers of the marquee cricket tournament on Tuesday. "The Indian Premier League Governing Council (IPL GC) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in an emergency meeting has unanimously decided to postpone IPL 2021 season, with immediate effect," IPL said in the statement. "The BCCI does not want to compromise on the safety of the players, support staff and the other participants involved in organising the IPL. This decision was taken keeping the safety, health and wellbeing of all the stakeholders in mind, " it further added.  "These are difficult times, especially in India and while we have tried to bring in some positivity and cheer, however, it is imperative that the tournament is now suspended and everyone goes back to their families and loved ones in these trying times. The BCCI will do everything in its powers to ...

  The BCCI will reschedule Wednesday's IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals here as CSK has been forced into hard quarantine after bowling coach L Balaji tested positive for COVID-19. As per the Board's Standard Operating Procedure, anyone who has come in contact with an infected person has to undergo six days of hard quarantine and return three negative RT-PCR reports during the course of it. "Tomorrow's match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium between CSK and RR will be rescheduled as per SOP rules. As Balaji was in contact with the players, all of them have gone into hard quarantine. They are supposed to be tested everyday," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity. Click Here

  Facebook on Friday said it is partnering with the Indian government to roll out a vaccine finder tool on its mobile app in India, which will help people identify places nearby to get inoculated. The social media giant had, earlier this week, announced a USD 10 million grant for emergency response efforts for COVID-19 situation in the country. "Partnering with the Government of India, Facebook will begin rolling out its Vaccine Finder tool on the Facebook mobile app in India available in 17 languages to help people identify places nearby to get the vaccine," Facebook said in a post on the platform. In this tool, vaccine centre locations and their hours of operation have been provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). Click Here

  Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday asked the district administrations across Maharashtra to immediately set up their oxygen projects and to ensure stocks of essential medicines are maintained and asserted that the state government has to be very careful and plan for the "third wave". While talking to the Divisional Commissioner, Collector, Municipal Commissioner about the situation in COVID-19 , the Chief Minister gave clear instructions to the district administration that not only the declaration but also its implementation should be seen, as per the Chief Minister's Office. "Though the number of patients has stabilised to some extent due to strict restrictions in the state, now we have to be very careful and plan for the next third wave," said Thackeray. Read More

  Australia Adam Zampa said that the bio-bubble for the Indian Premier League ( IPL ) 2021 is the most vulnerable one he has been in so far due to the Covid-19 situation in India. "We've been in a few (bubbles) now, and I feel like this is probably the most vulnerable," Zampa told The Sydney Morning Herald. Zampa said that the tournament should have been held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as it was last year. "I just feel like because it's India, we're always being told about the hygiene over here and being extra careful ... I just felt like it was the most vulnerable. The IPL that was held in Dubai six months ago didn't feel that way at all. I felt like that was extremely safe. Personally, I feel like that would have been a better option originally for this IPL but obviously, there's a lot of political stuff that goes into it," said Zampa. Read More

  Twitter has added a new prompt in the timelines of users to help them get correct vaccination information in their respective countries including India. The new prompt appears at the top of users' Twitter feeds for both iOS and Android users. "As COVID-19 vaccinations become more widely available, we want you to have access to the latest vaccine info in your country," Twitter said in a tweet on Monday. "This week you'll see a prompt in your timeline that links to sources about vaccine safety, efficacy, and news from public health experts," the company added. Clicking on the link will take you to the information page prepared with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India, and organisations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US. Click Here

  Google CEO Sundar Pichai and his Microsoft counterpart Satya Nadella have assured help to India as the country grapples with a ravaging coronavirus crisis that has put enormous pressure on its hospitals due to a shortage of beds, oxygen and medical supplies. India logged a record of 3,52,991 new coronavirus infections in a day on Monday, taking its total tally of COVID-19 cases to 1,73,13,163. The death toll increased to 1,95,123 with a record 2,812 daily new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data. "Devastated to see the worsening Covid crisis in India. Google & Googlers are providing Rs 135 crore in funding to @GiveIndia, @UNICEF for medical supplies, orgs supporting high-risk communities, and grants to help spread critical information," Indian-origin Google CEO Pichai said in a tweet. In another tweet, Microsoft's Indian-origin CEO Nadella said that his company will continue to use its resources and technology for relief efforts and suppo...

  Home to one out of 10 gamers across the globe, gaming is now competing with other popular entertainment categories such as short-form video, streaming services, and social networks for user attention in India. According to an InMobi mobile gaming report, the country has become the fifth-largest mobile gaming market across the world supported by access to affordable smartphones, low network data tariffs and improving mobile internet speeds. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic also brought about a significant shift in mobile usage and consequently in mobile gaming too. According to estimates, 44 per cent of India’s smartphone population will be playing games on their devices by 2022. Click Here

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Monday said it has filed a police case against a Bollywood actor for allegedly violating COVID-19 guidelines. The civic body in a release said despite being infected by the coronavirus, the actor moved out in public places and took part in shootings. As there is a chance of spread of the coronavirus infection among others, the BMC has filed the FIR against the actor, the release said without naming the actor. "No Compromise On City's Safety! BMC has filed an FIR against a Bollywood actor for non-compliance to COVID19 guidelines on testing positive. The rules apply to all alike and we urge citizens to follow all guidelines and help the city beat the virus," the civic body tweeted along with a copy of the FIR. Read More

The preparations are underway for Kumbh Mela 2021 to be held from 1st to 30th April in Haridwar. The Uttarakhand government has decided to limit the Kumbh this year to 30 days. Officers in charge of the Kumbh Mela said that those who attend the religious congregation should do prior registration at a portal and have a COVID-19 negative report. Kumbh Mela Officer in Charge Deepak Rawat told ANI, "Our front line workers posted on duty are to be administered with COVID vaccine compulsorily. Visitors should have Coronavirus negative report, issued not earlier than 72 hours," Click Here