Author: News Desk

New Delhi: Indian quick commerce companies Swiggy and IPO-bound Zepto have removed references to ‘10-minute’ delivery from their branding, according to their apps, following a government directive aimed at curbing the promotion of ultra-fast delivery timelines. The government had ordered Eternal-owned Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy to stop advertising grocery deliveries as a ‘10-minute’ service. The move comes during growing regulatory scrutiny of the fast-growing quick commerce sector. Rash driving and low pay Concerns around the industry have centred on fears of rash driving by delivery riders and low pay structures that may penalise workers for failing to complete orders within…

London: The UK government has abandoned plans to make digital ID cards mandatory for workers, just months after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer publicly championed the proposal. Digital IDs will no longer be a compulsory requirement for proving the right to work by the end of the current parliament, which is due to conclude in 2029. Last year, the government announced that digital IDs would be made compulsory as part of efforts to combat illegal working. However, according to reports, while right-to-work checks will continue to be mandatory, workers will be allowed to use alternative forms of documentation, such as…

Seoul: K-pop megastars BTS went on hiatus in 2022 so that all seven members could complete South Korea’s mandatory military service. After almost four years away, the world’s biggest boy band is preparing for a major comeback, with a new album and a large-scale world tour set to be announced. The group reformed last summer and is now gearing up to reveal details of their return, a moment fans, known collectively as ARMY, have been anticipating since it was first teased months ago. BTS’s previous tour, Permission to Dance on Stage, ran for 12 dates between 2021 and 2022. When…

London: The UK government will bring into force legislation making it illegal to create non-consensual intimate images, following mounting concerns over Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot and its use on the social media platform X. Speaking to Labour MPs, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warned that X could lose its ‘right to self-regulate’ if it fails to control Grok. “If X cannot control Grok, we will,” PM said, adding that the government would act quickly in response to the issue. In addition to enforcing existing law, the government plans to introduce new legislation that would make it illegal to supply…

Kittila, Finland: Thousands of tourists have been stranded in northern Finland after flights at Kittila Airport were cancelled due to extreme weather. Temperatures at the airport dropped to -37°C on January 11 morning following several days of similarly Arctic conditions, making aircraft de-icing and other operations difficult. Stranded British travellers may have the chance to return home on January 12 afternoon, when flights to Manchester and London are scheduled. However, forecasts from the Met Office indicate that temperatures will still be around -28°C at that time. Kittila is located in Finnish Lapland, in the sparsely populated north of the country.…

EL SEGUNDO, Calif: Mattel has introduced its first-ever autistic Barbie, further expanding the brand’s focus on diversity and representation. The launch comes just six months after the debut of Barbie’s first doll with type 1 diabetes. Part of the Barbie Fashionistas range, the new doll is designed to help more children ‘see themselves in Barbie’ while encouraging all children to engage with toys that reflect the real world around them. Autism is a form of neurodivergence that shapes how individuals experience, interpret and interact with society. While autism presents differently in every person, the World Health Organization estimates that more…

New Delhi: India has proposed a series of new smartphone security measures that would require device makers to share source code with the government and implement multiple software changes, prompting resistance from major tech companies including Apple, Samsung, Google, and Xiaomi. The measures are part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s drive to strengthen user data security amid rising online fraud and data breaches in the country, home to nearly 750 million smartphone users. The proposals are outlined in the Indian Telecom Security Assurance Requirements, which include 83 security standards, such as requiring companies to alert the government about major software…

London: Parents in the UK will be offered government guidance on screen time for children under five, after research linked prolonged use of mobile devices, tablets, and TVs to poorer speech and language development. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is expected to announce on January 12 that the advice will be developed in collaboration with parents, children, and early years practitioners, ensuring it reflects real-world experiences. The guidance is likely to suggest using screens as part of structured activities, such as story time or educational games, rather than as passive entertainment. The Education Secretary noted that, “Research shows that by age…

Geneva: A group of international clinicians and scientists has urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to overhaul its infection prevention and control guidance, warning that surgical face masks offer inadequate protection against flu-like illnesses, including COVID-19. They argue that respirator-level masks should become mandatory for doctors and nurses during all face-to-face interactions with patients in healthcare settings. In a letter addressed to WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the experts said that there is ‘no rational justification remaining’ for the continued prioritisation or use of surgical face masks, which are widely used in hospitals and clinics around the world, given…

Stockholm: Volvo Cars has stated that its new electric mid-sized SUV, set to launch later this month, will offer a driving range of up to 810 kilometres (503 miles) on a single charge, as the Swedish automaker works to convince consumers who remain sceptical about electric vehicles. Carmakers around the world have struggled to accelerate electric vehicle (EV) adoption as buyers continue to worry about limited charging infrastructure and the risk of running out of power on long journeys. These concerns have led many consumers to choose plug-in hybrids instead of fully electric models. Volvo said that the all-wheel-drive EX60…