The Indian Panorama

Tag: Apple News

  • Get ahead of the tax deadline; act now to file, pay or request an extension

    Get ahead of the tax deadline; act now to file, pay or request an extension

    April 2, 2024

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): With the April 15 tax deadline approaching, the IRS reminds taxpayers there is still time to file their federal income tax return electronically and request direct deposit.

    Filing electronically reduces tax return errors as tax software does the calculations, flags common errors and prompts taxpayers for missing information. Most people qualify for electronic filing at no cost and, when they choose direct deposit, receive their refund within 21 days.

    Free electronic filing options

    Taxpayers with income of $79,000 or less in 2023 can use IRS Free File guided tax software now through Oct 15. IRS Free Fillable forms, a part of this program, is available at no cost to taxpayers of any income level and provides electronic forms for people to fill out and e-file themselves.

    IRS Direct File is now open to all eligible taxpayers in 12 pilot states to decide if it is the right option for them to file their 2023 federal tax returns online, for free, directly with the IRS. Go to the Direct File website for more information about Direct File pilot eligibility and the 12 participating states.

    Through a network of community partnerships, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs offer free tax return preparation to eligible people in the community by IRS certified volunteers.

    MilTax, a Department of Defense program, generally offers free return preparation and electronic filing software for federal income tax returns and up to three state income tax returns for all military members, and some veterans, with no income limit.

    Use ‘Where’s My Refund?’ to check refund status

    The Where’s My Refund? tool will normally show a refund status within 24 hours after e-filing a 2023 tax return, three to four days after e-filing a 2021 or 2022 return and four weeks after filing a tax return by mail. To use the tool, taxpayers need their Social Security number, filing status and exact refund amount. Taxpayers can also check ‘Where’s My Refund?’ by downloading our free mobile app, IRS2Go, from an iPhone or Android device. The tool updates once a day, so people don’t need to check more often.

    Taxpayers that owe on their tax return

    IRS reminds people they can avoid paying interest and some penalties by filing their tax return and, if they have a balance due, paying the total amount due by the tax deadline of Monday, April 15. For residents of Maine or Massachusetts, the tax deadline is Wednesday, April 17, due to Patriot’s Day and Emancipation Day holidays.

    Payment options for individuals to pay in full

    The IRS offers various options for taxpayers who are making tax payments:

    Direct Pay – Make a payment directly from a checking or savings account without any fees or registration.

    Pay with debit card, credit card or digital wallet – Make a payment directly from a debit card, credit card or digital wallet. Processing fees are paid to the payment processors. The IRS doesn’t receive any fees for these payments. Authorized card processors and phone numbers are available at IRS.gov/payments.

    Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) –This free service gives taxpayers a safe, convenient way to pay individual and business taxes by phone or online. To enroll and for more information, taxpayers can call 800-555-4477 or visit eftps.gov. Electronic funds withdrawal – Taxpayers can file and pay electronically from their bank account when using tax preparation software or a tax professional. This option is free and only available when electronically filing a tax return.

    Check or money order –Payments made by check or money order should be made payable to the “United States Treasury.”

    Cash – Make a cash payment through a retail partner and other methods. The IRS urges taxpayers choosing this option to start early because it involves a four-step process. Details, including answers to frequently asked questions, are at IRS.gov/paywithcash.

    Payment options for individuals unable to pay their taxes in full

    Taxpayers that are unable to pay in full by the tax deadline, should pay what they can now and apply for an online payment plan. They can receive an immediate response of payment plan acceptance or denial without calling or writing to the IRS. Online payment plan options include:

    Short-term payment plan –The total balance owed is less than $100,000 in combined tax, penalties and interest. Additional time of up to 180 days to pay the balance in full.

    Long-term payment plan – The total balance owed is less than $50,000 in combined tax, penalties and interest. Pay in monthly payments for up to 72 months. Payments may be set up using direct debit (automatic bank withdraw) which eliminates the need to send in a payment each month, saving postage costs and reducing the chance of default. For balances between $25,000 and $50,000, direct debit is required.

    Though interest and late-payment penalties continue to accrue on any unpaid taxes after April 15, the failure to pay penalty is cut in half while an installment agreement is in effect. Find more information about the costs of payment plans on the IRS’ Additional Information on Payment Plans webpage.

    Unable to file by the April 15 deadline?

    Individuals unable to file their tax return by the tax deadline can apply for a tax-filing extension in the following ways:

    Individual tax filers, regardless of income, can electronically request an automatic tax-filing extension through IRS Free File by filing a Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.

    Make an electronic payment using Direct Pay, debit card, credit card or digital wallet and indicate the payment is for an extension.

    Mail Form 4868 by the tax deadline.

    Things people should know when requesting a tax-filing extension:

    Tax-filing extension requests are due by the tax deadline date, and it does not give an extension of time to pay the taxes.

    Avoid some penalties by estimating and paying the tax due by the tax deadline.

    Special rules for tax deadlines and automatic tax-filing extensions may apply for taxpayers serving in a combat zone or qualified hazardous duty areas, living outside the United States, and people living in certain disaster areas. They may not need to submit a tax-filing extension; however, people should check to see if they qualify before the tax deadline.

    Use IRS.gov for the quickest and easiest information

    Taxpayers can visit IRS.gov 24 hours a day for answers to tax questions, more tips and resources by visiting the Let Us Help You page.

  • Philippines will not be ‘cowed into silence’ by China: President Marcos

    Philippines will not be ‘cowed into silence’ by China: President Marcos

    MANILA (TIP): President Ferdinand Marcos said on March 28 the Philippines will not be “cowed into silence” by Beijing after confrontations in the South China Sea that injured Filipino troops and damaged vessels.
    Marcos’s remarks came as China blamed the Philippines for raising tensions in the hotly contested waterway, which Beijing claims almost entirely.
    Beijing and Manila have a long history of maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea and there have been repeated confrontations between their vessels near disputed reefs in recent months.
    Manila summoned a Chinese envoy over the latest incident near Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, which occurred last Saturday during a Philippine mission to resupply troops garrisoned on the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded navy ship.
    The Philippines said the China Coast Guard blocked its supply vessel and damaged it with a water cannon, injuring three soldiers.
    The China Coast Guard has defended its actions, describing them as “lawful regulation, interception and expulsion” of a foreign vessel that “tried to forcefully intrude” into Chinese waters.
    Beijing has urged Manila to “pull back from the brink” and stop “provoking trouble at sea,” but Marcos hit back on Thursday.
    “We seek no conflict with any nation, more so nations that purport and claim to be our friends, but we will not be cowed into silence, submission, or subservience,” Marcos said in a statement. He said the Philippines would respond with a “countermeasure package that is proportionate, deliberate, and reasonable in the face of the open, unabating, and illegal, coercive, aggressive, and dangerous attacks by agents of the China Coast Guard and the Chinese Maritime Militia.”
    “Filipinos do not yield,” Marcos said.
    ‘A dangerous road’
    China claims almost the entire South China Sea, brushing off rival claims from other countries, including the Philippines, as well as an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.
    Among the claimants, China has been the most assertive, deploying ships to patrol the waters and building artificial islands, which it has militarised.
    In a statement Thursday entitled “China Will Not Allow the Philippines to Act Wilfully”, Beijing’s defence ministry blamed “the provocations by the Philippine side” for the increased tensions over the South China Sea.
    “Relying on the backing of external forces… the Philippine side has frequently infringed on rights and provoked and created trouble at sea, as well as spreading false information to mislead the international community’s perception of the issue, which is, so to speak, going further and further down a dangerous road,” it added.
    Second Thomas Shoal is about 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan, and more than 1,000 kilometres from China’s nearest major landmass, Hainan island.
    US repeats ‘ironclad’ commitment
    The United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines, has led a chorus of support for the Southeast Asian country in response to Chinese actions. (AFP)

  • UK court says Assange can’t be extradited on espionage charges until US rules out death penalty

    UK court says Assange can’t be extradited on espionage charges until US rules out death penalty

    LONDON (TIP): A British court ruled March 26 that Julian Assange can’t be extradited to the United States on espionage charges unless U.S. authorities guarantee he won’t get the death penalty, giving the WikiLeaks founder a partial victory in his long legal battle over the site’s publication of classified American documents.
    Two High Court judges said they would grant Assange a new appeal unless U.S. authorities give further assurances within three weeks about what will happen to him. The ruling means the legal saga, which has dragged on for more than a decade, will continue — and Assange will remain inside London’s high-security Belmarsh Prison, where he has spent the last five years.
    Judges Victoria Sharp and Jeremy Johnson said the U.S. must guarantee that Assange, who is Australian, “is afforded the same First Amendment protections as a United States citizen, and that the death penalty is not imposed.”
    The judges said that if the U.S. files new assurances, “we will give the parties an opportunity to make further submissions before we make a final decision on the application for leave to appeal.” The judges said a hearing will be held May 20 if the U.S. makes those submissions.The U.S. Justice Department declined to comment Tuesday.
    Demonstrators hold placards after Stella Assange, wife of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, released a statement outside the Royal Courts of Justice, in London, Tuesday, March 26, 2024.
    After years of avoiding extradition, Julian Assange’s appeal is likely his last chance. Here’s how it might unfold
    Assange’s supporters say he is a journalist protected by the First Amendment who exposed U.S. military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan that was in the public interest.
    Assange’s wife Stella Assange said the WikiLeaks founder “is being persecuted because he exposed the true cost of war in human lives.”
    “The Biden administration should not issue assurances. They should drop this shameful case, which should never have been brought,” she said outside the High Court in London.
    The ruling follows a two-day hearing in the High Court in February, where Assange’s lawyer Edward Fitzgerald said American authorities were seeking to punish him for WikiLeaks’ “exposure of criminality on the part of the U.S. government on an unprecedented scale,” including torture and killings.
    The U.S. government said Assange’s actions went beyond journalism by soliciting, stealing and indiscriminately publishing classified government documents that endangered many people, including Iraqis and Afghans who had helped U.S. forces. (AP)

  • 50 years after former Yugoslavia protected abortion rights, that legacy is under threat

    ZAGREB (TIP): With vigils outside clinics, marches drawing thousands and groups of men kneeling to pray in public squares, religious and neo-conservative groups have been ramping up pressure to ban abortions in staunchly Catholic Croatia. The fierce debate has fueled divisions in the European Union nation of about 3.9 million people where abortion remains legal but access to the procedure is often denied, sending many women to neighboring Slovenia to end a pregnancy.
    The movement is in stark contrast to Croatia’s recent past, when it was part of the former Yugoslavia, a Communist-run country that protected abortion rights in its constitution 50 years ago.
    “I find it incredible that we are even discussing this in the year 2024,” said Ana Sunic, a mother of two from Zagreb, Croatia’s capital. “It is every person’s basic right to decide what they will do with their body.”
    The issue was back in focus this month after France inscribed the right to abortion in its constitution and activists in the Balkans recalled that the former Yugoslavia had done so back in 1974.
    Tanja Ignjatovic from the Belgrade-based Autonomous Women’s Center in Serbia, another country that was once part of Yugoslavia, noted that women felt abortion rights “belonged to us and could not be brought into question.” But, she added, “we have seen that regression is possible, too.”
    After Yugoslavia disintegrated in a series of wars in the 1990s, the new countries that emerged kept the old laws in place. However, the post-Communist revival of nationalist, religious and conservative sentiments have threatened that legacy.
    People take part in a pro-life march in Zagreb, Croatia, Friday, March 15, 2024. Scores of religious and neo-conservative groups in recent years have been building up pressure in the staunchly Catholic country, trying to force a ban on abortions.
    Yugoslavia’s abortion laws stayed intact after Croatia split from the country in 1991, but doctors were granted the right to refuse to perform them in 2003. As a result, many women have traveled to neighboring Slovenia for abortion over the years.
    “The gap between laws and practice is huge,” feminist activist Sanja Sarnavka said. “Due to the immense influence by conservative groups and the Catholic church it (abortion) is de facto impossible in many places, or severely restricted.”
    A current campaign by a Za Zivot — “for life” — movement in Croatia includes prayers, vigils and lectures “for the salvation of the unborn and a stop to abortions in our nation.” (AFP)

  • Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war’s toll on Palestinian children

    Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war’s toll on Palestinian children

    DEIR AL-BALAH (TIP): An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned. One toddler died from a brain injury caused by an Israeli strike that fractured his skull. His cousin, an infant, is still fighting for her life, with part of her face blown off by the same strike.
    An unrelated 10-year-old boy screamed out in pain for his parents, not knowing that they were killed in the strike. Beside him was his sister, but he didn’t recognise her because burns covered almost her entire body.
    These gut-wrenching casualties were described to The Associated Press by Tanya Haj-Hassan, a pediatric intensive-care doctor from Jordan, following a 10-hour overnight shift at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the town of Deir al-Balah.
    Haj-Hassan, who has extensive experience in Gaza and regularly speaks out about the war’s devastating effects, was part of a team that recently finished a two-week stint there.
    After nearly six months of war, Gaza’s health sector has been decimated. Roughly a dozen of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are only partially functioning. The rest have either shut down or are barely functioning after they ran out of fuel and medicine, were surrounded and raided by Israeli troops, or were damaged in fighting.
    That leaves hospitals such as Al-Aqsa Martyrs caring for an overwhelming number of patients with limited supplies and staff. The majority of its intensive care unit beds are occupied by children, including infants wrapped in bandages and wearing oxygen masks.
    “I spend most of my time here resuscitating children,” Haj-Hassan said after a recent shift. “What does that tell you about every other hospital in the Gaza Strip?”
    A different team of international doctors working at Al-Aqsa Martyrs in January stayed at a nearby guesthouse. But because of a recent surge of Israeli strikes nearby, Haj-Hassan and her co-workers stayed in the hospital itself.
    That gave them a painfully vivid look at the strain the hospital has come under as the number of patients keeps rising, said Arvind Das, the team leader in Gaza for the International Rescue Committee. (AP)
    France’s parliament seeks to ban hair discrimination affecting black women
    PARIS (TIP): The French parliament on March 28 began debating a bill targeting workplace discrimination based on hair texture, which the draft law’s backers say targets mostly black women wearing their hair naturally.
    Olivier Serva, an independent National Assembly deputy for the French overseas territory of Guadeloupe and the bill’s sponsor, said it would penalise any workplace discrimination based on “hairstyle, colour, length or texture.”
    Similar laws exist in around 20 US states which have identified hair discrimination as an expression of racism.
    In Britain, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has issued guidelines against hair discrimination in schools.
    Serva, who is black, said women “of African descent” were often encouraged before job interviews to change their style of hair.
    ‘Target of discrimination’
    The deputy, who also included discrimination suffered by blondes and redheads in his proposal, points to an American study stating that a quarter of black women polled said they had been ruled out for jobs because of how they wore their hair at the job interview.
    Such statistics are hard to come by in France, which bans the compilation of personal data that mention a person’s race or ethnic background on the basis of the French Republic’s “universalist” principles.
    The draft law does not, in fact, contain the term “racism”, noted Daphne Bedinade, a social anthropologist, saying the omission was problematic.
    “To make this only about hair discrimination is to mask the problems of people whose hair makes them a target of discrimination, mostly black women,” she told Le Monde daily.
    While statistics are difficult to come by, high-profile people have faced online harassment because of their hairstyle.
    In the political sphere they include former government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye, and Audrey Pulvar, a deputy mayor of Paris, whose afro look has attracted much negative comment online.
    The bill’s critics say it is unnecessary, as discrimination based on looks is already banned by law.
    “There is no legal void here,” said Eric Rocheblave, a lawyer specialising in labour law. Calling any future law “symbolic,” Rocheblave said it would not be of much practical help when it came to proving discrimination in court. (AFP)

  • Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old is only survivor

    Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old is only survivor

    CAPE TOWN (TIP): A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on March 28, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
    The only survivor of the crash was an 8-year-old child, who was receiving medical attention, according to authorities in the northern province of Limpopo. They said the child was seriously injured.
    The Limpopo provincial government said the bus veered off the Mmamatlakala bridge and plunged 50 meters (164 feet) into a ravine before busting into flames.
    Search operations were ongoing, the provincial government said, but many bodies were burned beyond recognition and still trapped inside the vehicle.
    Authorities said they believe the bus was traveling from the neighboring country of Botswana to the town of Moria, which hosts a popular Easter pilgrimage. They said it appeared that the driver lost control and was one of the dead.
    Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga was in Limpopo province for a road safety campaign and changed plans to visit the crash scene, the national Department of Transport said. She said there was an investigation underway into the cause of the crash and offered her condolences to the families of the victims.
    The South African government often warns of the danger of road accidents during the Easter holidays, which is a particularly busy and dangerous time for road travel. More than 200 people died in road crashes during the Easter weekend last year.
    The Zionist Christian Church has its headquarters in Moria and its Easter pilgrimage attracts hundreds of thousands of people from across South Africa and neighboring countries. This year is the first time the Easter pilgrimage to Moria is set to go ahead since the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP)

  • Five Chinese dam workers, driver killed in Pakistan suicide attack

    Five Chinese dam workers, driver killed in Pakistan suicide attack

    PESHAWAR (TIP): Five Chinese nationals working on a major dam construction site were killed along with their driver on March 26 when a suicide bomber targeted their vehicle in northwest Pakistan, officials said.
    Their vehicle plunged into a deep ravine off the mountainous Karakoram Highway after the bomber rammed his car into them and detonated his explosives.
    Beijing has poured billions of dollars into Pakistan in recent years, but Chinese-funded projects have sparked resentment and their citizens have frequently come under attack.
    Images shared with AFP show smoke rising from the valley, near Besham city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
    “Five Chinese and their local driver were killed in the attack,” Muhammad Ali Gandapur, a senior provincial police official, told AFP.
    He said the vehicle was travelling from the Dasu hydroelectric dam site, under construction by the China Gezhouba Group Company, towards the capital Islamabad.
    Zahid Khan, a senior local police official, told AFP that four Chinese nationals and their driver were killed.
    “Upon reaching an unpopulated area in Besham, a suicide bomber crashed his vehicle into theirs. The vehicle caught fire and plunged down the ravine,” he said.
    In 2021, a bus carrying engineers to the same construction site was hit by a bomb, killing 13 people, including nine Chinese workers.
    Tuesday’s attack comes days after security forces killed at least seven militants as they attempted to storm the offices of Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan, considered a cornerstone of Chinese investment.
    Islamabad is Beijing’s closest regional ally, readily providing financial assistance to bail out its often struggling neighbour.
    The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has seen tens of billions of dollars funnelled into massive transport, energy and infrastructure projects.
    But separatist groups say locals see little benefit from major Chinese projects, with most jobs going to outsiders.
    The security of Chinese workers has long been of concern to both countries.
    In 2019, gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in Balochistan province, overlooking the flagship Chinese-backed deep-water seaport in Gwadar that gives strategic access to the Arabian Sea, killing at least eight people.
    In June 2020, Baloch insurgents targeted the Pakistan Stock Exchange, which is partly owned by Chinese companies, in the commercial capital of Karachi. (AFP)

  • TTD EO to visit Sri Lanka on Mar 29 to finalise site for Srivari temple

    TIRUMALA (TIP): Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) executive officer (EO) AV Dharma Reddy is set to visit Sri Lanka to finalise the site where a temple of Lord Venkateswara Swamy will be built. He will leave for the island nation on March 29 and is expected to stay there for four to five days. He will also establish a permanent setup of the temple administration.
    According to senior TTD officials, a Sri Lanka-based Trust had approached the Union government through the Government of Sri Lanka, seeking help in the construction of a massive Hindu temple of Lord Venkateswara in their country. The TTD was apprised of the matter. Subsequently, the Temple Trust approved the construction of the temple in Colombo in a step towards disseminating Hindu dharma. Dharma Reddy was scheduled to leave for Sri Lanka on March 2, but it was postponed to March 26 and later to March 29, due to some administrative reasons. End of the financial year is often hectic for the Srivari Trust. According to TTD sources, once the site for the proposed temple is finalised and designs are prepared (NIE)

  • Thai parliament passes same-sex marriage bill

    BANGKOK (TIP): Thailand’s parliament passed a same-sex marriage bill March 28, paving the way for the kingdom to become the first Southeast Asian nation to recognise LGBTQ marriage equality.
    The bill sailed through on 399 to 10 votes in the lower house, although it must still be approved by the Senate before it is endorsed by the king, and then published in the Royal Gazette.
    After the result, one representative brought a rainbow flag into the chamber.
    “Today society has proved to us that they care about LGBT rights,” Tunyawaj Kamolwongwat, an MP with the progressive Move Forward Party which has pushed for LGBTQ+ rights, told AFP.
    “Now we finally we will have the same rights as others.”
    Across Asia only Taiwan and Nepal recognise same-sex marriage, with India’s highest court deferring the decision to parliament in October.
    And while the kingdom enjoys a welcoming reputation for the international LGBTQ+ community, Thai activists have struggled for decades against conservative attitudes and values.
    The proposal will change references to “men”, “women”, “husbands” and “wives” in the marriage law to gender-neutral terms.
    It also means LGBTQ+ couples will be able to enjoy inheritance and adoption rights in the kingdom for the first time.
    Mookdapa expressed hope that the later stages of the bill would progress smoothly, so that her country “will be on par with the international level in terms of LGBT rights”.
    The vote follows a decision by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s cabinet last year that gave the go-ahead for the parliament debate.
    The prime minister has been vocal in his support for the LGBTQ+ community, making the policy a signature issue and telling reporters last year that the change would strengthen family structures.
    While Thailand has a reputation for tolerance, much of the Buddhist-majority country remains conservative and the LGBTQ community, while highly visible, still faces barriers and discrimination.
    Activists have been pushing for same-sex marriage rights for more than a decade, but in a kingdom where politics is regularly upended by coups and mass street protests, the advocacy did not get far.
    In 2022 Thai lawmakers gave initial approval to two bills that would allow same-sex marriages and two others that would permit civil partnerships.
    But the legislation was dropped when parliament was dissolved to pave the way for a general election held last year. (AFP)

  • TN cop held in Bangladesh for illegal entry

    CHENNAI (TIP) : A special sub-inspector (SSI) attached to the Selaiyur police station in Chennai has been detained by the Bangladesh army on the charge of trying to enter the country by illegally crossing the border. According to police sources, the SSI has been identified as 47-year-old John Selvaraj who was on medical leave at the time of his detention. Police sources said they were probing Selvaraj’s possible links to cross-country gold and drug smugglers that may have led to the alleged misadventure. Police also said the SSI has been regularly taking leaves and had been suspended in the past for unauthorised absence.
    A native of Tiruchy, Selvaraj had worked as a driver with the Tiruchy police and then with the Chennai city police before he was transferred to Selaiyur. “He was frequently absent. Other than that there wasn’t anything particularly out of place about him,” a police officer said. Cop had taken break from 2006-09. “He was suspended once for taking multiple leaves without prior intimation but the suspension was revoked after a formal apology,” a police official said. (NIE)

  • Three killed in suicide attack in Afghanistan

    KANDAHAR (TIP): A suicide bombing killed three people and wounded 12 others outside a bank in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on March 28, a provincial official said. “A suicide attack occurred in which three compatriots were killed and 12 others were wounded, according to preliminary information,” Inamullah Samangani, Director of Information and Culture of Kandahar province, told AFP.
    The explosion targeted a group of people waiting outside the New Kabul Bank branch in Kandahar at around 8:00 am (0330 GMT).
    “Commonly our compatriots gather there to collect their salaries,” said Samangani, adding that the “victims were civilians”.
    The number of bomb blasts and suicide attacks in Afghanistan has markedly declined since the Taliban ended their insurgency after seizing power in August 2021, ousting the US-backed government.
    A number of armed groups — including the regional chapter of the Islamic State group — remain a threat, however. (AFP)

  • Sunrisers trump MI in six-hitting carnage

    Sunrisers trump MI in six-hitting carnage

    Hyderabad (TIP)- Records tumbled as Sunrisers Hyderabad went on a rampage to post the highest ever IPL total of 277/3 against Mumbai Indians before sealing a 31-run victory in a power-hitting contest that left bowlers on both sides befuddled.
    SRH opener Travis Head (62 off 24) and No. 3 Abhishek Sharma (63 off 23) came up with a sensational display of power-hitting that saw the latter snatching the franchise record for the fastest fifty from the Australian within minutes. Heinrich Klaasen (80 not out off 34 balls) provided the fireworks in the end to help SRH break an 11-year-old record. The previous highest total in IPL was 263/5 achieved by Royal Challengers Bangalore back in 2013. It was also the highest total recorded in a T20 league. Mumbai bowlers were left shell-shocked by SRH’s six-hitting spree but their batters came out with a purpose and made a match out of what looked like a one way traffic at the innings break.
    Eventually, they ended at 246/5 in 20 overs. A record 38 sixes were plundered in the game and it was the first time 500 runs were scored in a T20 match.
    “The wicket was good but 277, no matter how good or bad you bowl, if the opposition get 277 that means they batted very well. It was tough out there for bowlers. Close to 500 runs were scored so the wicket was helping the batters,” MI skipper Hardik Pandya said after the match.
    Chasing a mammoth 278, Rohit Sharma (26 off 12), in his 200th game for the franchise, played some sublime strokes and was well complemented by Ishan Kishan (34 off 13) who got some much needed runs. Source: PTI

  • Parag’s 84, excellent death bowling help RR eke out 12-run win against Delhi

    Parag’s 84, excellent death bowling help RR eke out 12-run win against Delhi

    Jaipur (TIP)- Young Riyan Parag showed why he is considered a precocious talent as he struck a stunning 84 not out off 45 balls to set up a 12-run win for Rajasthan Royals against Delhi Capitals in their IPL match here on March 28. Sent in to bat, RR were reduced to 36/3 in the eighth over but the 22-year-old Parag single-handedly took the home side to 185/5 with a magnificent unbeaten knock studded with seven fours and six sixes. Parag, who was promoted to No. 4 by the team management this season and made 43 in the previous match, took 25 runs off veteran South African pacer Anrich Nortje with scores of 4, 4, 6, 4, 6, 1 in the final over to hit his highest T20 score. Parag shared 54 and 52 runs with Ravichandran Ashwin (29) and Dhruv Jurel (20), respectively, after RR made a shaky start.
    “Riyan Parag has been a big name in the last few years. Wherever I go, people ask me about him. There is something very special he can give to Indian cricket,” RR captain Sanju Samson said. Chasing 186 for a win, DC could only manage 173/5 in 20 overs though South African youngster Tristan Stubbs (44 not out off 23 balls) kept them in the hunt till the final over from which they needed 17 runs. Avesh Khan conceded just four runs to help RR win their second consecutive match. South African pacer Nandre Burger and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took two wickets apiece to also contribute in the RR win.
    “Definitely disappointed. The best thing to do is to learn from it. The bowlers did well through the 15-16 overs. But the batters did well at the death, hopefully we do better in the next game,” DC skipper Rishabh Pant, who scored 28 off 26, said.
    RCB batting coach backs Maxwell
    Bengaluru: Glenn Maxwell has played just six balls across two matches to make three runs in this IPL but Royal Challengers Bengaluru batting coach Neil McKenzie today expected the Australian all-rounder to hit his straps soon. Maxwell fell for a first-ball duck against Chennai Super Kings, while a return to Chinnaswamy Stadium, a favourite hunting place of his, too did not offer any respite as he was dismissed for three against Punjab Kings. “You know, that’s cricket. It’s up and down. It’s only two games. We know with Maxie, he’s going to win us a couple of games. He has made a slower start to the tournament but we know that he’s going to win games for us later on in the tournament,” McKenzie said on the eve of RCB’s game against Kolkata Knight Riders.

  • Madrid masters: Patient PV Sindhu eases into quarters

    Madrid masters: Patient PV Sindhu eases into quarters

    Star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu continued her impressive run at the Madrid Spain Masters, advancing to the quarterfinals with a comfortable straight-game win over Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-Hsun. Sindhu was hardly tested by the Taiwanese qualifier, ranked world No. 63, resulting in a 21-14 21-12 win in 36 minutes. The former world champion, who finished runner-up in the last edition, will take on sixth seed Supanida Katethong of Thailand next. Katethong defeated Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira 21-13 14-21 21-17.
    In the opening game, Sindhu was 3-0 up initially but then entered a phase where she often found the net or went long while her rival produced some precise returns to grab a 11-10. The Indian, however, produced a better show after resumption, taking a 18-12 cushion with Yu-Hsun making errors. She soon grabbed eight game points, wasted two of them before sealing the opening game with her trademark smash.
    After the change of sides, Yu-Hsun struggled to control the shuttle as her lifts repeatedly went long. The Taiwanese shuttler tried to use her drops and placements but she didn’t have power in her smashes. The result was Sindhu quietly waited for her opponent to commit errors. Soon she had a five-point advantage at the break. Every time Yu-Hsun tried to extend the rallies, she ended up with unforced errors. Soon a smash handed eight match points to Sindhu and she wrapped it up when her opponent caught the net again.

  • Miami open: Sinner sets up clash with Medvedev

    Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner won his 20th match of the year to reach the Miami Open semifinals for the third time in the past four years with a 6-4 6-2 victory over Tomas Machac.
    Sinner, seeded second, will take on third seed Daniil Medvedev in a rematch of last year’s Miami Open final. Medvedev won that but has lost four straight matchups since. Medvedev advanced to the latest meeting with a 6-2 7-6 (7) win over 22nd seed Nicolas Jarry in a late match. Sinner reached his fourth semifinal of the season and moved to 20-1 overall. He reached the finals of this event in 2021 and 2023, losing both times. “It was a really tough match, but I was happy about the performance,” Sinner said.

    Sinner, 22, said Machac served well early on and his aggressiveness kept things close for a while. But Sinner continued his fabulous run, breaking his opponent’s serve four times, to move on to the next round. “I always say when it all feels good on the court, it’s easy to play tennis,” he said. “But it has to start off in a practice session when you don’t feel well, but you still have to practise and this can make the difference. At the moment, I feel really good on the court,” he added.

  • Easter: Celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ

    Easter: Celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ

    Easter, also called Pascha or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD.

    Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the New Testament of the Bible, the event is said to have occurred three days after Jesus was crucified by the Romans and died in roughly A.D. 30. The holiday concludes the “Passion of Christ,” a series of events and holidays that begins with Lent—a 40-day period of fasting, prayer and sacrifice—and ends with Holy Week, which includes Holy Thursday (the celebration of Jesus’ Last Supper with his 12 Apostles, also known as “Maundy Thursday”), Good Friday (on which Jesus’ crucifixion is observed) and Easter Sunday. Although a holiday of high religious significance in the Christian faith, many traditions associated with Easter date back to pre-Christian, pagan times.
    When Is Easter 2024?
    Easter 2024 occurs on Sunday, March 31. However, Easter falls on a different date each year.
    Easter Sunday and related celebrations, such as Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday, are considered “moveable feasts,” although, in western Christianity, which follows the Gregorian calendar, Easter always falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Easter typically falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the spring equinox.
    In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, which adheres to the Julian calendar, Orthodox Easter falls on a Sunday between April 4 and May 8 each year.
    In some denominations of Protestant Christianity, Easter Sunday marks the beginning of Eastertide, or the Easter Season. Eastertide ends on the 50th day after Easter, which is known as Pentecost Sunday.
    In Eastern Orthodox branches of Christianity, Easter Sunday serves as the start of the season of Pascha (Greek for “passover”), which ends 40 days later with the holiday known as the Feast of the Ascension.
    Why Is Easter Called ‘Easter’?
    St. Bede the Venerable, the 6th-century author of Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (“Ecclesiastical History of the English People”), maintains that the English word “Easter” comes from Eostre, or Eostrae, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility. Other historians maintain the “Easter” derives from in albis, a Latin phrase that’s plural for alba, or “dawn,” that became eostarum in Old High German, a precursor to the English language of today.
    Despite its significance as a Christian holy day, many of the traditions and symbols that play a key role in Easter observances actually have roots in pagan celebrations—particularly the pagan goddess Eostre—and in the Jewish holiday of Passover.
    Religious Tradition of Easter
    The resurrection of Jesus, as described in the New Testament of the Bible, is essentially the foundation upon which the Christian religions are built. Hence, Easter is a very significant date on the Christian calendar.
    According to the New Testament, Jesus was arrested by the Roman authorities, essentially because he claimed to be the “Son of God,” although historians question this motive, with some saying that the Romans may have viewed him as a threat to the empire.
    He was sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect in the province of Judea from A.D. 26 to 36 Jesus’ death by crucifixion, marked by the Christian holiday Good Friday (the Friday before Easter), and subsequent resurrection three days later is said, by the authors of the gospels, to prove that he was the living son of God.
    In varying ways, all four of the gospels in the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) state that those who believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection are given “the gift of eternal life,” meaning that those of faith will be welcomed into the “Kingdom of Heaven” upon their earthly death.
    Passover and Easter
    Notably, Easter is also associated with the Jewish holiday of Passover, as well as the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, as described in the Old Testament. These links are clearly seen in the Last Supper, which occurred the night before Jesus’ arrest and the sufferings Jesus endured following his arrest.
    The Last Supper was essentially a Passover feast. However, the New Testament describes it as being given new significance by Jesus: He identified the matzah (or bread) he shared with his 12 apostles as his “body” and the cup of wine they drank as his “blood.”
    These rituals would come to symbolize the sacrifice he was about to make in death, and became the basis for the Christian ritual of Holy Communion, which remains a fundamental part of Christian religious services.
    As Jesus’ arrest and execution were said to have occurred during the Jewish observance of Passover, the Easter holiday is often close to the former celebration on the Judeo-Christian calendar.
    Easter Traditions
    In western Christianity, including Roman Catholicism and Protestant denominations, the period prior to Easter holds special significance.
    This period of fasting and penitence is called Lent. It begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts for 40 days (not including Sundays).
    The Sunday immediately prior to Easter is called Palm Sunday, and it commemorates Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, when followers laid palm leaves across the road to greet him.
    Many churches begin the Easter observance in the late hours of the day before (Holy Saturday) in a religious service called the Easter Vigil.
    In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Easter rituals start with the Great Lent, which begins on Clean Monday (40 days prior to Easter, not including Sundays). The last week of Great Lent is referred to as Palm Week, and it ends with Lazarus Saturday, the day before Palm Sunday.
    Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, which ends on Easter.
    Easter Eggs
    Irrespective of denomination, there are many Easter-time traditions with roots that can be traced to non-Christian and even pagan or non-religious celebrations. Many non-Christians choose to observe these traditions while essentially ignoring the religious aspects of the celebration.
    Examples of non-religious Easter traditions include Easter eggs, and related games such as egg rolling and egg decorating.
    It’s believed that eggs represented fertility and birth in certain pagan traditions that pre-date Christianity. Egg decorating may have become part of the Easter celebration in a nod to the religious significance of Easter, i.e., Jesus’ resurrection or re-birth.
    Many people—mostly children—also participate in Easter egg “hunts,” in which decorated eggs are hidden. Perhaps the most famous Easter tradition for children is the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, when children roll Easter eggs down Capitol Hill.
    Easter Bunny
    In some households, a character known as the Easter Bunny delivers candy and chocolate eggs to children on Easter Sunday morning. These candies often arrive in an Easter basket.
    The exact origins of the Easter Bunny tradition are unknown, although some historians believe it arrived in America with German immigrants in the 1700s. Rabbits are, in many cultures, known as enthusiastic procreators, so the arrival of baby bunnies in springtime meadows became associated with birth and renewal.
    Notably, several Protestant Christian denominations, including Lutherans and Quakers, have opted to formally abandon many Easter traditions, deeming them too pagan. However, many religious observers of Easter also include them in their celebrations.
    Easter foods are steeped in symbolism. An Easter dinner of lamb also has historical roots, since a lamb was often used as a sacrificial animal in Jewish traditions, and lamb is frequently served during Passover. The phrase “lamb of God” is sometimes used to refer to Jesus and the sacrificial nature of his death.
    Today, Easter is a commercial event as well as a religious holiday, marked by high sales for greeting cards, candies (such as Peeps, chocolate eggs and chocolate Easter bunnies) and other gifts.
    What’s the Difference Between Easter
    and Orthodox Easter?
    Orthodox Christians, who believe faith is inseparable from the church, follow the Julian calendar when it comes to celebrating Easter Sunday. The Julian calendar was established by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C. and is based it on the solar cycle—Earth’s revolutions around the sun.
    Orthodox Easter takes place between April 4 and May 8, following the first full moon after Passover. Orthodox Easter always falls after the Jewish celebration of Passover, because, according to the New Testament, the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ took place after he entered Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. In 2024, Orthodox Easter occurs on May 5.
    In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII instituted the Gregorian calendar to correct inaccuracies in the Julian Calendar. The new calendar added leap years to correct an 11-minute miscalculation that caused seasons to become out of sync with the calendar, thus pushing Easter away from the spring equinox. Under the Gregorian calendar, churches established Easter to be held on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. In 2024, Easter is celebrated on March 31.
    Much of the world came to officially recognize the Gregorian calendar, but Orthodox churches, primarily in Greece, Cyprus, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria and others, continue to observe Easter according to the Julian calendar.
    Orthodox Easter Traditions
    As with many Christian holidays, some Easter traditions can be traced to pagan celebrations. Decorating eggs, which symbolize new life, dates back to the 13th century when the church disallowed eating eggs during Holy Week, and they were decorated instead.
    The Easter Bunny, meanwhile, is believed to have been brought to the U.S. by German immigrants in the 1700s, although some historians trace the character to rabbits being symbolic of fertility.
    Both Christians and Orthodox Christians celebrate the Easter holiday with joyous church services, often punctuated with white lilies, followed by family meals and gatherings. Eastern Orthodox churches often hold a Paschal Vigil on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter, and a candlelight procession may be held that night, with Easter services and celebrations beginning at midnight.
    Traditional Christian Easter meals often include ham, spring vegetables and hot-cross buns (sweet rolls scored with a cross on top). At Orthodox Christian Easter dinners, along with red-dyed hard-boiled eggs, which are symbolic of the blood of Christ, lamb is typically served. John 1:29 says, “Behold the lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world.” Lamb also has a strong Jewish significance, as it was used as a sacrifice and is often served during Passover.

  • Rang Panchami

    Rang Panchami

    Ranga Panchami (also spelt as “Rang Panchami” or “Rang Panchmi”) is a significant festival for Hindus, predominantly celebrated in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and other northern Indian regions. It falls on the Panchami tithi of Krishna Paksha in the month of Chaitra, five days after Holika dahan. However, in most years, the occasion is celebrated on Phalguna Krishna Paksha Panchami, which is the fifth day of the second fortnight of the Hindu month of Phalguna. This year, Ranga Panchami will be observed on 30 March.
    PURANAS ASSOCIATED WITH RANGA PANCHAMI
    Ranga Panchami is observed as a joyous occasion of love and vibrant colours, linked to the divine duo Radha-Krishna.
    Another legend says that the occasion commemorates the rescue of Prahlada from a fire ignited by his aunt Holika, who was the sister of the demon king Hiranyakashipu.
    FIRST LEGEND: RADHA-KRISHNA
    Radha-Krishna represents the union of the Hindu deity Krishna with his primary consort and power, Radha. They are seen as the feminine and masculine aspects of God in various Krishnaite traditions within Vaishnavism.
    In the Bhagavata sect or Krishnaism, Krishna is known as Svayam Bhagavan, while Radha is considered the original potency of God, embodying the three main potencies of Hladini (spiritual bliss), Sandhini (eternality), and Samvit (consciousness), with Radha specifically representing the feeling of love towards Krishna (Hladini).
    Radha is revered as the Supreme Goddess alongside Krishna. It is believed that Krishna is only fully satisfied through loving devotional service, which Radha personifies. Many devotees worship Radha to reach Krishna through her. Radha is also seen as a manifestation of Krishna himself, divided into two for his pleasure. According to scriptures, Radha is considered the complete incarnation of Mahalakshmi.
    While Krishna captivates the world, Radha captivates even him. Thus, she is considered the ultimate goddess, and together they are known as Radha-Krishna. In certain Vaishnava traditions, residents of Braj Bhoomi identify Radha and Krishna as the avatars of Lakshmi and Narayana.
    SECOND LEGEND: HOLIKA
    Prahlada, an asura ruler mentioned in Hindu texts, is renowned for his unwavering dedication to Vishnu, the preserver deity in Hinduism. He plays a significant role in the story of Narasimha, the lion incarnation of Vishnu, where he is saved from his wicked father, the asura king Hiranyakashipu, through a powerful act of disembowelment and death. Before that happened, Hiranyakashipu had employed Holika to kill Prahlada.
    As per the Vishnu Purana, King Hiranyakashipu’s sister, Holika, tried to help her brother in his bid to eliminate Prahlada. Holika told her brother fire couldn’t burn her, thanks to a blessing she had received. Preparations were made for Prahlada to sit on his aunt’s lap, positioned on a blazing pyre. Nevertheless, as Prahlada fervently chanted the name of Vishnu, he emerged unharmed, while Holika met her demise in the flames.
    In an alternative Purana, Hiranyakashipu instructs Holika to wear her scarf or fire-resistant garment to ensure his son’s death while keeping her safe on the pyre. Yet, when the flames blazed, the garment slipped off Holika and shielded Prahlada instead. Consequently, Holika perished in the fire, while Prahlada emerged unscathed.
    RANGA PANCHAMI 2024: DATE AND TIME
    The Panchami Tithi will commence on March 29, 2024, at 08:20 PM
    The Panchami Tithi will conclude on March 30, 2024, at 09:13 PM
    RANGA PANCHAMI SIGNIFICANCE
    Ranga Panchami holds great importance in Hindu festivals, especially in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and others in the north. It follows Holi celebrations and signifies the victory over tamasa and rajasa tattva, representing the pancha tattva (earth, air, space, water, and fire).
    CELEBRATIONS
    Devotees celebrate Ranga Panchami in temples dedicated to Krishna and Shiva, like the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan and the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain. They offer prayers, play Holi with colours and flowers, dance, sing, and partake in various rituals to honour God on this day.
    Ranga Panchami is predominantly celebrated in the northern regions of India. Devotees engage in playing with colours, offering prayers to Krishna and Shiva, and visiting temples associated with these deities to witness and partake in the vibrant festivities.
    Many people believe that the Rang Panchami and Holi both are the same, but they are praised for a completely different purpose. Let us speak in various ways about the form of celebration.
    Rang Panchami In Indore – A procession led by a water tank with a high-pressure jet, two ceremonial cannons and a camel circumambulation of the town is usually held during the Indore and Maharashtra festival. Everyone on the street is coloured.
    Panchami Tithi is celebrated as traditional at Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Colourful processions in the city take place on this day. The colours give the whole city a distinct feeling. People are coming out of their homes with musical instruments. Readers should be aware that it is named “Ger.” This procession includes people from all faiths and castes. The colourful treat Indore seems to be looking forward to this day.
    Rang Panchami In Maharashtra – After Holi’s celebrations end, the Maharashtrians participate in the Rang Panchami festivities, which are, of course, incomplete without colours. From Dhulandi onwards, the people from Maharashtra play Holi with great pleasure until they reach Panchami Tithi.
    On Rang Panchami, gulal(colours) are widely used. Scrumptious delicacies continue to be Rang Panchami’s prime highlight, including Puran Poli as the most wanted item. The fishermen’s group is believed to be unique to this day.

  • Masinagudi: An enchanting hill station

    Masinagudi: An enchanting hill station

    Masinagudi is a quaint hill station located just a 1-hour drive away from Ooty. The Mudumalai National Park is the highlight here and is popular amongst visitors.
    Masinagudi is considered one of the most perfect jungle getaways in South India. Apart from Mudumalai, the Bandipur Tiger Reserve is also a popular hotspot here. One can engage in wildlife spotting, fishing, go on many exciting safaris by hiring private jeeps, sit by the stunning Moyar River or even go boating there, the possibilities here are endless. Visit the Theppakadu Elephant Camp for an unforgettable experience amongst elephants as you go right into their abodes.
    Mudumalai National Park
    Located at a distance of 17 km from Masinagudi, Mudumalai National Park is a heaven for nature and animal lovers.
    This National Park is enthusiastically involved in preserving tigers and is home to quite a number of them. This place is also replete with other animals and birds too including elephants, deers, monkeys, leopards, sloth bears, black Flycatcher, eagle, woodpecker bulbuls and wood owl. You can even opt for a Jeep Safari to explore this national park to the fullest.
    Theppakadu Elephant Camp
    Even though similar activities were carried out in this are since 1910 or even before, the ‘camp’ was officially established in 1972! The camp provides visitors with the wonderful experience of interacting with the elephants – bathing them, feeding them, etc.
    The camp houses well trained elephants and hence there is minimum risk attached.
    Bandipura Tiger Reserve and National Park
    Located at a distance of around 12 km from Masinagudi, Bandipura Tiger Reserve and National Park is another popular destination to visit amongst nature and animal lovers.
    Known for conserving tigers this place is home to a large number of animals and birds. Some of them include elephants, spotted deer, gaurs, antelopes, Python, jackal, Peafowl, Indian Rollers, eagles and kingfisher. You can even indulge in jeep safari or bus safari or elephant safari to enjoy the beauty of national park to the fullest and see as many animals and birds as possible.
    Moyar River
    A serene and tranquil river namely Moyar River is situated at a distance of 7 km from Masinagudi. This river is the best place to sit and relax.
    You can either dip your feet or your body in the cold water of the river to rejuvenate and refresh yourself. This river also provides picturesque views of nature as it is surrounded by verdant trees and hills.
    Nilgiri Tea Plantations
    Masinagudi is rich in lush green tea plantation and a number of them are located here. You can visit tea plantation and take a lazy stroll amidst fields that are enveloped in the aroma of tea. You will also get to learn and explore the workings of how tea is produced. This would definitely be a fun and enriching experience.
    Masinagudi is well connected only through roads. There are no airports in the village and closest is Coimbatore Airport at 123 km away. The nearest railway station is the Mysore Railway Station at 97 km away. There are no buses coming directly to the village but the main bus stand is in Madumalai which is at 17 km away.

  • Visa, Mastercard reach $30 billion settlement over credit card fees

    Visa, Mastercard reach $30 billion settlement over credit card fees

    NEW YORK (TIP)- Visa and Mastercard reached an estimated $30 billion settlement to limit credit and debit card fees for merchants, with some savings likely to be passed on to consumers through lower prices. The antitrust settlement announced on Tuesday is one of the largest in U.S. history, and if it receives court approval would resolve most claims in nationwide litigation that began in 2005. Some critics believe it may not go far enough, saying the savings would be temporary and fees would remain high.
    Merchants have long accused Visa and Mastercard of charging inflated swipe fees, or interchange fees, when shoppers used credit or debit cards, and barring them through “anti-steering” rules from directing customers toward cheaper means of payment.
    Swipe fees typically include small fixed fees plus a percentage of total sale amounts, and average about 1.5% to 3.5% per transaction according to Bankrate.com.
    Under the settlement, Visa and Mastercard would reduce swipe rates by at least four basis points – 0.04 percentage points – for three years, and ensure an average rate that is seven basis points below the current average for five years.
    Both card networks also agreed to cap rates for five years and remove anti-steering provisions.
    Merchants will have more discretion to offer discounts, or impose surcharges on cards with higher interchange fees.
    Many already warn customers at checkout they will pay more using cards instead of cash.

  • In a first, Reliance acquires 26% stake in Adani project

    In a first, Reliance acquires 26% stake in Adani project

    New Delhi (TIP)- In the first collaboration between rival billionaires, Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries has picked up a 26 per cent stake in a Madhya Pradesh power project of Gautam Adani, and signed a pact to use the plants’ 500 MW of electricity for captive use.
    Reliance will pick up 5 crore equity shares in Mahan Energen Ltd (MEL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Power Ltd, of face value Rs 10 at par (Rs 50 crore) and will use 500 MW of generation capacity for captive use, the two firms said in separate stock exchange filings.
    The two businessmen hailing from Gujarat have often been pitted by media and commentators against each other but they have for years tiptoed around each other to reach the top two rungs of Asia’s wealth ladder. With Ambani’s interests spanning oil and gas to retail and telecom and Adani’s focus on infrastructure spanning sea ports to airports, coal and mining, they rarely crossed each other’s path except in the clean energy business where the two have announced multi-billion investments. Mahan Energen Ltd (MEL), wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Power Ltd (APL), has entered into a 20-year long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) for 500 MW with Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL),

  • S&P Ratings raises India’s growth forecast to 6.8% for next fiscal

    S&P Ratings raises India’s growth forecast to 6.8% for next fiscal

    New Delhi (TIP)- S&P Global Ratings has raised India’s growth forecast for the next financial year to 6.8 per cent, but flagged restrictive interest rates as a dampener for economic growth.
    The Indian economy is estimated to have clocked a growth of 7.6 per cent in the current fiscal. In November, last year, the US-based agency had projected India’s growth to be 6.4 per cent in 2024-25 fiscal on robust domestic momentum. “For Asian emerging market economies, we generally project robust growth, with India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam in the lead,” S&P said in its Economic Outlook for the Asia Pacific.
    In largely domestic demand-led economies such as India, Japan, and Australia, the impact of higher interest rates and inflation on household spending power reduced sequential GDP growth in the second half, S&P said.
    “We expect India’s real GDP growth to moderate to 6.8 per cent in fiscal year 2025 (ending March 2025),” S&P said. Restrictive interest rates are likely to weigh on demand next fiscal year, while regulatory actions to tame unsecured lending will affect credit growth. A lower fiscal deficit will also dampen growth, it added.
    “Even as we expect a mild slowdown in Asian EM economies, we generally see solid domestic demand growth and a pick-up in exports to drive robust growth, with India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam in the lead,” S&P said. It said high real policy rates will choke demand and are therefore likely to strengthen the case for lowering rates.
    Highlighting India’s strength and stability as hallmarks of the current financial cycle, Morgan Stanley has raised its GDP (gross domestic product) growth forecast for the fiscalyear 2024-25 (FY25) to 6.8 per cent from its previous estimate of 6.5 per cent.
    It also revised its growth forecast for the current financial year (FY24) to 7.9 per cent.
    Morgan Stanley anticipates a shallow easing cycle in monetary policy, driven by continued traction in industrial and capital expenditure activities.
    The outlook for India’s economic growth remains robust, with the expectation that growth will track around 7 per cent in the fourth quarter of the financial year 2023-24, said Morgan Stanley.
    This growth momentum is expected to be broad-based, with the gaps between rural-urban consumption and private-public capital expenditure narrowing in FY25, it added.
    Further, Morgan Stanley said that it anticipates a favourable inflation trajectory, with recent trends indicating a softening in headline inflation.
    In FY25 the headline inflation could fall to 4.5 per cent from 5.4 per cent in FY24, while core inflation is projected to remain muted at 4.1 per cent, according to Morgan Stanley.
    The firm also anticipates a continuation of supply-chain normalisation along with easing commodity price pressures, contributing to the disinflation trend.
    Morgan Stanley also highlighted the potential risks stemming from global factors and domestic uncertainties.
    It said that slower-than-expected global growth, higher commodity prices, and tighter global financial conditions pose risks to India’s growth and macroeconomic stability.

  • Fallen crypto mogul sent to 25 yrs in jail for fraud

    Fallen crypto mogul sent to 25 yrs in jail for fraud

    Sam Bankman-Fried, co-founder of the failed crypto exchange FTX, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for defrauding customers and investors of his now-bankrupt firm.
    The ruling cements the downfall of the former billionaire, who emerged as a high profile champion of crypto before his firm’s dramatic collapse in 2022. He was found to have stolen billions from customers ahead of the failure. Bankman-Fried’s legal team will appeal against his conviction. A message from his parents shared with the BBC by a representative for Bankman-Fried said: “We are heartbroken and will continue to fight for our son.”
    Earlier, the 32-year-old said in court he knew “a lot of people” felt “really let down”.
    “I’m sorry about that. I’m sorry about what happened at every stage,” he said, speaking quietly and clearly ahead of his sentencing.
    FTX was one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges before its demise, turning Bankman-Fried into a business celebrity and attracting millions of customers who used the platform to buy and trade cryptocurrency. Source: BBC

  • Running out of storage space? Check out these external storage devices

    Running out of storage space? Check out these external storage devices

    External storage devices have massively evolved over the last few years. Modern storage devices are not just fast, but they are also on the compact side, which makes them easy to carry around. With many laptops still offering just 256 GB of internal storage on base models, it might make sense to buy an external storage device that can cater to all your digital storage needs.
    SSD vs HDD: Size matters
    Modern storage devices can be classified into two major categories — flash-based or solid-state drive (SSD) and optical drive-based or hard disk drive (HDD) storage devices. A flash-based storage device will be lighter and more compact when compared to an optical-drive-based device. However, an SSD will cost a lot more than an HDD. There are also several subcategories within HDD and SSD. HDDs can be primarily classified based on their drive size and rotation speed. Most external HDDs feature a 2.5-inch drive with a typical rotational speed of 5,400 RPM, and there are also select HDDs that offer a higher speed.
    SATA vs PCIe: Speed matters
    Similarly, even in SSDs, there are SATA-based SSDs, and then there are NVMe-based SSDs, which are much faster and are also on the expensive side. Within NVMe SSDs, there are different classes, a PCIe Gen 5 is currently the flagship technology that has the best possible read and write speed. Here are a few more things to keep in mind while buying an external storage device:
    Depending on your computer, look for a storage device with a specific input/output port. Most modern SSD-based storage devices will come with a USB-C I/O port, which enables the storage device to be used with multiple devices such as laptops, MacBooks, iPads, tablets, and even smartphones.
    Look for the sequential read and write speed, this is an important parameter to consider while buying a storage device, especially if you want to device to transfer large files more frequently. Similarly, if you are looking for a storage device that will be used to back up your personal data, a simple HDD should do the job, so try to get one that offers more storage.
    Next, look for a reputed brand and try to get a storage device with an extended warranty, so if something goes wrong in the long run, you will be able to get it fixed via the official channel. If you are someone who wants to store a lot of confidential data, you can also look for a storage device with a biometric locking capability, possibly with fingerprint encryption.
    Seagate Expansion 2TB External HDD
    If you are looking for an external storage device that’s affordable and offers plenty of storage space, check out the Seagate Expansion 2TB External HDD, which is currently selling for Rs 6,981. Despite its affordable price tag, the drive offers USB 3.0 data transfer speed, and it also comes with a complimentary data recovery service that is valid for three years. The drive is compatible with both Windows and macOS, and it comes with a USB-A output port, but you will need a USB-C adapter to use this device with most modern MacBooks. Source: The Indian Express

  • Facebook may have used your phone to snoop on Snapchat, Amazon and YouTube

    Facebook may have used your phone to snoop on Snapchat, Amazon and YouTube

    A new set of unsealed documents released by a federal court in California has revealed that Facebook was snooping on Snapchat, YouTube and Amazon users. Codenamed ‘Project Ghostbusters’, the Mark Zuckerberg-owned company was intercepting and decrypting network traffic of people using Snapchat.
    The documents, which are part of a class action lawsuit between consumers and Meta show how the company was analysing network traffic of users interacting with its competitors. To get around past encryption used by services like Snapchat, Facebook developed a special technology to see what users were doing on other platforms.
    In an internal email dated June 9, 2016, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, ‘Whenever someone asks a question about Snapchat, the answer is usually that because their traffic is encrypted we have no analytics about them. Given how quickly they’re growing, it seems important to figure out a new way to get reliable analytics about them. Perhaps we need to do panels or write custom software. You should figure out how to do this.’
    After Zuckerberg sent the email, developers at the company suggested using Onavo, a VPN-like service that Facebook had acquired in 2013. A month later, the team working on Onavo came up with a solution that involved installing ‘kits’ on both Android and iOS devices.
    In another email, Facebook said the technique, which is basically a man-in-the-middle attack, allowed “us to read what would otherwise be encrypted traffic so we can measure in-app usage.” According to the court documents, Facebook later expanded the program to snoop on YouTube and Amazon.
    Meta’s Onavo unit is not new to controversies. The team has a history of using various techniques to collect user data. After acquiring Onavo from an Israeli firm, Meta had used the service to spy on its competitors via the millions of people who were using the app.
    Google’s AI powered search results links to malware websites
    Google’s recently introduced ‘Search Generative Experience’ feature, which uses AI to offer summarised search results seems to be recommending shady websites that redirect users to malware-packed Chrome extensions and scams like fake iPhone giveaways.
    According to a recent report by Bleeping Computer, the spammy and malware-laden search results that were first spotted by SEO consultant Lily Ray might make some users fall for these scams. As it turns out, the shady websites used by SGE in search results use the .online domain, have the same HTML template and use the same websites over and over to redirect traffic.
    If you happen to click one of these links, users will be redirected to several websites until they reach a scam site. The report claims that most of these redirects took users to pages with fake captchas or YouTube lookalikes that ask users to allow browser notifications.

  • China blocks use of Intel and AMD chips in government computers

    China has introduced guidelines to phase out U.S. microprocessors from Intel and AMD from government personal computers and servers, the Financial Times reported.
    The procurement guidance also seeks to sideline Microsoft’s Windows operating system and foreign-made database software in favour of domestic options, the report said.
    Government agencies above the township level have been told to include criteria requiring “safe and reliable” processors and operating systems when making purchases, the newspaper said.
    China’s industry ministry in late December issued a statement with three separate lists of CPUs, operating systems and centralised database deemed “safe and reliable” for three years after the publication date, all from Chinese companies, Reuters checks showed.
    Intel and AMD did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. The US has been aiming to boost domestic semiconductor output and reduce reliance on China and Taiwan with the Biden administration’s 2022 CHIPS and Science Act. It is designed to bolster US semiconductors and contains financial aid for domestic production with subsidies for production of advanced chips.