Berkeley (US): Apple has agreed to let developers of iPhone apps email their users about cheaper ways to pay for digital subscriptions and media by circumventing a commission system that generates billions of dollars annually for the iPhone maker.
The concession announced late Thursday, which covers emailed notifications but does not allow in-app notifications, is part of a preliminary settlement of a nearly 2-year-old lawsuit filed on behalf of iPhone app developers in the U.S. It also addresses an issue raised by a federal court judge who is expected to soon rule on a separate case brought by Epic Games, maker of the popular video game Fortnite.
Apple also will set up a USD 100 million fund that will pay thousands of app developers covered in the lawsuit sums ranging from USD 250 to USD 30,000. App developers will get more flexibility to set different prices within their apps, ex.....
Canberra: Qantas Group posted a 2.35 billion Australia dollar (USD 1.7 billion) pandemic-related annual loss on Thursday and forecast Australia will reopen to international travel in December.
The Sydney-based airline company said it expected flights to countries with high vaccination rates including the United States, Britain, Japan and Singapore would resume in mid-December.
Flights to countries with lower vaccination rates including Indonesia, the Philippines and South Africa would restart from April next year at the earliest, Qantas said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange.
One of the biggest unknowns is the quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travelers entering Australia, the statement said.
If Australia keeps its requirement for vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers to spend 14 days in hotel quarantine, travel demand would be very low. A shorte.....
New Delhi: Yahoo has shut down its news websites in India due the new foreign direct investment (FDI) rules that limit foreign ownership of media companies that operate and publish digital content in India.
This includes Yahoo News, Yahoo Cricket, Finance, Entertainment and MAKERS India. This, however, will not affect users' Yahoo e-mail, and search experiences in India.
"As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account, Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership," a notice on the Yahoo website said.
US tech major Verizon had acquired Yahoo in 2017.
In the FAQ section, Yahoo said effective August 26, 2021, the company has ceased publication of content in India and has shut down Yahoo's content operations in the country.
"We did not come to th.....
Washington: The ongoing evacuation of US citizens and Afghan nationals who supported Americans over the last 20 years is one of the largest and most difficult airlifts in history, US President Joe Biden said here Friday. He said the US has already evacuated more than 18,000 people since July and approximately 13,000 since its military airlift began on August 14. This is one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history, and the only country in the world capable of projecting this much power on the far side of the world with this degree of precision is the United States of America," Biden told reporters at a White House news conference.
He said thousands more have been evacuated on private charter flights facilitated by the US government including American citizens and permanent residents as well as their families. It also includes Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants and their.....
Beijing: China is tightening control over data gathered by companies about the public under a law approved Friday by its ceremonial legislature, expanding the ruling Communist Party's crackdown on internet industries.
The data protection law follows anti-monopoly and other enforcement actions against companies including e-commerce giant Alibaba and games and social media operator Tencent that caused their share prices to plunge.
The law, which takes effect Nov. 1, follows complaints companies misused or sold customer data without their knowledge or permission, allowing it to be used for fraud or unfair practices such as charging higher prices to some users.
The law curbs what information companies can gather and sets standards for how it must be stored. The full text of the law wasn't immediately released, but earlier versions also would require customer permission before data c.....
United Nations: Voicing concern that Afghanistan is spinning out of control , UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the Taliban to immediately halt the offensive and asserted that seizing power through military force is a "losing proposition" and can only lead to prolonged civil war and the complete isolation of the war-torn nation.
The Taliban has captured Herat and Kandahar, the country's second and third largest cities. As the Taliban insurgents increasingly gain ground in Afghanistan, some accounts state that 60 per cent of the country's territory is under their control.
There is growing concern that Kabul too could fall into the hands of the Taliban soon.
Even for a country that has tragically known generations of conflict, Afghanistan is in the throes of yet another chaotic and desperate chapter an incredible tragedy for its long-suffering people," Guterres said .....
New Delhi: Union minister R K Singh interacted with investors from the US and invited them to explore investment opportunities in the renewable energy and power sector in India.
The power and new & renewable energy minister also highlighted India's achievement in the sector during his virtual meeting with the business community.
"The meeting provided an opportunity to the business community to interact with Union Minister on various aspects the renewable energy and power sector in India and the associated opportunities available to the global investors," a power ministry statement said.
Singh's meeting with the members of the US India Business Council (USIBC) had a theme "Advancing cleaner, more sustainable and affordable energy to mitigate climate change and power India's economic growth".
More than 50 industry leaders cutting across various sectors of the economy including .....
The Australian and Western Australian governments are fast-tracking 69 new road safety projects, thanks to a $100 million joint funding package to enable upgrades to be completed in the 2021–22 financial year.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Barnaby Joyce said this announcement builds on the joint funding already announced under the Road Safety Program to support the accelerated delivery of 69 road safety projects in the state.
"This brings the Australian Government's total commitment to WA to over $230 million through our $3 billion nationwide Road Safety Program," the Deputy Prime Minister said.
"Our Government is committed to keeping our communities safe, while securing our economic recovery - because investing in these infrastructure upgrades and jobs now will lay the foundations for a better future tomorrow.
"Th.....
న్యూఢిల్లీ: ఖేల్ రత్న అవార్డు ను మేజర్ ధ్యాన్ చంద్ పేరు తో వ్యవహారం లోకి తీసుకు రావాలని భారతదేశం వ్యాప్తంగా పౌరుల వద్ద నుంచి తనకు ఎన్నో అభ్యర్థన లు వస్తున్నాయని ప్రధాన మంత్రి శ్రీ నరేంద్ర మోదీ అన్నారు. పౌరుల ఈ భావనల ను గౌరవిస్తూ ఖేల్ రత్న అవార్డు ను ఇక నుంచి మేజర్ ధ్యాన్ చంద్ ఖేల్ రత్న అవార్డు గా పిలవడం జరుగుతుందని ఆయన చెప్పారు.
భారత.....
India women's hockey team created history on Monday as they stunned three-time Olympic champions Australia 1-0 to enter their first Olympic semi-finals in Tokyo 2020. Drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur converted India's lone penalty corner in the 22nd minute into a goal and that turned out to be the difference between both sides.
The Indian team were in sublime form and Gurjit Kaur (22') emerged as the only goal-scorer of the match. At the other end, Savita Punia was invincible under the frame as she made nine saves in the match. The Indian team will face off against world no. 5 Argentina in the semifinal on Wednesday.
It is under Dutch coach Sjoerd Marijne that the India women's hockey team recorded the historic feat. Taking over as the head coach of the team in 2017, the 47-year-old has instilled a champion's mentality into the side by working on the mindset of the players.
Former Ind.....
Mumbai: Even as there was a strong recovery in consumer demand, global gold demand was flat with a 1 per cent dip during the April-June quarter at 955.1 tonne compared to the same period in 2020, following modest inflows into ETFs, the World Gold Council (WGC) said in a report.
Overall gold demand stood at 960.5 tonne during April-June quarter in 2020, according to the WGC's 'Gold Demand Trends Q2 2021' report.
The report revealed that between April and June, most consumer gold purchases were positive as jewellery demand grew by 60 per cent at 390.7 tonne compared to 244.5 tonne in the same quarter last year, mainly driven by China and India.
Bars and coins, overwhelmingly bought by retail investors, saw a fourth consecutive quarter of year-on-year gains, with 243.8 tonnes during the second quarter of 2021 compared to 156.7 tonnes bought during April-June 2020.
However, deman.....
Australia will host the Olympics for the third time and Paralympics for the second time after Brisbane and South East Queensland tonight secured the 2032 Games.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said securing the Games was a coup for the nation.
“It’s a historic day not just for Brisbane and Queensland, but for the entire country,” the Prime Minister said.
“Only global cities can secure the Olympic Games – so this is fitting recognition for Brisbane’s standing across our region and the world.
“It also marks an important leap forward for Australia as we look toward major events that lock in economic growth and social benefits that will echo for years to come.
“We know the impact on Sydney more than two decades ago was transformative. We can now expect a repeat for Brisbane and communities across Queensland.
“It’s a proud day for Queenslanders and Australi.....