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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Donald Trump commented on the Fed after Wednesday's interest rate cut.</li><li>As a president and a candidate, Trump has continued undermining the Fed's independence.</li></ul>Interest-rate cuts are finally here, and former President Donald Trump isn't happy about it.On Wednesday, the Federal Open Market Committee <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fed-cuts-interest-rates-how-much-september-fomc-powell-inflation-2024-9">announced an interest-rate cut of 50 basis points</a>, the first cut Americans have received in over four years. With the pace of inflation slowing and the job market cooling over the past few months, some experts and Democratic lawmakers have been urging Fed Chair Jerome Powell to cut rates sooner rather than later to give Americans relief from high prices.But Trump feels differently — he <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlvBFsWoXtw">said</a> during a New York campaign stop on Wednesday that the rate cut "shows the economy is very bad to cut it by that much, assuming they're not just playing politics.""The economy would be very bad, or they're playing politics, one or the other," Trump said. "But it was a big cut."He's argued in the past that the Fed would only cut rates close to the election to aid Democrats, which he reiterated leading up to the central bank's announcement."They'll do the rate cut and all the political stuff tomorrow," Trump said during a Tuesday town hall in Michigan, adding that if he wins the presidential election, "we're going to get interest rates down."Notably, the president has no influence over lowering interest rates — the Federal Reserve is politically independent and is supposed to make monetary policy decisions solely based on its dual mandate of keeping inflation low and employment high.That's something Trump wants to change — The Wall Street Journal reported in April that members of Trump's team were <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-interest-rate-decisions-restructure-federal-reserve-jerome-powell-wsj-2024-4">creating plans to restructure the Fed</a> and allow Trump to have a say in interest-rate decisions. He later walked those comments back, saying in an August <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-19/trump-defends-fed-criticism-weighs-providing-aid-to-home-buyers">interview</a> with Bloomberg that he doesn't need to be "calling the shot, but it does mean that I should have a right to be able to talk about it like anybody else."Senior advisors to Trump told the Journal that those plans were not finalized.Trump has also previously accused the Fed of being political — he <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-interest-rate-cuts-powell-help-democrats-win-elections-inflation-2024-2">said</a> during a Fox interview in February that Powell is "going to do something to probably help the Democrats, I think, if he lowers interest rates."While Powell has not directly responded to Trump's comments, the Fed chair has repeatedly said that the Federal Reserve is an independent entity that makes decisions solely based on data and is not influenced by politics. "Our job is to support the economy on behalf of the American people, and if we get it right, this will benefit the American people significantly," Powell said during the Wednesday press conference. "It's something we all take very, very seriously. We don't put up any other filters. I think if you start doing that, I don't know where you stop."Trump sought to use his presidential power to appoint members to the Fed board who supported his unorthodox views of the central bank. Judy Shelton, a conservative economist who Trump nominated to the Board of Governors in 2019, had previously written that the Fed was "almost a rogue agency" that couldn't be trusted. Even fellow Republicans balked at her nomination, culminating in a 47-50 failed floor vote exacerbated by GOP absences related to COVID-19."In her past statements, Ms. Shelton has called for the Federal Reserve to be less independent of the political branches and has even questioned the need for a central bank," Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, said of her at the time. "This is not the right signal to send, particularly in the midst of the pandemic."Shelton was one of a series of Trump loyalists whose nominations ran aground. Former 2012 GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain and conservative commentator Stephen Moore both withdrew their respective nominations in the face of opposition. Trump was able to get former Kanas banking commissioner Michelle Bowman and economist Christopher Waller confirmed to the Fed Board.Trump has flip-flopped his views on his most important appointment to the Fed: Powell."He's strong, he's committed, he's smart," Trump said about Powell in 2017 when he nominated him to lead the Fed.In February, the former president said he would not reappoint Powell to lead the Fed. Earlier this summer, Trump told Bloomberg News that he would let Powell serve out his term. Trump's tepid support of Powell underlines just how mercurial he can be when it comes to the central bank."There are few more important positions than this, believe me, in our Government," Trump said in 2017 with Powell looking on.On that point, Trump hasn't wavered.

The Fed's interest-rate cut put Trump even more at odds with the central bank

<ul><li><keyword id="19897349" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola-electric" source="keywords">Ola Electric</keyword> has come under the scanner after a surge in customer complaints.</li><li>The company’s sales and market share have also been declining.</li><li>The government has reportedly issued a show cause notice to <keyword id="19945904" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola" source="keywords">Ola</keyword> Electric.</li></ul>Ola Electric was once considered the most promising electric automaker in the country, from dominating the electric two-wheeler with its electric scooters to introducing multiple electric bikes simultaneously. The company had many things going for it, hosting a vast distribution network via its cab-hailing platform and a conducive policy environment that incentivised the growth of EVs. But within a few years of its launch, somewhere something seems to have gone awfully wrong! The Bhavish Aggarwal-led company has recently been in the news for all the wrong reasons, from the company’s founder engaging in an online spat with comedian Kunal Kamra to customers taking to social media to complain about their scooters. But that’s not where the company’s problems end. One of the seemingly direct effects of the rise in customer complaints has been subdued sales in recent months. Besides this, the company has also come under the government’s scanner. <h2>Surge in complaints</h2>According to a recent report, Ola Electric recently formed a new service team to deal with the surge in customer complaints. As per the report, the electric two-wheeler maker is receiving as many as 80,000 customer complaints per month, overwhelming its service infrastructure. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113699039" title="Ola Electric plans to expand sales and service infra to 10,000 outlets by 2025-end" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The high number of complaints reportedly resulted in high wait times for customers, resulting in growing customer dissatisfaction, which is regularly played out on social media. <h2>Declining market share</h2>It’s not just social media, the company’s market share has also been on the decline along with its sales. From nearly a 50% market share in April 2024, the company’s market share declined to 27% in September 2024. While the company still leads the Indian electric two-wheeler market, legacy automakers like Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor are closing in. While Bajaj Auto reported a 21.5% market share in September 2024, TVS Motor reported a 20.3% market share. From occupying nearly half of the market, Ola Electric has now been restricted to a quarter and by the looks of it, the company may not even be able to hold the top position by the end of the year if the current trend continues. <h2>Ola Electric comes under the government’s scrutiny</h2>Amid rising complaints, Ola Electric has also come under the government’s scanner. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), India’s consumer watchdog issues a show-cause notice to Ola Electric over potential violations of the Consumer Protection Act (2019). According to a report, The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) run by the Department of Consumer Affairs has received 10,644 complaints against Ola Electric since September 2023. When the NCH approached Ola Electric, the body was reportedly met with apathy by the company. Out of the 10,644 complaints, 3,389 relate to delays in providing service to the vehicles, 1,899 are around delivery delays for new vehicles and 1,459 customers have complained about services that were promised but not provided. According to a report by CNBCTV-18, CCPA chairman Nidhi Khare has said the complaints against Ola Electric have been classified in 10 categories, including “delayed and unsatisfactory service”, “refusal or delay in warranty services”, “recurrent defects despite services”, “unprofessional conduct and complaint closure” and more. <h2>A customer’s harrowing experience</h2>Business Insider India spoke to Mr Rakesh (name changed), an Ola Electric customer who has been facing issues with his Ola S1 Pro. The customer paid for the vehicle in August 2023 and the scooter was delivered in January 2024, after a five-month wait. The first issue that the customer faced was that despite the scooter only being delivered in January 2024, the scooter’s warranty began in August 2023, depriving the customer of five months of warranty. Not just this, the vehicle’s insurance began in November 2023, two months prior to the delivery. While this is a concerning issue, this was the least of the customer’s problems. <div type="image" title="1" msid="114120836" hostid="261" sizebytes="68242" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The Ola S1 Pro being towed&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> As per the customer, his scooter repeatedly faced issues, not even turning on at times. Rakesh said that he was forced to restart his vehicle four to five times a day just to be able to use it and if this didn’t work, he was forced to remove and re-insert a plug placed under the seat. However, even this failed several times and in less than eight months of usage, Rakesh was forced to get his vehicle towed to the service centre multiple times with the help of roadside assistance (RSA). He claimed that he faced the issue nearly 30 times so far. He further said that the scooter has spent the majority of its time at the service centre, which is extremely disappointing after spending over ₹1.6 lakh on a vehicle. <div type="image" title="2" msid="114120876" hostid="261" sizebytes="65944" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The Ola S1 Pro being towed again&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> At the service centre, the service executives were unable to find the exact cause of the issue. To try and solve the issue, the scooter’s control unit was reportedly changed twice and there were multiple software updates. Rakesh has had a disappointing experience so far, especially with the service executives being unable to diagnose the issue and him having to repeatedly visit the service centre. <h2>A wake-up call?</h2>Many users on the internet have labelled Ola vehicles as subpar and not fit for this competitive market that’s growing rapidly. The initial marketing was good, helping the company conquer almost half of the market share. But a bad quality product can dent the reputation of a company severely in the long run. This must serve as a wake-up call for <keyword id="1543567" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bhavish-Aggarwal" source="Orion">Bhavish Aggarwal</keyword> and everyone at Ola Electric and the consumers hope that the company not only works on improving its quality control but also overhauls its service infrastructure to more efficiently diagnose and solve issues with their vehicles. During an interaction early in the company’s journey, Aggarwal once said that he hopes to sell around 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh scooters a month, which is close to what one of the popular petrol scooters manages to do each month. While this dream looked achievable at one time, the journey now seems quite tedious. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/september-auto-sales-automakers-report-a-decline-mahindra-and-mahindra-overtakes-tata-motors/articleshow/113925972.cms">September Auto sales – Automakers report a decline, Mahindra and Mahindra overtakes Tata Motors</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/ola-electric-continues-to-lose-market-share-as-bajaj-auto-and-tvs-motor-gain/articleshow/113900252.cms">Ola Electric continues to lose market share as Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor gain</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/pm-e-drive-scheme-with-10900-crore-outlay-announced-for-electric-vehicles/articleshow/113816837.cms">PM E-DRIVE scheme with ₹10,900 crore outlay announced for electric vehicles</a>

The Ola Electric Saga: Are surge in complaints and declining market share a wake-up call for Bhavish Aggarwal?

<keyword id="19896018" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala" source="keywords">Kerala</keyword> is on high alert following the death of a 14-year-old boy from <keyword id="20824677" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="malappuram" source="keywords">Malappuram</keyword> district due to the <keyword id="21881533" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nipah-virus" source="keywords">Nipah virus</keyword>. To prevent the situation from escalating further, the central government has stepped in to assist the <keyword id="73082" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kerala-government" source="Orion">Kerala government</keyword> and safeguard the public. A zoonotic illness, the <keyword id="20197512" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nipah" source="keywords">Nipah</keyword> virus,infection is transmitted from animals like pigs and fruit bats to humans, as well as through contaminated food and contact with an infected person. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has even flagged the virus as a priority pathogen due to its epidemic potential. The boy from Malappuram showed symptoms of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) and was initially treated in Perinthalmanna before being transferred to a higher health centre Kozhikode. The National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune subsequently confirmed the <keyword id="22489646" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nipah-virus-infection" source="keywords">Nipah virus infection</keyword>. In response, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) sent monoclonal antibodies for patient management and a mobile Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) laboratory for testing additional samples from contacts. Unfortunately, the boy's “poor general condition” prevented the administration of the antibodies. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Health ministry advises Kerala to take four immediate public health measures" comment="subhead" text="Health ministry advises Kerala to take four immediate public health measures"><keyword id="19896140" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="health-ministry" source="keywords">Health ministry</keyword> advises Kerala to take four immediate public health measures</cmsannotation> The 14-year-old’s demise in Malappuram has triggered an urgent public health response from the Centre, with the Union health ministry advising Kerala to take four immediate health measures to ensure public safety. They are as follows: 1. Active Case Search: The state government should begin active case searches within the family of the confirmed case, the neighbourhood and other areas with similar topography to identify any additional cases. This proactive approach will help in early detection and containment. 2. Contact Tracing: The state should trace contacts the identified case had over the past 12 days. This includes monitoring these contacts for symptoms and taking steps to prevent further spread of the virus. Detailed records of interactions and movements of the infected individual will be crucial. 3. Quarantine and Isolation: Contacts of the confirmed case should be strictly quarantined, and any suspects showing symptoms should be isolated. This measure is essential to contain the virus and prevent it from spreading within the community. 4. Sample Collection and Testing: Samples from potential contacts and suspects should be collected and transported for laboratory testing. This ensures early detection and allows for a swift response to any new cases that may arise. To assist the Kerala government, a multi-member joint outbreak response team from the National ‘<keyword id="15536661" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="One-Health-Mission" source="Orion">One Health Mission</keyword>’ will be deployed. This team will help investigate the case, identify epidemiological linkages and provide technical support. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111771996" title="What is the Chandipura virus that has already claimed the lives of 6 children in Gujarat?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Meanwhile, Kerala Health Minister Veena George has confirmed that an additional 60 people have been identified as high-risk for contracting the disease. Amid this situation, residents in vulnerable areas have been instructed to take precautions, such as wearing masks in public and avoiding hospital visits. The Nipah virus has been linked to dozens of deaths in Kerala since its first report in 2018. The state has faced multiple outbreaks, with the most recent occurring in 2023 in Kozhikode district.

Nipah virus: Health Ministry instructs Kerala to enforce four immediate safety measures following 14-year-old's death

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ukraine's IT army says it has launched thousands of attacks on Russian organizations.</li><li>The group, formed shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has members from around the world.</li></ul>Shortly after <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/russia-ukraine-war">Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine</a>, the Ukrainian government issued a clarion call to tech wizzes around the world to use their skills in the fight against the invading nation."We are creating an IT army. We need digital talents," Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's then-deputy prime minister, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-assembles-it-army-to-attack-russia-in-cyberspace-2022-2">wrote on X at the time</a>.Eager volunteers quickly responded to the plea, and within a month, the group's Telegram channel counted around 300,000 subscribers.As the number of members increased, so did the IT army's activity, and by late May, the group had already <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://t.me/mintsyfra/3065">launched</a> an estimated 2,000 cyberattacks on Russian organizations, Ukraine's Digital Transformation Ministry said on Telegram.A spokesperson for the group, who goes by the name Ted, told Business Insider that they "currently see tens of thousands of devices and possibly thousands of people behind them.""While we experience a constant decline in the number of subscribers [to the army's Telegram channel], the number of active devices involved is growing," Ted added.Though the exact location of participants is unknown, the army is international in reach, Ted said.The IT army website provides detailed resources that explain in Ukrainian and English how volunteers can help, with guides on how to install the "IT Army Kit," which contains tools required for conducting <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-cyberattacks-on-ukraine-may-have-gotten-out-of-hand-2022-5">cyberattacks</a>.Volunteers can even use the toolkit to set up the attacks to run in the background, preventing tasks from disrupting their daily activities.Leaderboard statistics are also posted to help gamify the process, increasing engagement and promoting competition among users.<h2 id="ab88f3cb-335d-4bd3-bb30-9b091bfc97ee">Russian organizations are vulnerable to cyberwarfare, experts say</h2>Russian organizations are particularly susceptible to things like a DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attack — which is an effort to overload a website or network.In the West, there are a number of services that help protect companies from DDoS attacks, Alan Woodward, a professor at the Surrey Centre for Cyber Security at the University of Surrey, told BI.In Russia, however, "they have the expertise but not necessarily the service providers who sit in front of organisations to detect and deflect DDoS attacks," Woodward added.In June, the IT army said it had launched a major DDoS attack against Russian banks, including VTB, Gazprombank, Sberbank, and a number of others, as well as the country's Mir payment system — Russia's equivalent of Visa or Mastercard.<div type="image" title="A man walks past VTB Bank at the Gum Building." height="683" width="1024" msid="112065024" hostid="261"></div>Woodward said the incident "certainly left the impression that the group is capable of mounting significant attacks."The IT army and other hacktivist groups have also managed to hit Russian media outlets.In June 2023, Russian state TV and other channels <a target="_blank" href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/russia-state-tv-hacked-millions-113800186.html">were targeted by hackers</a>, with a video broadcast in Ukrainian warning viewers: "The hour of reckoning has come."Cyberattacks such as these play a "very important role" in Ukraine's cyberdefense, Stefan Soesanto, a senior researcher at the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich, told BI."While most of their DDoS efforts only cause short term disruptions, they are persistent when it comes to specific Russian businesses and platforms," he said. "They will target them over and over again."Roskomnadzor, Russia's federal censorship agency, said it had repelled almost three times more DDoS attacks in the first quarter of 2024 than in all of 2023, Russian news website <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/6649341?from=glavnoe_6">Kommersant reported</a>.Such attacks may also help "support defensive movements of the Ukrainian army," said Vasileios Karagiannopoulos, an associate professor in cybercrime and cybersecurity at the University of Portsmouth.They can "help with countering misinformation efforts and facilitate things at a cyberespionage level," he said."It also helps to symbolically generate an image of vulnerability that can impact on the morale of the opponents and respectively boost the morale of Ukrainian troops and citizens," Karagiannopoulos added.<h2 id="29f85455-8790-4939-b99d-d1ad5521ae4f">Ukraine's government may want to keep its distance from the group</h2>The IT army has an internal team, which some experts <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://css.ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/special-interest/gess/cis/center-for-securities-studies/pdfs/Cyber-Reports-2022-06-IT-Army-of-Ukraine.pdf">believe</a> was taken over by the Ukrainian intelligence service and the country's Ministry of Defense."The IT Army is managed by the SBU and the Ukrainian MoD," Soesanto said, adding that they receive support from Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation."The volunteers who are nowadays participating in the IT Army do not know which sites, IP addresses, and services they are DDoS [attacking]," he said, adding that it had all been "centralized, with a handful of people making the targeting decisions."Ted told BI that "the MoD does not run the IT army, but there is collaboration to ensure efforts are synchronized."Ukraine's Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment from BI on the nature of its relationship with the IT army.The Ukrainian government likely wants to keep the group "at arms length," Woodward said."Or at the very least organise matters such that there is plausible deniability by the Ukrainian government if an attack results in unwelcome, albeit unintentional, consequences," he added.One of the main risks with the force, Karagiannopoulos said, is that sometimes "volunteers might not follow instructions" and "organize their own attacks," potentially impacting people "across different countries and networks.It is also unclear "whether these individuals could be targeted by the Russian military as combatants when they are considered to take direct part in hostilities," he added.Nonetheless, the IT army is a "world first," Karagiannopoulos continued. "We have an explicit call from government officials for people to join," yet these hackers are not a formal part of the Ukrainian military.This will set a precedent for future conflicts as cyberwarfare becomes more common, he added.

Ukraine's IT army is a 'world first' in cyberwarfare &mdash; but it's a major gamble for the government, experts say

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Microsoft's security systems are inadequate and need an "overhaul," a government report found.</li><li>Security flaws in Microsoft's systems let Chinese hackers breach the company's networks last summer, DHS found.</li></ul>Microsoft's security culture needs work, a government-backed cybersecurity board says in a new report.And the tech giant's lackluster security allowed a group of hackers associated with China to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-says-china-hackers-state-department-emails-blinken-beijing-2023-7">breach the company's networks</a>, including senior US officials' emails, in a preventable attack last summer, the report says.The US Department of Homeland Security <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/CSRB_Review_of_the_Summer_2023_MEO_Intrusion_Final_508c.pdf">released the report</a> from the Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB) on Tuesday. In it, the board details a "cascade" of "avoidable errors" in Microsoft's security systems.Specifically, the board said that the hackers — an espionage group affiliated with the Chinese government called Storm-0558 — were able to exploit several flaws in Microsoft's authentication system, allowing them to sign in to "essentially any Exchange Online account anywhere in the world."Because Microsoft didn't adequately protect the signing keys, the hackers gained access to the email accounts of senior US diplomats, including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, United States Ambassador to the People's Republic of China R. Nicholas Burns, and Congressman Don Bacon, the report says.The report also blames Microsoft for not detecting the compromised accounts on its own and only realizing something was wrong when a customer reported a problem."The Board finds that this intrusion was preventable and should never have occurred," the Cyber Safety Review Board wrote in its report. "The Board also concludes that Microsoft's security culture was inadequate and requires an overhaul, particularly in light of the company's centrality in the technology ecosystem and the level of trust customers place in the company to protect their data and operations."In a statement to Business Insider, a spokesperson for Microsoft said "recent events have demonstrated a need to adopt a new culture of engineering security in our own networks.""While no organization is immune to cyberattack from well-resourced adversaries, we have mobilized our engineering teams to identify and mitigate legacy infrastructure, improve processes, and enforce security benchmarks," the Microsoft spokesperson said.The board also reprimanded Microsoft for announcing in September 2023 that it had found the root cause of the attack. But two months later it admitted to the board that it was wrong about the cause — and didn't update the announcement to reflect that inaccuracy until March 2024, the report said.The CSRB concluded that because Microsoft's systems are essential to national security and the global economy, the company must fix its security vulnerabilities quickly and substantially.

Microsoft really blew it, says government report on Chinese hacks

A Central team has been rushed to Kerala after a 12-year-old boy died due to <keyword id="6544034" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nipah-virus" source="Orion">Nipah virus</keyword> infection in the state's <keyword id="908520" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kozhikode-district" source="Orion">Kozhikode district</keyword>, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday. The samples of the boy, which were sent to the <keyword id="8720877" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pune-national-institute-of-virology" source="Orion">Pune National Institute of Virology</keyword>, confirmed the presence of Nipah virus. The <keyword id="6357307" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="central-government" source="Orion">Central Government</keyword> has rushed a team of National Centre for Disease Control to the state, which will be reaching on Sunday. The team will provide technical support to the state, the ministry said. Some immediate public health measures have been advised by the Centre which include active case search in the family, families, village and areas with similar topography especially in <keyword id="69399" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="malappuram" source="Orion">Malappuram</keyword>. The measures also include active contact tracing for any contacts in the past 12 days, strict quarantine of the contacts and isolation of any suspects and collection and transportation of samples for lab testing, the ministry said. Nipah virus is spread by saliva of the fruit bats. In 2018 also, there was a Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts of Kerala. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/pramod-bhagat-wins-indias-first-badminton-gold-in-paralympics/articleshow/85926279.cms">Pramod Bhagat wins India's first badminton gold in Paralympics</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/secret-funeral-plans-for-britains-queen-elizabeth-ii-leaked/articleshow/85919081.cms">Secret funeral plans for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II leaked</a>

Nipah virus: Central government team rushes to Kerala after a 12-year-old boy dies

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Meta published a blog inviting legislation that would require parental approval to download apps.</li><li>Thirty-three <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/states-sue-meta-allege-facebook-instagram-harm-youth-mental-health-2023-10">states are suing Meta</a>, alleging it ignored warnings that Instagram harmed teens.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta">Meta</a> is asking for federal rules that would require kids and younger teens who want to download apps — like Facebook and Instagram, for instance — to get permission from their parents first.Yes, you read that right: Meta is asking for more government regulation. But its motivation might not be totally altruistic. More on that in a minute.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg">Mark Zuckerberg's company</a> made the call for the new rules in a blog post earlier this week. Antigone Davis, Meta's global head of safety, described its hopes for US government regulation in the <a target="_blank" href="https://about.fb.com/news/2023/11/online-teen-safety-legislation-is-needed/">post</a> titled: "Parenting in a Digital World Is Hard. Congress Can Make It Easier."Here's a highlight:Sounds amazing, right? Well, maybe not so fast.For starters, making it harder for 13-to-16 year olds to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-apps">download social apps would</a> probably hurt TikTok far more than it would Meta. It's a nice upside for Meta if this regulation just so happened to slow the growth of a main competitor, which dominates the younger audience.Although <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-instagram-facebook-growing-faster-than-tiktok-2023-11">Meta's apps are somewhat rebounding</a>, the chokehold TikTok has on younger kids compared to Meta is stark.A recent study showed that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-youtube-most-popular-screen-time-teens-facebook-instagram-study-2023-9">kids 11 to 17 who use TikTok spend a median of nearly 2 hours daily</a> on the app — compared to just one minute on Meta's Facebook (LOL) and 16 minutes on its Instagram.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-ban-us-china-tech-war-distraction-data-privacy-experts-2023-2">TikTok has faced its own challenges with possible government regulation</a>, although for a different set of reasons — mainly concerns over its ties to China.And under Meta's proposed rules, the nuts-and-bolts of age verification wouldn't be the responsibility of social media companies. Punting verification to Apple's App Store and the Google Play Store would likely make things easier for Meta.It would appear to turns Meta's problem into Apple and Google's problems.(And keep in mind that all these social platforms can also be accessed on a browser; you don't need an app.)Most crucially, Meta happens to be in the middle of a lawsuit over teen safety on its apps. Thirty-three states, including New York and California, are suing Meta, alleging it purposely designed its apps to be addictive to children and teenagers — knowing the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-meta-parent-sue-mental-health-teens-2022-8">social apps risked the mental health and wellbeing of young people</a>.And last week, in a Massachusetts filing, was buried a potential bombshell: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zuckerberg-ignored-execs-calls-to-improve-teen-mental-health-lawsuit-2023-11">Mark Zuckerberg had repeatedly ignored</a> another executive's request to invest more resources in improving teen wellbeing, the lawsuit claimed, and he ignored other internal warnings about the harmful effects of Instagram beauty filters on teen girls, it said.Meta said at the time it has a "robust central team overseeing youth well-being efforts across the country," and said the legal complaint was "filled with selective quotes from handpicked documents" that don't provide the full context.As for its call for federal legislation on age verification, a Meta spokesperson told me it's to make sure there's one national standard for every app."We've always said that we support internet regulation, particularly when it comes to young people," said Meta spokesperson Faith Eischen. "That said, we're concerned about what is amounting to a patchwork of divergent laws across a variety of US states. Laws that hold different apps to different standards in different states will leave teens with inconsistent online experiences."Meanwhile, a bipartisan bill is working its way through Congress that would update the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-you-must-be-13-facebook-instagram-problematic-law-coppa-2022-1">Children's Online Privacy Protection Act</a>, or COPPA, from 1998 that regulates privacy for users under 13 years old. The beefed up version, "COPPA 2.0," would also prevent data collection on users under 16 and would ban targeted advertising to kids and teens.Meta might not like that regulation quite as much.Danny Weiss, chief advocacy officer of Common Sense Media, an organization that provides parental resources for navigating technology, told me: "Meta is really not in a position to be recommending what is good or not good for children and teens online, given that at the highest levels, Meta has sought to prevent steps that would protect children online."Weiss also said Meta's proposed regulations shifts the burden too much onto parents, who are already overwhelmed with trying to keep up with constantly changing digital media for their kids.Correction: November 17, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misstated the last name of Danny Weiss of Common Sense Media.

Meta is begging the government for new rules on age verification. But is it really trying to stick it to TikTok?

<keyword id="37102" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Andhra-Pradesh">Andhra Pradesh</keyword> has suffered agricultural and <keyword id="10261628" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="infrastructural-damages-worth-rs">infrastructural damages worth Rs</keyword> 8,084 crore in the recent heavy rains and floods. "The estimated loss is about Rs 8,084 crore, of which Rs 5,000 crore occurred due to infrastructure damages. Also, agriculture and allied sectors suffered flood damage of Rs 3,000 crore as incessant rains occurred right before the harvesting period," said a <keyword id="611199" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="government-statement">government statement</keyword>. On Wednesday, the <keyword id="4066613" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="central-government-team">Central government team</keyword> which visited five districts to assess flood damages in the southern state called on Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. For the last two days, the team toured flood-affected East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Anantapur districts. On a request from Reddy, the team visited Anantapur, considering the groundnut crop was extensively damaged. Reddy requested the team to help as much as possible on humanitarian grounds to cope with the damage. He asked the team to relax frequently asked questions while buying damaged crops from farmers as they may suffer even bigger losses. The Chief Minister explained to the central officers that the state government has been providing input subsidy to farmers to cover up losses in the same crop season, even as the subsidy for Kharif losses between May and September has already been paid. Reddy appealed to the team to compensate the flood damages as soon as possible. He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for deputing a central team to Andhra Pradesh. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/news/the-worlds-longest-flight-just-quietly-touched-down-in-new-york-heres-why-you-havent-heard-anything-about-it-/articleshow/79161300.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">The world's longest flight just quietly touched down in New York. Here's why you haven't heard anything about it.</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/samvat-2077-bharti-airtel-infosys-icici-bank-sbi-varun-beverages-and-can-fin-homes-stocks-are-among-the-top-diwali-picks/articleshow/79167128.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Samvat 2077: Bharti Airtel, Infosys, ICICI Bank, SBI, Varun Beverages and Can Fin Homes stocks are among the top Diwali picks</a>

Andhra Pradesh estimates damages worth ₹8,084 crore due to floods, heavy rains

New Delhi, With 18,222 <keyword id="8873443" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-coronavirus-cases">new coronavirus cases</keyword> and 228 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours, India's overall infection tally stood at 1,04,31,639 on Saturday, while the death toll reached 1,50,798, the <keyword id="191419" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Health-and-Family-Welfare">Ministry of Health and Family Welfare</keyword> said. India continues its streak of low daily new cases and the country has reported a total of 1,00,56,651 recoveries so far. The recovery rate stands at 96.41 per cent, while the fatality rate is 1.45 as per cent. Currently, there are 2,24,190 active cases. The total number of samples tested up to January 8 is 18,02,53,315, including 9,16,951 samples tested on Friday, the <keyword id="6364555" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Council-of-Medical-Research">Indian Council of Medical Research</keyword> said. Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit state with 1,954,553 total cases. About per cent of the daily new cases are being reported by 10 states and union territory -- Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. On Wednesday, the <keyword id="26362" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Government">government</keyword> deployed a high level <keyword id="61231" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="central-team">Central Team</keyword> to Kerala to review the public health interventions in the management of the pandemic by the state government and support the health authorities in these measures. Meanwhile, the most-awaited mass vaccination drive is slated to begin soon, with the approval of two vaccines. The Centre has planned to vaccinate nearly 30 crore people in the first phase. It will be offered to 1 crore healthcare workers; 2 crore frontline and essential workers; 26 crore people above the age of 50; and 1 crore below 50 with comorbidities. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/oyo-bags-a-7-4-million-cheque-as-pandemic-forces-ritesh-agarwal-to-reimagine-the-business/articleshow/80170847.cms">OYO bags a $7.4 million cheque as pandemic forces Ritesh Agarwal to reimagine the business</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/samsung-galaxy-s21-series-mobile-available-on-pre-orders-checkout-expected-price-of-this-smartphone/articleshow/80168058.cms">Samsung Galaxy S21 series now up for pre-orders ⁠— expected to be priced around ₹75,000</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/tcs-ongc-tata-power-punjab-national-bank-nhpc-and-other-top-stocks-to-watch/articleshow/80164057.cms?upcache=2">TCS’ market share, ONGC’s borrowing, Tata Power gets new territories⁠— these and other top stocks to watch</a>

18,222 new COVID-19 cases and 228 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours in India

<ul><li>Economists are of the view that the government is on track to achieve the <keyword id="6365485" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fiscal-deficit" source="Orion">fiscal deficit</keyword> target of 5.3% in the short term.</li><li>In the first eight months of the fiscal year, the fiscal deficit has shrunk to Rs 9.06 trillion (50.7% of <keyword id="20313429" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="budget-estimates" source="keywords">Budget Estimates</keyword>) on a year-to-date basis.</li><li><keyword id="19916458" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hsbc" source="keywords">HSBC</keyword> says that taxes are likely to grow quickly in FY25 as well and it is assuming tax buoyancy of 1.1.</li></ul>It’s that time of the year when economists keenly analyse government finances and take stock of the fiscal deficit. The last several years have been challenging for governments across the globe as the pandemic impacted growth and deficits. This was soon followed by rising inflation and slower growth. But India may buck the global trend as tax receipts have remained buoyant, which will help the central government meet its fiscal deficit target set for FY24 at 5.9%. In the short run, economists believe that the government is on track to achieve the fiscal deficit target of 5.3% in the short term. Tax revenues have soared and overall revenues are running 0.3% of GDP higher than budgeted. According to State Bank of India’s Chief Economic Adviser Soumya Kanti Ghosh, gross tax revenue at 11.6% of GDP in FY24 is likely to be a 16 year high. In FY25, he expects gross tax revenue to be at the highest ever in the last two decades. “We believe fiscal deficit in absolute terms could decline in FY24 but as a % of GDP it could be at 5.9% and likely to be set at 5.5% in FY25 Interim Budget. The final budget to be presented in July could set it at lower level of 5.3%-5.4% depending on GDP numbers that will be released in May 2024.” In the first three quarters of the fiscal year, the fiscal deficit has shrunk to Rs 9.06 trillion (50.7% of Budget Estimates) on a year-to-date basis, compared to Rs. 9,8 trillion (58.9% of BE) in FY23. According to the strategy team at Centrum, the government is likely to meet its yearly target of fiscal deficit. This is thanks to the robust collections of both direct and indirect taxes. While the government continues to fund the fiscal deficit through market borrowings, this number is substantially lower this year than it was in the comparable period last year. The financing of the fiscal deficit continues to be primarily met through market borrowings. Market borrowing by the government has contracted by an estimated 7% during YTDFY24 to Rs 9.6 trillion against the comparable period last year. Tax and non-tax receipts have been higher this year compared to the previous one, even though the divestment receipts are only at 17% of its target of Rs 0.51trillion set in FY24. According to HSBC, soaring tax buoyancy saved central targets. “The fiscal deficit is likely to be in line with the budgeted 5.9% of GDP in FY24. Taxes are likely to grow quickly in FY25 as well (we assume tax buoyancy of 1.1). We also expect a normalisation in current expenditure post elections, and unchanged and elevated capex momentum. This is likely to lead to a fiscal deficit of 5.3% in FY25, signalling that the government is committed to its fiscal consolidation path (of a 4.5% deficit by FY26),” adds HSBC. Centrum’s strategy team is of the view that the government can comfortably meet the fiscal deficit target with tax receipts and transfers from the <keyword id="19899810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india" source="keywords">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> and public sector enterprises.

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