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<ul class="summary-list"><li>A new study found that teen girls' brains aged faster during the pandemic.</li><li>Researchers measured cortical thinning, a natural process that can be accelerated by stress.</li></ul>This week, a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2403200121">new scientific paper</a> sent a ripple through the world of child psychology.Researchers at the University of Washington published brain scans of teenagers taken three years apart, in 2018 and 2021.The team expected significant findings, since the second scans were taken after all of the kids had their lives suddenly upended and socially stunted by COVID lockdowns.They hypothesized that girls would be more impacted, because they're more reliant on peer relationships for emotional support than teen boys. But "we didn't expect it to be as dramatic a difference," lead author Dr. Neva Corrigan told Business Insider.The average acceleration for teen girls was 4.2 years, compared to 1.4 for boys.While more research is needed, the study offers a glimpse into the effects the pandemic had on brain development. It comes at a time when teen girls have seen a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-report-teen-girls-alarming-rates-sadness-hopelessness-sexual-violence-2023-2">sharp rise in sadness and hopelessness</a>, often attributed to social media use.<h2 id="c81b7065-67f7-4f59-9455-c4636815bed5">Isolation may have played a role</h2>The original intention of the study was to track typical adolescent brain development, Corrigan, who specializes in MRI data acquisition and analysis, told BI. In 2018, her team took MRI data from 160 adolescents ages 9, 11, 13, 15, and 17, and planned to follow up at a later date.But after the pandemic, "we realized that we could no longer call this typical development," Corrigan said. "These kids had undergone a huge change in their lives." Her team knew they had a unique opportunity to examine how aspects of the pandemic, such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/public-teacher-homeschool-own-kids-2024-5">remote learning</a>, affected the brain.In 2021, about 130 of the subjects returned for more testing. The team measured cortical thinning, a natural process that usually begins in late childhood and is believed to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3791607/">improve cognitive performance</a>.The age acceleration was more than double the size in teen girls, and the regions most impacted were all related to social cognition, such as facial recognition and language comprehension.Because females generally rely more on <a target="_blank" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17328705/">relationships for emotional support</a> than males, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/modern-loneliness">loneliness</a> during the pandemic could have caused teen girls more stress, speeding up their cortical thinning.<h2 id="ca6c015e-1e33-410a-957c-fdee9576f795">Cortical thinning isn't always negative</h2>Corrigan said there's a lot we still don't know about cortical thinning, such as whether it's reversible.However, she said past studies have shown that accelerated cortical thinning can put people at higher risk for neurodegenerative disorders in old age, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.It can also increase the odds of developing psychiatric disorders such as depression or anxiety.At the same time, quicker brain aging isn't necessarily all bad. It's believed that the cortex thins to reduce the effect the environment has on brain development, Corrigan said. If the brain is less vulnerable to external stressors, "that could make these kids a little bit more resilient to stress," she said.<h2 id="47b59dfa-19bd-494b-98ab-6151b36b2682">There are still many unknowns</h2>Bradley S. Peterson, a pediatric psychiatrist at Children's Hospital Los Angeles who wasn't part of the study, told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/09/health/teen-brains-pandemic-girls.html">The New York Times</a> that it had some limitations. One was that the data came from different subsets of the group, rather than measuring each individual's brain changes.The study also didn't track the participants' individual habits, so it can't confirm if other elements of the pandemic, such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/surgeon-general-social-media-warning-label-mental-health-crisis-children-2024-6">increased screen time</a>, contributed to quicker cortical thinning.Corrigan said the biggest takeaway for parents is to be mindful of the potential risks of their teens developing anxiety or depression. "Perhaps they can help stave that off by talking to their kids and providing emotional support for them."

Brain scans show teen girls aged 4 years faster than boys during COVID lockdowns. We asked the researcher what that means long-term.

Shanghai is finally lifting its lockdown after 7 weeks. The global economy has yet to feel its full impact, experts warn.

<keyword id="399907" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="meta" source="Orion">Meta</keyword>, the parent company of Facebook, has announced that it was laying off about 11,000 employees, or 13 per cent of its global workforce. It's the first mass redundancy exercise for the 18-year-old social media behemoth. Its Asia-Pacific headquarters in <keyword id="6356662" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="singapore" source="Orion">Singapore</keyword> was not spared. Media reports speculated that out of the estimated 1,000 employees here, perhaps up to 100, have been affected, majority of whom are tech workers including software engineers. Based on 2021 Singapore Ministry of Manpower figures, about a quarter of the 177,100 employment pass holders or around 45,000, are from India. Employment pass holders are the highest qualified foreign professionals that are allowed to work in the country and must earn at least SGD 5,000 (USD 3,700) per month. No doubt many of these are impacted by not only Meta's layoffs but also other redundancies happening in the tech sector. Technology companies around the world and in Singapore, a major tech hub where many of the tech giants host their regional headquarters, are freezing hiring or downsizing in the face of sluggish consumer spending, higher interest rates and inflation. Singapore-based gaming and ecommerce powerhouse Sea Limited, the parent company of Garena, (publisher of games like League of Legends and Free Fire), and Shopee, made two rounds of cuts in June and September and rescinded job offers. Sea had 67,300 employees as at the end of 2021, double its headcount the year before, according to the company's most recent annual report. Following a net loss of USD931 million in the second quarter of this year, and amidst mounting cost of borrowing and a slowing global economy, the company scaled back its overseas footprint and periphery businesses with the aim to boost profitability by consolidating its position in its key markets and core products. The company did not reveal the number of job cuts but the job losses in Singapore and in its offices around the world is estimated to be in the hundreds. "Last year, a lot of what happened was a lot of cheap capital in the market flooded the market (which) allowed companies to grow really at any cost," said <keyword id="15509891" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="jessica-huang-pouleur" source="Orion">Jessica Huang Pouleur</keyword>, a partner at venture capital firm Openspace, to CNBC in June. "What happened was people hired very rapidly. You have a problem; you just throw people at it. I think we'll likely see more of it to come over the course of the next few months." Among the Southeast Asian companies that downsized in the middle of the year are Singapore-based digital wealth manager, StashAway which laid off 31 employees, or 14 per cent of its headcount, and currency exchange Crypto.com which let go 260, or 5 per cent of its workforce in Singapore. Meanwhile, Malaysian online shopping platform iPrice also retrenched 250 workers or 25 per cent of its employees, and Indonesian education tech company Zenius made more than 200 employees redundant. In November, digital payments startup <keyword id="944108" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="stripe" source="Orion">Stripe</keyword> and social media network Twitter were among the companies that reduce jobs in their Singapore offices. On November 3, Stripe announced said it would cut its global workforce by 1,000 or 14 per cent. After the job cuts, Stripe will have about 7,000 employees. Some Singapore-based jobs were impacted. A day later, Twitter chopped off half its global headcount or about 3,700 employees a week after Elon Musk's takeover. Those in the Singapore office were also affected. Singapore's Straits Times reported that the among those impacted were staff from its engineering, sales and marketing teams. Startups in the region were particularly badly affected due to a fall in venture capital funding levels this year. According to a Crunchbase report, funding in the region dropped by 7 per cent in the first quarter of 2022 to USD36.3 billion compared to the same quarter last year. Many tech companies expanded rapidly during the COVID pandemic as much of the world stayed at home and formed habits which created a spike in demand for online services. As consumer behaviour began to normalise after the lockdowns, some of these habits have shifted. This coupled with inflation and rising interest rates has put a squeeze on all tech companies. Some call the recent fall in share prices of big tech companies an overdue correction. While revenue and jobs in the tech will be impacted in the short-term, and market volatility is likely in the near future, the tech industry is expected to continue to grow in the long-term. A recent article published by consulting and recruitment specialist Mercer says that the demand for tech jobs and talent continues to outstrip supply in Asia. The evidence Mercer claims is in the starting salaries for graduates with a computing degree. Comparing Mercer's data from 2018 and factoring the time it generally takes for one cohort in most locations to complete an average degree course; there has been significant growth, primarily driven by massive hiring in emerging tech markets such as Vietnam (59 per cent increase) as well as lower-tier cities in China (22 per cent increase). Furthermore, economies across Asia are becoming more digital. According to research from Google, Temasek Holdings and Bain &amp; Co., the internet economy in Southeast Asia is projected to double to USD363 billion by 2025, surpassing the previous forecast of USD300 billion. The tech industry always goes through "periods of major adjustments and corrections", such as the "dotcom bubble" in the mid-1990s to early 2000s, said Dr Natalie Pang to Channel NewsAsia. Dr Pang is the principal investigator at the Centre for Trusted Internet and Community at the <keyword id="87108" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="national-university-of-singapore" source="Orion">National University of Singapore</keyword>. "Widespread adoption of tech at work and at home drove significant growth for the industry during the last two years of the pandemic, but the post-pandemic era has highlighted the need to adjust and correct," she added. "In the case of the recent layoffs, I would say that tech is in a major period of adjustment." SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/indices-open-flat-as-investors-await-october-inflation-data/articleshow/95500085.cms">Indices open flat as investors await October inflation data</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/cloud-lending-platform-lentra-raises-60-million-will-use-funds-for-product-strengthening-and-global-expansion/articleshow/95499744.cms">Cloud lending platform Lentra raises $60 million, will use funds for product strengthening and global expansion</a>

How Singapore tech layoffs are impacting Indians

<ul><li><keyword id="9668661" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="umesh-kr-bansal">Umesh Kr Bansal</keyword>, Senior Vice President, <keyword id="174248" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zee-Entertainment-Enterprises-Ltd">ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd</keyword> writes how everyone is reconsidering their business strategies and before that the immediate cash flows.</li><li>He further lists down how businesses can formulate a strategy and bring around the change. </li></ul>A few months ago, we heard of a secretive bug that we did not think more than a disease like pneumonia, however little did we know that it would bring the world to a standstill sooner than imagined. The lockdowns will go away eventually, but all assumptions, standards, processes, have been reset. Businesses are affected across geographies, sizes, categories and industries. Everyone is reconsidering their business strategies and before that the immediate cash flows. In such a scenario it is imperative to understand that when the virus is beaten and the crisis is over, a world may emerge with more alterations to adapt to. Thus, if the virus is changing your business landscape, fret not! Formulate a strategy and bring around the change. 1. Some struggle, others flourish: The outbreak has opened a window of opportunity for some industries/ sectors such as health, digital content, OTT / streaming, EdTech, online gaming stacks, and such other businesses that have seen a perceptible rise in demand. 2. Use technology to augment, not replace, people: Technology has allowed us to rethink how we perform fundamental activities during this crisis. This period should be looked at as an opportunity for business leaders to discover how best we can make greater use of technology to assist people to attain maximum productivity gains, develop the working lives of employees, deliver better products and services to the patrons and help drive growth. 3. Focus on scenario planning: Scenario planning is one of the strategy gears that comes handy in a situation like this. Designing options and decision trees can provide clarity, reduce anxiety and help make better decisions for the organization. As the dynamic of business changes, it is crucial to alter the process, content and designs to enable continued alignment of resources, and actions with priorities to achieve the outcome. 4. Need to press the reset button on the new 3 P's: Position, plan, and preparedness: a question mark on viability of the firm itself is a likely scenario post-pandemic depending upon the nature of the business. But even the most impacted organizations are taking up the challenge and going out to find opportunity in adversity. The first step is to accept the protracted nature of this situation, followed by determination to be proactive and setting a willingness within the organization to reset expectations, goals as well as resource allocations. 5. Prepare a plan for bouncing back: It is Imperative to understand the ways to restore, expand the business. Therefore, think, deeply, broadly and continue looking forward. 6. New project preparation: Timely assessment of the situation and the organisation will keep you in good stead. Have you planned and prepared well enough for the project you outlined in the recent past? Check for the resources at hand, availability of the team, at the same time quality and quickness of the decision making process. If organisation has ticked all the essential boxes that will conclude who succeeds and who falls short of success.

Corona Scare: No lockdown on your business expansion plans

<ul><li><keyword id="2639412" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Famous-Innovations">Famous Innovations</keyword> has 6 months of full action. </li><li>The agency has won 14 new clients and 54 awards, and hasn’t laid off a single employee. </li></ul>It's been a busy few months at Famous Innovations as the pandemic and WFH hit. In spite of an industry-wide slowdown, Famous has won 14 new businesses, 54 creative awards and doubled the size of it's <keyword id="441876" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-agency">digital agency</keyword>, Garage, between March 2020 and September 2020. The clients include Evara by Platinum, LG, Cipla, Mia by Tanishq, ABP News, Flipkart Seller Hub, Total Environment, Columbia Pacific Communities, etc. This includes 70% projects and 30% retainers, with mandates ranging from brand strategy, creative, digital to brand identity, product design, retail consulting, etc. These wins are further sweetened by the addition of 54 creative awards from Kyoorius, The One Show, etc. All of this meant that the agency did not layoff a single employee across all 3 offices. On what made this possible at Famous, Mithila Saraf, Business Head, Famous Innovations said, “Three things: Empathy, Agility and Clarity. If there was ever a time to show that agencies and clients are on the same team, it was this. As soon as the pandemic hit, Famous spoke to clients open-heartedly, offering any and all kinds of flexibility that was possible. Holding the client's hand tight was important at a time when no one was certain of what's to come next. Being an independent agency meant that Famous could take extraordinary decisions, and take them quickly. Speed of response and the ability to change tracks in an instant, as the situation kept evolving, was just as important. And finally came clarity and honesty in communication. Famous' clarity of purpose and open channels of communication (regardless of someone's level or time spent in the agency) bound the team together even as they were thrown physically apart. Ultimately, this helped everyone lean on each other to get through unprecedented times.”

Famous Innovations wins 14 clients, 54 awards and doubles digital team in the last 6 months

<ul><li>While most Indian users (about 43 per cent) watch online video for 4-6 hours, the country has the largest percentage (7.1 per cent) who watch more than 12 hours per day. </li><li>The report also found that as people age, online video viewing hours decrease, as younger people take more online classes, video chat with friends and play video games. </li></ul>Video streaming is at the forefront of the new normal, as a result of home sheltering worldwide in the last six months. According to a new report, Indian consumers are engaging with online video for an average of 5 hours and 16 minutes every day - which is the highest amongst the surveyed countries - even as the global <keyword id="5301200" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Video-consumption">video consumption</keyword> average has quadrupled in the last six months. "As people worldwide were forced to stay at home during the pandemic, online video has taken a whole new role as a top source of entertainment, social interactions and information. In fact, the global average of four hours and 3 minutes per day of online video viewing is a dramatic increase compared to a single hour average measured in the State of Online Video 2019 study just six months ago. In fact, over 85 per cent of people globally now watch up to six hours of online video per day," a market research report by <keyword id="2949363" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Limelight-Networks">Limelight Networks</keyword> said. While most Indian users (about 43 per cent) watch online video for 4-6 hours, the country has the largest percentage (7.1 per cent) who watch more than 12 hours per day. The lowest average viewing hours is in South Korea, closely followed by France and the UK. The report also found that as people age, online video viewing hours decrease, as younger people take more online classes, video chat with friends and play video games. Given the significant increase in viewing hours per day, it's not surprising that more than 70 per cent reported a spike in the amount of time they watched online video in the past two months. The largest increase was in India (about 85 per cent) and lowest in South Korea (7.4 per cent). The report also shows that around 68 per cent Indians said going virtual has allowed them to do most activities (work, school, hobbies) they did pre-COVID-19. "During COVID-19, 89 per cent of people have used video to communicate. Video chat is most popular in India, where the majority of people (65 per cent) use it multiple times a day. A whopping two-thirds (64.3 per cent) of Indian consumers had their first esports experience during the pandemic. With other live events cancelled as well, more than two-thirds (68.8 per cent) of Indian respondents also attended their first <keyword id="9028973" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="virtual-concert">virtual concert</keyword>. Exercising is also going virtual as athletic facilities remain closed. Yoga has also been popular in India as it helped people to maintain physical fitness during the lockdown. In line with this trend, 55.6 per cent Indians said that they had participated in an online fitness class and another 26.8 per cent plan to so in the next six months," Limelight Networks said in its "How Video is Changing the World" report. In the last two months there was a rise in people attending online auctions. In fact, nearly one-third of people recently attended their first online auction, added the report. Online classes also have many, including professionals, hooked online. "Beyond entertainment and social interactions, streaming enables easier access to critical information. Doctor's visits have shifted to telehealth appointments with 49 per cent of people open to the idea, 22 per cent of people saying they've recently met virtually with their doctor and another 27 per cent planning to in the next 6 months. This is especially popular in Indiaand Scandinavia. This is another example of a behavior that may continue long term, especially in regions where there is a shortage of medical professionals or where many people do not live near a medical facility," the report revealed about the state of telehealth. Overall, the situation is promising for online video. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed streaming beyond entertainment and news and people are increasingly using online video to connect with others and get important information. The survey was conducred in France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Scandinavia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the US with a total of 5,000 global responses collected between April 29 and May 14, 2020. (Siddhi Jain can be contacted at siddhi.j@ians.in) --IANS sj/tb/sdr/

Lockdown impact: Video consumption up by four times

<ul><li>Mohammed Salim Khan, Travel Blogger, writes how the pandemic-induced lockdown has impacted travel industry and with it, travel bloggers. </li><li>He writes, "When all this ends and we’re free to travel again, I hope that I can continue to connect with my audience as I have been doing these past few months." </li></ul> Lockdown has been difficult for everyone, but even tougher for the itinerant and wanderers. The past few days have been rather frightening and the places that were once major tourist hotspots are now deserted. The spread of the coronavirus has unexpectedly brought the usual life and travel to a standstill. As a travel vlogger, I was scheduled to be on one of my international trips during this period and recording interesting content for my YouTube channel. But the content I had planned has now been scrapped – or at least put on hold indefinitely and I am grounded in my apartment in Mumbai waiting for the pandemic to end. The fear of coronavirus had not sneaked in when I planned my itinerary for 2020 and also posted my resolution of uploading 200 vlogs and going for 12 International trips in 365 days. It wasn’t until March when the world was reporting a huge number of cases and India declared a nationwide lockdown. It was confirmed that the pandemic could severely disrupt not just my travel plans, but also my income. A major source of income for vloggers is YouTube ads, brands and affiliate marketing. But with the pandemic in motion, the businesses are on a stand-still and there’s not much earning. The travel and tourism industry across the globe is affected and has left millions without a job. You always presume some degree of risk when you earn from social media and blogging. It can be constant, but never definite. But right now we’re in an unpredictable situation. Being a travel vlogger, I am hardly ever at home, so I was happy to spend this time with my family and also myself. I decided to focus on my health and work schedule. When the lockdown was announced, I took a break for a week to plan my next steps and come up with ideas on how not to lose my connection with my subscribers. My only motto is that the show must go on and everything else will fall in place. I took this quarantine as a challenge. After taking a break for a week or so, I decided to challenge myself to upload 21 vlogs in 21 days as a motivating factor. It would not only bring my subscribers closer to me but also create a sense of suspense because they wouldn’t know what to expect next. The challenge was more for me than for my audience. I took it up by adding a fun element of playing indoor games and challenged my viewers to play them too. I started recording daily chores like cleaning, buying groceries, and talking to friends. But there was a risk that the audience won’t like such kind of videos. However, to my surprise not only did they love the videos but I had never gained so many subscribers in 21 days. We’re all sitting at home. So, it’s pretty obvious people that we are spending double the time on our phones, looking for the next entertainment. As vloggers, our biggest dilemma is which part of our lives we should disclose next. Roy T. Bennett has rightly said, “You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.” This is absolutely true. In the four years of my YouTube journey, never have I ever seen such a growth in my subscribers and views on my travel videos which is the crux of my channel. So go through it to grow through it. When all this ends and we’re free to travel again, I hope that I can continue to connect with my audience as I have been doing these past few months. It’s been exciting to share the ‘home-life’ side of the travel blogging world, and I love the relations and bond that we are building during this time! - Mohammed Salim Khan, Travel Blogger

Sustaining during the lockdown: A travel vlogger’s version

Thiruvananthapuram, Even though the Kerala government has issued a direction to all beauty parlours in the state that they can now start to clean up their outlets that have been closed for two months, but not many appear to be in good spirits. When downing their shutters on March 21, none imagined that their shops would be shut for two months. "We have lost a good amount of our beauty products as they have either gone hard or the expiry date is over. Since the COVID-19 lockdown came all of a sudden, many were not able to return to our parlours. This is going to be a huge loss," said Milsy Jaimy who owns a parlour in the commercial capital of the state - Kochi. A state of the art unisex beauty parlour in the state capital which opened in March after investing almost a crore, had to close in a week's time. "It was after a lot of planning that I decided to quit my job and open this. I have taken heavy loans for this and after two months, even though there is a moratorium for three months, the interest and penal interest is all going to take a hefty toll on me. I just do not know what the way forward is going to be, as parlours will not be crowded like before," said a worried owner. While the owners are keeping their fingers crossed on what's the future, equally worried are the thousands of people who work in these parlours. The only solace that came from the Kerala government was all those registered with the Welfare Fund got a Rs 1000 dole and that was it. "We are all waiting to get back to work but none is sure, whether we will be able to work like before, as social distancing norms have to be maintained, besides there is a reduction of 50 per cent staff. We are just waiting to get back," lamented a staff at a parlour. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/uber-ride-in-gurgaon-of-driver-seat-in-plastic-goes-viral-on-tiktok-and-instagram/articleshow/75771489.cms">Video of an Uber ride is all the rage on TikTok and Instagram ⁠— the driver got himself a cockpit covered in plastic</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/at-least-24-migrant-workers-killed-and-36-injured-on-their-way-home-from-rajasthan/articleshow/75770823.cms">At least 24 migrant workers killed and 36 injured on their way home from Rajasthan</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/indian-women-dont-like-being-gig-workers/articleshow/75757460.cms">Indian women don’t like being gig workers ⁠— the potentially $455 billion industry has to woo them with fair pay to start with</a>

Kerala salons uncertain of their fate as products expire and loans build up during the coronavirus lockdown

New Delhi, May 1 () India Inc on Friday exhorted the government to immediately announce a stimulus package to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, asserting that the lockdown has resulted in "massive economic disruption". The industry also welcomed the Centre's decision to extend the lockdown for two weeks from May 4 with relaxation to industrial activities in certain zones. "With restricted economic activities, the imperative for a quick and forceful economic support package for industry is even more compelling now. CII has suggested instituting a Government spending package equivalent to 3 per cent of GDP which would add Rs 6 lakh crore to the available firepower. Enhanced debt to GDP ratio can be a way out for adding fiscal space at a time when the debt to GDP ratio is modest in India," CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee said. ''The government's strategy to build on the gains in the form of containment of coronavirus is understandable and must be supported, but the 40-day lockdown has resulted into a massive economic disruption. The disruption has started causing livelihood concerns for millions of workforce - both in the formal and informal sectors," Assocham stated. It said businesses across different sectors, be in hospitality, construction, logistics, manufacturing and trade find themselves locked up in grave financial woes. "Such a dire state of affairs demands a large sized fiscal stimulus even if it requires monetisation of fiscal deficit by direct lending by RBI to the government," said Assocham Secretary General Deepak Sood. Another industry chamber Ficci on Friday submitted its lockdown exit strategy recommendations to the Ministry of Home Affairs and called for resumption of industrial and commercial activities in green zones including within municipal districts, while maintaining protocols for sanitization and social distancing. Ficci suggested that government services such as documentation, stamping, registering trusts, etc. be resumed or digitally validated and resumption of international courier services. It said export routes through Land ports may to be opened and inland Waterways may be explored for both domestic and Exim cargo movement. In order to enable economic activity to go forward, retail &amp; wholesale businesses of both essential &amp; non-essential goods need to start operations in Green Zones maintaining necessary protocol for sanitation and social distancing, Ficci said. Reacting to the decision to extend the lockdown, Ficci President Sangita Reddy said while a regular assessment of the zones and activities is required to further relax the opening up of business activities, it is also now opportune time for the government to come up with the financial package, especially for the MSMEs, and for the industry as a whole. Confederation of All India Traders Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said that due to such a long unprecedented lockdown in the country, millions of retailers are facing severe financial issues and are on the verge of collapse. "Even the existing inventory is unprotected and the quality is fast deteriorating. Cases of theft have also risen in unprotected and unguarded markets," Khandelwal said. The government on Friday announced that a "limited" lockdown, including suspension of inter-state travel, air and train services, will continue to remain in force for another two weeks throughout the country from May 4 but some activities would be allowed after classifying areas into Red, Orange and Green zones. The government order, which announced extension of the lockdown invoking the Disaster Management Act, said a limited number of activities will remain prohibited throughout the country, irrespective of the zone. These prohibited activities include travel by air, rail, metro and inter-state movement by road, running of schools, colleges, and other educational and training hospitality services, cinema halls, malls, gymnasiums, sports complexes. All social, political, cultural and other kinds of gatherings and religious places or places of worship for public will also remain shut, the order said but added that movement of persons by air, rail and road is allowed for select purposes, and for purposes as permitted by MHA. Industrial establishments in urban areas including Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Export Oriented Units (EOUs), industrial estates and industrial townships with access control have been permitted. Construction activities in urban areas have been limited to in-situ construction (where workers are available on site and no workers are required to be brought in from outside) and construction of renewable energy projects. Shops in urban areas, for non-essential goods, are not allowed in malls, markets and market complexes. However, all standalone (single) shops, neighbourhood (colony) shops and shops in residential complexes are permitted to remain open in urban areas, without any distinction of essential and non-essential. E-Commerce activities in the Red Zones are permitted only in respect of essential goods. and private offices can operate with up to 33 per cent strength as per requirement, with the remaining persons working from home. RSN MRMR

Industry demands stimulus package to mitigate impact of lockdown

Finally Friday! <a href="https://twitter.com/dandefrancesco">Dan DeFrancesco</a> checking in from an undisclosed location (most likely with a drink in my hand).Fun fact Friday: Horseshoe crabs' blood is blue, incredibly expensive, and a key tool for the medical community. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-horseshoe-crab-blood-expensive-2018-8">Here's why.</a>Today, I'll be dedicating the newsletter to our reader mailbag. No need to fuss. You asked, and I answered.If this was forwarded to you, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/10-things-on-wall-street">sign up here</a>. Download Insider's app <a href="https://www.insider.com/app">here</a>.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/clusterstock"></a>Mail time!How would a debt default affect the overall economy? Has there ever been a time in US history when the government defaulted on its debt? If no agreement can be reached on the debt-ceiling solution, how will this affect the worldwide economy? How does the drop in the stock market counter the debt-ceiling crisis?Ah, yes, the dreaded debt ceiling. I'd start by recommending you check out my colleague <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/phil-rosen">Phil Rosen</a>'s newsletter, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/10-things-opening-bell">10 Things Before the Opening Bell</a>. (As long as you don't stop reading this one!)But I don't want to send you home empty-handed.First, we've been down this road before... sort of. The US government has previously defaulted on its debt. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-mini-default-glitch-cost-billions-debt-ceiling-2023-5">It happened in 1979 and was considered a "mini-default."</a> But it was actually the result of technical issues — always blame it on the computers — as opposed to us reaching the debt ceiling. As far as the impact, plenty of people have shared their thoughts, including <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-outlook-debt-ceiling-deal-selloff-risk-jpmorgan-kolanovic-2023-5?_gl=1*1mvqfdq*_ga*MjA5NTAyMzYyOS4xNjYyNDcwMDc5*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTY4NDkzMDQ4NS44ODkuMS4xNjg0OTM2OTY4LjkuMC4w">JPMorgan strategists</a> and billionaire <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/bonds/ray-dalio-debt-limit-disastrous-financial-collapse-investing-bridgewater-fund-2023-5">Ray Dalio</a>. But no matter what you think the US government should do, there's no real way to trade around a possible debt crisis, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/bonds/debt-ceiling-crisis-investors-us-default-deadline-bankrate-dollar-biden-2023-5?_gl=1*1fdfn3n*_ga*MjA5NTAyMzYyOS4xNjYyNDcwMDc5*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTY4NDkzMDQ4NS44ODkuMS4xNjg0OTM3MDMzLjYuMC4w&amp;utm_source=copy-link&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=topbar">according to one senior economic analyst</a>.And if all that seems like too much reading for you, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-if-the-us-hits-debt-ceiling-and-defaults-2023-5">just watch this video on what happens if the US defaults.</a><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/bonds/debt-ceiling-crisis-investors-us-default-deadline-bankrate-dollar-biden-2023-5?_gl=1*1fdfn3n*_ga*MjA5NTAyMzYyOS4xNjYyNDcwMDc5*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTY4NDkzMDQ4NS44ODkuMS4xNjg0OTM3MDMzLjYuMC4w&amp;utm_source=copy-link&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=topbar">More on why it's impossible to trade on a US default.</a><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-outlook-debt-ceiling-deal-selloff-risk-jpmorgan-kolanovic-2023-5?_gl=1*1mvqfdq*_ga*MjA5NTAyMzYyOS4xNjYyNDcwMDc5*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTY4NDkzMDQ4NS44ODkuMS4xNjg0OTM2OTY4LjkuMC4w">Why JPMorgan thinks the failure to reach a deal on the debt ceiling would lead to "violent" moves in equities.</a>Why do people invest in longer-term bonds when the yield curve is inverted?<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/yield-curve-inversion-explained-what-it-is-what-it-means-2019-8-1028482016">An inverted yield curve</a> means that short-term bonds offer better returns than long-term bonds, which seems counterintuitive. Traditionally, inverted yield curves are viewed as an indicator of a recession.So, why would someone invest in what appears to be a bad deal?Well, there is a case to be made for an inverted yield curve <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/inverted-yield-curve-recession-indicator-no-longer-works-bank-reserves-2023-2">not being a sign of an impending recession.</a>So, if you're of the mindset that things aren't going to end badly and rates will come down, you might be willing to take the risk.<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/inverted-yield-curve-recession-indicator-no-longer-works-bank-reserves-2023-2">Click here for more on why experts are questioning the inverted yield curve's reliability as an economic predictor.</a>The recent surge in initial public offerings (IPOs) and special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) has raised concerns about a potential bubble in the market. How should investors approach these offerings, and what factors should they consider when evaluating their investment potential?Is "surge" the right term here? I suppose any number of companies going public might seem like a lot amid the current drought, but it still seems like slim pickings. I hesitate to give specific financial advice, but I think you can view any company willing to enter the public market these days through two very different lenses. On the one hand, a company going public now must have supreme confidence in its business. IPOs are a nerve-wracking process at the best of times, let alone when the market seems to be on the brink.The counter is that a company views going public as a last-ditch effort to raise cash and extend its runway before the wheels come off completely.The trick is being able to distinguish between the two. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/secondary-sales-startup-employees-are-pushing-companies-for-liquidity-2023-2">Click here to read more about how the secondaries market is booming as startup employees and early investors look to cash out amid an IPO drought.</a>Pricing strategy for small businesses?Ok, now we're really getting outside of my wheelhouse. I will say this. A VC I caught up with a few weeks ago mentioned all the exciting opportunities they saw for fintechs helping SMBs. Whether you view that as a good thing or a bad thing is a point of personal preference, I suppose.Lucky for you, last year we actually identified 12 startups that cater specifically to SMBs. We've also got a ton of pitch decks from startups that focus on that space.So maybe start there?<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/12-must-know-fintechs-for-starting-a-small-business-2022-7">Check out the 12 startups looking to serve small businesses.</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fintech-pitch-deck-fundraise-lance-altruist-honeybook-digital-finance-startups-2021-5#smbs">Click here to check out the fintechs pitching themselves to SMBs.</a>What percentage of US corporate profits are from their subsidiaries based in China?Something tells me there is an underlying political motivation to this question...I'm going to avoid that minefield and point you in the direction of a recent story we did on some major US companies minting money from Chinese consumers' spending spree in the wake of the country lifting its pandemic lockdowns.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-companies-china-spending-airbnb-starbucks-disney-mgm-coty-covid-2023-5">These five major US companies are winning on China's spending spree.</a>Have you thought about changing the name of the newsletter to: "How to Whine, Complain &amp; be a Victim in EVERY situation, no matter who you are or what you do"?It's always great to hear from a fan. To be honest, I'm not sure that one jumps off the page. But always open to suggestions.Curated by Dan DeFrancesco in New York. Feedback or tips? Email <a href="mailto:ddefrancesco@insider.com">ddefrancesco@insider.com</a>, tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/dandefrancesco">@dandefrancesco</a>, or <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=b83e78f6bb45aba7034c3baf1ec66d1b6c1d3afa26264bdb8604d5b9f2351262&amp;postID=646cda934267d6462a2f175c&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fdan-defrancesco-29b12449%2F">connect on LinkedIn</a>. Edited by Jeffrey Cane (tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/jeffrey_cane">@jeffrey_cane</a>) in New York and Nathan Rennolds (tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/ncrennolds?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@ncrennolds</a>) in London.

Reader mailbag: From the impact of a US default to analyzing the IPO market, all your questions answered

Rome, Apr 20 (AFP) Italian scientists want the government to conduct psychological tests on a sample of the population to determine how long people can stay confined to their homes, a report said Monday.The Corriere della Sera newspaper said scientists want to understand how long Italians "are able to endure a lockdown" in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will announce a new set of social guidelines this week that could include the tests, the report said.Italy entered into a progressively more restrictive lockdown over the first half of March that has since been replicated by most European nations.The Mediterranean country's 60 million citizens have been barred from walking more than 200 metres (650 feet) from their homes without a significant reason.Reports of domestic abuse have surged and scientists worry about the impact of such isolation on the elderly and the more vulnerable.Conte's government is now debating how it can lift the stay-at-home order and reopen businesses while there is still no coronavirus cure or vaccine.The virus has officially killed 23,660 in Italy -- second only to the United States -- and probably many more because most care home deaths are not counted.Conte is expected to let people out of their homes for more reasons when the current lockdown rules expire on May 4. (AFP) AMSAMS

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