Telegram on Friday lost its bid to overturn an Indian government order temporarily banning the messaging app, with a New Delhi court ruling that the government’s actions, aimed at preserving the integrity of a key med school exam, were legal and reasonable. The ban of the app from June 16 to June 22 has stirred an intense debate in the world’s most populous nation. Free speech rights activists say it has set a worrying precedent that cements government powers to curb the use of any messaging platform whenever it sees fit. The government put the block in place after the results of...
OPINION | In-Game Branded Content Is Not What Most Marketers Think It Is
The gaming audience has never been the problem. The infrastructure to invest in it properly has been. That is the argument Michael Anav, CEO and Co-Founder of ReachPlayers, has been making to brand planners for years, and the one the IAB is now building formal frameworks to support. “Most briefs describe in-game branded content as advertising inside a game,” says Anav. “That is technically true and almost entirely useless, because it misses the thing that makes it actually work.” His preferred definition is more specific. In-game branded content is a brand becoming part of a world players have chosen to live...
Bad Birdie Tees Up First-Ever Golf Footwear Collaboration with PAYNTR Golf
Bad Birdie, the modern golf apparel brand redefining style and self-expression on and off the course, today announced its first-ever entry into golf footwear through a collaboration with PAYNTR Golf, the fastest-growing performance footwear brand in the game. The partnership represents a significant milestone for Bad Birdie, expanding the brand beyond apparel into a new category and reinforcing its evolution into a complete, head-to-toe golf lifestyle brand. Rather than entering the category independently, Bad Birdie partnered with PAYNTR Golf to bring its design ethos to a proven, tour-validated performance platform. “This is our first shot in footwear, and we knew from...
Deloitte and Google Cloud join-forces to launch London AI Studio to Spearhead UK’s Transition to Agentic AI
Deloitte today announced the launch of a new AI Studio on its London campus, marking a significant expansion of its capabilities to deliver Agentic AI solutions to UK businesses. Developed in collaboration with Google Cloud, the studio will help British organisations move beyond AI experimentation to deploy autonomous, action-oriented AI systems at scale. As the centerpiece of this investment, the Deloitte AI Studio will serve as a co-innovation hub where Deloitte’s leaders and clients will build and deploy production-ready agentic solutions. Opening in late July, the facility will focus on transitioning sectors, such as the public sector, financial services, retail,...
Witkoppen Clinic Introduces Long-Acting HIV Prevention Injection
Witkoppen Clinic, Fourways has announced that the Lenacapavir HIV prevention injection is now available for eligible patients, marking an important step forward in expanding access to innovative HIV prevention options. The introduction of Lenacapavir offers a more convenient approach to HIV prevention, with patients requiring injections only every six months following the initiation phase. The injection itself is provided at no cost, with patients only paying an administration processing fee based on the Witkoppen service they access. Access to the medication has been guided by the Department of Health, with priority groups including pregnant and postnatal women, adolescent girls and...
Truecaller Ads launches ‘Call-to-Cart’, a New Commerce Surface Built on the Communication Layer
Truecaller Ads announced the global launch of Call-to-Cart, an AI-backed intelligent commerce solution that transforms everyday communication moments into seamless commerce experiences. A first-of-its-kind full funnel solution built exclusively for direct advertisers that enables moving consumers from discovery to checkout in just two steps, powered by AI-driven relevance and deep commerce integrations! Every additional click between ad exposure and checkout increases the likelihood of consumer drop-off. Yet most mobile commerce journeys still require users to navigate multiple screens, search for products, and switch between apps before completing a purchase. Built around Truecaller’s unique position as the world’s leading communication platform,...
Real Madrid extend Partnership with Emirates until 2031 for a Reported €100 million
Real Madrid have extended their partnership with Emirates until 2031 for a reported €100 million (US$115 million) a year – a record for a European soccer sponsorship. Emirates will remain as the main shirt sponsor for Real Madrid’s men’s and women’s teams, with its branding also appearing on training and coaching kits. The partnership extends to the LaLiga giant’s youth teams, and the airline will also receive greater visibility at the club’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Emirates will also be the main sponsor of Real Madrid’s basketball division. Emirates first signed up as a partner in 2011 and became the club’s main shirt sponsor in 2013,...
U.S. and Iranian officials Reached a Deal to End their War and Reopen the Strait of Hormuz
U.S. and Iranian officials said they had reached an agreement to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a preliminary pact that sent oil prices falling but leaves the fate of Tehran’s nuclear program to further negotiations. While still a framework, the deal marked the biggest breakthrough towards resolving the conflict that has killed thousands and upended energy markets since it began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February. “The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform at around 5:30 p.m. in Washington on Sunday. His post came...
Cybersecurity Market to Reach $663.2 Billion by 2033 amid Escalating threat landscape and Accelerating Digital Transformation
The global cybersecurity industry is entering a new phase of accelerated expansion as enterprises, governments, and critical infrastructure operators strengthen defenses against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. According to recent market intelligence published by Grand View Research, the global cybersecurity market is expected to reach USD 663.2 billion by 2033, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.9% during the forecast period. The growth reflects rising demand for advanced security technologies capable of addressing ransomware attacks, phishing campaigns, malware intrusions, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, and emerging AI-enabled cyber threats. The growing digitalization of business operations, combined with widespread cloud adoption and remote workforce models,...
FIFA announces Salesforce as Official Tournament Supporter of FIFA World Cup 2026 and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027
FIFA announced the #1 Agentic customer relationship management (CRM) platform, Salesforce, as an Official Tournament Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027. The partnership will see Salesforce support a range of operational and fan-facing functions across both tournaments, with Agentforce 360 and Slack helping FIFA deliver seamless experiences for fans, volunteers, Host City authorities, suppliers and other tournament stakeholders. As FIFA prepares to stage the biggest FIFA World Cup in history across Canada, Mexico and the United States, kicking off on Thursday, 11 June 2026, Salesforce technology will support workforce coordination, tournament operations and...