India Questions WhatsApp Username Feature; World Bank Backtracks on Climate Targets Under US Pressure
The Indian government has issued a notice to WhatsApp expressing concern over its new username feature, which allows users to interact without sharing phone numbers. A senior official stated on Wednesday that the government fears the feature could lead to increased spam and impersonation, and has asked the platform to pause its rollout.
In a separate development, the World Bank Group (WBG) has abandoned its climate finance targets after facing criticism from the United States administration. The Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP), launched in 2020, had set a target of allocating 35% of total financing to climate-related projects by 2026, later increased to 45%. The US disapproval has led to the scrapping of these targets.
The family of Indian seafarer Rakesh Chauhan, who died in Venezuela, has alleged a cover-up and demanded the release of his complete autopsy report. The Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) issued a statement highlighting what it called “deeply disturbing irregularities” in the case.
In West Bengal politics, a faction of Trinamool Congress MLAs led by Ritabrata Banerjee, who claim to be the “real” party, will meet the Election Commission on Thursday. A full Bench of the Commission will hear the 10-member delegation at noon.
A Kerala-based activist has proposed allowing disabled prisoners to self-identify their disabilities, in a plea before the Supreme Court. The activist had previously petitioned the court over the treatment of late Professor G. Saibaba and Stan Swamy.
Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal accused the BJP of using Lord Ram’s name for political gain, asserting that the AAP is the true sanatani party. Meanwhile, petrol and diesel consumption in India rose 7% and 5.52% respectively in June compared to last year, despite price hikes, while aviation turbine fuel consumption dipped by 0.6%.
International news: US President Donald Trump claimed on Wednesday that the US and Iran are “getting along very well,” and that denuclearisation talks in Qatar are progressing. In sports, the first T20I between India and England was abandoned due to rain after India posted 189/7, with Abhishek Sharma scoring 59 and Shreyas Iyer 68. In the FIFA World Cup, Belgium staged a stunning comeback to beat Senegal in extra time, with Youri Tielemans scoring a penalty in the 125th minute.
