That dynamic is now changing with the global rollout of paid subscription plans for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

If you’re wondering what this means for your daily scrolling and chatting, here is a simple breakdown:

NEW PLUS PLANS

Meta has introduced individual subscription plans designed to give “power users” more control and personalization. For now, these are separate subscriptions rather than a single bundle.

Instagram Plus ($3.99/month): This tier is packed with features for those who want more from their Stories. Subscribers can see an aggregate count of Story rewatches, extend the visibility of a Story beyond the usual 24 hours, and even preview Stories anonymously without the original poster knowing.

Facebook Plus ($3.99/month): Similar to Instagram, this plan offers advanced audience analytics, profile customization options, and tools to improve how many people see your content.

WhatsApp Plus ($2.99/month): Focused on personalizing your chat experience, this plan includes custom themes, unique ringtones, additional pinned chats, and exclusive “premium” stickers.

FREE ACCOUNT

The most important thing to know is that the free versions of these apps will be around. If you choose not to pay, your experience will remain exactly as it is today; Meta has not announced any plans to remove existing features from the free tier.

META AI AND META ONE

Beyond these social perks, Meta is testing a new ecosystem called Meta One. This brand will eventually house even more advanced features, particularly for those interested in Artificial Intelligence.

Testing has already begun in select markets for Meta One Plus ($7.99/month) and Meta One Premium ($19.99/month).

These higher tiers are designed for users who want “thinking mode”—a feature providing deeper reasoning for AI queries—along with expanded tools for generating images and videos.

VERIFICATION, SECURITY

It is worth noting that these new “Plus” plans do not replace Meta Verified. If you already pay for a blue checkmark to protect your identity and get better customer support, that service remains separate for now.

WHY THIS SHIFT

This move allows Meta to diversify its income so it isn’t solely dependent on ads. It also helps the company fund its massive $125 billion to $145 billion investment in AI infrastructure this year.

Ultimately, the choice to subscribe will come down to value — whether features like custom WhatsApp themes or anonymous Instagram Story viewing are worth a few dollars a month to you.

The red clay of Paris has just witnessed one of the most significant upsets in modern tennis history. Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, has been knocked out of the 2026 French Open in the third round by 19-year-old Brazilian sensation João Fonseca.

This stunning defeat not only ends Djokovic’s immediate quest for a record-breaking 25th major title but also guarantees that a first-time men’s champion will be crowned at Roland Garros this year.

Five-Set Rollercoaster

The match, which lasted a grueling four hours and 53 minutes, was a testament to both the “old master’s” resilience and the “prodigy’s” fearless spirit.

Early on, it appeared to be a routine masterclass from Djokovic, who stormed into a two-set lead. However, the tide began to turn in the third set as Fonseca’s “booming” forehand began to rattle the Serbian legend.

The drama peaked in the fourth set when Fonseca saved two critical break points at 3-4, 15/40, a moment that completely flipped the momentum. Even after Djokovic broke early in the fifth set to lead 3-1, Fonseca refused to yield, battling back to level the score.

The physical toll on the 39-year-old Djokovic was evident; at one point, he was seen vomiting into the red dirt and leaning over advertising boards in pure exhaustion.

In a poetic finish, as Fonseca served for the match at 6-5, he fired down three consecutive aces to seal the win.

Djokovic’s Fitness

Despite this loss, Djokovic’s longevity in the top circuit remains unparalleled. His ability to compete at this level is the result of a meticulously crafted lifestyle and training regimen.

It is said that his routine includes high-altitude conditioning, dynamic stretching, and yoga to maintain his title as the “most flexible player in tennis”.

A major turning point in his career was discovering a gluten intolerance in 2010. Since switching to a 100% gluten-free diet, his energy levels and physical endurance are said to have reached new heights, fueling his record-breaking success.

Djokovic is famously demanding of his team, currently led by head coach Boris Bošnjaković, expecting full commitment and a constant search for ways to improve.

Seeds who fell on May 29

Djokovic wasn’t the only top-tier player to see their French Open dreams end on Friday, May 29. The tournament has become “refreshingly messy” with several high-profile exits:

Men’s Draw: The 24th seed Tommy Paul fell to Casper Ruud in another five-set thriller. Additionally, the top-10 seed Alex De Minaur was knocked out by Jakub Mensik.

Women’s Draw: While top stars like Iga Swiatek advanced by defeating Magda Linette, others like Marie Bouzkova (lost to Mirra Andreeva) and Viktorija Golubic (lost to Marta Kostyuk) were sent packing.

The Road to the Trophy

With favourites like Djokovic, Jannik Sinner (who lost a day earlier), and Carlos Alcaraz (who skipped the event) all absent, the draw is wide open.

Men to Watch: Second seed Alexander Zverev is now considered a clear title favourite. He is joined by two-time finalist Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, and the teenage sensation João Fonseca himself.

Women to Watch: Four-time champion Iga Swiatek remains the dominant force, while Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and the unbeaten-on-clay Marta Kostyuk look to challenge her reign.

As we head into the second week, the tennis world is left wondering if this is truly the “last big chance” gone for Djokovic, or if the “Spider-Man” of tennis has one more comeback left in him.

In a turn of events that has stunned the tennis world, the “formidable title favourite” and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner was eliminated in the second round of the 2026 French Open yesterday.

Entering the tournament on a 30-match winning streak, Sinner was the overwhelming choice to complete a career Grand Slam, especially with rival Carlos Alcaraz sidelined by injury. However, what looked like a routine victory turned into one of the most shocking collapses in recent history.

A Game Away from Victory

For the first two sets and much of the third, Sinner appeared to be cruising toward a straight-sets win over 56th-ranked Juan Manuel Cerundolo. He led 3-6, 2-6 and established a commanding 5-1 lead in the third set. At that moment, he was potentially just one minute away from heading to the locker room.

Then, the unthinkable happened. Sinner sensationally lost 18 points in a row, allowing Cerundolo to claw back into the match. The Italian star, who had been “hitting very clean” early on, suddenly “hit the wall”. He eventually lost the third set 7-5, followed by two devastating 6-1 sets, as he dropped 18 of the final 20 games of the match.

Illness or Heat?

While Paris was gripped by a heat wave with temperatures rising to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, Sinner was adamant that the weather was not the primary cause of his downfall. Instead, he pointed to an illness that began the morning of the match, stating, “I don’t remember last time I felt this weak”.

The physical struggle was visible to everyone in the stadium. Sinner was seen bending over in exhaustion multiple times and was “hardly even running,” resorting to drop shots to keep points short.

He received medical attention, had his blood pressure taken, and even asked the umpire for permission to leave the court to vomit.

Despite using handheld fans and ice bags around his neck, he remained “very, very flat” throughout the final sets.

What’s Next for Sinner

Sinner described the defeat as “tough to accept” given his recent dominant form, which included five straight Masters 1000 titles. His exit leaves Novak Djokovic as the only former Grand Slam champion remaining in the men’s draw, while Alexander Zverev has emerged as the new favorite for the title.

Looking forward, Sinner plans to prioritise his health. He stated he will likely skip all grass-court lead-in events to focus entirely on recuperating both physically and mentally for Wimbledon, which begins on June 29. “To be ready there, we need to recuperate well and do things right now,” Sinner said.

This shrine is among the top five rich temples in India. But considering the number of days, about 100, in a year it’s open to devotees, one can say it’s the richest. And, that alone will be the trigger for accusations that the temple management, Travancore Devaswom Board, and the Kerala government haven’t been serious about ensuring the safety of pilgrims.

In many ways, this temple is unlike many others, especially the customs and the preparatory penance the devotee has to undertake prior to the pilgrimage. The shrine is situated on a hill, Sabarimala, in a thickly forested area of Western Ghats. The main pilgrimage season is from mid-November to mid-January, with the most divine moment falling on Makara Sankranti, January 14. The temple is also open on the first few days of every Malayalam month (roughly the middle of the Gregorian calendar month).

The path to the peak where the temple is situated is supposed to be laden with thorns and pebbles to make the climb of the devotee as arduous as possible. In fact, in olden days, most of the pilgrims trekked through forests, fearing wild animals. Because of this belief, all attempts at better infrastructure (which obviously means making the climb easier and more comfortable) have been met with criticism that it goes against the basic tenets of the temple. “Only the devout who are willing to undertake the pain, need visit the temple. This is not a tourist resort,” I remember the angry comment of a temple management official.

Facilities have improved

In spite of such criticisms, infrastructure and comforts both on the way to the temple and atop, on the temple premises, have improved considerably. Having gone there many times, I would say that pilgrimage some 20 years back was much harder than it is now. If there aren’t any long queues, it takes, on an average, about three to five hours to climb from the base at Pampa to the hilltop temple.

Some sections of the path are now cemented. On route, there are now places to rest and small eateries that serve from soft-drinks and glucose to snacks. Atop there are plenty of restaurants and rest houses, so too modern communication facilities. Once upon a time, only when the pilgrim returned home, family members and friends heaved a sigh of relief, because there was just no way to communicate. There’s now even a cardiac care centre atop the hill. So comments that infrastructure and facilities at Sabarimala haven’t kept pace with time are not true.

The second criticism is about crowd management. Even this has improved a lot over the years, especially with the yearly increase in the number of pilgrims. Kerala Police personnel — barefooted and bearded — are specially assigned for crowd management at the temple. They are extremely courteous and helpful, so much so, that it comes as a pleasant surprise, used to as we are to the stereotyped rude-and-rough image of the average policeman on the street. There are lots of barricades and the queues are efficiently managed by the policemen.

Looking at the ever-increasing number of people who converge on the hill shrine, and given the lack of patience of the average Indian, crowd management is a huge challenge; and it must be conceded that the temple organisers and Kerala government are doing a commendable task.

Open the temple around the year

So, does this mean that everything is fine, and let pilgrims come at their own risk? No. There is definitely a problem out there, and to believe that there’s nothing more to be done is to be inexcusably insensitive. And the problem is the crowd, and this problem is getting bigger every year, as the number of devotees has been increasing.

Both the temple management and Kerala government have to seriously look into the many suggestions, and immediately start a process of debate in the public domain and put in place at least some of the suggestions before the next pilgrimage season.

Opening the temple around the year is one of the proposals. In that case, a good section of the annual crowd may get spaced out across the year bringing down the number of pilgrims in the Nov-Jan season. Already, a number of people prefer to visit the temple in the off-season – those first few days of the Malayalam month when the temple is opened for pooja.

But, opening the temple around the year may create more problems. There will be increased demand on security forces and other infrastructural facilities that will have to be scaled up proportionately. Also, the number of pilgrims may go up, with many people who never thought of making a trip, deciding to undertake one. So the problem of crowd, which one thought of solving, might end up becoming a bigger one!

While there’s no doubt that organisers are doing their best atop the hill, there’s not much vigilance around the hillock. It’s difficult but with the help of the forest department, the police will have to block unauthorised entry points through the woods to the shrine. Many reports have said that the spot where the tragedy took place was an unauthorised route that is opened during the peak season in violation of forest laws. Such loopholes will have to be plugged. There must be authorised routes to the peak and also authorised viewing points on Makara Sankranti – difficult but not impossible.

Regulate entry of pilgrims

This is one innovation that the government has been reluctant to look at. But this will have to happen, whether the temple management likes it or not. And it won’t be easy, since the logistics of issuing and checking these passes will be huge. But again, it’s definitely not something that can’t be put in place.

Pampa is the base of the hill from where pilgrims begin the climb after having a dip in the Pampa river. The bus-stands and vehicle parking areas are located at a distance of around a kilometre from this spot. The infrastructure around these areas has improved by leaps and bounds and there’s nothing stopping the authorities from scaling it up further.

There is a limit to the number of pilgrims the route to the hill and shrine itself can accommodate. And since most of the area around the shrine is thickly wooded and thus expansion is ruled out, the entry of pilgrims to Pampa and beyond has to be regulated. Some form of pass or ticket – free of cost, of course, since entry to the temple is free – with electronic tagging will have to be introduced.

For this, the whole crowd management system will have to be restructured and electronically networked. Numbered tags or passes can be made available through designated banks or similar institutions. At multiple points these passes will have to be checked and validated. There has to be an electronic queue system so that the amount of time pilgrims have to wait on route is considerably reduced. This will also help the security forces who are on constant vigil. With the sort of progress in computerised networking Kerala has achieved, this is definitely possible.

Most of the resistance to these measures have stemmed from the magnitude of the change the system will have to be subjected to. But, I don’t think there’s an alternative. When Sabarimala has modernised to this extent, all it takes to put in place an efficient crowd management system is only determined use of technology. And when the purpose is solely to ensure the safety of pilgrims, one wonders why there should be any objection at all.

The Blog-Health-o-Meter reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 9,000 times in 2010. That’s about 22 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 32 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 638 posts. There were 4 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 2mb.

The busiest day of the year was January 10th with 188 views. The most popular post that day was Colour of bra — is breast cancer a joke?.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were mail.yahoo.com, maddy06.blogspot.com, twitter.com, facebook.com, and mail.live.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for mangalam dam, shopping stress, kim clijsters husband, blauk, and kim clijsters jada.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

Colour of bra — is breast cancer a joke? January 2010
27 comments

Kim Clijsters’ 2009 US Open win — a tribute to motherhood September 2009
4 comments

Vandazhi visit May 2009
11 comments

Shopping: a stress buster for women? March 2009
12 comments

Back with BBC’s Test Match Special July 2009
3 comments