eNews
Kickass torrents shut down; alleged owner arrested
MUMBAI: Content owners the world over must be heaving a sigh of relief because of a development in Poland. Including those in India – right from Yashraj Films to Dharma Productions to Zee Entertainment to Star India to Sony Entertainment.
The reason: the alleged owner and creator of peer to peer to sharing site Kickass torrents a 30 year old Ukrainian from Kharkiv, Artem Vaulin has been under police arrest since the past couple of days. Kat.cr, which is ranked 70 in the world, according to Alexa, has been shut down since then.
Many other domains related to kickass torrents that allowed users to download content have been taken down. Among the domains that have been seized include: kat.cr,kickasstorrents.com, katstatic.com, thekat.tv, kickass.cr, kickass.to, and kat.ph. Even proxy URLs s leading to the torrenting service, which began in 2008 have been brought down by the authorities.
Everything from the latest TV shows to events like the Star Parivaar Awards to the Zee Rishtey Awards to the latest Hindi films, apart from Bollywood fare could be downloaded without payment from kickass torrents.
Vaulin has been indicted for copyright infringement in the US which, officials say, has allowed more than $1 billion worth of movies, games, music recordings and other content to be distributed for free, thus causing losses to the content owners.
There’s more trouble lying in store for the young man. US officials want him extradited to be tried for charges that include conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to attorneys for the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
“This criminal case is a major step to reduce illegal theft of creative content by large-scale piracy sites,” MPAA chairman and CEO Chris Dodd said in a statement. “Actions like these help protect the livelihoods of the 1.9 million hard-working Americans whose jobs are supported by the motion picture and television industry – and a legal market that generates $16.3 billion in exports for the U.S. economy.”
eNews
Swiggy sees record orders during India vs New Zealand T20 final
Chicken biryani tops match-day menu as fans order 7,500 times per minute at peak.
MUMBAI: India’s T20 final didn’t just break stumps, it broke Swiggy’s delivery records, proving cricket fans celebrate victories with plates, not just flags. Swiggy, India’s leading on-demand convenience platform, reported a sharp spike in food orders during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final between India and New Zealand. On 8 March 2026, overall orders rose 23.2 per cent year-on-year compared with the same date in 2025, driven by fans turning living rooms into mini stadiums complete with match-day feasts.
Key highlights from the evening:
- Orders during peak match hours (7–10 pm) were 2.1 times higher than pre-match levels.
- The highest order rate hit 7,500 orders per minute at 19:45.
- Chicken biryani reigned supreme as the most-ordered dish, followed by masala dosa, chicken fried rice, garlic breadsticks and paneer butter masala.
While metros such as Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad led volumes, the cricketing fever spread nationwide. Among emerging cities, Thiruvananthapuram, Surat and Rajkot recorded the strongest order growth. Smaller markets including Shillong, Agartala and Port Blair also showed significant appetite, underlining the expanding footprint of quick-commerce food delivery across India.
The surge reflects a growing trend of pairing major sporting events with doorstep delivery, turning big matches into shared, convenient celebrations. In a night where every boundary mattered, Swiggy proved the real MVP might just be the delivery partner who kept the snacks and the vibes flowing without missing a single wicket.
