MAM
Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich steps down over political backlash
MUMBAI: One of Silicon Valley’s leading firms’ chief executive stepped down just days after his appointment, amid huge uproar on the internet that was sparked by employees who complained about his opposition to gay marriage.
Brendan Eich resigned from Mozilla, the organisation behind the Firefox web browser, after intense criticism over a six-year-old, $1,000 donation he made in support of a 2008 California ballot initiative to ban gay marriage.
Eich, who invented JavaScript and helped start Mozilla in 1998, was appointed as CEO in late March. After he was named, some Mozilla employees took to Twitter to call for his resignation. He then apologised for causing “pain” and made a commitment to promote equality for gay and lesbian individuals at Mozilla.
In a blog post Thursday, Mozilla’s executive chairwoman, Mitchell Baker, apologised for Eich’s appointment, writing, “We have employees with a wide diversity of views. Our culture of openness extends to encouraging staff and community to share their beliefs and opinions in public… But this time we failed to listen, to engage, and to be guided by our community.”
In a statement provided by Mozilla, Eich said: “I have decided to resign as CEO effective today, and leave Mozilla. Our mission is bigger than any one of us, and under the present circumstances, I cannot be an effective leader. I will be taking time before I decide what to do next.”
In her blog post, Mozilla’s chairwoman Baker wrote: “While painful, the events of the last week show exactly why we need the Web. So all of us can engage freely in the tough conversations we need to make the world better.”
Mozilla grew out of Netscape, the company behind the first popular Web browser Mosaic. Comprised of the nonprofit Mozilla Foundation and its taxpaying subsidiary, Mozilla Corp, the organisation develops open-source, free software with its own employees and a global community of third-party developers. It is best known for its Firefox Web browser, but maintains several other products including Bugzilla, which tracks online software bugs, and Firefox OS, a mobile operating system.
Brands
Mars Cosmetics turns International Women’s Day into a night of play and confidence
Women take the night by storm with fitness, fun and beauty at Mars Cosmetics event
MUMBAI: Mars Cosmetics gave International Women’s Day a fresh twist this year, turning it into a vibrant Women’s Night. The brand celebrated women by creating an immersive evening that blended movement, community, and confidence.
Under the banner of ‘Play Like a Girl,’ participants swapped traditional celebrations for night runs, cycling, pickleball matches, and fitness sessions. The event encouraged women to compete, connect, and celebrate together, turning strangers into friends through shared energy and enthusiasm.
Mars Cosmetics director Rishabh Sethia said, “Beauty is closely tied to confidence and self-expression. With Women’s Night, we wanted women to move freely, play fearlessly, and own the night. This was not just a campaign; it was an experience that celebrated strength, energy, and unapologetic spirit.”
After the sporting sessions, participants enjoyed beauty touch-ups and relaxed social interactions, seamlessly combining fitness and glamour. The event showcased Mars Cosmetics’ evolving vision of beauty, one that goes beyond makeovers to embrace confidence, individuality, and real-life experiences.
The night proved that beauty is more than a shade of lipstick. It is the confidence to run, rally, and play like a girl, even after the sun goes down. Mars Cosmetics’ Women’s Night turned a celebration into an empowering movement, proving that the night truly belongs to women too.
