iWorld
Ayushmann Khurrana puts out PSA for non-sneakerheads
Mumbai: Ayushmann Khurrana, an actor-par-excellence and a certified sneakerhead, has taken it upon himself to deliver a crucial public service announcement (PSA) aimed at those who fail to comprehend the fascination surrounding sneaker culture. The popular actor has come out in support of sneakerheads who are often ridiculed and judged for buying expensive pairs of sport shoes and sometimes even old ones!
In his compelling PSA video, Ayushmann passionately emphasises that being a sneakerhead goes beyond a mere lifestyle choice—it is an emotion that resonates deeply. He highlights how this shared passion unites individuals from diverse backgrounds worldwide, on a collective journey towards greatness. With genuine enthusiasm, Ayushmann urges viewers to delve into the rich legacy of sneakers, encouraging them to watch the captivating film AIR, directed by the talented Ben Affleck, exclusively available for streaming on Prime Video in India.
The film chronicles the unbelievable game-changing partnership between Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division, which revolutionised the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. Concluding the video, the actor says on behalf of all sneaker lovers, “A shoe is a shoe until greatness steps into it.”
The film stars Ben Affleck, who also dons the hat of the director, along with Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, and Matthew Maher in lead roles. Produced by Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports, Mandalay Pictures, and the first project from Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity, the movie is streaming exclusively on Prime Video in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.
iWorld
Meta plans 8,000 layoffs in new AI-led restructuring wave
First phase from May 20 may cut 10 per cent workforce amid AI pivot.
MUMBAI: At Meta, the future may be artificial but the cuts are very real. The social media giant is reportedly preparing a fresh round of layoffs, with an initial wave expected to impact around 8,000 employees as it doubles down on its artificial intelligence ambitions. According to a Reuters report, the first phase of job cuts is slated to begin on May 20, targeting roughly 10 per cent of Meta’s global workforce. With nearly 79,000 employees on its rolls as of December 31, the move marks one of the company’s most significant workforce reductions in recent years.
And this may only be the beginning. Sources indicate that additional layoffs are being planned for the second half of the year, although the scale and timing remain fluid, likely to be shaped by how Meta’s AI capabilities evolve in the coming months. Earlier reports had suggested that total cuts in 2026 could reach 20 per cent or more of its workforce.
The restructuring comes as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg continues to steer the company towards an AI-first operating model, committing hundreds of billions of dollars to the transition. Internally, this shift is already visible: teams within Reality Labs have been reorganised, engineers have been moved into a newly formed Applied AI unit, and a Meta Small Business division has been created to align with broader structural changes.
The trend is hardly isolated. Across the tech sector, companies are trimming headcount while investing aggressively in automation. Amazon, for instance, has reportedly cut around 30,000 corporate roles nearly 10 per cent of its white-collar workforce citing efficiency gains driven by AI. Data from Layoffs.fyi shows over 73,000 tech employees have already lost jobs this year, compared with 153,000 in all of 2024.
For Meta, the move echoes its earlier “year of efficiency” in 2022–23, when about 21,000 roles were eliminated amid slowing growth and market pressures. This time, however, the backdrop is different. The company is financially stronger, generating over $200 billion in revenue and $60 billion in profit last year, with shares up 3.68 per cent year-to-date though still below last summer’s peak.
That contrast underlines the shift underway. These layoffs are less about survival and more about reinvention. As Meta restructures itself around AI from autonomous coding agents to advanced machine learning systems, the question is no longer whether the company will change, but how many roles will be left unchanged when it does.
