Gayathri Kallukaran is a Junior Journalist with Eastern Eye. She has a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from St. Paul’s College, Bengaluru, and brings over five years of experience in content creation, including two years in digital journalism. She covers stories across culture, lifestyle, travel, health, and technology, with a creative yet fact-driven approach to reporting. Known for her sensitivity towards human interest narratives, Gayathri’s storytelling often aims to inform, inspire, and empower. Her journey began as a layout designer and reporter for her college’s daily newsletter, where she also contributed short films and editorial features. Since then, she has worked with platforms like FWD Media, Pepper Content, and Petrons.com, where several of her interviews and features have gained spotlight recognition. Fluent in English, Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi, she writes in English and Malayalam, continuing to explore inclusive, people-focused storytelling in the digital space.
Amazon Games’ New World: Aeternum continues to evolve with each seasonal update, and season 8 – titled Season of the Divide – is no exception. Launched on 13 May 2025, this update introduces a range of new features aimed at both casual and hardcore players. Whether you're chasing cosmetic rewards, testing your survival skills or diving into PvP, there’s plenty to discover.
Hardcore seasonal world: one life, high rewards
One of the most talked-about additions is the hardcore seasonal world, launching in early June. In this high-risk mode, players start in an “unfallen” state with faster levelling and gear acquisition. The goal is simple: survive without dying. If your character dies, you’ll still be able to play – but you forfeit access to exclusive unfallen rewards. It’s a tough mode designed for those who enjoy a challenge and want to prove their skill.
PvP content expanded
Season 8 brings new energy to PvP. The Coral Divide map adds fresh terrain to the popular Outpost Rush mode, while limited-time 10v10 capture the flag and a new 3v3 arena map offer more ways to test your combat prowess. With the new “ready up” feature, matches start quicker when players are ready, and spectator mode now lets you follow the action even after you’re taken out.
Open world PvP also gets a strategic upgrade with destructible faction camps. These camps can be used as respawn points and targeted by the enemy – making battlefield control more dynamic than ever.
New world bosses and events
For PvE fans, season 8 adds powerful level 70 bosses like Mammoth Mahantaram, Scarab boss Khepri and Fire Naga Ifrit. These appear in open-world events and drop upgraded loot for those who succeed. Seasonal events such as Springtide Bloom, Faction Fest: Expeditions, and Fury of the Spriggan also return with refreshed rewards and cosmetics.
Barbershop and character customisation
Want to change your look? The new barbershop feature lets players customise their character’s appearance using tokens, which can be earned or bought. Every player gets one free token through the season pass, giving everyone a chance to try it out.
Season pass rewards: free and premium
The season 8 pass includes both free and premium tracks:
Free track: Includes two new artifacts (lich gloves and vampire vestments), six Sinner’s Set tool skins, two helm skins (oblivion’s herald and corruption’s witness), five dye sets, and two emotes.
Premium track: For 20,000 marks of fortune, players can unlock nine Fallen Set weapon skins, five Blackguard Set armour skins, and five more dye sets.
There’s also an overall focus on better progression, rewarding regular play with a wide variety of cosmetics and useful items.
Combat tweaks and quality of life improvements
Combat has been rebalanced with changes to target lock, especially for controller users. Aim assist has been adjusted to encourage skill-based play, and target lock now breaks if your opponent moves behind the camera or if you aim down sights.
Five new survival potions have also been introduced to support different playstyles:
Burst regen potion: Heals over time
Health shot potion: Lighter healing, but usable more often
Shield potion: Reduces damage for three hits
Grit potion: Grants uninterruptible status
Lifesteal potion: Boosts health recovery from attacks
Performance improvements are also part of the update, including better visuals for Nvidia GPUs and DirectX 12 being enabled by default on Steam.
Dive into the latest
- YouTubeYouTube/ New World: Aeternum
Season 8 of New World: Aeternum delivers a rich blend of survival-focused gameplay, rewarding progression systems and improved PvP mechanics. With content catering to all types of players – from fashion lovers to hardcore grinders – it’s one of the game’s most diverse updates to date.
If you’re looking to dive into the latest content or return after a break, season 8 offers plenty of reasons to explore Aeternum again.
Play New World: Aeternum now – available on Amazon here.
RELIANCE Industries plans to take its telecom and digital arm, Jio Platforms, public by mid-2026, chairman Mukesh Ambani said on Friday. The announcement sets a new timeline for the long-awaited IPO of a business analysts value at over $100 billion.
At its annual general meeting (AGM), Reliance also announced the launch of an artificial intelligence unit in partnership with Google and Meta.
Ambani had first indicated plans in 2019 to list Jio within five years. On Friday, he told shareholders the company is preparing to file for an IPO next year.
Reuters reported in July that Jio decided against launching an IPO in 2025. Analysts at the time valued the company at over $100 billion.
Jio Platforms includes India’s largest telecom operator, Reliance Jio Infocomm, with more than 500 million users. Backed by investors such as Meta, Google and KKR, the business is central to Ambani’s move to diversify Reliance beyond oil and chemicals into retail, consumer and technology. AI and international expansion are now key areas of growth.
Reliance is also investing $8.8 billion in its chemicals business. It expects retail to grow sales by nearly 10 per cent a year on a like-for-like basis and plans to add 2,000–3,000 new stores annually.
“Jio is not being fully valued within Reliance's broader petrochemicals and retail portfolio, and a separate listing would help unlock higher value for the telecom and digital unit,” said Saurabh Parikh, senior analyst at ICRA Ltd.
AI Unit with Meta and Google
Reliance and Meta announced a new AI joint venture with an initial investment of around $100 million. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told the AGM the venture will provide Meta’s open-source AI models to Indian businesses.
Google will partner with Reliance to deploy AI across energy, retail, telecom and financial services. It will also set up a Jamnagar Cloud region dedicated to Reliance, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said at the meeting.
The partnerships come as India-US relations face tensions following US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports in response to India’s purchase of Russian oil.
Reliance runs the world’s largest refining complex in Gujarat and is India’s biggest buyer of Russian oil.
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A logo is pictured outside a Jaguar Land Rover new car show room in Tonbridge, south east England. (Photo: Getty Images)
UK VEHICLE exports to the United States rose in July after a new trade deal between London and Washington reduced tariffs, industry data showed on Thursday.
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), exports increased 6.8 per cent in July to nearly 10,000 units, following three consecutive months of decline.
The SMMT had earlier reported that exports to the US dropped 55.4 per cent in May compared with the same month last year, with smaller falls recorded in April and June.
"The US remains the largest single national market for British built cars, underscoring the importance of the UK-US trade deal, and July's performance illustrates the impact of this deal," the SMMT said.
The agreement, finalised in May and effective from June 30, cut tariffs on UK car exports to 10 per cent on up to 100,000 vehicles a year.
In April, US President Donald Trump had imposed a 27.5 per cent tariff, reducing demand and forcing manufacturers, including Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Aston Martin, to scale back or suspend shipments.
Almost 80 per cent of cars made in the UK last year were exported, mainly to the European Union.
The UK auto industry is largely made up of foreign-owned brands such as Japan’s Nissan and India-owned JLR.
The US is also a major market for UK-produced luxury models from Bentley and Rolls-Royce, both owned by German groups.
WORKERS at the Radisson Blu hotel in Canary Wharf have cancelled a planned six-week strike after reaching an agreement that met all their demands.
The group of housekeepers, most of whom are migrant women from Nepal and members of the United Voices of the World (UVW) union, were due to begin industrial action on Sunday (31). It would have been the longest hotel strike in the UK since 1979, a statement said.
The dispute involved staff employed through the outsourcing company WGC, which provides facilities services to several Radisson Blu hotels in London.
Following negotiations with UVW, WGC agreed to increase pay to the London Living Wage of £13.85 per hour, issue back-payments, reduce workloads to 14 rooms per day, and reinstate guaranteed 40-hour contracts.
In response, the workers voted unanimously to call off the strike. The decision follows earlier strike action on August 9, which was the first hotel workers’ strike in England in nearly five decades.
Doris Selembo, a housekeeper at Radisson Blu for over 30 years, said, “The whole team stood together and achieved this win. We are both excited and grateful — excited for the future and grateful because we are with UVW, and WGC are finally listening to us.”
UVW general secretary Petros Elia called the agreement a significant milestone. “This is the first victory in the hotel sector in England since 1979. Our women members have proven that when workers organise, stand together, and fight, they win. They have made history," Elia said.
The workers’ initial demands focused on secure contracts, fair pay, and manageable workloads, issues that the union and workers say had long been ignored.
The resolution brings an end to the dispute in a sector where outsourced workers are commonly employed under less secure terms and lower pay, the statement added.
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The Enforcement Directorate searches were conducted at locations linked to the Gupta brothers, Piyoosh Goyal of World Window Group, and entities such as Sahara Computers and ITJ Retails Pvt Ltd.
INDIA's financial crime fighting agency, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday carried out searches at locations connected to the Gupta brothers of South Africa and their associates in a money laundering case.
The action followed a Mutual Legal Assistance Request (MLAR) received by India from South Africa in connection with the "state capture scam," reported PTI quoting sources.
The three brothers of Indian origin—Atul, Ajay, and Rajesh Gupta—are accused of siphoning off billions of rands in South Africa through their ties with former president Jacob Zuma. The brothers and Zuma have denied any wrongdoing.
The Guptas and their families moved to Dubai after Zuma was removed from office in 2018.
Searches were conducted at locations linked to the Gupta brothers, Piyoosh Goyal of World Window Group, and entities such as Sahara Computers and ITJ Retails Pvt Ltd.
ED sources told PTI they also searched premises of Ram Ratan Jagati in Ahmedabad, who was described as a "key person" in the money laundering network.
Jagati allegedly set up a shell company named JJ Trading FZE in Dubai, which was used by Piyoosh Goyal and the Gupta brothers for money laundering, according to the sources.
The Gupta brothers had shifted to South Africa after the fall of apartheid, building their business empire through Sahara Computers and later expanding into IT, media, and mining. Some of their assets in South Africa were recently auctioned by the government there.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Donald Trump speaks with the press as he meets with Narendra Modi in the Oval Office of the White House on February 13, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
US tariffs on Indian imports rise to as much as 50 per cent
Nearly 55 per cent of India’s $87bn exports to US could be affected
Exporters warn of job losses and call for loan moratoriums
India says support measures will be offered to affected exporters
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s doubling of tariffs on Indian imports took effect on Wednesday, raising duties on some shipments to as much as 50 per cent. The move escalates trade tensions between India and the United States.
A 25 per cent tariff announced earlier in July was followed by another 25 per cent duty linked to India’s purchases of Russian oil, taking total tariffs to as high as 50 per cent on items such as garments, gems and jewellery, footwear, sporting goods, furniture and chemicals. These rates are on par with those imposed by the US on Brazil and China.
The new tariffs are expected to affect thousands of small exporters and jobs, including in prime minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat. Exporter groups estimate nearly 55 per cent of India’s 87 billion dollars in merchandise exports to the US could be impacted, benefiting competitors such as Vietnam, Bangladesh and China.
India and the US have held five rounds of talks since April to try to reach a trade agreement, but differences over access to India’s farm and dairy sectors, as well as India’s rising imports of Russian oil, led to a breakdown.
Officials on both sides blamed political misjudgment and missed signals for the collapse. US Census Bureau data shows their two-way goods trade totalled 129 billion dollars in 2024, with a US trade deficit of 45.8 billion dollars.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro confirmed the new tariffs would take effect as announced. “Yeah,” he said when asked if the increased tariffs on India’s exports would be implemented on Wednesday.
Indian officials had earlier indicated hope that US tariffs could be capped at 15 per cent, the rate applied to some other US trade partners including Japan, South Korea and the European Union.
The additional tariffs will affect goods such as textiles, chemicals and leather. Exporters say this could create a price disadvantage of 30–35 per cent compared to competitors.
“The move will disrupt Indian exports to the largest export market,” said SC Ralhan, president of Federation of Indian Export Organisations. He suggested the government provide a one-year moratorium on bank loans for affected exporters, besides extending low-cost credit and easier loan access.
A US Customs and Border Protection notice allows a three-week exemption for Indian goods shipped before the deadline. These shipments can enter the US under the earlier lower tariffs until September 17.
Steel, aluminium and derivative products, passenger vehicles, copper and other goods subject to separate tariffs of up to 50 per cent under the Section 232 national security trade law remain exempt.
India’s response
India’s Commerce Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, an official said on condition of anonymity that exporters hit by the tariffs would be given financial assistance and encouraged to diversify to markets such as China, Latin America and the Middle East.
Rajeswari Sengupta, an economics professor at Mumbai’s Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, said a weaker rupee could provide indirect support to exporters by helping them regain competitiveness.
Officials say trade talks with the US are continuing. India has not announced any change in its stance on Russian oil purchases. Russian officials in New Delhi have said Moscow expects to continue supplying oil to India.
Broader ties
Despite the tariff dispute, both countries have stressed their broader strategic partnership. On Tuesday, the US State Department and India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued identical statements saying senior officials met virtually and expressed “eagerness to continue enhancing the breadth and depth of the bilateral relationship.”
Both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to the Quad grouping, which includes the US, India, Australia and Japan.