Twitter now allows live audio-only broadcasts
San Francisco, Sep 8 : Twitter has launched an audio-only broadcasting feature so your followers can hear, but not see you.
The new feature announced on Friday is currenly publicly available for all iOS users of the main Twitter app and its live-streaming app Periscope, The Verge reported.
To use the "audio-only broadcast" option, users need to update their app and go to the "Go Live" button on the compose screen.
The addition of this feature can be seen as an attempt by Twitter to reorient the purpose of its live-streaming platform toward live podcasting and other audio-first content, the report said.
Given how big a business that podcast industry is becoming, it makes sense that Twitter would want a fair share of it.
The microblogging site is also testing a redesign that adds the "Explore" tab and Bookmarks to the desktop site, along with some other features.
The features are currently available only for a small number of users.
"Love to use Bookmarks and want it on web? Into scrolling through Explore to see what's happening? We are testing out a new Twitter for web, which a small number of people will see today. Love it? Missing something? Reply and tell us. Don't have the new experience? Stay tuned," Twitter said.
The Explore tab pulls together Moments, trends, search and more to give you a broad sense of what's going on at a given time, Engadget reported.
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Parliament passes Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025
New Delhi (PTI): Parliament early Friday passed the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, after it was approved by the Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha had on Thursday approved the Bill after over a 12-hour debate.
In Rajya Sabha, the Bill got 128 votes in its favour and 95 against after all the amendments moved by the opposition were rejected.
In the lower house, the bill was supported by 288 MPs while 232 voted against it.
Participating in a debate in the Rajya Sabha, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Bill was brought with a number of amendments based on suggestions given by various stakeholders.
"The Waqf Board is a statutory body. All government bodies should be secular," the minister said, explaining the inclusion of non-Muslims on the board.
He, however, said the number of non-Muslims has been restricted to only four out of 22.
Rijiju also alleged that the Congress and other opposition parties, and not the BJP, were trying to scare Muslims with the Waqf Bill.
"You (opposition) are pushing Muslims out of the mainstream," he added.
He said for 60 years, the Congress and others ruled the country, but did not do much for Muslims and the community continues to live in poverty.
"Muslims are poor, who is responsible? You (Congress) are. Modi is now leading the government to uplift them," the minister said.
According to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Waqf tribunals will be strengthened, a structured selection process will be maintained, and a tenure will be fixed to ensure efficient dispute resolution.
As per the Bill, while Waqf institutions' mandatory contribution to Waqf boards is reduced from 7 per cent to 5 per cent, Waqf institutions earning over Rs 1 lakh will undergo audits by state-sponsored auditors.
A centralised portal will automate Waqf property management, improving efficiency and transparency.
The Bill proposes that practising Muslims (for at least five years) can dedicate their property to the Waqf, restoring pre-2013 rules.
It stipulates that women must receive their inheritance before the Waqf declaration, with special provisions for widows, divorced women and orphans.
The Bill proposes that an officer above the rank of collector investigate government properties claimed as Waqf.
It also proposes that non-Muslim members be included in the central and state Waqf boards for inclusivity.
