In a significant pivot to diversify revenue streams beyond traditional advertising, tech giant Meta has officially initiated the global rollout of monthly paid subscription plans for its flagship social platforms: Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. The expansion builds upon previous localized testing, bringing a suite of premium user features worldwide.

New premium ‘Plus’ tiers launched

According to statements made by Naomi Gleit, Meta’s Head of Product, the consumer subscriptions are branded under a “Plus” suffix for each respective application. Under the new pricing model, Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus are priced at $3.99 per month, while WhatsApp Plus is available for a slightly lower rate of $2.99 per month. Media reports clarify that these tiers operate entirely independently from the existing “Meta Verified” program, which remains a separate service dedicated solely to account verification and identity protection.

The new subscriptions introduce specific, exclusive upgrades designed for personalization and enhanced user data:

• Instagram Plus: Grants subscribers the ability to view Stories anonymously without appearing on the viewer list, aggregate insights on how many users rewatched a Story, build unlimited custom audience lists, and extend Story availability beyond the standard 24 hours. Additional perks include customizable bio fonts, exclusive profile pins, unique app icons, and animated “Super Heart” reactions.
• Facebook Plus: Replicates many of the social expression and profile customization features found in the Instagram tier, alongside the stealth viewing and extended duration tools for Facebook Stories.
• WhatsApp Plus: Focuses primarily on utility and chat customization, enabling subscribers to change application themes, configure premium ringtones, use exclusive sticker packs, and pin up to 20 chats simultaneously.

Future roadmaps and upcoming AI subscriptions

Beyond consumer-focused social add-ons, Meta revealed it is actively piloting advanced monetization frameworks aimed at creators, business clients, and artificial intelligence enthusiasts. Product lead Naomi Gleit indicated that the company plans to eventually consolidate these upcoming tiers under a unified master brand known as “Meta One”.

Media reports highlight that the AI-centric subscription paths will include a “Meta One Plus” tier at $7.99 per month and a high-end “Meta One Premium” tier at $19.99 per month. While functional capabilities remain identical across both options, the Premium plan allocates significantly higher computing resources, allowing power users to process intensive queries requiring deeper inference and complex logic.

For content creators, Meta is structuring a tiered approach consisting of “Meta One Essential” at $14.99 per month—mirroring legacy verification benefits—and “Meta One Advanced” at $49.99 per month. The high-tier Advanced plan will offer prominent feed visibility, elevated search rankings, and automated follow-invitation mechanisms to maximize creator reach.

This systemic move toward multi-tier subscriptions materializes as Meta experiences heightened infrastructure spending, with internal projections expecting capital expenditure to reach between $125 billion and $145 billion this year due to heavy data center and AI research allocations. Following the formal rollout announcement, public market shares for Meta reacted positively, climbing nearly 3%.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru created history at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday night, successfully defending their Indian Premier League title with a commanding five-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans. Spearheaded by an unbeaten, masterclass knock from senior batter Virat Kohli, Bengaluru comfortably tracked down the target to secure their second consecutive league trophy, joining an elite company of teams to accomplish successive tournament victories.

Earlier in the evening, Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and elected to field first. The decision bore immediate fruits as the bowling unit delivered a disciplined performance, stifling Gujarat from the outset. Gujarat skipper Shubman Gill was dismissed early for just 10 runs after giving a catch off Josh Hazlewood’s bowling. His opening partner Sai Sudharsan soon followed, falling to Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 12.

The Gujarat batting lineup struggled to build partnerships against a relentless attack. Jos Buttler managed 19 before being stumped off Krunal Pandya, while Nishant Sindhu contributed a brief 20. It was an unbeaten half-century from Washington Sundar, who capitalized on a dropped catch to smash 50* off 37 deliveries, that single-handedly dragged Gujarat to a competitive total of 155/8 in their allotted 20 overs. For Bengaluru, Rasikh Dar Salam was the pick of the bowlers with impressive figures of 3/27, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/29) and Josh Hazlewood (2/37) kept the pressure high at the other end.

Chasing 156 for glory, Bengaluru got off to a flying start courtesy of Venkatesh Iyer, who took the attack to the bowlers with a rapid 16-ball 32, containing four boundaries and two sixes. However, Gujarat fought back with quick breakthroughs. Kagiso Rabada dismissed Devdutt Padikkal for 1, and premier spinner Rashid Khan triggered a brief panic in the Bengaluru camp by picking up two wickets in four balls, removing skipper Rajat Patidar (15) and Krunal Pandya (1) to reduce the chasing side to 89/4.

Despite the wobble and battling through physical discomfort and cramps, Kohli anchored the innings with absolute authority. He accelerated at the right moments, bringing up the fastest half-century of his tournament career off just 25 deliveries. A late 24-run cameo from Tim David brought the defending champions closer before he fell to Arshad Khan.

Ultimately, Kohli wrapped up the chase in style with two overs to spare, remaining unbeaten on 75 off 42 balls, punctuated by nine boundaries and three sixes. Jitesh Sharma remained alongside him on 11* as Bengaluru finished at 161/5, sparking ecstatic celebrations in the dugout.

Tata Motors has officially launched the 2026 Tiago facelift in India, introducing a comprehensive design overhaul, a heavily updated cabin, and a substantially longer feature list. The updated hatchback enters the market at a starting price of Rs 4.69 lakh (ex-showroom) and is being offered across six distinct variants, stretching up to Rs 8.55 lakh for the top-tier trim.

Sharper and edgier exterior design

Moving away from the familiar rounded contours of the outgoing model, the 2026 vehicle adopts a much sharper and edgier form language. The front fascia is headlined by sleek rectangular LED headlamps integrated with eyebrow-style LED daytime running lights (DRLs), giving the car a more modern and premium aesthetic. Media reports indicate that the traditional chrome strip across the grille has been removed to create a cleaner look.

The front bumper undergoes a complete redesign, featuring enlarged air intakes alongside pixel-style LED fog lamps nestled within prominent black surrounds. While the side profile retains the silhouette of its predecessor, the addition of black cladding around the wheel arches introduces a subtle, rugged touch. The hatchback is available in six unique body color options: Varanasi Vibrance, Pangong Pulse, Sobo Surge, Pristine White, Pure Gray, and Daytona Gray.

Revamped cabin and segment-first premium upgrades

Inside, the cabin receives significant alterations aimed at elevating the overall user experience. The older all-black layout is replaced by a sophisticated dual-tone light grey and black color theme that makes the interior space appear more airy and expansive. Gloss-black accents are applied generously across the center console, steering wheel, and door trims.

A major highlight inside the vehicle is the inclusion of a standalone, free-standing digital driver’s display, which replaces the older analogue instrument setup. Additionally, the center console features dual wireless phone chargers—making it a standout option within this vehicle segment.

Enhanced tech, comfort, and safety features

The updated hatchback comes equipped with a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment display that supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Comfort and utility are enhanced via a chunky steering wheel with mounted cruise and audio controls, a 4-speaker sound system, automatic climate control, rear AC vents, Type-C charging ports, ambient lighting, and auto-folding outside rearview mirrors (ORVMs).

In terms of technology and safety, a major segment-first addition comes in the form of a 360-degree camera system utilizing cameras on the front bumper and ORVMs. This setup is further augmented by a blind view monitor. Standard safety equipment includes six airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), hill hold control, anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), rear parking sensors, and ISOFIX child seat anchorages.

Proven powertrain options

The mechanical performance of the vehicle continues to rely on its reliable engine configurations. Buyers can choose between a standard 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol motor generating 86 PS and 113 Nm of torque, or a bi-fuel petrol+CNG option producing 86 PS in petrol mode and 73.4 PS / 95 Nm when running on CNG. Transmission duties are handled by either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed automated manual transmission (AMT), which is available across both the petrol and CNG variants.