VICE – Oct 31 – In Indian culture, parents tend to feel obliged to find suitors for their children. Some seek suitable matches within extended families, while others spread the word in their professional networks. Many reach out to professional matchmakers. A recent survey found that 60% of young Indians accept arranged marriages, and 81% are happy to stay in a joint family after marriage. Matchmakers do not find this recent interest unusual. Almost all matchmakers swear by a myth that divorces are less in arranged marriages. Data shows that only one in a thousand marriages end in divorce in India, a country of 1.3B people. "The reason why there are fewer divorces is because of social pressure, not because they're happier," said Dr Dayal Mirchandani, a psychiatrist based in the western Indian city of Pune, who specialises in marriage counselling. "Most of the time, the girls' families have spent a huge amount on weddings, and often tell their daughters they will not take them back."
by Pallavi Pundir
See full article at Vice
TELEGRAPH.CO.UK – Nov 2 – Andrey Andreev, the billionaire founder of Badoo, will soon launch a new kind of social network based around audio, called Stereo. He is the founder, CEO and primary backer of the app, which will let users engage in voice-based chats or listen in on conversations between friends or celebrities. The app is in beta mode with a team made up of former Badoo staff in the UK and Silicon Valley.
