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Gina Loudon, who is an eminent MAGA media personality, pretty recently, criticized the film adaptation of ‘Wicked’ while claiming it was ‘offensive’ and ‘racist’ towards white people, reported Daily Beast. According to Daily Beast, during her show on Real America’s Voice, she mistakenly identified pop star Ariana Grande as ‘obviously’ Hispanic in spite of Ariana Grande being Italian-American. Gina Loudon expressed her disappointment with the film's portrayal of characters while particularly criticizing the casting of Ariana Grande as Glinda, whom she described as a ‘ditzy, blonde and white villain’. She also placed an argument that this representation perpetuates negative stereotypes about white people. Daily Beast asserted that in spite of the film's success at the box office which grossed near about $165 million in its opening weekend, Gina Loudon dismissed it as a product of ‘Holly-weird’ and part of a broader ‘woke’ agenda.

Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is working on an ambitious plan to refarm more than 1100 MHZ spectrum from various ministries and departments and reallocating it to telecom operators for 5G and 6G services, a move that could garner over ₹5 lakh crore for the exchequer, officials told ET. DoT has identified spectrum across 10 bands which will be freed in the coming few years and put up for auction for telecom operators. «DoT has shared the proposal for consideration to the committee of secretaries (CoS) and clarity will emerge in a few months about how much spectrum can be freed for mobility use,» said an official privy to the details. Spectrum across bands including mid-band and some portion of 6 GHz is currently being utilised by the ministries of space, defence, information and broadcasting, railways and housing and urban affairs.

president-elect's aide's adoring letters, Trump attacks the New York Times and its third-rate writer. In an overnight Truth Social tirade, Donald Trump attacked the failing New York Times, calling for an apology for its junk coverage of him and specifically targeting its correspondent Maggie Haberman. The president-elect wrote in the post, «Will the failing New York Times apologise to its readers for getting years of 'Trump' coverage so wrong?» They write such fake 'junk,' knowing full well how wrong it is, only to make fun of it, as quoted in a report by The Independent. The newspaper has a long history of rigorous fact-checking and has been transparent about its methods. Also Read: Is the war over and will Ukraine surrender? Russia is advancing in the country at the fastest rate since 2022

Moody's Ratings said Wednesday. The agency expects power demand here to rise by 5-6% annually during this period. The utilisation rate for coal-based power capacity is likely to be high at 65-70% despite additions. Although Asia Pacific power markets are undergoing carbon transition, current thermal generation, including coal, oil and gas, remains the key supplier of power, and this trend will continue for at least the next three years to support increasing power demand in the region, it said.

JioStar, the newly formed media behemoth spawned by the merger of Walt Disney’s Star and Viacom18, has the potential to reshape India’s media and entertainment landscape, Vice Chairman Uday Shankar says. “The merger gives us a strong foundation to innovate and experiment, paving the way for transformative change,” he tells Javed Farooqui and Vinod Mahanta in an in-depth conversation that touched upon subjects as diverse as industry structure, vision for the combined entity, and execution challenges in synergy capturing. Announced last week, the merger has created a company with Rs 26,000 crore ($3.1 billion) in combined revenue for FY24, reaching 750 million viewers through 115 TV channels under the Star and Colors brands. It also includes two of India’s leading streaming platforms, JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar. In this exclusive interaction, Shankar discusses the vision for building India’s largest media and entertainment company, the challenges of competing with global tech giants, strategies to address sports business losses, and the future for television that many believe is in an attritional decline. Edited excerpts: Will the scale of JioStar be able to create a powerful differentiating factor? This merger presents a tremendous opportunity to redefine the relationship between content and consumers, as well as with key stakeholders like advertisers and distributors.

Arunachal Frontier Highway connecting 12 districts of the state along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on the India-China international border, a top official said. The ambitious project to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 40,000 crore is seen as a move to counter China's aggression in Arunachal Pradesh, besides contributing to the socio-economic development of the border state. The highway is being constructed along the 'India-Tibet-China-Myanmar' border and the road project will be as close as 20 km from the LAC and international borders. It will start from Bomdila and pass through Nafra, Huri and Monigong towns, which are closer to the LAC or the McMahon Line, and conclude in Vijaynagar near the India-Myanmar border.

Congress accused the Centre on Wednesday of collecting more than Rs 36 lakh crore from people's pockets through petroleum products in the last five years. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that instead of increasing funds for welfare schemes, the Narendra Modi government has continuously reduced allocation by «manipulating data and tampering with facts». «By imposing excessive taxes, duties and cess on petrol and diesel, the Modi government has looted lakhs and crores of rupees from the common people. According to the answer to a question asked in Parliament, the government has collected more than Rs 36 lakh crore from people's pockets in the last 5 years,» Kharge said in a post on X. «This government is an expert in closing down old schemes, sometimes changing the names of Congress schemes and calling them new and sometimes trying to garner accolades by changing the names of its own schemes repeatedly.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder's bail in the Toshakhana case last week, these eight cases were the ones that he was arrested for and it was anticipated that in case he got bail, he might come out of jail. The 72-year-old has been incarcerated in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail since August last year. Anti-Terrorism Court Lahore Special Judge Manzar Ali Gill held the hearing of the cases, including the one involving the attack on Corps Commander House Lahore.

Vittoria Ceretti, 26, and 50-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio are engaged and ready to settle down. According to rumours, Leonardo DiCaprio, star of Titanic, is engaged to his younger girlfriend. The 50-year-old celebrity, who has a preference for younger women, is getting married soon. Leo, a Hollywood bachelor, is reportedly engaged to his girlfriend, Vitoria Ceretti, who is 24 years his junior. The two may be getting married soon, as quoted in a report by The US Sun. Vittoria, 26, was first linked to Leo in July 2023, which made headlines. Then, earlier this year, she was spotted wearing a ring, sparking serious engagement rumours.

unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology domain on Wednesday announced the successful delivery of a «one-of-its-kind» logistics drone to the Indian Army, aimed at enhancing its capabilities in challenging terrains. The Sabal 20 logistics drone has been manufactured by EndureAir Systems. The firm announced the «successful delivery of one-of-its-kind Sabal 20 Logistics Drone to the Indian Army», saying it marks a «significant milestone» in enhancing the logistics capabilities of the defence forces operating in challenging terrains, according to a statement issued by the company. The aviation technology company was incubated on the corridors of IIT-Kanpur in 2018, with the objective to provide world-class drone technology that is best suited for both defence and civilian applications, it said.

P Chidambaram on Wednesday moved the Delhi High Court challenging the cognisance of money laundering charges against him by a trial court in the INX Media case and argued the mandatory sanction to prosecute him wasn't obtained. Senior counsel N Hariharan appearing for the Congress leader argued that in 2021, when the trial court took cognisance of the offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following the filing of a chargesheet, requisite sanction was not been obtained by the ED for prosecuting him in the case. It was argued that since Chidambaram was a public servant at the time when the alleged offence took place, the agency was bound to have obtained sanction in terms of the provisions of the CrPC and the PMLA. The ED counsel said in the money laundering case, the allegations against the accused could not be part of discharge of any official duty.

Indian Railways has taken up the mammoth task of screening 22.5 lakh applicants at 346 centres across the country to recruit 18,799 assistant loco pilots. The examination began last Monday and will continue till Friday. It is being held in 15 shifts and 18 languages. «Of the total candidates, 13.5 lakh have already appeared for the exam. In the next two days, nine lakh candidates are expected to appear for the exam,» said a senior official from the Railway Board. The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) holds examinations for recruitment for various posts in the Indian Railways.

To clarify the taxpayers doubt, the income tax department has released the FAQs on PAN 2.0 project. The FAQs are released by the PIB on November 26, 2024. One of the FAQs talk about taxpayers having more than one PAN, how they can identify and get it cancelled to avoid any penal consequences. Income tax dept issues FAQs on PAN 2.0 project: Check details about applying for new PAN, change PAN number

A host of incriminating materials, including mobiles/digital devices, banking transactions and property-related documents, were seized during the searches, the statement issued by the probe agency said. «In a massive crackdown in the terror-gangster nexus case, the NIA on Wednesday conducted extensive searches at premises linked with associates of Davinder Bambiha syndicate at nine locations in the states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh,» it said.

Financial Action Task Force's recommendations to tackle money laundering and terror financing, a central government official said on Wednesday. India is among the few countries that are working on FATF recommendations to regulate the fintech industry, said Vivek Agrawal, additional secretary (department of revenue), ministry of finance, during the ongoing 41st plenary meeting of the Eurasian Group in Indore. FATF leads global action to tackle money laundering, terrorist and proliferation financing. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also issued separate guidelines to regulate payment aggregators and payment gateways, he said.

Jeevan Pramaan is a biometric-enabled digital service for pensioners. Pensioners of the Central government, State government or any other government organization can take benefit of this facility. A digital life certificate aims to shorten the process to get a life certificate, making it more convenient for pensioners. With this initiative, pensioners will no longer need to be physically present at the disbursing agency or certifying body, to continue receiving pension. Few days left to submit life certificate: What happens if pension life certificate not submitted by Nov-end? Pensioners in India submit their Digital Life Certificate (DLC) or Jeevan Pramaan every year in November to continue receiving their pensions.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Internal audit has evolved significantly over the decades as a business process, transitioning from being just a compliance-driven function to a strategic partner focused on managing risks, enhancing governance and improving business efficiency. In recent years, advancements in technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), have been crucial in transforming the internal audit (IA) landscape.

PAN 2.0 initiative, and holders will automatically receive an electronic version of their card via email, without needing to apply. However, those who wish to obtain a physical card must apply and pay a fee of Rs 50 if they reside in India, the tax department announced on Tuesday. «If existing PAN holders wish to update or correct their details, such as email, mobile number, address, name, or date of birth, they can do so at no cost once the PAN 2.0 project is rolled out,» the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) stated in a set of FAQs released on Tuesday following approval of the Rs 1,400 crore project by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). In the meantime, holders can use the Aadhaar-based online facility for free updates of email, mobile, and address details.

Google has appointed former Apple India executive Mitul Shah as the managing director for its devices and services business in India, as the tech giant intensifies its focus on scaling its Pixel smartphone sales in the country. In his new role, Shah will lead Pixel's sales and expansion strategies across India. Prior to this he served as the head of consumer sales for Apple in India. In a LinkedIn post on November 27, Shah wrote, «To everyone who has asked me in the last few weeks, why 'switch' from Apple? This is not a switch. This is a continuation of the mission of putting the world's best technology in the hands of fellow countrymen and women.»

Elon Musk has expressed his fear that the US national debt is spiralling out of control and has warned that America is currently headed for bankruptcy super fast. Musk, who has been tasked by President-elect Donald Trump to curb in the excessive US spending, has issued a warning that America could be nearing the verge of bankruptcy. The world's richest man and a close adviser of Trump, Elon Musk has been tasked to spearhead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the upcoming Republican administration, to find ways of saving taxpayer dollars. «America is currently headed for bankruptcy super fast,» Elon Musk wrote on X, formerly Twitter, recently. He was responding to a post on the Department of Government Efficiency's X handle that noted «the US Government spent USD 6.16. trillion while only bringing in USD 4.47 trillion» in 2023.

Ashwini Vaishnaw has flagged land acquisition delays in Kerala, which are affecting the development of railway projects in the state. According to Vaishnaw's letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, just 64 hectares (Ha) of land could be acquired by the state against a requirement of 470 Ha. This is despite the centre making a payment of over Rs 2,100 crore to the state for land acquisition needed to complete crucial rail projects. According to Vaishnaw, railway infrastructure projects worth Rs 12,350 crore are progressing in Kerala. «The highest ever budget outlay of Rs 3,011 crore has been allotted for the financial year 2024-25. However, most of the railway projects in Kerala are not progressing due to the non-availability of requisite land,» his letter said, adding that the Indian Railways has initiated efforts for the acquisition of land for most of the sanctioned railway projects but could not succeed.