Both sides in the leaders’ live debate last night on ABC - broadcast from the new Parramatta studio - claimed their man came out in front, which is not surprising of course, but clearly neither landed a knock-out punch. Still, there are 16 days to go until the polls officially open. Early voting does begin next week though and the number of people voting early climbs every year, as do postal votes.   Both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton start off today campaigning in Sydney.  At The Australian this morning there’s an interesting opinion piece which asks ‘experts’ who they thought won last night’s debate. The experts (Judith Sloan, Chris Kenny,  Simon Benson, Troy Bramston, Helen Trinca and Greg Sheridan) are mostly people who write for the Oz but to be fair neither contender came out a clear winner if you take all the views into account. Well worth a read for the insights.  At sister publication the Daily Telegraph, James Campbell has penned a story which u

After four long decades of relentlessly running after breaking news, senior Chennai-based journalist R Bhagwan Singh swears that he would do it all over again if only he could "wind the clock back". "Journalism is not just a profession, a job. It's a mission to educate, equip the society to make important decisions," he asserts. "You don't just stop with asking questions, you educate and empower the reader to make better decisions." Let's take a deep dive into all that has made him want to relive life as a journalist, yet again. Early Life and Career Switch Born to a 16-year-old mother in a small town near Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, Bhagwan Singh's journey into journalism was anything but conventional. Despite his mother's dreams of him becoming an engineer, and despite holding a secure government job at the Accountant General's office, Singh's passion for writing led him to make a bold career switch. With his wife's support, he took a significant pay cut - from  Rs 2,700 to Rs

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has floated a Rs 5.5 crore tender on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) to onboard a professional agency for managing its social media platforms over two years. The scope includes content creation, design, daily updates, social listening, campaign execution, analytics and crisis management across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn in both English and Hindi. The bid, which opened on April 11 will be valid for 180 days. It follows a Quality-cum-Cost Based Selection model with 70 per cent weightage on technical evaluation and 30 per cent on financials. Eligible agencies must have at least five years of experience

In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. The chargesheet, submitted on April 9, 2025, names the Gandhis as accused numbers 1 and 2, alleging their involvement in a "criminal conspiracy" to acquire Associated Journals Limited (AJL) assets worth over Rs 2,000 crore for a mere Rs 50 lakh through their company, Young Indian Limited (YIL). This move marks the first time the Gandhis have been formally charged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Hot Off the Press The ED's investigation, which formally began in 2021 following a complaint by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, claims that YIL acquired 99 per cent of AJL's shares, effectively transferring ownership of its vast real estate assets to the Gandhis, according to Pradeep Thakur for the Times of India and Ishita Mishra and Devesh K Pandey for The Hindu. The agency alleges that these assets w

Battery tech start-up Bessium has partnered with EFGH Brand Innovations to lead its brand positioning, creative direction, and integrated marketing efforts. The collaboration marks a strategic push to amplify Bessium’s role in India’s growing energy storage sector. “Excited to be working with Emanuel again, his disruptive thinking is exactly what we need,” said Ravi Shankar Sharma, CEO of Bessium. COO Rahul Khanna added, “We’re not just building batteries, we’re building belief in India’s energy future.” EFGH founder Emanuel Upputuru called the mandate to build Bessium “from the ground up” a challenge he’s eager to take on. The partnership aims to drive bold brand storytelling aligned with the Make in India mission.

The third edition of PRmoment India’s RiseUp PR competition concluded with School of Communications and Reputation (SCoRe) Mumbai clinching the top spot. Grace D'Silva, Shaili Lodariya, and Srija Dey won for their creative and impact-focused campaign, earning Rs 1,00,000 and internship opportunities. IIMC Delhi was named first runner-up, followed by MICA Ahmedabad as second runner-up. Ten three-member teams from across India competed, with entries assessed on creativity, rollout strategy, and impact measurement. Moushumi Dutt, programme director of RiseUp PR+, said the competition continues to grow in stature and aims to expand opportunities for emerging communications talent. “What an exciting finish to the 3rd edition of RiseUP PR... each one stood out in terms of their ideas, presentation skills, and grasp of the case studies,” she said. The winning team from SCoRe credited their mentor Rajeev Balakrishnan, director at Kaizzen, for encouraging them to “think beyond”

The Indian Influencer Governing Council (IIGC) hosted its latest meet-up in Mumbai, bringing together leading brands and content creators to discuss the evolving landscape of India’s influencer economy.  Representatives from brands such as Unilever, ITC, Kotak, Tata Capital, and creators including Rani KoHeNur and Harpreeth Suri attended the event.  One of the key announcements of the evening was the launch of the Indian Influencer Ratings, a weekly list designed to highlight creators who are making meaningful impact.  The ratings will feature categories like Trendsetters, Underdoggs, Brand Influence, and Don’t Do That, aiming to bring more structure and transparency to the industry.“This is about recognising real influence, not just popularity, we want to celebrate creators who are driving value and setting new standards,”said an IIGC spokesperson.  The meet-up also introduced the upcoming IIGC Code of Standards, a framework for ethical influencer-brand collab