Monday 23 March 2026 National   The Australian ‘Are you for Australia?’ Mali’s Hanson strategy David Penberthy reports that Labor's victorious SA Premier Peter Malinauskas urges ALP leaders to adopt a tougher, pro-national-interest stance—especially on immigration and foreign donations—to counter the rise of One Nation and reassure voters. A vote for One Nation a vote for ALP Geoff Chambers and Greg Brown reports that senior Coalition figures argue conservative votes for One Nation ultimately help Labor through preference flows. Worse to come: manufacturers Perry Williams warns that manufacturers expect further price rises as Middle East conflict disrupts supply chains and increases the risk of prolonged inflation. Fast-tracked Swan firm signs China silica export deal Greg Brown reports that a fast-tracked Australian silica mining project linked to Wayne Swan has signed an export deal to ship silica to China despite being promoted as supporting Australia’s

Lavitra Communications has acquired all flagship brands previously associated with Mahuaa Media, including Mahuaa TV, Mahuaa News, Mahuaa Music and Mahuaa Movies. The portfolio changed hands from Mahuaa Media to Alburt Media in 2019 and later to Pachai Media in 2021, before being most recently acquired by Lavitra Communications in February 2026. According to BestMediaInfo, Sajida Hashmi, senior marcom manager at Lavitra Communications, confirmed that Mahuaa Media, earlier owned by P. K. Tiwari and his wife, is no longer associated with the brands. She stated that Lavitra now holds complete ownership and rights to all Mahuaa properties. The company plans a phased relaunch of Mahuaa TV and Mahuaa News, starting with a digital-first strategy to build audience engagement, followed by a potential expansion into satellite broadcasting. The focus will remain on Bhojpuri content, with an emphasis on fresh, contemporary programming.  

Image of the Day  Women in traditional attire take part in the Gudi Padwa procession to mark Marathi News Year at Girgaon in Mumbai on Thursday – Emmanual Yogini- The Hindu Childhood obesity growing concern in India India is among the top three countries globally with the highest number of children affected by excess weight, with about 41 million aged 5-19 living with high body mass index (BMI), including nearly 14 million with obesity, a new global report has found, writes Anuja Jaiswal for The Times of India. The World Obesity Atlas 2026 shows India, along with China and the US, accounts for a large share of the global burden, showing the country now faces both undernutrition and rising obesity among children. This comes amid a sharp global increase in childhood obesity, which has risen from about 4% in 1975 to nearly 20% in recent years. For the first time, more children worldwide are expected to be living with obesity than underweight, marking a major shift in health tre

Image edited by Dinesh Raj M   India's proposed overhaul of Section 69A doesn't just tinker with content moderation; it blows up the architecture entirely. If the amendments go through, the power to order social media takedowns will no longer be concentrated in a single ministry. Home Affairs, Defence, External Affairs, and Information & Broadcasting could each independently issue directives to platforms, bypassing the existing MeitY bottleneck. First reported by The Indian Express and developed further by Storyboard18, this is a shift significant enough that the news industry should be paying far more attention than it currently is. The instinctive response and the dominant one in digital rights circles is alarm. More ministries wielding takedown power means more pressure points, more ideological lenses, more risk of legitimate journalism getting caught in the crossfire. That concern is real and shouldn't be dismissed. But it also shouldn't be the end of

Artha Group, a diversified early-stage investment firm, has formally mandated Madchatter Brand Solutions as its official PR and strategic communications partner. The mandate was awarded following a rigorous, multi-firm evaluation process. Through this engagement, Madchatter Brand Solutions will manage public relations, media relations, thought leadership, and strategic communications for Artha Group. This includes narrative development for its individual fund verticals, leadership positioning across the organisation, and communications support for select portfolio companies at early and growth stages. “Artha represents a new generation of capital, deeply involved, outcome-oriented, and committed to building enduring businesses,” said Kapil Daryani, COO, Madchatter Brand Solutions. “We are rooted in making sophisticated investment theses legible to stakeholders, placing them at the intersection of Artha’s conviction, portfolio traction, and market leadership. We ensure Artha

Swiss Military has appointed Compass Communications as its strategic communications partner in India, as the global lifestyle brand sharpens its focus on the country’s evolving luggage and travel accessories market. The partnership comes at a time when Swiss Military is streamlining its portfolio to strengthen its positioning in the premium lifestyle segment, particularly in travel gear. Commenting on the development, Anuj Sawhney, Managing Director, Swiss Military, said the brand is focusing on delivering products that combine functionality with premium aesthetics. He noted that shifting travel trends among Indian consumers have prompted the company to deepen its presence in the luggage and travel accessories space. Compass Communications strategic expertise will help amplify the brand’s narrative and reach a wider audience”, he added. Rafi Q Khan, Co-Founder, Compass Communications, said “Swiss Military stands for quality and legacy in a market where travel gear is incre

Friday 20 March 2026 National   The Australian Coal king flies high … after ‘peak ESG’ John Stensholt reports that coal billionaire Matt Latimore is expanding and investing again as enthusiasm for ESG investing wanes. Beware: the birth of a stag-nation The Australian warns that Australia faces a looming “productivity stag-nation” driven by shifting demographics, including higher migration, lower fertility and more people seeking work. Israel’s in a fight for survival, says envoy Ben Packham reports that Israel’s top diplomat in Australia argues the war with Iran is an urgent act of self-defence and frames it as a fight for survival against a terrorist threat. COP it on the chin: Bowen 'must focus on fuel crisis Sarah Ison & Colin Packham that ExxonMobile has criticised the ACCC's fuel investigation as an attempted distraction by the government, Mali-slide with a side of One Nation David Penberthy reports that Newspoll shows Labor cruising toward vi