The world should not recognise Taliban as an ex-Afghan politician.

0

One year after the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, a former Afghan politician warned the international community against recognizing the current regime in the war-torn nation.

Afghanistan is once again becoming a safe haven for terrorist militias under Taliban rule, former provincial governor Habiba Sarabi told the DPA news agency.

“The world should not recognize the Taliban,” she said.

Sarabi, who had also served as the Education Minister under President Hamid Karzai until 2005, also points to the responsibility of the international community.

Western powers had helped warlords and other corrupt politicians in Afghanistan gain power, she asserted.

However, it is precisely the high level of corruption in the ranks of the old Afghan government that experts consider to be one of the most important reasons for the collapse of the state and the army.

The Taliban took power in Afghanistan again in August 2021, 20 years after Western troops invaded.

The number of casualties in the fight against the Taliban has been high in recent years, especially among Afghan soldiers.

For many experts, however, the collapse of the Afghan state did not come as a surprise. In addition, to support from regional powers, the peace treaty between the US and the Taliban in Doha 2020 also helped the militant Islamists to gain new strength.

For the Afghan army, on the other hand, the peace talks were a bitter setback, Sarabi told DPA.

It was precisely at this difficult time that the withdrawal of international troops had taken place “without a clear plan and without clear responsibility”.

“Afghanistan was simply put back into the hands of terrorists,” the politician said.

According to Sarabi, this is a development that will come back to bite the rest of the world.

“If we forget Afghanistan, extremism will come knocking on our door.”

Google Search shows which streaming services have specific games

0

Tech giant Google’s Search will show users what cloud streaming services have a particular video game, building on existing support for movies, TV, and music.

According to 9To5Google, for years, Google Search has acted as an aggregator of the world’s streaming services.

If you want to watch a particular show, users can use Google Search or Google TV to get accurate info about what services it is on, the report said.

For example, searching for The Simpsons reveals that the show can be streamed from various apps, including Disney+ and Hulu, or purchased from multiple stores, it added.

In the last few days, Google Search has expanded this capability to include support for video games.

However, rather than including links to various consoles’ storefronts or to the many PC gaming retailers, Google is strictly focusing on cloud gaming.

As per the report, it makes perfect sense, given Google has skin in the game thanks to Stadia and Google Cloud’s Immersive Stream.

Oddly enough, the list of services seems to vary between desktop and mobile. Searching for “Destiny 2” on Android only brings up a result for Stadia, while the same search on the desktop shows both GeForce Now and Stadia.

Musk responds to Ford CEO’s pickup truck jab

0

After Ford CEO Jim Farley took a playful dig at Elon Musk, the tech billionaire shared a lighthearted response to the playful pickup truck jab from him.

Farley, recently, drew a comparison between Tesla’s long-delayed Cybertruck and Ford’s plug-in pickup F-150 Lightning while announcing a significant investment in solar energy.

Meanwhile, replying to an account on the microblogging platform Twitter on the matter, Musk wrote: “Thanks, but I already have one.”

This week, after touting the company’s move to more sustainable sources, Farley made a quick jab at his main rival in the EV space, whom he has praised for helping spur the industry toward electric vehicles.

“We are really on a mission at Ford to lead an electric and digital revolution for many, not few…,” he was quoted as saying.

“Take that, Elon Musk,” he added.

First announced in 2019, the Tesla Cybertruck was initially supposed to go into production in 2021, but Musk has said that it will now kick off in mid-2023.

Meanwhile, the F-150 Lightning is currently the bestselling electric truck in the market, outselling the only other two entrants, the Rivian R1T, and GMC Hummer EV.

Ghana records one recovered case of Marburg virus disease

0

The last case of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) confirmed in Ghana has recovered from the infection, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) said in a statement.

The GHS added on Friday that the country has recorded three infected cases, and two other infected patients had died of the disease.

“The only survivor of the three has since recovered from the disease following two negative tests carried out 48 hours apart by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. The patient has since been discharged and reunited with her family. Ghana, therefore, has no case of MVD,” the statement added.

The GHS identified 198 contacts in four districts since the outbreak, and 118 have completed their mandatory 21-day follow-up, Xinhua news agency reported.

In line with the country’s pandemic management and prevention standards and in accordance with the World Health Organisation requirements, the statement said the relevant state agencies would maintain heightened surveillance for MVD and other viral hemorrhagic fevers.

Hero Nikhil Siddharth Exclusive Visuals at Karthikeya 2 Movie | #Karthikeya2 | Telugu Bullet

0

Hero Nikhil Siddharth Exclusive Visuals at Karthikeya 2 Movie | #Karthikeya2 | Telugu Bullet
#telugubullet #nikhil #karthikeya2 #publictalk #publicopinion
Subscribe to Telugu Bullet for the latest updates on Entertainment Industry, Public Talk, Celebrity Birthday Special AVs, Celebrity Interviews, Web Series, and more.

Our Vision is to provide Good and Quality Entertainment Content to our viewers.

Also, visit our Official website
☛ English Version: https://telugubullet.com/
☛ Telugu Version: https://telugu.telugubullet.com/
☛ Subscribe to our Youtube Channel – https://goo.gl/o4vyGV

Enjoy and stay connected with us!!
☛ Like us: https://www.facebook.com/TeluguBullet
☛ Follow us: http://www.twitter.com/TeluguBullet
☛ Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/TeluguBullet

Keywords:-
tollywood news, tollywood news latest updates in telugu, tollywood news today, tollywood news latest, tollywood news updates, tollywood updates, tollywood updates telugu, tollywood updates today, tollywood updates channel, latest tollywood updates, tollywood news updates, tollywood news latest updates in telugu, tollywood movie updates, tollywood latest movie updates, tollywood film updates, tollywood latest film updates, telugu cinema news, telugu cinema news and gossips, telugu cinema news today, telugu cinema news latest.

BJP Minority Morcha presents Tricolour to Darul Uloom for ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign

0

As part of the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, the BJP Minority Morcha has presented the national flag to Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh.

The BJP minority wing has planned to hoist the national flag at religious places and institutions across the country as part of the campaign.

BJP minority morcha national president Jamal Siddiqui told IANS that they presented Tiranga to Maulana Salman Bijnori and Maulana Munir Nazim of Darul Uloom Deoband in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh.

“While preparing for the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign at the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, we went to Darul Uloom Deoband in Saharanpur and presented the national flag to Maulana Salman Bijnori and Maulana Muneer Nazim and appealed to them to join the campaign, a Siddiqui said. BJP minority morcha leaders and workers are requesting the minority religious places and institutions to hoist the Tricolour at their premises.

“The workers of BJP minority morcha are requesting community and religious leader to hoist the Tricolour at Mosques, Gurudwara, Churches and institutions to become part of of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahostav’ and to remember and pay tribute to great freedom fighters,” Siddiqui said.

The BJP Minority Morcha has arranged ‘Tirangas’ made by women in Kashmir for presenting to religious places and institutions.

“We have appealed to all the religious leaders and heads of institutions to celebrate this festival together by hosting Tiranga on their premises,” Siddiqui added.

As per the initial plan, all the National Executive Committee (NEC) members of the BJP Minority Morcha will be given a minimum of 75 national flags for hoisting at religious places and institutions.

Under the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ a programme ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ will be organised from August 13 to 15 in which the Tricolour will be hoisted at 20 crore houses across the country.

In his monthly radio address ‘Mann ki Baat’ on July 31, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “By becoming a part of this movement, from August 13 to 15, you must hoist the Tricolour at your home, or adorn your home with it. The Tricolour connects us and inspires us to do something for the country. I also have a suggestion that from August 2 to 15 all of us can place the Tricolour in our social media profile pictures.”

300 TikTok, ByteDance employees worked for Chinese state media: Report

0

At least 300 employees of TikTok and its parent company ByteDance employees worked for the Chinese state media publications, and more than a dozen still do, the media reported.

LinkedIn profiles of ByteDance and TikTok employees showed them in current roles as content partnerships, strategy, policy, public affairs, monetization, and ‘media cooperation’, reports Forbes.

Profiles of 15 current ByteDance employees revealed they worked at the tech firm and state media outlets simultaneously.

“Fifteen indicate that current ByteDance employees are also concurrently employed by Chinese state media entities, including Xinhua News Agency, China Radio International, and China Central/China Global Television,” the report said late on Thursday.

The LinkedIn profiles reviewed by Forbes “reveal significant connections between TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, and the propaganda arm of the Chinese government, which has been investing heavily in using social media to amplify disinformation that serves the Chinese Communist Party”.

According to the report, ByteDance and TikTok did not contest that the 300 LinkedIn profiles represent current employees or deny their connections to Chinese state media.

A spokesperson for ByteDance said that the company makes “hiring decisions based purely on an individual’s professional capability to do the job”.

“For our China-market businesses, that includes people who have previously worked in government or state media positions in China. Outside of China, employees also bring experience in government, public policy, and media organizations from dozens of markets,” the company said.

Forbes identified 49 LinkedIn profiles for TikTok and ByteDance employees who previously worked for CCTV and CGTN.

Among them were CCTV’s former editor-in-chief, who now serves as ByteDance’s director of media content partnerships, and a ByteDance overseas market operator whose profile says he is still an editor for CCTV.

TikTok’s rise has generated national security concerns from US lawmakers.

TikTok recently admitted that employees outside of the country could access that information, although “robust cybersecurity controls and authorization” from its US security team were required.

In June, Buzzfeed News reported that TikTok users’ data in the US was repeatedly accessed by employees in China.

LinkedIn rolls out new tools for better user engagement

0

Professional networking platform LinkedIn has announced that it is rolling out new tools to make it easier for users to create visual content that helps them stand out and inspire their professional community.

The company revealed a 20 percent increase year-on-year (YoY) among users adding visual content in their posts on the platform.

Among the new tools, the company said users can now add a clickable link to images or videos.

“You can now encourage your followers to take further action on or off LinkedIn by simply adding a clickable link directly onto your images and videos to drive your audience to your website, an upcoming event, recent newsletter, or other resources,” the company said in a post.

To add a clickable link, create a new post on mobile with an image or video, tap the “Add a link” icon, add your URL and custom link text, and post away.

The feature will be rolling out over the coming weeks.

Users can also create quick, eye-catching posts with templates.

“If you want an easy way for text posts to stand out in the Feed and grab your audience’s attention, we have built templates just for you,” the company said.

Head on over to the share box or tap “Post” on mobile, and then tap “Use a template” from there, you can easily create visually engaging content for your audience.

Choose from dozens of customizable backgrounds and fonts, add your own text, and hit “Share”.

“You can even add a clickable link onto templates to encourage your audience to take action. You’ll begin to see this feature roll out over the coming weeks,” the company said.

The platform said it has also started rolling out carousels, a new content format that allows users to mix images and videos to help their community learn in a digestible way.

From step-by-step advice to tips and tricks and industry trends, carousels can help users share content in a visually engaging, swipeable format.

France receives help from EU nations to battle raging forest fires

0

Firefighters and aircraft from several European Union (EU) countries are engaged to tackle a raging forest fire in France, the European Commission announced.

Firefighters from Germany, Poland, Austria, and Romania are to assist their French counterparts after France asked for help from the European Union (EU) to fight the blaze south of Bordeaux that flared up about two weeks after it was first brought under control, DPA news agency reported.

France will also receive four firefighting aircraft currently stationed in Greece and Sweden.

As the prefecture announced on Thursday, about 1,100 emergency workers are fighting the flames, while 10,000 people had to leave their homes and 6,800 hectares of land were destroyed by the flames.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne thanked the firefighters on Thursday during a visit south of Bordeaux.

She said France must prepare itself to be able to fight the fires, which are exacerbated by climate change, even better in the future.

Reforestation must take sustainability and climate change into account, she said.

“This drought is the worst ever recorded in our country,” Borne declared at the end of last week.

Several large forest fires also raged in France’s northern regions this summer. A fire near Bauge destroyed about 1,400 hectares of land, according to the Maine-et-Loire prefecture.

About the fires, Environment Minister Christophe Bechu told the local media on Thursday that “what we have experienced here is unprecedented”.

The fire brigade had never seen a fire of such magnitude there. Global warming means that northern regions could also be increasingly affected by fires, he said.

France has also requested data from the EU’s Copernicus satellite on burned areas, according to the European Commission.

President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter that 10,000 French firefighters and civil protection workers are currently battling fires across the country.

“Our partners are helping France,” he tweeted. “European solidarity is working.”

In the Rhineland in neighboring Germany, a specialized unit of firefighters from Bonn, Dusseldorf, Leverkusen, Konigswinter, and Ratingen made their way to France, according to authorities.

They were accompanied by comrades from the state of Lower Saxony, a supply unit from St John’s First Aid as well as experts from the aid organization @fire.

France is facing a particularly bad fire season as the country is currently experiencing another heatwave with temperatures expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius.

According to EU figures, more than 57,000 hectares of land have burned so far this year, compared to around 30,000 hectares in 2021.

Anil Ravipudi to direct Nandamuri Balakrishna’s 108th film

0

Actor Nandamuri Balakrishna’s next film, which is tentatively being referred to as #NBK108, will be directed by well-known director Anil Ravipudi and will have music by Thaman, who won the National Award for his score for ‘Ala Vaikunthapurramlo’.

Taking to Twitter on Thursday, director Anil Ravipudi wrote, “Eternally grateful and super thrilled to show our Nata Simham Nandamuri Balakrishna Garu in a never-before role.

“Happy to be joining hands with the musical sensation, dear brother Thaman and Shine Screens for this exciting endeavor.”

Thaman, who also scored the music for Balakrishna’s previous film, ‘Akhanda’, which went on to emerge as a blockbuster, took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the project.

He wrote, “NBK108 is here! NBK Gaaru! With brother Anil Ravipudi. Dear Sahu Garapati.”

The film is being produced by Sahu Garapati and Harish Peddi’s Shine Screen Studios.

BSF repatriates 2 Pak nationals to their country

0

Hours after their arrest, two Pakistani nationals were sent back to their country by the Border Security Force (BSF).

In a humanitarian gesture, Rabeez Mashih and Kishan Masih, both residents of the Narowal district of Pakistan, were handed over to Pak Rangers by the BSF officials late Wednesday night. Both of them had infiltrated India on Wednesday morning.

Sources informed that after questioning their motive, the BSF officials were convinced of their innocence and believed that they had inadvertently entered India in the Gurdaspur sector.

BSF Deputy Inspector General, Gurdaspur Sector, Prabhakar Joshi confirmed that both Rabeez and Kishan were handed over to the Pak Rangers along with their possessions, which included two mobile phones, two identity cards, Rs 500 Pak currency.

The Pak nationals were held by BSF’s alert Kissan Guards who immediately nabbed them after finding them about 10 meters inside Indian territory.

‘Asian EV makers enjoy some advantages over Tesla’

0

As has happened in the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle industry, the Asian automobile makers are expanding their offering and enjoy certain advantages over Tesla, said S&P Global Ratings in a research report.

The market is fast-moving, and S&P Global Ratings expect more intense competition over the next few years to shift the competitive landscape.

“Tesla is a strong competitor to Chinese automakers. The company was ranked as the No. 3 EV seller in China in the past three years, benefiting from good brand image and product functionality,” notes the S&P Global Rating report.

Tesla’s entry into the China market helped to accelerate the upgrade of the local EV supply chain and enhanced industry competition.

Chinese domestic producers such as NIO Inc. and Li Auto Inc. also compete in the premium segment adopting the asset-light model by outsourcing production to other automakers there.

Due to a good understanding of local consumer preferences, NIO and Li Auto have been increasing sales and have gained a foothold in the market, the report said.

Chinese domestic producers dominate in the low-end and mass market segments.

For example, the low-price Wuling Hongguang mini EV is the best-selling EV model. Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. Ltd. and Xpeng Inc. provide EVs with good technology offerings at a mid-level price range.

Producers like BYD offer EV models in different price segments.

As a matter of fact, BYD has overtaken Tesla in the first half of 2022. Apart from battery EVs, they also offer plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEV), which lowers consumers’ concerns around driving range.

BYD also benefits from a more vertically integrated business model compared with peers amid supply-chain disruption.

Incidentally, BYD has a car plant in India.

In their domestic market, the Chinese EV producers compete in all the price segments. The low-priced mini EVs are well received in the local market because affordability is an important consideration for consumers.

“These models currently account for about 30 percent of total EV sales in the country. With increasing new EV models and higher EV adoption, we believe the percentage of mini EVs will trend down,” the S&P Global Rating report notes.

As compared to pure-play EV players the traditional vehicle makers are better positioned at this stage, given their production capability, established supply chain, and distribution network.

They also have an edge in plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEV), given their expertise in engines. Their internal combustion engine (ICE) car business also provides an internal funding source for the development of the EV business, which needs heavy R&D and CAPEX, said S&P Global Ratings.

South Korean automakers Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation are also aggressively expanding EV product line-ups. The group was ranked the world’s top five players in terms of sales volume in the first half of 2022.

In India, too vehicle makers are getting into EV manufacturing with Tata group already selling a car model. Maruti Suzuki is betting on hybrid and commercial vehicle makers are also getting into play.

Karthi, Lokesh Kanakaraj to begin work on ‘Kaithi 2’ next year

0

Actor Karthi has disclosed that he will begin work on the sequel to his superhit film ‘Kaithi’ with one of Tamil cinema’s most sought-after directors, Lokesh Kanakaraj, early next year.

Karthi, who is busy promoting his upcoming release ‘Viruman’, disclosed this detail while replying to a question from a media person during an interaction session.

“We are planning ‘Kaithi 2’ next year. After Lokesh finishes Vijay sir’s film, we will start,” the actor said.

Interestingly, although it is widely believed that Lokesh will be directing Vijay’s next film, no official announcement has been made until now regarding this project.

Dream Warrior Pictures, the firm that made the immensely popular ‘Kaithi’, soon after the film’s success hinted at the possibility of making a sequel.

‘Kaithi’, which was director Lokesh’s second film, after his impressive debut with the superhit ‘Maanagaram’, went on to emerge as a blockbuster, making a whopping Rs 105 crore at the box office.

Vishal injures knee while shooting for ‘Mark Antony’

0

Actor Vishal, who is now shooting for director Adhik Ravichandran’s ‘Mark Antony’, has sustained an injury to his knee while filming an action sequence for the film.

Sources say the unit, which has been shooting in the city for the last week, was filming an action sequence on Wednesday.

Vishal, who has already sustained two major injuries to his leg while shooting for ‘Laththi’, again sustained a serious blow to his knee.

He had to be taken to a private hospital nearby where he was administered first aid and advised to rest.

‘Mark Antony’, which features both Vishal and SJ Suryah in double roles, also has Ritu Verma as the female lead.

The big-budget film, which is getting made in five languages including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada, is being billed as a pan-Indian film by the unit.

Work began in the first week of May in Chennai.

The film, which will be Vishal’s 33rd film, is being produced by S Vinod Kumar, the man who had produced Vishal’s ‘Enemy’ as well.

GV Prakash Kumar is scoring the music for this film which will have editing by Vijay Velukutty and cinematography by Abhinandan Ramanujam.

Famous stunt directors Kanal Kannan, Peter Hein, and Ravi Varma are doing the stunts for the film with Umesh Rajkumar doing the Production Design.

‘Sita Ramam’ music director thanks producers for giving a break to new musicians

0

Music director Vishal Chandrashekar, who actor Dulquer Salmaan described as being the ‘heartbeat’ of the successful romantic entertainer ‘Sita Ramam’, has thanked the producers of the film, saying it was because of them that several new musicians have now gotten a break.

Taking to Instagram to pen a heartfelt post of gratitude, he wrote: “A note to the two very important people who are responsible for the amount of love that I’m getting.

“Dear Dutt sir and dear Swapna, the amount of trust you placed on me, I doubt anyone would. The encouragement and confidence you imparted, have made the album and the score what it is today.

“Right from giving me a platform to perform the songs live, to giving me the freedom to enjoy myself while composing is something any artist craves for. I’m saying all this today because of the belief you had in my team.

“Thank you for giving us the break we dreamt of. Thanks to you, so many new musicians got a big break. It is a heartfelt note of thanks from the entire music department of ‘Sita Ramam’.”

Now create hands-free on Instagram, FB with Samsung Flip phones

0

Tech giant Meta announced that it is introducing a new way to create hands-free on Instagram and Facebook with Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4, as well as other Samsung Flip phones.

With FlexCam on Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4, users can fold the phone and place it on a surface freestanding to record hand-free videos. Now they can create Stories and Reels without a stand or tripod.

“We will continue to evolve our products so that they are easy to use, whether you are creating content or connecting with others,” the company said in a blog post.

Using Instagram and Facebook with FlexCam makes it easier to record dances, how-to’s, and favorite moments from afar, while on the go.

The company said users can also make video calls hands-free with Messenger and WhatsApp with FlexCam.

Meanwhile, a recent report said that the tech giant is testing a new live-streaming platform for influencers called “Super”.

The new platform allows influencers to host live streams, earn revenue and engage with viewers. It has reportedly paid influencers between $200 and $3,000 to use the platform for 30 minutes.

KJo, Arjun shocked after Sonam calls Kiara Advani ‘underrated’

0

Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor took Arjun Kapoor and filmmaker Karan Johar by surprise after she tagged Kiara Advani as an “underrated” actress during the rapid-fire round on ‘Koffee With Karan’.

Karan asked her to name an actor she thought was overrated.

Sonam changed the question and said that she would prefer naming underrated actors. “Bhumi Pednekar, Kiara Advani, and Kriti Sanon,” she said, to which Arjun instantly replied, “Kiara is not underrated, she is very well-rated.”

Karan added: “They think they’re very big stars in their head, and you’ve called them underrated!” He continued, “How are things on Mars, Sonam?” Arjun also added, “Which world are you in?”

Arjun continued having fun at Sonam, as she, with a poker-face, called ‘Ek Villain Returns’ a ‘thirst trap’ film.

“I think they all look hot now. It’s a thirst trap of a film.” Arjun cut in, “You haven’t seen one shot of the film, and you’re just saying things now.”

In the end, Arjun tagged his sister as a “pain” and a “mess”.

Jason Momoa slams his ‘Conan The Barbarian’ movie

0

Hollywood star Jason Momoa has slammed his ‘Conan the Barbarian reboot movie and said it “turned into a big pile of s***”.

Speaking to British GQ for a profile piece, Jason slammed the 2011 film, which he starred in as the sword-swinging character of legend in a remake of the film that featured Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1982, reports deadline.com.

“I’ve been a part of a lot of things that really sucked, and movies where it’s out of your hands,” he told British GQ.

“Conan was one of them. It’s one of the best experiences I had, and it (was) taken over and turned into a big pile of s***.”

The film did have a somewhat rocky beginning. It was stalled at Warner Bros. before Lionsgate bought the rights.

Brett Ratner was prematurely announced as director before German filmmaker Marcus Nispel was enlisted in June 2009. Jason was cast in January 2010.

Before the film’s release, he debuted as the Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo in HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones.

Since then, he’s been cast as Aquaman in the DC Comics Extended Universe, appearing in 2016’s ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, then 2017’s ‘Justice League, and 2018’s ‘Aquaman’.

He also had a supporting role in 2021’s ‘Dune’, and has a new ‘Aquaman’ on the horizon with ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’.

Disney+Hotstar adds 8.3 mn subscribers, hits 58.4 mn users

0

Disney+Hotstar has added 8.3 million subscribers in the company’s third fiscal quarter that ended on July 2, reaching 58.4 mn subscribers in India and Southeast Asia.

The Walt Disney Company also updated subscriber guidance for Disney+ Hotstar, to up to 80 million subscribers by the end of its fiscal 2024.

“We intend to refine this target over time as subscriber visibility in India will be clearer once the ICC and BCCI cricket rights sales processes are completed,” said Bob Chapek, Chief Executive Officer, of The Walt Disney Company.

“As you may know, we recently made the disciplined decision to not proceed with the Indian Premier League digital rights, and we’ll evaluate these rights with that same discipline,” he said during the company’s earnings call with analysts late on Wednesday.

Disney+Hotstar had 44.9 million paid users in the same period last year in the country.

“We are excited to continue offering IPL to our linear customers in India where growth potential exists for our portfolio of more than 70 channels that reach 90 percent of pay cable and satellite TV homes in the region,” said Chapek.

“Pay TV distribution in India continues to be a robust business with projected GDP growth expected to drive advertising and consumer spending,” he added.

Chapek said that India is one of the only markets in which “we are launching new linear channels”.

“Finally, given the results of our recently completed upfront, it is clear that our unmatched portfolio continues to be highly sought after by advertisers,” he informed.

Overall, Disney+ subscriptions went up to 152.1 million for its third fiscal quarter that ended on July 2, and the streaming giant added 14.4 million new subscribers in the April-June period.

The company lowered its 2024 forecast for Disney+ between 215 million-245 million subscribers. It had previously set subscriber guidance at 230 million-260 million by the end of fiscal 2024.

“With 14.4 million Disney+ subscribers added in the fiscal third quarter, we now have 221 million total subscriptions across our streaming offerings,” said Chapek.

The company said that international Disney+ subscribers increased by 6 million to reach 49.2 million.

Disney also announced to raise the price of the ad-free Disney+ subscription to $10.99 per month, starting December 8, in the US.

The price change will coincide with the launch of the streaming service’s upcoming ad-supported plan which will be priced at $7.99 per month.

UN, Italy sign deal to repair Beirut train station, blast-affected houses

0

An Italian agency and the UN have signed a two-year agreement to repair the Mar Mikhael railway station in the Lebanese capital of Beirut and the housing units damaged by the 2020 blasts at the Beirut port.

The agreement, which is estimated to be worth 2.3 million euros ($2.37 million), was signed between the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) on Wednesday.

Italian Ambassador to Lebanon, Nicoletta Bombardier, who signed the agreement on behalf of the Italian agency, said the project “will allow people in Beirut to re-discover the old train station of Mar Mikhael and its historical relevance”.

She added that Italy would remain committed to responding to Lebanese people’s basic needs, such as social housing, and restoring the cultural and social fabric of the neighbourhoods affected by the blasts, which killed more than 200 people and wounded more than 6,000 others on August 4, 2020, Xinhua news agency reported.

For her part, Taina Christiansen, Head of UN-Habitat Lebanon Country Programme, said the UN body would work with Italy to rehabilitate the Mar Mikhael train station and provide adequate housing for those who were affected by the blasts.