thenewsbit.com

Blog

  • Gujarat govt introduces Karmayogi Health Scheme

    Gujarat govt introduces Karmayogi Health Scheme

    In a significant step toward public welfare, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel launched the Gujarat Karmayogi Health Security Scheme (G-Category) on Monday during the auspicious Navratri festival. This ambitious health

    Up to Rs. 10 lakh cashless treatment for beneficiaries
    The scheme provides cashless medical coverage of up to Rs. 10 lakh, reinforcing the state’s commitment to employee welfare and reducing the financial burden during health emergencies. Symbolic Ayushman cards were handed out to mark the enrollment of beneficiaries at the event in Gandhinagar.

    Health Minister Rushikesh Patel and top bureaucrats join the launch
    Gujarat’s Health Minister Rushikesh Patel, Chief Secretary Pankaj Joshi, and senior health officials including Additional Chief Secretary Dhananjay Dwivedi and Commissioners Harshad Patel and Ratankunwar Charan Gadhvi attended the event, reflecting high-level administrative backing for the scheme.scheme is tailored to benefit officers of All India Services serving in Gujarat, as well as state government employees, pensioners, and their families.

    94 high-tech 108 ambulances flagged off
    As part of the same initiative, 94 new 108 Emergency Ambulances equipped with advanced life-support systems were flagged off. These ambulances will strengthen golden hour emergency response, particularly in rural and remote areas, improving survival rates and healthcare outcomes across Gujarat.

    Integration of healthcare and emergency services
    Chief Minister Mr. Patel noted that the integration of robust health insurance coverage with modern emergency services represents a holistic approach to healthcare reform. These dual efforts align with Gujarat’s broader vision of building a proactive and responsive public health system.

    Investment in tertiary care and medical infrastructure
    Gujarat has made substantial investments in tertiary care institutions, including the U.N. Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Gujarat Cancer Research Institute in Ahmedabad. These developments reflect the state’s policy focus on expanding access to specialized and affordable treatment facilities for all.

    Part of a broader healthcare ecosystem
    The Karmayogi Health Security Scheme complements flagship initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat, Mukhyamantri Amrutam (MA) Yojana, and the state’s widespread 108 Ambulance network, forming a comprehensive healthcare safety net for both employees and the general population. Indian Masterminds

  • India’s stroke rehab crisis: 1 centre per 11.7L

    India’s stroke rehab crisis: 1 centre per 11.7L

    India is failing its patients by treating hospital discharge as the end of the treatment, as they are thrown into an unstructured ecosystem of untrained caregivers and fragmented follow-ups, which leads to delayed recovery and frequent readmissions, experts said here, flagging the issue of “rehabilitation shortage”.

    They highlighted this urgent mismatch and underscored that rehabilitation is not a luxury but the missing bridge between survival and healing.

    In reality, recovery begins only after discharge, experts said at the IAPMR Mid-Term CME 2025 event hosted by the Indraprastha Association of Rehabilitation Medicine (Delhi chapter of IAPMR) at the SCOPE Convention on September 12 and 13.

    With the theme “From first steps to golden years – advancing rehabilitation across life spans”, the gathering included leading neurosurgeons, neurologists, physiatrists and healthcare innovators.

    India’s burden of stroke, trauma and critical illness is growing, yet the country has only 1,251 stroke rehabilitation centres for 1.46 billion people — roughly one for every 11.7 lakh individuals. Global benchmarks recommend one recovery bed for every acute hospital bed, but India is nowhere close to this target, the experts said.

    The panel on “Accessibility of PMR Services in the Private Sector” revealed how the gap is particularly stark outside government institutions.

    Insurance and corporate coverage for rehabilitation are grossly inadequate, leaving families to bear the financial and emotional burden of long-term recovery.

    Experts underlined that collaboration between physiatrists and private hospitals is essential to mainstream rehabilitation care.

    Dr Rahul Gupta, Senior Director and Head of Neurosurgery at Fortis Hospital Noida and Escorts, Okhla, Delhi, observed that the problem is not only one of infrastructure but also awareness.

    “The greatest tragedy is ignorance. Families are rarely told that rehabilitation exists as a structured speciality that can transform recovery after stroke, spine surgery, or trauma.

    “Even within the medical community, PMR is often overlooked. Until awareness spreads among doctors and patients, thousands of Indians will remain disabled when they could otherwise return to normal lives,” he said.

    The importance of timing was emphasised by Dr Gaurav Thukral, Co-Founder and President of HCAH India.

    “The first 90 days after a stroke or major surgery decide the future of recovery. This is the window where strength, mobility, speech, and memory can be restored. At HCAH, we have built hospitals where recovery is the sole focus.

    “Robotic gait labs, AI-powered therapy dashboards, and protocol-driven care are not extras but essentials. In the last year alone we have touched more than 9 lakh lives, and we are showing that recovery care is not theoretical, it is measurable, practical, and life-changing,” he noted.

    Dr Tariq Matin, Director and Chief of Neurointerventional Surgery at Artemis Hospital, Gurugram, warned that the crisis is being compounded by policy choices.

    “India’s rehabilitation shortage is alarming but equally serious is the lack of knowledge among doctors themselves. Rehabilitation was recently dropped from the undergraduate medical curriculum by the NMC.

    “This is a dangerous decision that will produce generations of doctors who do not prescribe or prioritise recovery. We appeal strongly for PMR

    (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) to be reinstated in medical education.

    “Without it, India’s healthcare system will remain incomplete no matter how advanced our hospitals become,” he stressed.

    The discussion also stressed the absence of structured post-stroke rehabilitation guidelines in India, even though stroke is one of the leading causes of disability.

    Experts called for national protocols that make rehabilitation mandatory and ensure it is initiated early, ensuring every patient is assessed and referred before leaving the hospital.

    Without such guidelines, thousands of stroke survivors are discharged without a clear path to recovery, losing valuable time in the golden window of rehabilitation.

    Echoing the broader mission, Dr P C Muralidharan, President of IAPMR and Professor of PMR at Government Medical College, Kozhikode, said the CME was designed to move rehabilitation into the centre of India’s health agenda.

    “Rehabilitation is not an add-on to healthcare. It is a right and a necessity across the lifespan from managing childhood disabilities to supporting the elderly, from rebuilding lives after trauma to helping survivors of ICU syndromes.

    “This CME is a platform to strengthen knowledge, create awareness, and remind policymakers and practitioners that without rehabilitation, medicine is incomplete,” he said. PTI

  • Telecom Italia secures €500M in 5-year bond sale

    Telecom Italia secures €500M in 5-year bond sale

    Telecom Italia Spa announced on Tuesday that it has successfully placed a senior unsecured bond worth EUR500 million, following the completion of the book-building process. The fixed-rate bond, offered to institutional investors, has a five-year maturity and carries an annual coupon of 3.625%.

    In a statement, the company explained that the proceeds from this new issuance will be allocated for general corporate purposes, effectively bringing forward part of the funding activities initially planned for 2026.

    The settlement date is set for 30 September 2025, with the bond maturing on 30 September 2030. Market Screener

  • $100M fine for Optus in customer exploitation case

    $100M fine for Optus in customer exploitation case

    An Australian judge fined telecommunications giant Optus 100 million Australian dollars ($66 million) Wednesday for unconscionable conduct selling services to hundreds of vulnerable customers including in Indigenous communities outside the range of its coverage.

    The subsidiary of Singapore government-owned Singtel is separately facing multimillion-dollar fines over its failure last week to connect hundreds of emergency calls due to an outage that’s been linked to four deaths.

    Federal Court Justice Patrick O’Sullivan approved a plea agreement struck between Optus, Australia’s second-largest telecom, and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission over unconscionable conduct and inappropriate sales practices spanning four years until July 2023.

    He said Optus’ conduct was “extremely serious and can only be described as appalling.”

    “Optus senior management knew, or ought to have known, of the system failures that allowed the unconscionable conduct which may rightly be described as predatory,” O’Sullivan told the court.

    “Of particular concern is the fact that Optus’ conduct predominantly affected vulnerable consumers including people with mental disabilities, people suffering from financial hardship, those with low financial literacy and people with limited English proficiency and/or learning difficulties,” he added.

    Many victims were vulnerable Indigenous people from regional and remote communities, some of whom lived outside the range of Optus mobile coverage.

    Optus sales staff applied undue pressure to customers, fabricated customer details to ensure higher credit approvals for contracts and then engaged debt collectors to recover what was owed.

    Following the ruling, Optus said in a statement it was “remediating impacted customers as a matter of priority.” The statement didn’t detail that remediation.

    Optus would also pay AU$1 million ($660,000) to support digital literacy initiatives for Indigenous Australians.

    When Optus admitted the corporate law breaches in June, chief executive Stephen Rue described them as “inexcusable and unacceptable.”

    The judge’s criticisms came hours after Optus appointed an expert to review the outage Sept. 18 that impacted 631 customers who tried to phone emergency services. Four of those emergencies were fatal.

    Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers said a government inquiry into the outage would investigate whether the parent company Singtel was providing Optus with sufficient money to make emergency calls reliable.

    Singtel chief executive Yuen Kuan Moon said the parent company had invested AU$9.3 billion ($6.2 billion) in Optus in the past five years to build network infrastructure across Australia.

    Singtel “will continue to invest as needed for Optus to provide reliable communication services to all Australians,” Moon said in a statement.

    Rue said Optus investigators have already established that the latest outage was caused by “human error.”

    “It’s not expenditure, it’s process. The standard processes were not followed. That’s not an investment issue. That is people not following processes,” Rue said. Reuters

  • PM Modi to launch BSNL tower at BSF posts in Jaisalmer virtually

    PM Modi to launch BSNL tower at BSF posts in Jaisalmer virtually

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate a new BSNL mobile tower at the forward posts of the Border Security Force (BSF) in Jaisalmer district on Sept 27.

    This tower will resolve the long-standing network issues in the border area. Until now, soldiers stationed at the border and the local residents often lost contact with their families due to a lack of mobile network. However, this wait is about to end.

    IG BSF Frontier Rajasthan M L Garg, stated that the initiative is a historic moment for the border areas. He said this connectivity will not only benefit the BSF personnel deployed in remote areas but will also transform the lives of the border residents who have long been deprived of mobile network facilities.

    Communication is crucial for operational capabilities, coordination, and the welfare of the soldiers. Now, soldiers will be able to stay connected with their families even while performing challenging duties. This initiative reflects the govt’s commitment to strengthening border infrastructure and integrating border area residents into the mainstream.

    Not only soldiers but also people from hundreds of villages in the border area will benefit from this facility. Digital transactions, online education, and access to govt schemes will now be possible in the villages. Farmers will be able to know market prices on time, and students will connect with online education. ToI

  • Srini Gopalan named CEO of T-Mobile, replacing leadership

    Srini Gopalan named CEO of T-Mobile, replacing leadership

    T-Mobile said on Monday insider Srinivasan Gopalan would take over as CEO from Mike Sievert on Nov. 1, marking a leadership transition as the telecom company works to defend its 5G lead in a saturated U.S. wireless market.

    Wireless carriers have been grappling with slowing subscriber growth, rising competition and increasingly cautious consumers unwilling to pay for premium plans.

    The industry has also witnessed significant consolidation in recent years, exemplified by T-Mobile’s $26 billion merger with Sprint in 2020. That deal reshaped the U.S. telecom landscape, establishing Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile as the dominant ‘big three’ telecom companies, while also attracting antitrust scrutiny.

    When asked about future M&A, Gopalan told Reuters that the company is now focused on investing in the spectrum and fiber business.

    T-Mobile capitalized on the Sprint merger to grow its customer base, winning share in both postpaid and prepaid markets and positioning itself as the industry’s fastest-growing carrier.

    Under Sievert’s leadership, it overtook AT&T to become the second-largest wireless carrier by subscribers in the U.S., behind Verizon.

    T-Mobile’s aggressive promotions, add-on perks and partnerships with streaming services also helped it maintain an edge over rivals.

    Sievert, who became CEO in April 2020, will move to the newly created position of vice chairman and advise on long-term strategy, innovation and talent development. T-Mobile shares had outperformed AT&T and Verizon’s during his tenure.

    Gopalan “brings a wealth of experience and is a very impressive leader, and they’ve handled this transition exceptionally well. I don’t expect there to be any fall-off at all in T-Mobile’s performance,” MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett said.

    Gopalan, currently the chief operating officer of T-Mobile, has held senior leadership positions at Bharti Airtel, Capital One and Vodafone and most recently served as the CEO of Deutsche Telekom’s Germany business, where he was credited with doubling the company’s growth rate and scaling its fiber business. CNBC

  • Weekend sports wrap: Wins, deals, drama in the spotlight

    Weekend sports wrap: Wins, deals, drama in the spotlight

    The weekend delivered a whirlwind of action, drama, and surprises in the sports world. Fans were treated to last-minute victories, blockbuster transfers, and off-field controversies. Here’s everything you need to know.

    1. Thrilling Wins Across Sports
    Football Highlights:

    • Premier League: Manchester City edged Liverpool 3-2 in a thrilling clash. Kevin De Bruyne’s masterful playmaking and Mohamed Salah’s brace kept fans on edge until the final whistle.
    • La Liga: Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 with a last-minute free-kick from Robert Lewandowski, reinforcing their domestic title push.

    Cricket Highlights:

    • India defeated Australia in the T20 series opener. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli starred with the bat, while Jasprit Bumrah excelled with the ball.
    • IPL saw Mumbai Indians clinch a nail-biting win over Chennai Super Kings in the final over, intensifying the title race.

    Tennis Highlights:

    • US Open weekend produced a major upset as Coco Gauff defeated a top-10 seeded player in straight sets, signaling rising young talent.

    2. Major Deals and Transfers
    Football Transfers:

    • Real Madrid secured a top Premier League midfielder to strengthen their squad for La Liga and Champions League campaigns.
    • PSG continues to explore marquee signings for the upcoming season.

    Basketball Moves:

    • NBA trade rumors suggest a blockbuster deal involving an All-Star player, potentially reshaping playoff dynamics.

    Cricket Contracts:

    • Top IPL performers are negotiating multi-million-dollar contracts for next season, impacting team compositions and strategies.

    3. Off-Field Drama
    Controversies and Fines:

    • Premier League star fined for post-match comments, sparking debates on professionalism and media relations.

    Social Media Scrutiny:

    • High-profile tennis athlete faces backlash for social media posts, highlighting the growing intersection of sports and online accountability.

    Injury Updates:

    • Key football striker out 4–6 weeks; cricket all-rounder recovering from minor injury, affecting team strategies.

    4. Weekend Key Takeaways

    • Momentum Matters: Teams gaining form now have an edge in tight competitions.
    • Transfers Shift Power: Deals and trades are reshaping team dynamics across sports.
    • Drama Isn’t Just On-Field: Fines, controversies, and media scrutiny keep fans engaged off the pitch.

    5. Looking Ahead

    • Football: Champions League and domestic league fixtures promise more thrilling encounters.
    • Cricket: Asia Cup matches will test strategies and player stamina.
    • Tennis: US Open later rounds expected to feature upsets and breakthrough performances.
    • Basketball: NBA trade deadlines and pre-season games keep fans glued to updates.

    Conclusion
    From dramatic last-minute wins to major player transfers and off-field controversies, this weekend reminded sports fans why following games is always exciting. Stay tuned for weekly updates covering highlights, deals, and drama across global sports.
    The NewsBit Bureau

  • Xfinity job cuts announced as Comcast focuses on broadband

    Xfinity job cuts announced as Comcast focuses on broadband

    Comcast is planning to cut jobs at its biggest unit that houses its Xfinity internet, mobile and pay television business, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday, as the company attempts to centralize operations and bolster its broadband business.

    Starting January, Comcast will remove a layer between the corporate and regional offices, a shake-up that will streamline the management of the unit but also reduce headcount.

    The connectivity and platforms unit, which also operates the Sky brand across Europe, currently has a three-tier management structure where the regional teams report to division heads, who then serve as the link to corporate headquarters.

    Following the changes, regional leaders will report directly to a new executive overseeing operations nationwide, according to a memo sent to employees that was seen by Reuters. The source said there would be job cuts, but Comcast is still working on identifying which roles will be centralized to headquarters.

    Over the years, Comcast has made several changes at the unit, centralizing operations including marketing, legal and finance at the corporate level.

    The company also shifted from regional to national pricing, ending varying internet rates in cities and states, and standardizing offerings for customers across the country.

    The company in mid-April offered new pricing plans along with five-year price locks for new broadband customers to stem churn in its Xfinity Internet service.

    The latest news of potential job cuts comes as the company works on turning around its broadband business, which has suffered subscriber losses to wireless competitors such as AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.

    In the memo to employees, the company said front-line teams supporting customers – such as those in customer service and retail – will not be impacted. It did not disclose how many positions would be affected.

    “This change is not a reflection of anyone’s contributions — it is about simplifying how we work so we can compete more effectively,” according to the memo. Reuters

  • SBS reports Q2 2025 revenue drop & increased losses

    SBS reports Q2 2025 revenue drop & increased losses

    Spanish Broadcasting System reported a tough second quarter for 2025, marked by declining revenue and widening losses, despite ongoing cost cuts and digital investments.

    On Monday (Sept. 22), the company confirmed financial results initially released earlier this month in a financial reporting package that Q2 net revenue fell to $34.4 million, down 14% from roughly $40 million in the same quarter last year. Operating expenses dropped 10% to $25.9 million, thanks to lower event, programming, and music licensing costs, along with reduced on-air talent pay and affiliate payments.

    However, expense cuts failed to offset the revenue decline. Station operating income (non-GAAP) dropped 23% year-over-year to $8.5 million. Net loss reached $6.2 million, or $0.48 per share — a 30% increase from the year prior.

    “We continued executing our strategic plan amid a sluggish economy,” said Chairman and CEO Raúl Alarcón in a press release. “We’re investing in growth initiatives while driving down operating costs. Our strong audience shares and multiplatform content strategy are enhancing brand visibility and positioning SBS as a next-gen media leader for U.S. Hispanics.”

    SBS also noted a deeper Q2 net loss of $4.4 million, compared to a loss of $346,000 in Q2 2024. For the first half of 2025, revenue totaled $62 million, down 16% from $73.7 million in the same period last year. Losses rose in line with falling revenues.

    The company cited ongoing softness in broadcast ad spending, across local, national, and network markets, as well as a decline in live and special event revenue as key challenges.

    SBS has been navigating a weak media and radio advertising environment while expanding its digital and streaming efforts, all while supporting its traditional broadcast business.

    Alarcón highlighted progress in the company’s digital platforms, particularly LaMusica, a Latin music and entertainment app. Unique users for LaMusica grew 18% in Q2, with rising engagement driven by SBS’s on-air talent and content creators. He also pointed to continued audience gains at KROI-FM Houston, and strong early performance from a the “Nandy & Cristy” morning show at WSUN-FM Tampa.

    Looking forward, SBS faces a major financial hurdle: more than $300 million in senior secured notes coming due in March 2026. The company disclosed it currently lacks committed financing to fully repay the debt. Inside Radio

  • Senate Republicans question FCC pressure on Disney

    Senate Republicans question FCC pressure on Disney

    Republican Senator Rand Paul said on Sunday that threats by Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr against Disney (DIS.N), opens new tab and local broadcasters for airing “Jimmy Kimmel Live” were “absolutely inappropriate.”

    Television network ABC, which is owned by Disney, suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show after Carr threatened investigations and regulatory action against licensed broadcasters who aired Kimmel. The owners of dozens of local TV stations affiliated with ABC said they would no longer carry the show.

    Paul said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Carr had “no business weighing in on this.” He said people could be fired for making inappropriate comments but the government should not pressure companies to take action.

    “The government’s got no business in it. And the FCC was wrong to weigh in. And I’ll fight any attempt by the government to get involved with speech,” Paul said.

    On Friday, Senate Commerce Committee chair Ted Cruz, a Republican, said Carr’s threat to fine broadcasters or pull their licenses over the content of their shows was dangerous.

    “I got to say that’s right out of ‘Goodfellas’,” Cruz said, evoking the Martin Scorsese gangster movie. “That’s right out of a Mafioso coming into a bar going, ‘Nice bar you have here. It would be a shame if something happened to it’.”

    On Monday, Republican Senator Todd Young praised Cruz’s comments on the issue. “As Americans we must cherish and protect free speech,” Young wrote on X.

    Late on Friday, Republican Senator Dave McCormick said on X he agreed with Cruz’s concerns. “Good riddance to Jimmy Kimmel and his disgusting rhetoric. Ted also raises important concerns about the comments of the FCC chairman,” McCormick said.

    Democratic leaders in Congress have called for Carr to resign, opens new tab and demanded an inspector general’s investigation and public hearings.

    Cruz, chair of the Senate’s commerce oversight committee, said Carr’s comments were “dangerous as hell.”

    Carr did not respond to a request for comment on Sunday.

    Trump, who appointed Carr, has cheered ABC’s decision to suspend the show and backed Carr’s comments. “He’s done nothing that’s over the line,” Trump told Fox News Channel’s “The Sunday Briefing.” Reuters