The Maharashtra Legislative Council’s Special Privileges Committee has recommended a five-day jail term for four journalists for allegedly damaging the image of MLC Amol Mitkari by running false news stories about him. One editor was spared after he apologised.

LEAD: India’s air crisis deepened as Delhi hit “severe plus” AQI levels above 460, while cities across the Indo-Gangetic belt stayed unsafe. SPOTLIGHT: Messi’s India tour split sharply — chaos and arrests in Kolkata after fan fury, then pure football theatre in Mumbai, where Wankhede delivered magic with flawless planning. TECH: Sahyog quietly emerged as India’s censorship nerve centre, averaging six takedown orders a day. SPORTS: India struck gold at home, sweeping Hong Kong 3–0 to clinch its first Squash World Cup title amid roaring Chennai support. ENTERTAINMENT: Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar bulldozed records, crossing 500 crore worldwide.

The Government of India said that it has provided financial assistance to 402 journalists and media personnel, or their families, under the Journalists Welfare Scheme (JWS) between 2014 and 2025.

Approach Entertainment & Communications has been appointed as the official PR, digital and integrated communications partner for Ramashree Harmony Music.

A group of leading Australian science communicators has urged Communications Minister Anika Wells to fund a high-quality, safe digital space for children under 16 as the national social-media ban takes effect.

ABC Radio listeners in Perth will get significantly improved audio quality when ABC Radio Perth, ABC NewsRadio and Radio National make the switch from AM transmission to FM in early 2026.

The Bondi massacre is the big story today with wall-to-wall coverage across most of the print papers, plus evolving stories across their digital outlets this morning. There is other news too of course, and we've got it in today's roundup. Stories and pictures by Elizabeth Pike, Stephen Rice and Liam Mendes, Jacquelin Magnay and Noh Yim, Claire Harvey, Ellie Dudley, Stephanie Coombes, Edwina Pickles, Emily Kane and Matt O'Sullivan, Christian Gilles, Josh Hanrahan, Adela Beaini, Zac McClean, Mark Morri, and James Morrow, Charlotte Grieve and Matthew Dunkley, Michael Bachelard, Ronald Mizen.

India Today has launched the 3C Project, a platform designed to shift polarised conversations toward constructive, empathy-led dialogue.

The Tamil Nadu government has expanded its support for journalists through various welfare measures.

Senior journalist Pankaj Kapahi has launched his own digital news platform, Punjab First Voice.

The Third Annual Kalyan Barooah Awards 2025 were presented in New Delhi on Thursday, December 11. The awards honour the memory of late journalist Kalyan Barooah and recognise outstanding work in journalism and literature from the Northeast. The event was organised by the Delhi-based NGO My Home India and the North East Media Forum on Barooah’s birth anniversary.

In a world racing toward automation, where AI now shapes everything from classrooms to government workflows, a small school in Kashmir's Budgam is choosing a gentler path. Life School in Chrar-e-Sharief hosted a media workshop this week to honour senior journalist and editor Mudasir Ali, who passed away in 2020, reportedly due to alleged medical negligence. The workshop also marked the first anniversary of the Mudasir Ali Podcast Studio, an in-house audio–visual lab built to carry forward his rigorous and human-centred approach to journalism.

Lead: Modi and Trump held a “warm, engaging” call a week after Putin’s visit, aligning on trade talks and tech, defence and energy cooperation. Spotlight: SC has moved to the next step in India’s passive-euthanasia framework, ordering an AIIMS secondary board for 31-year-old Harish Rana after doctors confirmed no hope of recovery. Tech: Banks reversing course on digital onboarding, restoring physical checks after mule-account fraud surged. Sports: India’s 4–0 win over Brazil as SA shock fightback against HK sets up a lively quarterfinal. Entertainment: Rajinikanth revives Padayappa in theatres on his 75th birthday.

nextmedia announces the sale of two of Australia’s most iconic children’s magazine brands, K-Zone and Total Girl, to Nuclear Media, a fast-growing specialist publisher focused on youth and entertainment content.