Image source: The Guardian, Mint and MDPI; Edited by Dinesh Raj M   The air quality in the nation's capital has continued to deteriorate for the fourth day running, with the city’s average AQI inching closer to ‘severe’ levels on Sunday. Yet, no serious measures appear to have been taken to public breathe easy as reports published today claim close to 7,000 FIRs were registered against farmers burning paddy stubble in Punjab between 2022 and 2024, but there has hardly been any action with most cases. Which brings us the question on whether the government is serious about clearing Delhi's choking air. Hot off the Press Ravinder Vasudeva for Hindustan Times reported that in 2024, Punjab registered 5,783 FIRs for farm fires, compared to 1,144 in 2023 and 44 in 2022. This year, 972 FIRs have been registered through November 4. The police cases are part of a crackdown on a practice that is known to bathe much of north India in toxic smog through late October and most of Novem

  Powered by WaveX, the initiative aims to provide a platform for emerging startups in the AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality) and entertainment sectors to connect with global industry leaders, investors, and production studios. WAVES Bazar will be located in the vicinity of Film Bazaar, the prime networking hub of IFFI, scheduled from 20th to 24th November 2025. Each booth will be available at a nominal cost of Rs. 30,000 per stall (on sharing basis). Participating startups will receive 2 delegate passes, lunch and high tea, evening networking opportunity and direct visibility among Global Film, Media & Tech Professionals Interested startups can register at wavex.wavesbazaar.com. Queries may be directed to wavex-mib[at]gov[dot]in. Limited stalls are available, and allocation will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Journalists are expected to ask tough questions, but sometimes curiosity turns intrusive. That boundary was tested during a press meet in Chennai on November 7, when actor Gouri Kishan confronted a reporter who asked her about her weight while promoting her film Others, Hindustan Times reported. A video shared by journalist Dhanya Rajendran, which has since received over 49,000 views, shows Gouri challenging the question after it was first directed to her co-star Aditya Madhavan. The reporter claimed it related to a scene in which Aditya lifts her. Gouri responded in Tamil, “How does my weight concern you in any way? How does it matter or relate to the film? My weight is my choice, and it has nothing to do with my talent. I can only speak through my films, and I am working hard. I have chosen characters that are career-oriented.” The exchange reignited debate over sexist and irrelevant questions often posed to women in media interactions. This isn’t an isolated incident. In

Manish Kumar Jha, Executive Editor of TV9 Bharatvarsh, has been honoured with the prestigious ‘Honest View 2025’ International Media Award in Moscow. The award ceremony was organised by Rossotrudnichestvo under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. Jha’s ground report from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was adjudged the Best News Story in the Journalism and Documentary category, chosen from among 821 global entries spanning 75 countries. He was also presented with a Medal for Friendship and International Cooperation with Russia at the event, which featured a special address by President Vladimir Putin. With over two decades of experience across 25 countries, Jha has built a strong reputation for his incisive reporting on international relations, defence and conflict resolution, often bringing a distinct Indian perspective to global geopolitics. His coverage has taken him through conflict zones such as Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Hamas and China-Taiwan. Congratulating h

Nine will cut 50 jobs in a new round of redundancies after working to bring together teams from several brands, including Stan, Channel 9 and 9Now. While the cuts will impact 50 jobs, the number of people leaving could be lower as there are open roles that some of those individuals could be redeployed into. Nine currently employs about 2900 people across its streaming and broadcast divisions. A Nine spokesperson said in a statement: “We have today commenced consultation with some team members, whose roles within Nine’s Streaming and Broadcast division are impacted by our new operating model. “The new operating model formally brings together teams across Stan, Channel 9 and 9Now. It is designed to reduce duplication, drive greater collaboration and deliver commercial growth for Nine, while working to offset the challenging external advertising market.” Last year, Nine cut 85 roles across its publishing division, and in its latest financial results, the company confirmed p

Four men posing as journalists allegedly extorted Rs 1 lakh from a widow in Chandrapur’s Ramnagar area by threatening to publish defamatory reports against her, The Times of India reported. As per the police, the accused claimed to represent various media outlets, including web portals, dailies and television channels and visited the woman, accusing her of involvement in illegal activities. When she refused to comply with their demands, they allegedly threatened to damage her reputation through false reports and coerced her into paying the money. Acting on her complaint, the Ramnagar Police registered a case and arrested the four men identified as Raju Namdevrao Shambharkar (57), Kunal Yashwant Gargelewar (37), Avinash Manohar Madavi (33), and Rajesh Narayan Nikam (56). Police said that two more suspects involved in the case are still absconding and further investigation is underway.

Jagran Prakashan Ltd, the publisher of the Hindi daily Dainik Jagran, has reported a 36.7 per cent rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 56.93 crore for the September quarter. The company had posted a profit of Rs 41.64 crore during the same period last year, according to its regulatory filing. Revenue from operations grew 4.67 per cent to Rs 467.36 crore in the September quarter, up from Rs 446.50 crore in the corresponding period last year, Press Trust of India reported