ICAC widens probe into alleged Liberal donations scandal NSW ICAC has confirmed an eight-week public inquiry (Operation Rosny) into alleged illegal political donations linked to fugitive developer Jean Nassif, drawing in Liberal Party figures, Strathfield councillors and Catholic Schools NSW. The story lands as a high-stakes integrity test for the NSW opposition and the broader political fundraising ecosystem, with different papers emphasising either the institutional scope or the party fallout. Covered by: Sydney Morning Herald, Daily Telegraph. Housing turns: tax changes blamed as prices and investor loans slide National property prices are falling sharply, with competing narratives emerging: the PM is framing it as a win for first-home buyers, while the RBA and economists warn investor lending is dropping fast and the market could cool harder than expected. It’s a politically charged cost-of-living story because it pits affordability against household wealth, construction activ

Newspaper distributors ensure papers reach millions of homes every morning, rain or shine. Yet, they remain invisible to the government.  In an effort to raise awareness on this blatant neglect of a vital workforce, on July 1, which also marks Kannada Press Day, newspaper distributors in the state have launched the Newspaper Distributors Charitable Trust in Bengaluru, renewing calls for long-overdue recognition and welfare measures for those who form the last mile of the print media industry. K.V. Prabhakar, media advisor to the former Chief Minister, at Majestic, inaugurated the trust. It aims to support thousands of distributors and their families across Karnataka through financial, educational and emergency assistance. Addressing the gathering, Prabhakar called newspaper distributors "the oxygen to the nerves of print media organisations." "Their service of delivering newspapers to people's doorsteps every day, irrespective of rain, cold or scorching heat, is highly commenda

Wednesday, 1 July 2026 #1  ·  Times City / National  ·  Data story 45% of homes will need electrical upgrades to charge EVs: Study By Atul Mathur, Dipak Dash   ·   The Times of India (New Delhi Edition, July 1, 2026)  ·  Page 10 A study by the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy and Kazam, drawing on data from over 80,000 residential EV charger installations across tier-I, II and III cities, finds that nearly 45% of Indian homes require electrical infrastructure upgrades before they can safely support EV charging. The research identifies legacy wiring, absent dedicated parking, fire-hazard liability gaps and high retrofitting costs as structural barriers, and is published against the backdrop of Delhi's new EV policy mandating electric-only two-wheelers from April 2028. Policymakers privately acknowledge that EV batteries typically need replacement within 7–8 years, adding further cost consideratio

A delegation of journalists, led by veteran journalist Buddha Prakash Agnihotri, met Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Awanish Kumar in Baberu on Monday and submitted a seven-point memorandum following the death of senior journalist Babulal Gupta. The delegation expressed concern that although the police have identified the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run that claimed Gupta's life, no arrests have been made, leading to resentment among the journalist fraternity. Sharing the key demands in the memorandum, Agnihotri said, "Among the key demands, we have sought financial assistance for the family of journalist Babulal Gupta, a government job for one of his family members, installation of CCTV cameras at key locations, and the removal of illegal encroachments from roads." Gupta, who was associated with Amar Ujala, died in a hit-and-run incident on June 25 while he was out on his routine morning walk and checking newspaper circulation and distribution.    

Global channel publication CRN have launched the CRN Global Channel Cup - pitting different channel vendors against one another in a knockout-style tournament.  It’s a “fun, global tournament”, CRN Australia editor Athina Mallis has told Influencing, inspired by the ongoing FIFA World Cup occurring in the USA, Canada and Mexico.  “We have matched up some of the channel’s most influential companies in head-to-head battles where CRN’s worldwide readership votes to determine the winners,” Mallis told Influencing.  The tournament began last Thursday, with three rounds set to take place across the coming weeks – in the style of the World Cup knockout bracket – and will culminate in the grand final, with the tournament set to take place on July 15.  Each round will have a week of voting.  The 32 companies competing, picked by CRN Editors, include the likes of Google Cloud, Cloudflare, NetApp, NVIDIA, Micro

Big Four firms face break-up threat as Labor flags tougher regulation The government is weighing sweeping reforms for the Big Four consulting/accounting firms — including potential break-ups, bigger fines and stronger ASIC enforcement powers — after a string of integrity scandals and fresh upheaval at KPMG. The push signals a major reset of how Canberra polices professional services that sit at the centre of government contracting and corporate compliance, with big implications for public trust and business regulation. Covered by: Australian Financial Review, The Australian, Sydney Morning Herald. Cost-of-living fight: tax cuts ‘wiped out’ as rate-rise fears bite As the July 1 tax cut lands, tabloids argue it’s already being swallowed by rising everyday prices — and could be eclipsed entirely if interest rates rise again in August. Politically, it sharpens the inflation blame game, with the Coalition targeting Labor spending while households judg

Prasar Bharati's revised content framework for its OTT platform, WAVES, reflects a broader shift from traditional public broadcasting towards a creator-focused digital ecosystem. The updated policy expands eligible content formats, introduces watch-time-based monetisation, and strengthens rights verification and compliance requirements for creators, producers, and aggregators. Industry observers say the move aligns with changing streaming economics, with greater emphasis on audience engagement, content ownership, and creator-led promotion. The framework also opens the platform to formats such as microdramas, short-form videos, educational content, music programmes, documentaries, and films.