Adelaide-based Solstice Media has purchased a majority shareholding in Australian Traveller Media, the publisher of Australian Traveller and International Traveller magazines and digital assets. The deal, for an undisclosed sum, gives Solstice Media an immediate 80% stake in the company, with the remaining 20% to be purchased over time. Solstice Media said Australian Traveller Media will continue to operate as a separate business. Australian Traveller Media co-founder Quentin Long - who was on Influencing Insider just last month -  has confirmed all executives and staff will remain with the company in their current positions. He said there are no exit plans for himself or fellow co-founder Nigel Herbert, and also committed to keeping its magazine titles in print, with plans for further expansion. Quentin Long. Check out our Insider interview here. Paul Hamra, Solstice Media’s managing director, said the company had been looking to broaden and grow the types of media produc

The kids aren't alright #4721 The nation awoke this morning to a familiar if eccentric sound, the sound of navel gazing about NAPLAN, as newspapers across the land bugled about the good stuff, of which there was a fair bit, whinnied about the bad stuff, of which there was a terrific amount, and eventually resolved, as it always does, a cacophony of anxiety and disappointment into the perennial chant “Back to basics”. The Australian had the succinct but timeless overview, with Education Editor Natasha Bita’s report (“Naplan stars rise, strugglers marooned”), who reported “a gaping class divide is exposed in this year's English and math testing, with an increasing gap between star students and struggling classmates. On average across Australia one in 10 students needs additional support, while one in six performs at the highest level based on the 2025 National Assessment Program, Literacy and Numeracy. (NAPLAN).”     This year (and every year) the key callout

Publieze has announced a strategic partnership with M Sanvi Real Estate, a veteran property advisory firm known for its market foresight and customer-centric approach.   The tie-up brings together Publieze’s expertise in strategic communication and media relations with M Sanvi’s deep-rooted understanding of the real estate market to deliver tailored PR solutions for developers, agents, and property brands.  The collaboration aims to offer an integrated approach to brand building, strategic storytelling, and reputation management, empowering real estate businesses to strengthen their market presence, earn consumer trust, and accelerate growth in a highly competitive sector.  “This collaboration is a perfect match,” said Akshit Bhardwaj, Founder of Publieze. “M Sanvi Real Estate’s reputation in the sector aligns perfectly with our mission to craft impactful stories and intelligent strategies. Together, we’re set to transform how real estate companies connect

CNBC-TV18, in partnership with HSBC India, hosted the grand finale of Season 2 of the HSBC Presents CNBC-TV18 SME Champion Awards on July 25, 2025, at the Taj Mahal, New Delhi. The evening marked the culmination of a six-month journey to recognise small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are not just navigating economic challenges but actively shaping India’s growth story. The ceremony brought together entrepreneurs, policymakers, industry veterans, and thought leaders to celebrate the vital role of SMEs in powering India’s economy. Opening the event, Shereen Bhan, managing editor of CNBC-TV18, emphasised the network’s commitment to spotlighting the “true engines of India’s economic momentum.” She hailed SMEs as drivers of employment, innovation, and resilience, noting how they’ve weathered challenges,from pandemic disruptions to global supply chain shifts,while continuing to grow and lead. The keynote address was delivered by Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister for C

Image source: India Today, NDTV, Adda247 and ties.in; Edited by Dinesh Raj M   The Indian Army’s “Operation Mahadev” brought down Suleiman Shah — the alleged lead shooter of the April 22 Pahalgam massacre — in a high-altitude encounter in the Dachigam forests near Srinagar.  Hot Off the Press According to Bharti Jain of The Times of India, Shah was a former Pakistani Special Forces commando turned Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist, and had been tracked for months since the killing of 26 civilians, 25 of whom were tourists. His accomplices — also Pakistani nationals — were eliminated in the same joint operation conducted by the Army, CRPF and Jammu & Kashmir Police. Peerzada Ashiq reporting for The Hindu noted that a U.S.-made carbine, an AK-47 and 17 rifle grenades were recovered at the site. Army officials described the men as “hardcore terrorists” and indicated that the operation was far from routine, given the intelligence and terrain complexity of the Lidwa

Investigative journalists are often on the frontlines of exposing uncomfortable truths — corruption, exploitation, systemic failure — but increasingly, they do so without institutional backing. As legal risks rise, funding dries up, and safety nets vanish, the weight of truth-telling has begun to rest heavily on individual reporters, many operating alone and unprotected. Nitin Sethi, founding editor of The Reporter’s Collective, speaks candidly about the sustained challenges faced by investigative journalists in India. “I have been asked not to work on some stories as some of the news organisations I previously worked for were worried about the legal consequences,” he says. Over his 25-year career, Sethi says he has received numerous legal notices and threats, though many have remained at the level of intimidation. The more significant concern, he notes, is the steady erosion of institutional support. According to him, this climate is pushing capable journalists away

There will be no let up in nextmedia’s events calendar in the second half of the year, according to the company’s B2B Publishing Director, Velvet-Belle Templeman.  Templeman told Influencing, “We had the hugest first half of the year known to mankind. We had up to 24 events across our three brands, and eight reports we released. “We've been super busy and have much more planned for the next half.” The company is gearing up to host three major events -the first is techpartner.news’ Pipeline event, slated for next month. The iTnews/techpartner.news Benchmark Security Awards and Fast50 will both take place in November. The latter of these has been adjusted, according to Templeman, to shine a light “on the growth of bigger channel players as well”.   “Previously, Fast50 has focused on the fastest-growing companies in terms of revenue. You see companies with some incredible revenue growth. But we also noticed that it mostly puts those smaller tech players in the