Joe Aston has reduced his stake in Rampart to  Joe Aston’s Rampart could be valued close to $30 million after it took on five new investors in a $2.3 million transaction. The deal comes just 18 months into the media start-ups journey, with the former Australian Financial Review Rear Window columnist Aston launching the masthead in early 2025. The new investors include the former CEO of Nine Entertainment David Gyngell and long-time Packer family financial adviser Ashok Jacob. Aston said Rampart “didn’t need external capital to continue on its already steep trajectory as one of Australia’s fastest growing media brands”, however the investment received would allow it to be “turbocharge investment in Rampart’s journalism”. “I look forward to sharing our plans for that investment very soon, but broadly speaking it will mean new hires; new editorial verticals, events and podcasts; and improved technology – all congruous with our vision of producing deep and percep

AFL concussion clause sparks integrity and duty-of-care storm Geelong has been forced to abandon a secret agreement that attempted to shift concussion-related legal liability onto a player, triggering condemnation from the AFLPA and alarm from medical and football figures. The episode intensifies scrutiny of how clubs manage head-injury risk and raises pressure on the AFL to disclose what it knew and tighten governance around player welfare. Covered by: Herald Sun, The Australian, The Age, The Advertiser. US “support framework” at HMAS Stirling reignites base debate The US has established a new military support framework at HMAS Stirling in WA, with about 2300 Americans involved to sustain ongoing submarine operations—despite government denials it amounts to a US base. The development is politically sensitive as Australia balances AUKUS-era deterrence planning with sovereignty concerns and public transparency about the scale of US presence. Covered by: The Austr

The Government of India has strengthened online safety regulations by introducing stricter timelines for social media platforms and other intermediaries to remove child sexual abuse material (CSAM), deepfakes and other unlawful content. Under the amended Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, platforms must remove unlawful content within three hours of receiving a court order or a government direction, down from the earlier 36-hour timeline. Content involving nudity or morphed intimate images must be removed within two hours of a complaint. The government has also directed platforms to label AI-generated content, deploy technical measures to detect and prevent harmful synthetic content, and strengthen compliance with due diligence obligations. It said intermediaries that fail to comply with the rules could lose their safe harbour protection under the Information Technology Act and face legal action.

Liqvd Asia has secured the digital communications mandate for Narayana Health. The agency announced the partnership on LinkedIn, stating that it will support the healthcare provider's communication strategy. Founded in 2000, Narayana Health has grown into one of India's largest hospital groups, operating 55 healthcare facilities across the country and maintaining an international presence in the Cayman Islands. Liqvd Asia said it looks forward to shaping the healthcare brand's communications with a focus on clarity and responsibility.

The South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) has invited submissions for its 2026 journalism awards, recognising outstanding work by South Asian journalists and journalism covering South Asian issues worldwide. This year's awards feature categories including general excellence, international, arts, culture & lifestyle, business, investigative (in honour of Daniel Pearl), student, and a new documentary-short category. Entries will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. ET on September 1, 2026. Journalists can submit their work through the SAJA website.  

Four people have been arrested by Puducherry police for allegedly assaulting Rajkumar, a reporter with a Tamil daily, while he was covering an incident involving the removal of banners put up by supporters of Independent legislator Azhagu alias Azhaganantham.  The incident took place on Sunday when Public Works Department (PWD) officials were removing banners installed on Vazhudavur Road ahead of the inauguration of the MLA’s office.  Police said the legislator’s supporters opposed the removal of the banners, following which an argument broke out. Rajkumar was allegedly attacked while recording the exchange between officials and supporters.  He suffered injuries to his head and neck and was treated as an outpatient at a government hospital. Police have also registered a separate case against unidentified persons for allegedly erecting the banners. 

Bilal Ahmad Bhat, an investigative journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Awami Reporter, has sought protection from the authorities after alleging that he was assaulted while reporting on suspected illegal earth-filling activities in Jammu and Kashmir. Bhat said the incident occurred on August 1, 2026, at Ranger Stop in Saidakadal. According to his complaint, he sustained injuries, received medical treatment and reported the matter to the police. He has also asked the authorities to preserve CCTV footage and other electronic evidence that could assist the investigation. The journalist said he has faced threats and intimidation over his reporting on environmental degradation and alleged illegal construction in ecologically sensitive areas, including Dal Lake, Pahalgam, Gurez Valley, Gulmarg and the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra corridor. Speaking to Influencing India, Bhat said he had spent more than a decade reporting on Kashmir’s fragile ecosystems. “I have been working on environmenta