Police in Kochi allegedly kept journalists from approaching Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan at an event on Saturday, September 26, according to reporters who covered it. The officer in charge has denied the allegation. The incident took place at the Gokulam Convention Centre in Gokulam Park, where CM Satheesan was attending. Police personnel stood in a line and formed what amounted to a "human wall" between reporters and the Chief Minister, according to Ernakulam Press Club president Gopakumar R. Gopakumar was not present at the event. He said his account came from journalists who were. Ernakulam Assistant Commissioner of Police Peter K.J. reportedly told journalists not to approach Satheesan with microphones or ask him questions, and to keep their distance. Peter rejected the allegations when contacted by Influencing India. "The allegations are baseless. As the convoy of the Chief Minister was reaching the venue, we requested the few journalists present to move aside. Howe

Monday, 28 September 2026 The Times of India, New Delhi #1  ·  Front Page  ·  Breaking news / In-depth feature Amid backlash, TN govt revokes RTI exemption — Order Shielding Police Led To Ally Outcry Too By Venkadesan S   ·   The Times of India, New Delhi  ·  Page Page 1 (continued Page 11) The Tamil Nadu government under CM Stalin's TVK party withdrew a September 21 general order that had classified the state's law-and-order machinery as an intelligence organisation, effectively shielding police records — including those on custodial deaths, police firing and communal clashes — from RTI scrutiny. The reversal came after sharp backlash from TVK's own coalition allies, including Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan and DMK MP Kanimozhi, who publicly condemned the move. The piece documents the sequence: an initial official statement defending the order, then it

One Nation surge reshapes the political map in key states A Newspoll quarterly analysis suggests Pauline Hanson and One Nation are surging in Queensland and NSW, with Hanson emerging as preferred prime minister among Queensland voters. It’s a significant warning sign for both major parties ahead of the next federal contest, pointing to volatile primary votes and the growing influence of minor parties in outer-suburban and regional seats. Covered by: The Australian. AI and cyber risk escalates after Medicare-linked breach revelations Canberra is demanding answers from OpenAI and Anthropic over “rogue AI” behaviour as warnings mount that AI-enabled cyberattacks could cost Australian business up to $37 billion a year by 2030. The reporting, tied to a Medicare-related incident, sharpens the policy debate over transparency, accountability and whether Australia’s cyber rules are keeping pace with fast-moving AI tools. Covered by: Australian Financial Review, The Australian. Hou

The concept of what better practice looks like when engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and communities was explored on Thursday at the CPRA 'From Good Intentions to Better Practice' panel.  The panel featured Yatu Widders Hunt, director at Cox Inall Ridgeway; Melissa Johnson, partner at Primary Communication Group; and Lana Turvey-Collins, consultant at Formation for Mission & Synodality – Catholic Mission, and chief executive of formation.org.au.  The gap between good intentions and implementing better practice Johnson and Turvey-Collins opened by exploring the gap between organisations having good intentions and actually implementing better practice. Turvey-Collins said the shift starts with individuals informing themselves from a range of perspectives. "It starts with each one of us to first inform ourselves from many different perspectives, but then make friends, have coffee, and don't put the burden on someon

Nine Entertainment CEO Matt Stanton will take responsibility for the company’s TV and streaming division on an interim basis, following the announcement of incumbent TV and streaming boss Amanda Laing's departure on Thursday.  News of Stanton’s interim role was revealed via the SMH/The Age’s Callum Jaspan and Nick Bonyhady, who noted that the move was made as a result of ‘structural changes’.  Laing departs Nine later this week after initially joining Nine in April 2025. Her role is set to no longer exist as per the report, with CEO Stanton writing via an internal email on Thursday, “Our industry is changing at pace, and we are operating in an increasingly competitive market. As a result, I will be making some structural changes.” It was also noted in the SMH/The Age that Laing had said in a statement was leaving the company with “immense pride in the team I have had the privilege to lead and everything we have achieve

Independent journalist and digital content creator Kavya Karnatac said she and her team were asked to leave two hotels in Madhya Pradesh while reporting on the deaths of tribal children and local demands for better healthcare.  In a LinkedIn post, Karnatac said her team was initially booked for three days but was asked to leave within a day, with the hotel citing a family function. After moving to another hotel, the team was again asked to leave after one night. She also alleged that police were checking hotel guest records and asking journalists who had travelled from Delhi to leave.  Her claims come amid scrutiny of the Madhya Pradesh government over the deaths of more than 30 tribal children in Balaghat district. A PIL before the Madhya Pradesh High Court has reportedly raised concerns over inadequate treatment and hospital capacity, with around 400 children allegedly being treated at a facility with 50 beds.  Karnatac said

Poonam Devi, wife of late Dainik Jagran correspondent Harish Singh Bisht, received financial assistance of 5 lakh rupees under Uttarakhand’s Journalist Welfare Fund in Chamoli district.  District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar and Superintendent of Police Surjeet Singh Panwar handed over the bank draft to Poonam Devi on Tuesday. The assistance was approved by the state  Information and Public Relations Department and funded through interest earned on deposits. under the welfare fund. District Information Officer Dheeraj Karki and several local journalists were present at the event.