Thursday, 3 September 2026 #1  ·  Times City  ·  Ground report / Investigative 25 acres of protected Aravali land dug up at Fbd's Badkhal By Vinay Gupta, Ipsita Pati   ·   The Times of India, New Delhi  ·  Page Page 5 TOI reporters physically visited a 25-acre stretch of forest land in Faridabad's Badkhal and found two earthmovers conducting rock excavation on PLPA-protected Aravali land near Badkhal Lake, where Supreme Court has banned mining since 2002. The forest department had no record of any valid permit, and the scale of excavation raises questions about illegal rock extraction. The story connects the illegal digging to the already-fragile Badkhal Lake rejuvenation project, whose drying has historically been linked to mining activity in the surrounding hills. A clear example of ground journalism — reporters went to the site, observed the earthmovers and cleared vegetation firsthand, and obta

The Mumbrella Publish Awards has celebrated its 30th anniversary, recognising the people, publications and teams shaping Australia’s publishing industry.  The awards span traditional print, digital publishing, podcasts, branded content, editorial innovation, design and emerging publications, with 25 categories in the 2026 program. The 2026 awards were presented by Mumbrella as part of its annual publishing awards program on September 2, 2026, at The Eveleigh.  The Local Project was the standout winner, taking home Publication of the Year and Brand of the Year, while its founder Aidan Anderson was named Publish Leader of the Year. The publication also won Best Engagement Strategy, Event of the Year and Special Edition of the Year, giving it a strong presence across both editorial and commercial categories. Medium Rare Content Agency was another major winner, securing several awards across custom publishing and branded content.  The Full List of 2026 winners

Donald Trump's US government has extraordinarily weighed into the contentious copyright dispute between OpenAI and the New York Times, declaring its support for AI companies on the issue. In a brief filed in a New York court, the government argued it was in the national interest for the court to find that OpenAI did not violate copyright when it used articles by the New York Times and other media to train its AI models. "The United States has a strong interest in continuing to develop a robust and competitive artificial intelligence industry that sets the standard for the practice and procedure of AI use globally," the brief said. "As such, it is critical for the United States to ‘retain global leadership in artificial intelligence’. New York Times spokerperson Graham Jones was quoted by the New York Times  as saying the Trump administration is "siding with a handful of trillion dollar AI. companies". “The administratio

Clarkson sacked: North Melbourne detonates its rebuild North Melbourne’s decision to axe four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson has triggered a fierce AFL backlash, with critics calling the move cruel and questioning the club’s leadership and direction. Papers highlight both the immediate fallout and the deeper football reasons cited by the club, including concerns about game style and messaging—making it one of the biggest sports governance stories in the country. Covered by: Herald Sun, The Age, The Australian, The Advertiser. Rate-rise alarm: oil shock and labour costs reignite inflation fears A global bond sell-off driven by rising oil prices and escalating conflict is pushing yields to multi-decade highs, sharpening expectations that Australia could face further RBA tightening. Domestically, stronger growth alongside rising labour costs and weak productivity is adding to the inflation narrative—raising the stakes for households already under pressure from mortgag

  A 15-member media delegation from Uttarakhand, led by PIB Dehradun Assistant Director Sanjeev Sundriyal, is on a Hyderabad Press Tour from August 31 to September 4, 2026, to gain first-hand exposure to Central Government development initiatives in Telangana. On the first day, the delegation visited the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Hyderabad, and interacted with ADG Shruti Patil, Joint Director Dr Manas Krishnakanth and other officials. Patil briefed the journalists on PIB and CBC’s communication and outreach activities and stressed the role of media in highlighting development initiatives. The delegation also visited INCOIS and was briefed on ocean monitoring, forecasting and the Tsunami Early Warning System. Upcoming visits include NIN, an ESIC Hospital and a Telangana handloom and handicraft exhibition. The journalists will also visit Charminar, Laad Bazaar and Salar Jung Museum.  

The Bonavero Institute of Human Rights at Oxford University and UNESCO have announced the 2026 edition of their joint Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on freedom of expression, press freedom, access to information, and safety of journalists. Running from October 5 to November 9, 2026, the course will be delivered in seven languages, including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish and is free for judicial actors, journalists, academics, and professionals worldwide. Participants will receive a certificate of completion upon finishing the modules. Each module will feature academic conveners, guest speakers from human rights courts, senior legal practitioners, and international organisations, alongside background materials, quizzes, and discussion forums hosted on EdX. Pre‑registration is now open, with flyers available in all seven languages. Participants are advised to register in only one language version. Certificates will be issued within three mon

Photo courtesy: Tripura Star News, TWJA   The North District Committee of the Tripura Working Journalists’ Association (TWJA) has submitted a six‑point memorandum to the Chief Minister, demanding protection of journalists’ rights and social security. The memorandum was handed over through the District Magistrate of North Tripura on August 31. The association highlighted long‑standing issues faced by journalists, including lack of minimum wages, job security, healthcare, and social security benefits. It alleged that many journalists do not receive appointment letters and are deprived of basic facilities such as a fixed salary structure, leave, and Provident Fund. Key demands include: Mandatory appointment letters with pay scales for all government‑listed media organisations. Increase in journalists’ pension from ₹10,000 to ₹25,000. Withdrawal of the 10‑year eligibility requirement for pension after accreditation. Inclusion of journalists&rs