Israel–Labor stoush over Gaza policy heats up Israel is lobbying Australia to soften Labor’s draft platform on Israel-Palestine, arguing it is “one-sided” and risks legitimising Hamas, while pro-Palestinian advocates push Labor towards tougher steps such as sanctions and limiting defence exports. The dispute matters because it goes to Australia’s UN posture, Middle East diplomacy, and domestic political pressure points inside Labor as Canberra tries to steady a strained relationship with Jerusalem. Covered by: The Australian, Sydney Morning Herald. NT child protection failure prompts overhaul calls after girl’s death An independent review found Northern Territory child protection authorities missed escalating warning signs before the death of Kumanjayi Little Baby, recommending sweeping reforms to how risk is identified and acted upon. It’s a nationally significant test of accountability in child safety systems, particularly around domestic violence indicators and inte

In picture: Senior journalist Ramesh Handa Senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chandigarh unit on Sunday, July 19, held a peace dialogue at the Chandigarh Press Club following the alleged assault on senior journalist Ramesh Handa, City Chief Editor (Chandigarh Region) of Punjab Kesari and former president of the Press Club, by BJP Yuva Morcha Mandal leader Ashish Kumar. Present at the meeting were BJP Chandigarh President Jatinder Pal Malhotra, BJP Himachal Pradesh leader Sanjay Tandon, former Chandigarh Mayor Ravi Kant Sharma, and other party leaders. The BJP delegation apologised to Handa and assured him that such an incident would not recur. They also assured him that a new mobile phone would be provided to replace the one allegedly damaged during the incident. Speaking to Influencing, Handa said, "I'm thankful to the Press Club and the senior police officials for taking the matter seriously and coming forward in my support, following which the BJP's senior fun

The Bombay High Court has postponed the Mumbai Press Club elections to July 24 after hearing petitions challenging the rejection of several nomination papers by the Returning Officer. During the hearing, Justice Arif Doctor observed that the Returning Officer's action in rejecting the nominations was "grossly mala fide." The court accepted the contention of plaintiffs Anil Singh, Madhu Nainan and O.P. Tiwari that their nominations had been wrongly rejected. Justice Doctor initially indicated that he was inclined to grant interim relief allowing the three plaintiffs to contest the elections. However, following submissions by the petitioners' legal team that all candidates whose nominations had been rejected should be given an opportunity to contest, the court permitted an amendment to the petition and adjourned the matter. The court later recorded consent terms between the parties and directed that the elections be held on July 24. Advocate Michail Behl has been appointed as the ob

In November 2025, a man walked into a press conference hosted by Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma and quietly took a seat among accredited journalists. It did not take long for reporters to realise something was wrong. Police were called, and the individual was taken into custody for allegedly posing as a journalist while carrying microphones bearing the logos of several national news organisations. The incident is one of a growing number of cases across India involving people allegedly impersonating journalists, using fake press credentials or unregulated digital platforms to gain access, spread misinformation or extort money. Media bodies and journalists warn that the trend is damaging public trust and making it harder for genuine reporters to do their jobs. Upender Singh Rathore, National Vice President of the Indian Federation of Working Journalists (IFWJ), said the problem has escalated rapidly over the past few years. "Earlier, fake journalists could be counted on fi

Monday, 20 July 2026 #1  ·  Times City (Page 4)  ·  In-depth feature Dowry dairies: Inside the room where brides prove cost of their abuse By Devanshi Mehta   ·   The Times of India, New Delhi  ·  Page 4 A ground-level immersive report from inside Delhi Police's Special Police Unit for Women and Children (SPUWAC), documenting how women navigate the counselling and mediation process before criminal proceedings in dowry harassment cases. The piece uses NCRB Crime in India 2024 data showing Delhi recorded 109 dowry death cases in 2024 — the highest among 19 metro cities for the fifth consecutive year — and weaves in direct observations of complainants, officers, and case files to illuminate systemic barriers including absentee in-laws, private settlements, and the difficulty of proving stridhan theft. Rare access journalism that situates granular human testimony — women balancing toddlers, han

There's a certain irony in the AFR's AI transformation and workforce change reporter departing to hang out her own digital shingle. Rachael Bolton, who has spent around 20 years in journalism, 15 of them as a tech reporter, is the latest AFR journo to leave the masthead to start an independent media venture, or join one already started by a former colleague. Bolton, who recently wrapped her second tour of duty at The Fin, is keen to point out it’s still a great place to work. She says she'd call basically every colleague a friend and described the paper as "a really great place to put your nerd hat on and really get nerdy about different issues." But as a self-described risk-taker, who has worked as an illustrator and mixed-media artist as well as journalist, Bolton wants room to experiment with storytelling and data visualisation in ways that legacy media outlets don’t currently accommodate. "Every now and then, maybe I

  The Delhi High Court has called for a legal framework to regulate media, observing that virtually anyone with a mobile phone and microphone can today claim to be a reporter without journalistic training, ethical grounding, or accountability. Justice Girish Kathpalia made the observation while granting bail to Abid Ali and Fukran, accused of assaulting freelance YouTube reporters in a 2025 Seemapuri incident. The reporters were filming a segment on an allegedly illegal place of worship when a mob attacked them and seized their phones and camera battery, according to the prosecution. Both men denied involvement; one claimed he was a bystander, the other said he wasn't at the scene. Justice Kathpalia said "self-styled reporters" sometimes aggressively confront subjects and shape misleading narratives, and noted that in this case, the reporters had apparently agitated local residents while filming before the mob attacked them. The court warned that selective reporting and unverif