Front pages for April 2nd, 2026   Fuel shock: Albanese urges calm as shortages and price pain loom Multiple papers lead with the Prime Minister’s rare televised address on the Iran-war-driven oil crisis, urging Australians to conserve fuel while warning of months of economic pain and possible supply disruption. The political sting is that the message was widely criticised as light on detail, sharpening pressure on Labor to spell out a credible fuel-security plan and household support. Covered by: Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, Courier Mail, The Advertiser, The Mercury, The West Australian. A $1bn business package and a pivot to “critical industries” As the fuel crisis exposes Australia’s vulnerability, the government is signalling a more interventionist economic stance—flagging support for refining and “critical industries” alongside a $1bn package aimed at helping businesses manage the shock. The signif

A woman journalist working with a local television channel has alleged sexual harassment while on duty, prompting police to register an FIR at Parvati police station on Tuesday. The incident reportedly occurred on Monday while she was covering a protest. The journalist accused city-based activist and content creator Santosh Pandit of using abusive language, making obscene remarks about her attire, and behaving in a sexually inappropriate manner. Police have booked the accused under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, The Print reported.

DD Free Dish has added 14 channels and removed 29 from its MPEG-2 platform as the new annual carriage cycle commenced on April 1, following a week-long e-auction held last month. The reshuffle comes after Prasar Bharati announced the final results of its 8th annual (94th) e-auction for MPEG-2 slots for the period April 1, 2026 – March 31, 2027, Best Media Info reported. A total of 55 channels secured slots in this round, generating collections of Rs 642 crore, lower than the Rs 780 crore raised last year when 61 slots were sold. Newly added channels include: Aaj Ki Khabar, GTC News, Mandir, Manoranjan Prime, Network 10, News Live Bangla, Protidin Time, PTC News, PTC Punjabi, PTC Punjabi Gold, R Kannada, Rang, Vedic, and India Daily Live. Removed channels include: Tabbar Hits, 9X Jhakkas, FM News, Movieplex, Northeast Live, India News, Aastha Gujarati, ABP Ananda, ABP Asmita, ABP Majha, Argus News, Bharat Express, Big Magic, Captain, Enterr 10 Bangla, Jai Maharashtra, Kanak New

  Image of the Day Poorly drafted AI plea costs litigant Rs 20,000 in Delhi Court  Coming down heavily on a plea that appeared to have been drafted using artificial intelligence (AI), a Delhi court has imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on a litigant, observing that the poorly written complaint led to “wastage of valuable judicial time.” The petitioner, Punam Pandey, approached the Rouse Avenue Court seeking directions for registration of an FIR under Section 156(3) of the CrPC. She alleged that Syed Shahnawaz Hussain had issued death threats to her and her family. However, during the hearing, the court flagged serious concerns over the quality of the petition. Magistrate Neha Mittal noted that the complaint was riddled with grammatical errors and, more significantly, contained several meaningless and incoherent phrases that made it difficult to comprehend the allegations, writes Koushiki Saha for The Times of India.   Census 2027 goes digital: Self-enumeration begins via ap

Image edited by Dinesh Raj M   There's an old editor's joke: the difference between a journalist and a blogger is a business card. For years, that punchline held regulatory weight too. You were either a registered news publisher, bound by ethics codes, grievance mechanisms and the long arm of the Press Council, or you were just a person with a phone and an opinion. India's digital law largely agreed, but not anymore. On March 30, 2026, MeitY quietly dropped draft amendments to the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules that could render that distinction legally meaningless. The proposed changes to Rule 8(1) would extend Part III of the IT Rules -- the ethics code framework previously reserved for digital news publishers to cover user-generated content that qualifies as "news or current affairs." In plain English: if you're posting breaking news on YouTube, running a political commentary reel on Instagram, or live-tweeting

AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj has raised objections over remarks made by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta during the Times Now Summit 2026, alleging that her comments amounted to an attack on the judiciary. In a letter to Times Now Managing Director Vineet Jain, Bhardwaj said Gupta described the discharge order in the excise case as “set” or “fixed.” He argued that such remarks undermine judicial credibility. According to e4m, Bhardwaj also criticised anchor and group editor‑in‑chief Navika Kumar for not objecting to the statement or seeking evidence. He said allowing such remarks without scrutiny raises concerns about editorial standards and media impartiality.

The death of young journalist Rahat Ali Khan has raised serious concerns, with his family alleging foul play and demanding justice. Rahat’s father, Sadiqullah, accused his wife Arju Tamanna and her family of poisoning him, claiming Khan had earlier been threatened by his in-laws and that his death was part of a planned conspiracy. The family said that despite filing a police complaint naming the accused, only one person has been arrested so far, leaving them frustrated over delays in action. They added that the post-mortem report points to poisoning. The family has appealed for a fair investigation and immediate arrest of all accused. Local residents and journalist groups have also demanded action, News4nation reported.