Australian Skeptics has donated $5,000 to the Science Journalists Association of Australia (SJAA), funding two extra grants in the association's 2026 program, president Jackson Ryan told Influencing. “The grants are worth $2,500 each…We want those to help develop stories about evidence-based decision making, about being sceptical and championing scepticism,” he said.  The donation lifts the 2026 pool to $13,000 across six grants. The four existing $2,000 awards include a student/early-career grant, a travel grant and a professional development grant. “The two reporting grants are really structured around a project. What you need to do is send us a pitch, essentially, and say why you should have this money and budget for that money.  “The professional development grant is around this idea of allowing you to get some money to skill up in some way, whether that's with a course with The Economist, or maybe you need to go to a conference, for instance. Similarly, travel ca

Greens deal locks in Labor’s tax overhaul — with NDIS strings attached Labor has struck a parliamentary deal with the Greens to pass contentious negative gearing and capital gains tax changes, but the price includes concessions on the government’s NDIS overhaul—winding back ministerial powers and extending scrutiny via a longer Senate inquiry. The package sharpens the political fight over housing, superannuation settings and welfare sustainability, with Coalition and crossbench positioning now central to what happens next in the Senate and future budgets. Covered by: Daily Telegraph, The West Australian, The Australian, Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Australian Financial Review, Australian Financial Review, Australian Financial Review, The Australian. NSW Budget bets on transport relief — while holding the line on spending The Minns government’s pre-election budget is pitched as cost-of-living help with a $100 rego rebate, Opal fare caps and othe

  The Telangana High Court has refused to quash an abetment to suicide case against a journalist and an advocate, ruling that the complaint prima facie disclosed a cognizable offence under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The case stems from allegations that defamatory statements about a woman were made during a Vedhan Media TV interview and later circulated on social media, causing her severe mental distress. The woman subsequently died by suicide, leaving behind a note and selfie video allegedly naming those responsible. Citing the ongoing investigation and established legal principles on police powers to probe cognizable offences, the court dismissed the petitions seeking to quash the case, Verdictum reported.

Veteran journalist N.R.S. Babu, fondly remembered as “Gurunathan” (mentor) by generations of journalists, passed away at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. He was 85. A towering figure in Malayalam journalism, Babu served as Deputy Editor of Kerala Kaumudi and later as Editor of Kalakaumudi Weekly. He also headed the Institute of Journalism at the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club as Director, and was the Founder Chairman of Invis Multimedia, one of Kerala’s pioneering multimedia software companies. Senior journalist Reji K.P., President of the Kerala Union of Working Journalists, paid tribute, describing Babu as a mentor who helped shape the course of Malayalam media and guided hundreds of aspiring reporters and editors. “His contributions to journalism remain invaluable,” Reji said. Babu was also part of the landmark Kattakallanmar investigative series in the mid‑1970s, produced by the Kerala Kaumudi editorial team. The series exposed large‑scale fore

The Press Information Bureau (PIB), Hyderabad organised a special VARTALAP Media Workshop in Mahabubnagar as part of the nationwide campaign “12 Saal Vishwas Ke, Vikas Ke, Jan Kalyan Ke”. Around 140 journalists participated in the programme. The workshop was inaugurated by P. Srinivas, District Public Relations Officer (DPRO), Mahabubnagar, in the presence of Varganti Gayathri, Media & Communication Officer, PIB Hyderabad. Srinivas emphasised the importance of responsible journalism, fact‑checking, and spreading awareness about government welfare schemes. Sessions included: Muddam Narasimha Swamy: On the Central Government’s achievements over the past 12 years B.N. Satya Priya: On fact‑checking and combating misinformation Participants engaged in discussions on journalism, public communication and digital media, with speakers highlighting the role of ethical reporting and digital literacy in the evolving media landscape.

Teamwork Communications Group has won the public relations mandate for RG Hospitals, India's largest chain of urology and minimal access surgery hospitals with a 40-year legacy. The agency will manage strategic communications and media engagement for RG Hospitals across Delhi NCR, Ludhiana, Chennai, Kolkata, and Dehradun. Nikky Gupta, CEO and Co-Founder, Teamwork Communications Group, said the partnership will focus on increasing visibility for RG Hospitals' clinical innovations, patient outcomes, and leadership in advanced surgical care. Avinash Ojha, Managing Director, RG Hospitals, said the collaboration will help communicate the hospital's technological milestones, centres of excellence, and expansion plans while strengthening trust among patients seeking specialised surgical care.