As we remember legendary cartoonist R. K. Laxman on his 104th birth anniversary, the creator of The Common Man, his sharp lines and subtle humour continue to resonate with readers across generations. For more than five decades, Laxman’s daily cartoon in The Times of India captured the everyday struggles, absurdities and ironies of Indian life. His bespectacled “Common Man” stood silently amidst political chaos, corruption and confusion — a witness to a world that millions recognised as their own. To mark his birth anniversary, Influencing India spoke to a few noted cartoonists about Laxman’s legacy and the evolving landscape of cartooning today, capturing their memories and reflections on the man who gave ‘Common Man’ to India “R. K. Laxman means a lot, not just to me but for future generation cartoonists as well. He was an inspiration to several people who took up cartooning as a profession. He is not amongst us today, yet his work inspires. The kind of style

Baramulla Police have arrested journalist Riyaz Ahmad Mugloo for his alleged involvement in multiple cases of extortion, blackmail, and criminal intimidation, according to a report by Kashmir News Service. Mugloo is accused of misusing his position as a journalist to threaten and extort money from individuals and public officials through social media for financial gain. The arrest followed a complaint filed by employees of the Municipal Council Baramulla, who alleged that Mugloo had taken money from them and was demanding additional payments under the threat of publishing defamatory content. Acting on the complaint, police registered FIR No. 186/2025 under Sections 308(2), 351, and 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)atPolice Station Baramulla and launched an investigation. During the probe, investigators reportedly recovered video evidence showing the accused accepting bribe money. Police also seized digital devices and other incriminating materials, which are being examin

In a shocking incident, a 54-year-old journalist was brutally hacked to death by unidentified assailants near a hotel in Prayagraj on Thursday evening. According to a report by NDTV, Deputy Commissioner of Police (City) Manish Shandilya said the victim, identified as Laxmi Narayan Singh, also known as Pappu, succumbed to his injuries after being attacked with a sharp-edged weapon. Singh was immediately rushed to Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital in a critical condition, but doctors declared him brought dead. He was the nephew of former High Court Bar Association president Ashok Singh. Police teams are currently examining CCTV footage from the area to trace the culprits, and a manhunt has been launched to arrest those involved, officials said.

The third edition of the Kalyan Barooah Memorial Awards for Journalism will be held on December 11, coinciding with the birth anniversary of the late journalist Kalyan Barooah. The awards, jointly organised by the North East Media Forum and My Home India, honour the contributions of journalists reporting on and from the northeastern region. Barooah, a veteran journalist associated with The Assam Tribune, reported from New Delhi for nearly three decades and was widely respected for his insightful coverage of the Northeast. According to The Meghalaya Express, journalists from the Northeast working anywhere in India, as well as those from other parts of the country covering the region—both regular and freelance—are eligible to apply. Nominations can be made by the applicants themselves or by others on their behalf. Awards will be presented in five categories: print media, digital media, electronic media, still photography, and videography. There is no age limit for applicants. E

Image source: Perplexity AI, ChatGPT and Copilot; Edited by Dinesh Raj M   Reliance Industries and state-run refiners are preparing to suspend Russian crude imports after the US Wednesday sanctioned Rosneft and Lukoil, the largest exporters of those barrels. Importers can receive contracted shipments till Nov 21. Unlike previous sanctions, when Russian oil could be traded within the $60 per barrel price cap, this time the curbs are directed at the companies, making their barrel tainted after the cut-off date. Hot off the press: Reliance, the single-largest Indian consumer of Russian oil, will be the biggest loser as it buys most of those barrels directly from Rosneft under a term contract. Russian crude makes up about half of the feed at its 35-milliontonne complex at Jamnagar, wrote Sanjay Dutta for The Times of India. The curbs on Rosneft will make life harder for Nayara Energy, which is half owned by the Russian giant and struggling to stay afloat since Sept when the EU im

Shradha Sharma, founder of YourStory, shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) on October 21 describing an incident at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Delhi, where she was asked by a restaurant manager to “sit properly” while dining in a padmasana (cross-legged) position. In her post, Sharma wrote: “I was told by the manager at Taj that I should not sit in padmasana while eating. I wonder why a simple, comfortable sitting style should be objectionable to any guest.” She also posted a short video from the restaurant, showing her seated in padmasana at the table. The video and post have since gone viral, with over 1,700 reposts and thousands of comments. The incident occurred during a breakfast meeting at the hotel’s restaurant. Sharma stated that she was not disturbing anyone and questioned the need for such a reprimand in a hospitality setting. Online reactions have been mixed. Some users supported Sharma’s right to sit comfortably, citing cultural norms and personal freedom. Oth

Stephanie Panecasio is on the lookout for new opportunities following her departure from CreativeHubs Group last month.  Panecasio took a redundancy from the company and told Influencing she’d most miss the people she worked with at CreativeHubs.  “One of those is one of my best friends, Leah J. Williams, who is possibly the best and fastest writer, certainly, in games in Australia. Being able to work with her every single day was quite a privilege,” Panecasio told Influencing.  Since Games Hub - her previous employer - was integrated into CHG earlier this year, Panecasio had been Content Operations Manager.  Reflecting on video games journalism in Australia, she said that it was a real shame there’d been so many closures in recent years.  “So many people are still trying to do fun, investigative work that is boosting the industry. But the opportunities, though, are few and far between now.  “It's almost a farewell, in a way, for me, because I’ll still be in