The Seven Network has secured the exclusive Australian rights to the Rugby League World Cup 2026 (RLWC2026), which will be live and free on Seven and 7plus Sport from October 15 next year.  Kicking off with a much-anticipated clash between Australia and New Zealand at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium, Seven’s month-long coverage will showcase the international rugby league with 18 mens, 15 womens and 20 wheelchair matches. Hosted by Australia, RLWC2026 will feature 26 teams from around the world, including England, Tonga and Samoa, with four matches to also be played in Papua New Guinea and two matches in New Zealand. Seven West Media Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Howard, said: “Seven is proud to be the unrivalled home of Australian sport. The Rugby League World Cup is a significant world-class event and hosting it on home soil makes it even more special. It’s exactly the kind of premium sporting content Seven is known for and committed to deliverin

    Welcome to Thursday and let's start the day with students who took their HSC exams yesterday in 40 degree heat, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald. The paper goes with one of their trademark coverful and joyful pictures on the front page today, and very nice it is too - credit to snapper Sam Mooy, and a great way to start the day.  Also at the SMH, ('Coalition in a spin over Rudd'), Matthew Knott and Michael Koziol, provide more column inches on the Liberals tearing themselves apart, with leader Sussan Ley walking back comments she made yesterday around the call for Kevin Rudd to be hauled back to Australia. Is it just me, or don't they have more pressing issues - like keeping the party together? Ley subtly changed tack after recently demoted former frontbencher Jane Hume said the call was "a little but churlish" and that Rudd should be acknowledged for "his good work".  At sister paper The Age, it's all about housing and jobs this morning, with an e

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) draft Seventh Amendment to interconnection regulations has prompted a divide between broadcasters and TV distributors. The draft, open for comments since September 22 with an extended deadline of October 14, introduces structural changes that could reshape compliance from April 1, 2026. According to Bestmediainfo, the amendment mandates annual audits of all addressable systems for the preceding financial year, with reports shared with contracted broadcasters by September 30. Disputes can escalate to special audits cleared by TRAI, with costs borne by the broadcaster and the distributor selecting one auditor from three proposed names. Broadcasters can disconnect signals within three weeks if systems are non-compliant. Controversially, the draft allows broadcasters to send one representative to audits, while distributors with ≤30,000 subscribers can opt out of the annual review. It also reinforces BECIL’s role in the auditor fr

In a significant leadership move, Mastercard has appointed Accenture veteran Jill Kramer as its next chief marketing and communications officer, succeeding Raja Rajamannar, who has led the company’s marketing efforts since 2013, according to E4m. Kramer will officially assume the role on December 1, while Rajamannar will transition to a new position as a senior fellow at Mastercard. At Accenture, Kramer served as chief marketing & communications officer, leading a global team of around 2,000 professionals. Her work focused on strengthening the Accenture brand and driving business growth. In 2023, Forbes recognized her as one of the “50 Most Influential CMOs.”

Image source: India Today and TOI; Edited by Dinesh Raj M   Widespread bursting of firecrackers beyond the time window permitted by Supreme Court on Diwali night drove Delhi’s air quality deeper into the ‘very poor’ category on Tuesday. The situation was similar in other major metros too. In Chennai, air quality in parts of Chennai turned ‘very poor’ on Monday, according to data released by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) though widespread showers due to northeast monsoon helped disperse pollutants on Deepavali day. Hyderabad also recorded a sharp increase in air and noise pollution during Diwali celebrations, with PM2.5 levels up by 86 per cent and PM10 by 68 per cent. While gaseous pollutants remained within permissible limits, noise levels spiked across industrial, commercial, and residential zones. Hot off the Press Abhishek Jha and Jasjeev Gandhiok for Hindustan Times reported that Delhi’s first Diwali with legal firecrackers in years delivered

The Guwahati Press Club (GPC) conducted its triennial election on Tuesday, October 21, to elect a new executive committee. The polling process went off smoothly. The election will decide the office bearers of the Guwahati Press Club for the 2025–27 term. According to The Assam Tribune, twenty candidates contested for ten key posts in one of Assam’s most prominent journalist bodies. The club’s Election Committee stated that 1,114 members were eligible to vote this year. Polling officially concluded in the evening, with 934 journalists casting their votes, marking a strong turnout of 83.84% from the journalistic community. Counting of votes will take place on Wednesday, October 22, and the results are expected to be announced later in the evening. Returning Officer Gautam Sharma released the final list of candidates, highlighting a competitive field. The presidential contest features Khagen Kalita of Crosscurrentand Bhuban Chetia of Prag News. Four candidates are in the fray

  The Walkley Foundation has announced the finalists for the 70th annual Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism. The Awards recognise and reward the best in the craft and set the industry standard for excellence.   Shona Martyn, CEO of the Walkley Foundation, said: “For 70 years, the Walkley Awards have recognised excellence in Australian journalism. Starting with just five categories in 1956 – the same year that television arrived in Australia – the awards have expanded to cater for new technologies and styles of journalistic endeavour. What hasn’t changed is the commitment to quality public interest journalism as exemplified by the finalists announced today. “In another extraordinary year for news both locally and internationally, these finalists have been judged by expert journalists in each field in an exhaustive first round judging process. The winners will be selected by the Walkley Judging Board, chaired by Sally Neighbour.  “My congratulations to the