Morning, welcome to Tuesday and as PM Albanese might well say, and indeed has in other scenarios, the main news story across our dailies doesn't pass the pub test.  With just one day to go until the U16 social media ban comes into force, the Minister in charge of that world-first legislation - Anika Wells - is firmly in the crosshairs for what some might call lavish expenditure for herself and sometimes family members, and all of it on the public purse.  It appears the Sports and Communications Minister has done nothing wrong claiming these expenses, some of them usefully listed on a mocked-up 'Taxpayer invoice' this morning at The Australian Financial Review, but of course it's the optics during a prolonged cost of living crises. At best it's tone deaf, at worst it looks arrogant, and nobody likes that.  The AFR's front page illustrates the situation perfectly - the lead story ('Treasurer flags tough budget calls'

IndiGo’s nationwide flight disruptions which left lakhs of flyers standard, had also left photojournalists as well looking for last-minute travel options on Friday, December 5, just a day before the India–South Africa ODI in Visakhapatnam. With multiple flights into the city cancelled for the third consecutive day, photographers on assignment found themselves facing steep fares, no-seat situations, and complete uncertainty, The Hindu reported. At Visakhapatnam International Airport alone, 15 flights—including one to Abu Dhabi—were cancelled on Friday. While the total number of cancelled flights at the city airport since December 3 touched 24, it was the movement of journalists that took the biggest hit ahead of the high-profile match. Among those affected was Associated Press photojournalist A. Mahesh Kumar, who was scheduled to fly from Hyderabad on the morning of December 5. His IndiGo flight was cancelled without any prior intimation to either him or his travel agent. Wh

The Maharashtra government has given the go-ahead to provide a plot of land on Senapati Bapat Road for a new Press Club building in Pune. The land, measuring a little over 8,000 sq ft, will be handed over to the Pune Journalists' Trust. Press Trust of India reported that the approval came during a cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The move was taken up after Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule pushed the proposal forward, the minister’s office said. The plot located in the Bhamburda area will be given for commercial use. Officials said the cost will be calculated as per the government’s ready reckoner rates and the allotment will be done as per existing land revenue rules.

  Hindustan Times hosted the 23rd edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit (HTLS) 2025 from December 4 to 6, with the Aditya Birla Group as its presenting partner. Themed Transforming Tomorrow, the summit brought together influential voices who highlighted how ambition must be paired with accountability in shaping India’s future. Day one opened with conversations led by prominent names from technology, markets, and governance. Srinivas Narayanan, OpenAI’s CTO for B2B Applications, spoke about India’s evolving tech landscape, stressing that innovation must advance alongside strong safety and regulatory frameworks. He highlighted that the future of AI relies not just on rapid development but on responsible deployment. Morgan Stanley’s Ridham Desai, Managing Director and Chief Equity Strategist for India, presented an optimistic yet balanced outlook for 2026, detailing factors that could drive market growth and long-term value. Chhattisgarh Chief

Tragedy struck Goa’s popular after-hours party scene just before midnight on Saturday, killing 25 people – five of them tourists – and injuring six inside a nightclub in Arpora that turned into a fireball within seconds of electric firecrackers hitting the wooden ceiling of the first floor as a belly-dancer performed. The blaze occurred around 11.45pm, with a portion of the ceiling catching fire. As flames coursed through the roof overhead, the guests and performers bolted. While most of them were able to step out of the club, those trapped inside reached the basement after the exit caught fire and succumbed to the flames.   Hot off the Press The victims in the blaze at Birch by Romeo Lane, 16km from Panaji, included four of a family from UP’s Ghaziabad. Of the injured, five are being treated at Goa Medical College and Hospital, reported Murari Shetye for The Times of India. Police said 150 guests were at the club for the weekend event. Initial inve

Journalist Nilanjana Bhowmick has received major relief from the Delhi High Court, which ruled that a journalist cannot be held responsible for defamation if the information they publish is factually correct, no matter what tone or writing style they use. According to Hindustan Times, The court said that the way a journalist writes—whether the tone is sharp, strong, or critical, is simply part of their writing skill. “If the facts reported are true, then it cannot be called defamation,” the court said. The judgement was delivered on November 17 while hearing Bhowmick’s petition to cancel a defamation case filed against her in 2014 by activist Ravi Nair. The case related to an article she wrote for Time Magazine in 2010, in which Nair claimed she had wrongly implied that he and his organisation were involved in money laundering.

If all goes as planned, the Odisha government may soon give pensions to journalists, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi informed the state assembly on Thursday, December 4. He said that a proposal for providing pensions to journalists is under consideration. Majhi was responding to a question raised by BJP MLA Sidhant Mohapatra. He further said that journalists working in print, electronic, digital, and web media approved by the Information and Public Relations Department are already being provided health insurance coverage under the Gopabandhu Journalists’ Health Insurance Scheme. The scheme offers working journalists health insurance coverage that allows their families to access cashless treatment of up to Rs.5 lakh at empanelled hospitals, Odisha Bytes reported.