Nine Entertainment CEO Matt Stanton (pictured above) has claimed Australia’s democracy is at stake because the government tilted its News Bargaining Incentive scheme toward smaller publishers. Changes introduced to the News Incentive program reduced the maximum liability that a tech platform could receive from any one deal to 16.67 per cent of the total. It was originally set to 25 per cent, which meant the tech platforms only needed to do four deals with major media companies to meet their obligations. Now they must do at least six deals. The government also made it more attractive to fund smaller publishers by increasing the multiplier on small deals from 170 per cent to 200 per cent. Stanton argues in a statement that this will “distort the market” and the “equation doesn’t stack up”. “The proposed bill now directly penalises those Australian media outlets that have invested more than any others in quality, investigative journalis

Housing downturn sharpens political risk for Labor Warnings of a significant slide in Sydney and Melbourne home values have reignited debate over Labor’s housing and tax settings, with analysts flagging voter unease as household wealth falls even while affordability remains a long-term problem. The coverage highlights a tricky political bind for the Albanese government: falling prices can hurt existing owners, but not necessarily deliver relief for first-home buyers. Covered by: Australian Financial Review, The Australian, Daily Telegraph. Labor’s “widow tax” backdown: Senate pressure forces fix Labor has moved to protect widows and divorcees from losing grandfathered negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions when property shifts into single ownership after a death or relationship breakdown, after a backlash over unintended consequences in budget legislation. The episode underscores the Senate’s leverage—particularly crossbench pressure—and the political sensi

  Telangana Minorities Welfare Minister Mohammed Azharuddin has assured support for resolving journalists' issues and strengthening Urdu journalism while addressing the Telangana Urdu Working Journalists' Federation (TUWJF) 10th year celebrations and annual awards ceremony in Hyderabad. Addressing journalists and media professionals, Azharuddin said the state government remains committed to addressing concerns of journalists and promoting the Urdu language. He said the government would hold discussions with the Chief Minister and the concerned departments to introduce measures for the promotion of Urdu, including the installation of Urdu signboards at government offices where they are absent. Describing journalism as a noble profession, the minister said constructive criticism by the media plays an important role in improving governance and public services. The ceremony recognised the contributions of journalists working in Urdu media. Award recipients were presented

The Karnataka Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) honoured veteran journalist and Jana Madhyama founding editor Jayaram Hegde with an honorary title. KUWJ State President Shivananda Tagadur presented the honour, praising Hegde's lifelong commitment to value-based journalism. He also enquired about the senior journalist's health and acknowledged his contribution to Kannada journalism. Speaking on the occasion, Hegde reflected on his early years in journalism and urged the younger generation to uphold the profession's values, describing journalism as a social responsibility. KUWJ State Vice President H.B. Madana Gowda, State Secretary Ningappa Chavadi, Uttara Kannada District Working Journalists' Association President Narasimha Adi, and Hegde's daughter, Sindhu, were present at the event.  

The Chennai City Cyber Crime Wing has registered a case against journalist Nakkheeran Gopal over alleged defamatory remarks made during a YouTube interview about the Karur stampede and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. The case was registered following a complaint filed by Nandakumar. According to reports, he recently appeared on a YouTube channel where he discussed the Karur stampede that claimed the lives of 41 people who had attended a campaign event of TVK President C. Joseph Vijay last year and had allegedly blamed CM Vijay for the tragedy. Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR against Gopal under provisions relating to statements conducive to public mischief. He has also been accused of making remarks that allegedly disturbed public peace and spread misinformation about the tragedy.    

Veteran journalist, writer and former director of the Kerala Public Relations Department, Thottam Rajashekharan passed away in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. He was 96. His most noticeable tenure in government service came during the Emergency when he served as the Chief of Censorship in the Department of Public Relations. He has authored more than twenty literary works, including novels, drama, service story, and a translation. In 1982, he won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award for miscellaneous works for ‘Cinema, Mithyayum Sathyavum.’ He has also won the T K Madhava Smriti Puraskaram for the work ‘Narayanaguru Nayakan,’ a biography published in 2011. In 2011, he published his autobiography, ‘Udyoga Parvam Utharakandam, The News Indian Express reported.

D2C menswear brand The Pant Project has appointed Confiance Communications as its strategic PR partner. Under the mandate, Confiance Communications will lead the brand's corporate communications strategy, focusing on strengthening The Pant Project's long-term corporate narrative as it scales. The agency will work to position the company as a consumer business driven by technology, manufacturing and innovation while enhancing founder visibility, investor confidence and market perception. Bushra Ismail, Founder and Chief Strategist of Confiance Communications, said the agency will focus on highlighting the brand's product innovation, manufacturing expertise and technology-driven approach as it enters its next phase of growth. Udit Toshniwal, Founder and Creative Director of The Pant Project, said the partnership will help the company communicate its growth story more consistently across business and consumer ecosystems.