Chalmers under fire as another rate rise looms Treasurer Jim Chalmers is blaming Middle East tensions and fuel-driven inflation for the expected RBA hike, but economists and opponents are pushing back, arguing domestic settings and spending still matter. With households already stretched, the dispute goes to Labor’s credibility on cost-of-living and whether fiscal policy is helping or hindering the inflation fight. Covered by: Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, The Advertiser, The West Australian. Record tax take debate reignites: who’s paying, and how much? Multiple papers report Labor is on track for a near-record (or record) tax-to-GDP take, with stronger receipts—particularly from superannuation-related revenue—improving the budget bottom line. The political sting is that higher revenues, alongside high rates, sharpen questions about bracket creep, super tax settings and whether the government is leaning too heavily on Australians to fund spen

The Andhratharhi police in Bihar’s Madhubani district arrested Om Prakash Rai within 48 hours in connection with the alleged knife attack on journalist Bindeshwar Chaudhary. Chaudhary was allegedly attacked by two men at a local market near Sanjivani Health Care. The attackers allegedly abused him before stabbing him and fleeing with Rs 670. Chaudhary sustained head injuries in the attack and received four stitches. Police registered an attempted murder case against Om Prakash Rai and Dharam Kumar Rai. While Om Prakash Rai has been sent to judicial custody, Dharam Kumar Rai remains absconding. Police teams are conducting raids to trace him. The attack has drawn condemnation from local journalist groups and community organisations, which have called for swift action and better protection for media personnel.  

Godrej Industries Group and Avian We. won the Gold Fulcrum Masters awards in the corporate and consultancy categories, respectively, at the 2026 Fulcrum Awards, held at Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty on September 26. Burson Genesis and First Partners shared Silver in the consultancy category, while veteran communications professional Alpana Killawala received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Godrej Industries Group was among the major winners, taking Gold across several categories. Its #CelebratingAcceptance campaign won Creativity and Innovation, while From Paper to Policy topped both Public Affairs and Consumer Products and Retail. It also won Gold for Godrej Agrovet’s Ashitaka, Godrej Pride Hog and Shubh Aarambh. Avian We. added four campaign Golds to its consultancy Masters win, including AI For Her for NITI Aayog in Digital and Banega Swasth India for Reckitt Dettol in Integrated Communications. Burson Genesis took both Special Campaign Golds, winning Brand Reputation for N

Police in Kochi allegedly kept journalists from approaching Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan at an event on Saturday, September 26, according to reporters who covered it. The officer in charge has denied the allegation. The incident took place at the Gokulam Convention Centre in Gokulam Park, where CM Satheesan was attending. Police personnel stood in a line and formed what amounted to a "human wall" between reporters and the Chief Minister, according to Ernakulam Press Club president Gopakumar R. Gopakumar was not present at the event. He said his account came from journalists who were. Ernakulam Assistant Commissioner of Police Peter K.J. reportedly told journalists not to approach Satheesan with microphones or ask him questions, and to keep their distance. Peter rejected the allegations when contacted by Influencing India. "The allegations are baseless. As the convoy of the Chief Minister was reaching the venue, we requested the few journalists present to move aside. How

Monday, 28 September 2026 The Times of India, New Delhi #1  ·  Front Page  ·  Breaking news / In-depth feature Amid backlash, TN govt revokes RTI exemption — Order Shielding Police Led To Ally Outcry Too By Venkadesan S   ·   The Times of India, New Delhi  ·  Page Page 1 (continued Page 11) The Tamil Nadu government under CM Stalin's TVK party withdrew a September 21 general order that had classified the state's law-and-order machinery as an intelligence organisation, effectively shielding police records — including those on custodial deaths, police firing and communal clashes — from RTI scrutiny. The reversal came after sharp backlash from TVK's own coalition allies, including Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan and DMK MP Kanimozhi, who publicly condemned the move. The piece documents the sequence: an initial official statement defending the order, then it

One Nation surge reshapes the political map in key states A Newspoll quarterly analysis suggests Pauline Hanson and One Nation are surging in Queensland and NSW, with Hanson emerging as preferred prime minister among Queensland voters. It’s a significant warning sign for both major parties ahead of the next federal contest, pointing to volatile primary votes and the growing influence of minor parties in outer-suburban and regional seats. Covered by: The Australian. AI and cyber risk escalates after Medicare-linked breach revelations Canberra is demanding answers from OpenAI and Anthropic over “rogue AI” behaviour as warnings mount that AI-enabled cyberattacks could cost Australian business up to $37 billion a year by 2030. The reporting, tied to a Medicare-related incident, sharpens the policy debate over transparency, accountability and whether Australia’s cyber rules are keeping pace with fast-moving AI tools. Covered by: Australian Financial Review, The Australian. Hou

The concept of what better practice looks like when engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and communities was explored on Thursday at the CPRA 'From Good Intentions to Better Practice' panel.  The panel featured Yatu Widders Hunt, director at Cox Inall Ridgeway; Melissa Johnson, partner at Primary Communication Group; and Lana Turvey-Collins, consultant at Formation for Mission & Synodality – Catholic Mission, and chief executive of formation.org.au.  The gap between good intentions and implementing better practice Johnson and Turvey-Collins opened by exploring the gap between organisations having good intentions and actually implementing better practice. Turvey-Collins said the shift starts with individuals informing themselves from a range of perspectives. "It starts with each one of us to first inform ourselves from many different perspectives, but then make friends, have coffee, and don't put the burden on someon