While the US-Israel-Iran war has undoubtedly shocked the global economy with the skyrocketing price of oil, drastic dip in tourism due to aviation risk and several other factors, the print media in India is also likely to suffer from the war due to an expected rise in the cost of newsprint, according to a report in exchangeformedia. Higher global energy costs and longer shipping routes are likely to be the biggest reasons behind the projected spike in newsprint costs.  On an average, India imports over 68 per cent of its roughly 2.2 million tonnes annual demand due to domestic shortage, amounting to approximately 1.5 million tonnes per annum. Key suppliers include Canada, Russia, and Australia and the import values were around ₹42 billion in FY2023, according to Statista. With global shipping lines completely disrupted due to the ongoing war, costs are expected to rise significantly besides bracing for delays in timely availability of newsprint. As local production of

Image of the Day  Preparations are on for the massive annual feast at St. Joseph’s shrine in Kannamaly, near Kochi – picture by Thulasi Kakkat – The Hindu   Border forces intercept drones almost every day In the past five years, about two-three drones were sighted every day and at least one drone incursion was reported each day along India’s international borders, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has informed a Parliamentary Standing Committee. The Ministry said that during the last five years, 4,323 cases of drone sightings were reported. However, 967 cases of drone incursions occurred, which were intercepted or neutralised, resulting in the seizure of 710 ammunitions, 75 arms and 641 kg of drugs. Though the State-wise data was not provided, drone sightings are a regular phenomenon along the Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir borders with Pakistan, writes Vijaita Singh for The Hindu. Child mortality drops sharply in India since 2000 Bindu Shajan Perappadan for

A delegation of senior journalists from Andhra Pradesh met Berasia constituency MLA Vishnu Khatri in Bhopal on the concluding day of their media outreach tour of Madhya Pradesh. The 10-member team, comprising representatives from leading newspapers and media houses, was led by R Ramesh Chandra, Assistant Director, Press Information Bureau, Vijayawada. During the visit, the delegation explored various Central government institutions, research organisations and prominent heritage sites across the state. At his residence, Khatri welcomed the journalists and held an interactive discussion with them. Speaking on the occasion, the MLA highlighted developmental initiatives in Madhya Pradesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the state has received focused attention in infrastructure and welfare schemes, leading to the effective implementation of several flagship programmes. The visiting journalists expressed appreciation for the hospitality extended to them an

Ray Shaw has soft-launched I’mTech as his new site for deep-dive reviews and technology content after departing CyberShack earlier this year. “It's information that you can't get anywhere else. It's long form, and it's objective. Everything is based on testing,” Shaw told Influencing.  Shaw has assembled a team of 10 people on the Central Coast, where he lives, to assist him in testing each gadget the new publication will cover. He is also looking to “build a community” with similar independent publishers on his new site.  “We now have half a dozen indie publishers who are going to share links with us, and so we'll have the ability for them to click through.” Shaw will self-fund I’mTech, and isn’t overly fussed if it makes money or not but he wants it to cover costs. The past month has seen Shaw build the new site and trawl through the internet to grab his past reviews from CyberShack, uploading

Thursday 19 March 2026 National   The Australian Gulp War: consumers full of fear Matthew Denholm, Perry Williams, Eli Greenblat and Sarah Ison reports warnings from business and farm leaders that fears over Iran-related instability and supply shortages could sharply dent consumer confidence and raise recession concerns. Chalmers, Albanese set out economic visions ahead of budget Greg Brown details that Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese are outlining competing economic approaches ahead of the budget, including tax reform warnings and proposed industry subsidies. Richest of rich … and the biggest losers The Australian's John Stensholt reveals which Australians gained and lost the most wealth, highlighting top winners and those who fell back. It’s only right you help US in Strait’ Joe Kelly and Rosie Lewis reports that Democratic Senator John Fetterman is urging Australia and other US allies to help the United States reopen the Strait of

Wondrlab has been appointed as the communications partner for Audi India. The appointment was finalised following a rigorous multi-agency pitch involving several networks. Under the mandate, Wondrlab will lead Audi India’s brand communication through a platform-first approach, moving beyond standalone campaigns to build a unified and connected brand ecosystem across consumer touchpoints. It will focus on creating integrated brand experiences that live seamlessly across digital, social, content, media and emerging platforms. Speaking on the win, Rakesh Hinduja, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Wondrlab, said, “Audi is one of the most iconic luxury brands in the world, with a clear point of view on design, innovation and progress. Winning this mandate is a strong validation of our platform-first thinking and our belief that brands today are built through connected ecosystems, not isolated campaigns. We’re excited to partner with Audi India to create work that is sharp, distin

Image credit: The Sentinel Senior journalist Utpal Chakraborty, associated with Niyomiya Barta, passed away on Tuesday, March 17, in Guwahati. He was 57. He is survived by his wife and son. Before joining Niyomiya Barta as a senior journalist, he had worked with several other dailies.