Cole takes over in Stellar rebrand Hayley Cole has taken sole ownership of Stellar Communications and will shift to a more personal, focused model, rather than the traditional agency structure. “Communications has changed significantly over the past decade," Cole said. "Technology has created efficiencies and changed the pace of the industry, but thoughtful strategy, strong relationships and experienced judgement have become even more valuable as a result. Clients increasingly want direct access to senior people who understand their category deeply and can help guide communications with clarity and long-term perspective.” Under its new identity as Stellar PR (stellarpr.com.au), the agency will focus on hospitality, travel and leisure, and currently boasts a client roster that includes Elysium Noosa Resort, Manly Pacific Hotel, Bathers’ Pavilion, Cafe Sydney, Maestro Hospitality’s Cibaria, a’Mare and Ormeggio venues, The Boathouse Group and The Bathhouse Group “We’ve

Wednesday, 13 May 2026 #1  ·  Front Page  ·  Breaking news / Investigative NEET-UG cancelled after 'paper leak', 23L students hit, CBI to probe case By Nandini Vaish, Krishnadas Rajagopal   ·   The Times of India  ·  Page 1 The NEET-UG examination has been cancelled following a confirmed paper leak scandal affecting approximately 23 lakh students who had appeared for the test. The CBI has been handed the investigation into the leak, which has triggered a major political and institutional controversy over the integrity of India's medical entrance examination system. The story combines breaking news with a detailed string-of-controversies timeline, deploying multiple named sources and tracing the institutional failures that led to the cancellation — going well beyond a simple announcement. Its framing of the downstream consequences for 23 lakh students gives it genuine analytical weight. #2 

Questions around press freedom and online speech have surfaced in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu after recent government-linked takedown actions targeting social media content critical of political leaders and parties. The developments come shortly after newly formed governments in both states publicly assured support for press freedom and journalist safety during and after the election period. In West Bengal, award-winning journalist and Millat Times CEO and Editor-in-Chief Shams Tabrez Qasmi said content shared by him on X regarding post-election clashes in Kolkata was flagged by the Kolkata Police. In a post on May 9, Qasmi wrote: “Received an email from X with a Kolkata Police letter flagging a video I shared on recent post-election clashes in Kolkata. The letter seeks action against the news content. The same video was shared by many others, including TMC MP Sagarika Ghose.” He further criticised the move, stating: “Appalled at this attempt to silence independent journa

When COVID-19 overwhelmed India, health journalists suddenly found themselves at the centre of public life. They were no longer simply reporting on hospitals, seasonal outbreaks, or government health schemes. They were decoding scientific studies, verifying WhatsApp rumours, tracking oxygen shortages, explaining vaccines, and translating rapidly changing medical information into language millions could understand. In many ways, the pandemic permanently changed health reporting in Indian newsrooms. Before COVID, health journalism was often treated as a specialised or secondary beat with limited newsroom attention. The pandemic pushed it into mainstream coverage, forcing journalists to balance speed, science, public anxiety, and misinformation all at once. It also changed what audiences expect from health reporting today. Lifestyle journalist Saumya Rastogi says the transformation was immediate and overwhelming. “Before COVID, health reporting was often treated as a niche

Budget detonates housing tax shake-up: negative gearing, CGT and trusts in the firing line Labor’s 2026 budget proposes winding back investor tax concessions—limiting negative gearing and the capital gains discount and tightening trust arrangements—while redirecting benefits to wage earners via a new offset and housing affordability measures. It sets up a defining political fight over “broken promises” versus intergenerational fairness, with the Coalition and investor groups expected to campaign hard against it. Covered by: The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, The West Australian, Herald Sun, Daily Telegraph, Sydney Morning Herald. “$77bn tax grab” vs “fairness reset”: the budget’s battle lines harden Conservative and tabloid front pages frame the budget as a sweeping tax hike and a betrayal of earlier assurances, while others argue it’s a necessary rebalancing away from wealth and toward work. The rhetoric matters beca

Microsoft’s AI Tour recent stops in Sydney and Auckland, including a rare visit from CEO Satya Nadella, were designed to show the company’s deep commitment to Australia and New Zealand, according to Microsoft’s Head of Communications for ANZ, Dan Chamberlain. He told Influencing that the reason behind Nadella’s visit was to highlight this commitment and “also opening up a broader industry conversation about AI scepticism – and addressing it head on.” “There are fair questions being asked about value, readiness, trust, and impact. Our job was to move that conversation beyond abstract promise and into practical evidence: how organisations are shifting from pilots to AI blueprints, and turning experimentation into repeatable patterns that can lift productivity, improve services, and create new capability across the economy.” He explained that for media and creators, the company designed a program that included interviews with global and local executives, and custom

The Mumbai Press Club has opened a month-long photo exhibition titled “The Eye That Never Closes” in memory of veteran photojournalist Rajanish Kakade, who passed away in February this year. Inaugurated on May 8 by Uddhav Thackeray, chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), with Sanjay Raut also in attendance, the exhibition pays tribute to Kakade’s contributions to photojournalism and his long association with the press club as an office bearer. “Photography is an art and Rajanish was a master of it. His work will continue to inspire generations of people interested in photography,” said Samar Khadas, President, Mumbai Press Club, recalling Kakade’s immense contribution to visual journalism. He added that the exhibition is a homage to their friend and colleague, thanking the Associated Press for supporting the initiative and helping showcase Kakade’s work. As a senior photojournalist with the Associated Press since 2008, Kakade documented India’s politics, culture, and the every