Image source: First Post, ABC News, Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post; Edited by Dinesh Raj M   After two relentless years of bloodshed, Gaza woke up to something it hadn’t felt in a long time—quiet. The last Israeli hostages were freed, nearly 2,000 Palestinians walked out of prison and for the first time in years, a fragile calm replaced the sound of sirens. On Monday, Israel and Palestine signed what world leaders are calling a “historic ceasefire,” one that could redraw the map of peace in the Middle East. Hot off the Press The Times of India and The Hindu reported that as U.S. President Donald Trump landed in Israel to thunderous applause, Hamas released the final 20 surviving hostages, while Israel freed 1,968 Palestinian prisoners. The swap, overseen by the Red Cross, marked the formal start of a ceasefire that Trump described as “the historic dawn of a new Middle East.” Trump later flew to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where he joined over 20 world leaders�

A string of hoax bomb threats targeting journalists and media organisations in Tamil Nadu this week triggered panic across newsrooms and kept police forces on high alert. The coordinated messages, later confirmed to be false, have raised concerns about escalating attempts to intimidate members of the press. Between October 8 and 9, multiple threatening emails were received by police and intelligence agencies, naming several journalists and YouTubers — including Nakheeran Gopal, Savukku Shankar, Felix Gerald, Vishan, journalist Mani and Gabriel Devadoss. The messages claimed bombs had been planted at their residences and offices, The Newslaundry reported. Teams from the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), supported by local police and sniffer dogs, conducted searches across several locations in Chennai but found no explosives. “I got calls from four different police stations — Kodambakkam, Vadapalani, Saidapet, and Perumbakkam — asking about my whereabouts,” said

No prizes for guessing the main story today - except if you live in another land, but let's come back to that later. Yes, as The Sydney Morning Herald simply but effectively puts it in the headline on the front page story by Europe correspondent David Crowe - HOSTAGES FREED.  What is also striking from a media observer's point of view is that while Mr Crowe is an exceptional journalist, his bosses clearly don't feel the need to have anyone reporting from the Middle East - or maybe it's a cost issue.   But it is indeed a time of celebration for those who have been let go from the clutches of terrorist organisation Hamas in the Middle East, and almost all the dailies quite rightly give it a massive amount of space, complete with touching pictures of family reunions.  The SMH's Melbourne cousin The Age goes with the same story by David Crowe ('TASTE OF FREEDOM') and the same main picture. The snap is also used big - a bit too big for my liking because the quality of

Tensions and criticisms that arose following the absence of female journalists from a press conference of the Afghanistan Foreign Minister, Malwawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, held in New Delhi on Friday, October 10, 2025, subsided following the second “inclusive” press conference held on Sunday, October 12, 2025. Though his team clarified that the exclusion was “unintentional”, it sparked a raging controversy among the media fraternity and press freedom organisations. According to The Hindu, the Darul Uloom Deoband, an Islamic seminary in UP, on Saturday, October 11, 2025, clarified that there were no such directives to restrict the entry of women journalists covering the Afghan minister’s visit. "There were no restrictions from the Afghan Foreign Minister's office about who would attend," Deoband PRO Ashraf Usmani, also the media in-charge of Muttaqi’s Saturday programme, stated, dismissing as "baseless" claims that women journalists were kept away. Muttaqi’s team invited

The Association of Indian Magazines (AIM) has elected a new leadership team following its Annual General Meeting held in New Delhi, setting the stage for a renewed chapter in India’s magazine publishing space. Manoj Sharma, CEO (Publishing & Experiential) at Living Media India (India Today Group), has been elected as the new President. Joining him are Dhaval Gupta, Director at CyberMedia, as Vice-President; Anurag Batra, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of BW Businessworld, as General Secretary and Riyad Mathew, Chief Associate Editor and Director at Malayala Manorama, as Treasurer, Indian Broadcasting World reported Outgoing President Anant Nath, Executive Publisher of Delhi Press, thanked AIM members for their support and reflected on the progress made during his term. He said AIM has worked collectively to strengthen the magazine ecosystem and reinforce the position of magazines as credible, multi-platform media.

Fellowships have become an essential part of modern journalism, offering reporters the time, mentorship and resources to explore stories that go beyond daily news cycles. They provide a platform for experimentation and depth—helping journalists pursue investigations, amplify unheard voices and connect with global networks that shape their craft. Independent journalist Sharada Balasubramanian, who focuses on environmental reporting, says fellowships go far beyond recognition. “Fellowships are not just about recognition—they provide support, guidance, and opportunities to pursue stories that would otherwise be difficult to do.” For Sharada, these programs helped her take on in-depth investigative stories, especially in environmental journalism, which requires both time and resources. She recommends platforms such as IJNet.org, which shares regular updates on fellowships and grants, and the Environmental Journalism Network (EJN), known for supporting environmental reporters th

The Uttarakhand government is facing severe criticism for its stark contradiction between assurances and actions concerning journalists. On one hand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reiterated his government’s commitment to ensuring the safety, security and welfare of journalists in the state during his address at the Diwali Festival 2025 organised by the Uttaranchal Press Club in Dehradun on October 12, ANI News reported. On the other hand, independent journalist Ajit Rathi was served a legal notice by the State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand (SIDCUL) on the same day over his reports alleging that land allocated for an IT park was being leased to private parties. The move has drawn sharp criticism from journalist associations in the state and the Press Club of India. “Such actions by the Uttarakhand government stem from authoritarian tendencies aimed at stifling democratic discourse and preventing journalists from discharging their du