The Supreme Court ruled that the Maharashtra government cannot delegate its power to refer disputed wage claims of journalists and newspaper employees to Labour Courts under Section 17(2) of the Working Journalists Act, 1955, according to the Court Book.    The ruling followed challenges to the state’s 2016 notification authorising labour department officers to make such references in cases involving Dainik Bhaskar and All India Reporter.  A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu held that while Section 17(1) allows delegation for undisputed dues, Section 17(2) requires the government itself to determine whether a genuine dispute exists.   Using Article 142, the Court directed Maharashtra to review all references made by delegated officers and record fresh satisfaction within six months. Valid cases will continue, while employees can pursue other remedies where references are not sustained.

Sikkim Express editor Amit Patro encouraged young students to develop a habit of reading, ask questions and remain curious during a mentorship session at Middle Syari Government Primary School in Sikkim. Patro interacted with the students as a distinguished guest mentor under the school’s School Development and Mentorship Initiative, which seeks to give students exposure to people and experiences beyond their immediate surroundings. Given the age of the students, Patro said he kept the session brief and conversational, allowing them to ask questions rather than turning it into a formal lecture. “I just told them that they should inculcate the habit of reading. It was more of an interactive session where they asked questions. I tried to encourage the idea of kids asking a lot of questions because it is very important during the learning phase,” he said. Patro also drew on some of the fundamental principles of journalism to speak about values that extend beyond th

Journalist, editor, and Founder and Publisher of Interiors Addict, Jen Bishop (Francis), has passed away following a battle with pancreatic cancer.  Bishop’s husband, Damian Francis, first announced the news in a touching tribute posted to Bishop’s LinkedIn account earlier this week.   Within the tribute, Francis thanked her for everything before going on to write, “I am so very proud and honoured to have called you my wife and my best friend. So very grateful for the love, guidance and support you have given me, and so very privileged to have raised two amazing children with you”.  Francis noted that later this year the two would’ve been together for 18 years, and October would have seen them married for 13.  In April 2011, Bishop founded Interiors Addict, where she continued to write about interior design, home and renovation topics, working with brands such as IKEA, Rawson Homes, Amazon, Big W and Dulux. Bishop (Francis)’

Labor’s migration crackdown: deportation focus in delayed overhaul Labor is weighing a tougher migration enforcement package that would boost compliance activity and target visa overstayers for detention and deportation, with the announcement reportedly being closely managed from the top amid concerns about political and economic blowback. The story matters because it signals a sharper “law-and-order” turn in migration policy and foreshadows a major debate about workforce needs, social cohesion and border integrity. Covered by: Sydney Morning Herald, The Age. Weight-loss drugs under scrutiny after suspected links to 60+ deaths New reporting suggests more than 60 Australian deaths may have suspected links to popular weight-loss injections, alongside thousands of severe adverse reaction reports, prompting renewed warnings about off-label use and medical oversight. Beyond the immediate health risk, the revelations collide with a fast-moving policy fight over whether GLP‑1 dr

The media has a critical role in reducing misunderstandings and helping conflicting sides understand each other, senior journalist Yumnam Rupachandra said at a programme organised by the Indigenous People’s Organisation Manipur (IPOM). The discussion was held as part of IPOM’s third Foundation Day programme at Toubungkhok Makha Leikai under the theme The Role of Media in Conflict Resolution. Speakers focused on responsible reporting, verification and the dangers of misinformation in a conflict-affected society. Rupachandra, secretary of the Editors’ Guild Manipur, said the responsibility of journalists becomes even greater during periods of conflict. “The goal is the same... to mitigate misunderstanding, to minimise the impact of conflict, to help end the conflict by being the medium through which conflicting parties reveal their intentions and their ideologies,” he said. He acknowledged that journalists working within conflict zones can themselves b

  Dentsu Creative Isobar has won the integrated creative mandate for premium menswear brand Blackberrys (Mohan Clothing Co. Pvt. Ltd.) following a multi-agency pitch. The account will be serviced by the agency’s Gurgaon office. The mandate will cover brand strategy, ideation, creative development, store branding, end-to-end social media management, annual communication planning, marquee campaigns, UGC strategy, brand activations and production. The partnership will focus on Blackberrys’ ‘Own the Room’ ambition, bringing strategy, creative and social under one team. Integrated campaigns across mainline and social media will begin with the brand’s next marquee campaign. Purvaa Kapadia, VP – Brand Experience, Blackberrys, said the brand wanted a partner that could turn its product and craftsmanship into “modern, culturally relevant storytelling” across platforms. She said Dentsu Creative understood the ‘Own the Room’ amb