Image source: Indian Express, Al Jazeera; Edited by Dinesh Raj M   In one of the most significant blows to the Maoist insurgency in over a decade, top CPI (Maoist) leader and General Secretary Basavaraju was killed alongside 26 others in a 72-hour-long security operation in Chhattisgarh’s dense Abujhmad forest region. Hot off the Press As first reported by The Times of India’s Bharti Jain & Rashmi Drolia, the gun battle began on May 20 and was carried out by elite units including the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force and CRPF's CoBRA commandos. According to senior officials, the encounter is one of the biggest anti-Naxal operations in recent years. The slain included senior Maoist leaders who headed the North Bastar Division, reportedly responsible for several deadly ambushes. However, the spotlight remains firmly on Mallojula Venugopal, aka Basavaraju, the reclusive and strategic mind behind the CPI (Maoist)’s central leadership. Indian Express jour

Journalist Matthew Sainsbury’s, “Less Than Human” essay for the Griffith Review Literary Journal was a topic he’s been interested in for a decade.  Digitally Downloaded’s Sainsbury told Influencing, “It began when I went to Japan and saw art exhibitions that looked at digital peoples’ social and cultural impact and how they are much more present than they were historically.  “I then had this opportunity to pitch this article idea to the Griffith Review, and it’s more timely considering we’re living in the world of AI. From there, it caught the eye of the editors, and they gave it a run. “I think it’s very relevant to how the world is shaping up. It's necessarily something that people have thought or talked about in a profound sense. So I think that conversation is coming, and it's good to be one of the people out there talking about it at this stage.” Sainsbury said the essay delves deep into the concept of how “digital people are becoming more inter

Microsoft ANZ’s Director of Communications, Elizabeth Greene, has announced she’s departing the company at the end of the month, to “take on an exciting new role with one of Australia’s most iconic brands.”  Greene is being tight-lipped about her new role, but says she will reveal all when she begins the new gig Monday week.  She told Influencing, “I’m grateful for the eight incredible years I’ve had leading comms for Microsoft in Australia and New Zealand and for the experiences it has afforded me. The best part about any job is the people you get to work with, and I’ve got to work with some of the best there is.  “I’d like to extend a huge thank you to the Australian IT journalism community for all their support during my time at Microsoft and in previous roles in and around the tech industry. I won’t be going far and look forward to continuing to work with many of you when I start my new gig next month.” Greene said on LinkedIn yesterday, “After

  And in more ABC news this morning, the public broadcaster will soon start broadcasting the ABC NEWS Channel and ABC Entertains in High Definition (HD), providing a better viewing experience for audiences.    From 11 June these channels will no longer be available in Standard Definition. The ABC will continue to broadcast the main ABC TV channel in both SD and HD. The ABC Kids/Family channel will also remain on SD.   All TVs sold since 2014, and many sold since 2008, should be HD (MPEG-4) compatible and set up to receive the full range of HD programming and TV multi-channels that are available in your area. Any  TV that can tune to all the local free-to-air services available in each region supports HD.      For TVs made before 2008, viewing the ABC NEWS Channel and ABC Entertains in HD will require an upgrade.  The most cost-effective way is to install a digital set top box, which can be obtained from most electronics stores, is ea

Freya Campbell.   Freya Campbell has been announced as the ABC's new Director of Communications and will start the role on July 7 after leaving UNSW where she is Executive Director Strategic Communications, managing external and internal communications, including media and the Vice-Chancellor’s communications. Previously Campbell was Assistant General Manager of Marketing and Communications at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), managing a team responsible for communications across 80 locations in 48 markets.  Campbell said: "I'm excited to join the ABC at a time when trust in media has never been more important. Like so many Australians, I grew up with the ABC's iconic 7PM News theme signalling the nightly ritual of trusted national and global news beamed into the family lounge room.  “My media consumption across platforms has evolved over the years but the ABC has remained my preferred source of entertainment and information.” ABC Managing

Kelly Williams. The ABC has announced the appointment of Kelly Williams to the role of Director First Nations Strategy. Kelly, a Bundjalung woman from Northern NSW, is the first Indigenous woman to join the ABC Leadership Team. She has worked at the ABC for more than 36 years and is passionate about creating pathways to senior management and editorial roles for Indigenous and diverse employees.  Previously, Head of Indigenous, Diversity & Inclusion, Kelly has co-ordinated the ABC’s last three Reconciliation Action Plans and the 2023-2026 Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Plan and lead the strategic partnerships between the ABC and First Nations Media Australia and First Languages Australia.  She was appointed Acting Director last October and her responsibilities include developing the plan to implement actions in response to Dr Terri Janke’s Listen Loudly, Act Strongly report. Williams said: “There are many people who have contributed to the development of this

News Corp Australia's Pippa Leary.   News Corp Australia is the nation’s leading news and information publisher, according to Ipsos iris April 2025 rankings released today. The media group had 17.79 million people visiting the company’s sites, with an engaged reach of 132 browser page views per person. The key figures are: Audience of 14.6 million, 510 million browser page views (PVs), an engaged reach of 34 browser page views per person Average time spent of 45:05 minutes per person In video, the company has an audience of 1.9 million, with 50 million video views for the month.  Managing Director and Publisher Free News and Lifestyle Pippa Leary said: “High levels of engaged reach drives outcomes for our clients, and we continue to have three times more engaged reach than Nine and 15 times more engaged reach than the ABC. “It’s pleasing to see our editorial strategies have successfully increased direct traffic to our sites by prioritising high-quality, engagi