Around 400 journalists working across rural Karnataka are set to receive free bus passes following approval from the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Karnataka. The approval was granted by Commissioner M.N. Anucheth. Following the decision, journalists who had submitted their applications along with the necessary documents will now receive the free bus passes. Thanking the commissioner, Shivanand Tagadur, president of the Karnataka Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ), which has been pressing for the demand, said, “The free bus pass scheme will be a significant help to journalists who travel daily to distant villages for news gathering in rural areas.” He further urged the department to promptly review the applications of the remaining eligible rural journalists and take steps to ensure that everyone receives the free bus pass facility.  

Two journalists working for a news portal were arrested in Assam’s Chirang district on August 10 for allegedly publishing false and misleading content involving state Cabinet minister Pijush Hazarika, police sources said. The arrested journalists were identified as Anjad Ali Ahmed and Habijul Rahman alias Habib Khan. They were picked up from Kajalgaon after police launched an investigation into a report published by the portal Bodoland Times on Sunday. Hazarika had accused the portal of publishing misleading content about him in a Facebook post and said legal action would be taken, India Today reported.  

The South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) has opened submissions for its 2026 Journalism Awards, honouring outstanding journalism by South Asian journalists and coverage of South Asia and its diaspora. Categories include General Excellence, International, Arts, Culture & Lifestyle, Business, Investigative in honour of Daniel Pearl, Student Journalist and the new Documentary-Short Award.  The new category recognises short documentaries of 40 minutes or less that focus on South Asia. It is open to independent filmmakers from the US and abroad, with eligible films required to have been screened at a film festival, released on a streaming platform, theatrically released or independently distributed online.  Eligible entries must have been published or appeared in a US or Canadian news outlet between January 1 and December 31, 2025. Freelancers and newsroom journalists can apply, while branded content and work published by

For more than a decade, journalist Bilal Ahmed Bhat has reported on an area of Jammu and Kashmir that he believes receives far less attention than politics and conflict: the environment. Editor-in-Chief of Awami Reporter, an independent weekly print and digital newspaper, Bhat has covered illegal earth-filling, construction, corruption and ecological degradation across lakes, forests and other fragile landscapes and has received an award from the Indian Journalists’ Association for Investigative Reporting.   Speaking on Influencing Insider on a recent assignment that turned violent, Bhat alleged that he was assaulted, confined and robbed recently while reporting on suspected illegal earth-filling in an eco-sensitive Dal Lake area in Srinagar.  “I went to the site after receiving information from local sources and began recording the activity. Earth and soil remained in the lake despite claims that authorities had acted, while illegal shops and houses were also being const

Wednesday, 12 August 2026 #1  ·  Times Nation  ·  Investigative Phuket flight incident pushes DGCA to seek ways to make dope rules more stringent By Saurabh Sinha   ·   The Times of India, New Delhi – August 12, 2026  ·  Page 20 An Air India Phuket-Delhi flight suffered a momentary loss of altitude after the pilot-in-command allegedly acted under the influence of psychoactive substances, injuring 20 passengers and four cabin crew; the civil aviation ministry has summoned outgoing CEO Campbell Wilson and DGCA is exploring stricter dope-testing rules. Multiple sources told TOI the pilot was seen sitting on the cockpit floor, attempted to smoke, and was unable to walk properly after landing, while the co-pilot's report attributes the incident to rare technical snags. The broader report contextualises the regulatory gap created by the legal availability of marijuana in destinations like Thailand and Amsterd

TIMES NOW Navbharat has launched ‘Garjana’, a new weekday debate show hosted by anchor Rubika Liyaquat, as part of its early prime-time lineup. The show premiered on August 10 at 6 PM and features debates and analysis on politics, governance, social issues, current affairs and major national developments. With Liyaquat at the helm, the programme aims to bring sharp questioning, analysis and diverse perspectives to key issues. The launch adds a new opinion-driven programme to the channel’s weekday evening schedule.   Image credits: TIMES NOW 

RBA holds firm as house prices tipped to fall further The Reserve Bank kept the cash rate at 4.35% but warned inflation risks could still force another hike, while flagging further house price falls that may hit consumer spending and the housing construction pipeline. It’s a sobering signal for borrowers and governments banking on housing supply, with the economic outlook increasingly fragile. Covered by: Australian Financial Review, Daily Telegraph, Courier Mail, The West Australian, The Advertiser, Herald Sun, The Australian, The Age. Migration becomes the new political and economic fault line Fresh RBA warnings that growth is leaning heavily on immigration—while productivity weakens—have collided with a Coalition push to cut net overseas migration below 180,000 and tie intake to housing supply. The debate is sharpening into a national contest over living costs, housing availability and the labour market, with both sides framing migration as central to economic