A group of saffron-clad Hindutva activists painted the walls of the Anandabazar Patrika (ABP) office in Kolkata saffron, raising slogans such as “Bhagwa ka apman nehi sahega Hindustan”, in the presence of Kolkata Police. The action followed controversy over an FIR filed on August 28 against ABP’s editorial team at Bowbazar Police Station, naming editor Ishani Dutta Ray and Soma Mukherjee. The FIR was linked to the newspaper’s coverage of the August 21 clashes at Jadavpur University, particularly its headline “Gerua Gundami”. A video of the protest, shared on X by journalist Ankita Mahalanobish (@onkeyta_), showed men painting the office walls while chanting slogans. The Federation of Press Clubs condemned the FIR, calling it a threat to press freedom. It stressed that the report did not target any community and demanded withdrawal of the case.  

A UK-based Malayali businessman has sent Asianet News a Rs 10 crore defamation notice, alleging the channel published false reports about him. Subhash George Manuel's legal notice disputes an Asianet News report that alleged he cheated investors in financial and business dealings and made illegal transactions worth crores of rupees through cryptocurrency, according to Reporterlive. The notice demands that Asianet immediately withdraw the reports and issue a public apology, and states that further legal action will follow if these demands are not met. Speaking to Influencing India, Sindhu Sooryakumar, Executive Editor, Asianet, said, "We have received a notice and will reply to it soon." The notice reportedly also states that Asianet's reporting has affected Manuel's business interests, reputation and personal standing, and caused him financial and psychological distress, per Reporterlive's account of the filing. This is a developing story. Influencing India has reached out to M

Thursday, 3 September 2026 #1  ·  Times City  ·  Ground report / Investigative 25 acres of protected Aravali land dug up at Fbd's Badkhal By Vinay Gupta, Ipsita Pati   ·   The Times of India, New Delhi  ·  Page Page 5 TOI reporters physically visited a 25-acre stretch of forest land in Faridabad's Badkhal and found two earthmovers conducting rock excavation on PLPA-protected Aravali land near Badkhal Lake, where Supreme Court has banned mining since 2002. The forest department had no record of any valid permit, and the scale of excavation raises questions about illegal rock extraction. The story connects the illegal digging to the already-fragile Badkhal Lake rejuvenation project, whose drying has historically been linked to mining activity in the surrounding hills. A clear example of ground journalism — reporters went to the site, observed the earthmovers and cleared vegetation firsthand, and obta

Donald Trump's US government has extraordinarily weighed into the contentious copyright dispute between OpenAI and the New York Times, declaring its support for AI companies on the issue. In a brief filed in a New York court, the government argued it was in the national interest for the court to find that OpenAI did not violate copyright when it used articles by the New York Times and other media to train its AI models. "The United States has a strong interest in continuing to develop a robust and competitive artificial intelligence industry that sets the standard for the practice and procedure of AI use globally," the brief said. "As such, it is critical for the United States to ‘retain global leadership in artificial intelligence’. New York Times spokerperson Graham Jones was quoted by the New York Times  as saying the Trump administration is "siding with a handful of trillion dollar AI. companies". “The administratio

Clarkson sacked: North Melbourne detonates its rebuild North Melbourne’s decision to axe four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson has triggered a fierce AFL backlash, with critics calling the move cruel and questioning the club’s leadership and direction. Papers highlight both the immediate fallout and the deeper football reasons cited by the club, including concerns about game style and messaging—making it one of the biggest sports governance stories in the country. Covered by: Herald Sun, The Age, The Australian, The Advertiser. Rate-rise alarm: oil shock and labour costs reignite inflation fears A global bond sell-off driven by rising oil prices and escalating conflict is pushing yields to multi-decade highs, sharpening expectations that Australia could face further RBA tightening. Domestically, stronger growth alongside rising labour costs and weak productivity is adding to the inflation narrative—raising the stakes for households already under pressure from mortgag

  A 15-member media delegation from Uttarakhand, led by PIB Dehradun Assistant Director Sanjeev Sundriyal, is on a Hyderabad Press Tour from August 31 to September 4, 2026, to gain first-hand exposure to Central Government development initiatives in Telangana. On the first day, the delegation visited the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Hyderabad, and interacted with ADG Shruti Patil, Joint Director Dr Manas Krishnakanth and other officials. Patil briefed the journalists on PIB and CBC’s communication and outreach activities and stressed the role of media in highlighting development initiatives. The delegation also visited INCOIS and was briefed on ocean monitoring, forecasting and the Tsunami Early Warning System. Upcoming visits include NIN, an ESIC Hospital and a Telangana handloom and handicraft exhibition. The journalists will also visit Charminar, Laad Bazaar and Salar Jung Museum.  

The Bonavero Institute of Human Rights at Oxford University and UNESCO have announced the 2026 edition of their joint Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on freedom of expression, press freedom, access to information, and safety of journalists. Running from October 5 to November 9, 2026, the course will be delivered in seven languages, including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish and is free for judicial actors, journalists, academics, and professionals worldwide. Participants will receive a certificate of completion upon finishing the modules. Each module will feature academic conveners, guest speakers from human rights courts, senior legal practitioners, and international organisations, alongside background materials, quizzes, and discussion forums hosted on EdX. Pre‑registration is now open, with flyers available in all seven languages. Participants are advised to register in only one language version. Certificates will be issued within three mon