The Latest Breaking News from Newslaundry

Rs 50,64,84,996. 

This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Newslaundry’s Avdhesh Kumar and Sumedha Mittal.

In a major exercise, ABP News has shut down two regional channels and told nearly 50 staff to resign allegedly without prior notice. Several employees told Newslaundry that most of those who have been shown the door were old-timers.

At a time when likes and shares influence political backgrounds as much as on-ground campaigns, the past fortnight bore witness to an unprecedented event. It was a collaboration, or perhaps a coalescence, of two realms that have stirred adoration and vitriol in equal measure – politics and influencer marketing.

“Do you want to meet and talk to Netaji?” asked Vinod Tomar, a co-accused in the sexual harassment case against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Singh.

This week, host Gurmehar Kaur is joined by Newslaundry’s Anmol Pritam and Pratyush Deep. They delve into the details of two cases of “love jihad”, a Hindutva conspiracy theory, that gained traction in the media.

Sudarshan News head Suresh Chavhanke – who is known for spewing hate and misinformation – has been booked by the Sangamner police in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district for spreading religious hatred and promoting animosity between communities. 

At 9 am each day, Ravi and his fellow workers gather outside one of the water tanks in Varanasi, armed with a hoe, rod, and a 10-foot bamboo stick, waiting for a supervisor to hand out their daily assignments.

This is the sixth episode of Mind ki Baat, a Newslaundry podcast with a neurodivergent host with a focus on the invisible epidemic of mental health issues in society today.