Midday News -

THE HEADLINES:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack.
Jammu & Kashmir Assembly expresses shock and anguish over the barbaric terrorist attack in Pahalgam; Terms it an attack on Kashmiriyat.
India bans 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading misinformation; Objects to BBC’s reporting on Pahalgam terror attack.
India and France to sign a deal for procurement of 26 Rafale Marine fighter aircrafts.
Markets trade strong amid positive global cues; Sensex gains over thousand points while Nifty-50 reaches 24,328.
And, In IPL T20 Cricket, Rajasthan Royals to face Gujarat Titans in Jaipur this evening.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh at his residence in New Delhi today. The meeting which lasted for around 40 minutes, came in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and actions after that. The meeting comes a day after Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan briefed the Defence Minister on the critical decisions.

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Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly today expressed shock and anguish over the barbaric terrorist attack in the Pahalgam that killed 26 people and resolved to fight resolutely in defeating the nefarious designs of disturbing communal harmony and hindering progress. Our Jammu Correspondent reports that the resolution was moved by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary during a special session of the Assembly, which began with members observing a two-minute silence to pay homage to those killed in the tragedy last week. The Deputy Chief Minister stated that the House expressed its profound shock and anguish over the barbaric and inhumane attack perpetrated on innocent civilians in Pahalgam on April 22.

Quoting the resolution, Choudhary said, “Such acts of terror are a direct assault on the ethos of Kashmiriyat, the values enshrined in our Constitution, and the spirit of unity, peace, and harmony that have long characterized Jammu and Kashmir and our nation.”

The Assembly also endorsed the diplomatic measures announced by the Centre following a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security a day after the tragedy.

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India has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels including Dawn News, Samaa TV, Ary News and Geo News for disseminating misinformation against India in the backdrop of the recent Pahalgam terror attack. The YouTube channels have been banned for spreading provocative and communally sensitive content, false and misleading narratives against India, its Army and security agencies. Action has also been taken against two social media posts on the recommendation of the Union Home Ministry.

The government has also objected to the reporting of BBC on Pahalgam terror attack and conveyed the country’s strong sentiments to India’s BBC head. A formal letter has been sent to BBC on terming terrorists as militants. External affairs Ministry will be monitoring the reporting of BBC.

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Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta today launched the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Vay Vandana scheme and distributed Vay Vandana cards to the beneficiaries at Tyagraj stadium in New Delhi. Addressing the event Mr. Puri said t this scheme is being seen as a health model not only in India but also across the world. He said the cashless facility is a big feature of this scheme which not available in any other health scheme.

Speaking at the event Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the Delhi government is honouring the senior citizens of the national capital through this scheme. She added that the Delhi government is starting registration for this scheme from today.

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Vay Vandana scheme provides free healthcare facility upto 10 lakh rupees per year to senior citizens aged 70 years and above.

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting searches at 11 premises of liquor contractors in Bhopal, Indore, and Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh. The investigation follows an FIR alleging a loss of over 49 crore rupees to government revenue due to forgery and manipulation of treasury challans between 2015 and 2018.

The investigation into alleged fraud involving challans suggests that contractors may have manipulated amounts by using small figures and leaving the “Rupees in Words” sections blank, later filling in higher amounts and submitting altered copies to warehouses or excise offices.

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The National Archives of India has acquired the private paper collections of Former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. A formal signing ceremony was arranged by the National Archives in New Delhi, today for the handover of the papers by the family of Mr Kalam. Talking to Akashvani, Director General National Archives of India Arun Singhal said the National Archives of India is in the process of assembling a collection of documents pertaining to former Presidents. He added that the organization already possesses documents related to former Presidents such as Dr. Rajendra Prasad and V. V. Giri

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Punjab Police has set May the 31st the deadline to arrest all drug traffickers in the state. All the district police chiefs have been instructed to prepare a concrete action plan to meet the deadline for making a Drug Free State under the ‘Yudh Nasheyan Virudh’ campaign launched on March 1st. We have a report:

“People of Punjab have finally started coming forward to make their state drug-free to save their own and others’ children, many of whom are getting addicted and are dying due to overdose. Since the launch of the ‘Yudh Nasheyan Virudh’ on March 1st, 4000 anonymous calls from the public have been received on the Safe Punjab Anti-Drug Helpline. It has resulted in registering 503 FIRs and arresting 659 drug peddlers. Punjab Police Chief Gaurav Yadav disclosed that out of the todal 836 decided cases, 744 have been convicted out of whom 144 have been awarded more than 10 years prison under NDPS Act. He said 755 drug spots have been identified in the state and many properties of drug peddlers made with drug money after illegally occupying the land have been demolished. At the same time, 31 Big Hawala Operators have also been arrested and Rs. 8 crore Hawala money has been seized from them. Rajesh Bali, Akashvani News, Jalandhar.”

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India is all set to sign a defence deal with France this afternoon for the procurement of 26 Rafale Marine fighter aircraft. Sources said that officials from Defence Ministry and the French Ambassador to India will represent the two sides at the signing event.

Out of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft, 22 will be single seater and four double seater and these will be designed and prepared as per the requirement of the Indian Navy. With the induction of Rafale Marine aircraft, the strength of the Navy will increase manifold and these fighter aircraft will be deployed in aircraft carriers like INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant.

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The Supreme Court today agreed to consider a plea seeking regulation of obscene content on OTT platforms and social media, observing that the issue raised serious concerns. In response, the Union Government told the Court that some more regulations are in contemplation.

A bench comprising Justice BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih observed that the Public Interest Litigation raised an issue of important concern and issued notice to the Union Government and OTT platforms Netflix, Amazon Prime, AltBalaji, Ullu Digital, Mubi, and social media platforms X Corp, Google, Meta Inc and Apple. The bench tagged the petition with other similar pending petitions.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked North Korean troops for their participation in the conflict against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region. In a statement issued by the Kremlin this morning, Putin praised the heroism, exceptional training, and commitment of the North Korean fighters, who fought alongside Russian soldiers to defend their homeland.

The statement followed North Korea’s confirmation that it had deployed troops to assist Russia in its ongoing war against Ukraine.

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Canadians will go to the polls today for a crucial election that has been overshadowed by US tariff and annexation threats. Polls will open in Newfoundland and Labrador this evening at 06:00 PM Indian time and will close in British Columbia at 08:30 AM tomorrow.

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The Benchmark domestic equity indices, Sensex and Nifty, were trading around 1.2 per cent up in afternoon trade today, boosted by positive global cues, strong March quarter earning report from index heavyweight, and significant gains in energy, oil and gas and banking sectors. The 30-share BSE Sensex surged 1,038 points to 80,243 and the NSE Nifty50 climbed 288 points to 24,328, when reports last came in.

The broader market at the Bombay Stock Exchange was also trading in positive territory. The Mid-Cap index jumped over one per cent, and the Small-Cap index advanced over 0.3 per cent, a short while ago.

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall at isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Kerala, Tripura, and Gangetic West Bengal today. Talking exclusively to Akashvani News, IMD senior scientist Dr. R. K. Jenamani said the temperature is normal or above normal over most parts of the country except Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana. He added that from the 1st of May, there are chances of thunderstorms and dust storms in the national capital.

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In IPL T20 Cricket, hosts Rajasthan Royals (RR) will face Gujarat Titans at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur this evening. The match is scheduled to begin at 7.30 pm.

The Royals head into the clash on the back of a five-match winless streak, having suffered an 11-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their last outing. Currently sitting ninth in the IPL standings, RR is now left with only a mathematical possibility of qualifying for the playoffs.

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack.
Jammu & Kashmir Assembly expresses shock and anguish over the barbaric terrorist attack in Pahalgam; Terms it an attack on Kashmiriyat.
India bans 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading misinformation; Objects to BBC’s reporting on Pahalgam terror attack.
India and France to sign a deal for procurement of 26 Rafale Marine fighter aircrafts.
Markets trade strong amid positive global cues; Sensex gains over thousand points while Nifty-50 reaches 24,328.
And, In IPL T20 Cricket, Rajasthan Royals to face Gujarat Titans in Jaipur this evening.