Midday News -

THE HEADLINES::

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, this is the perfect moment for India to lead global creativity; Inaugurates first World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit in Mumbai today.
Prime Minister Modi asserts, WAVES is not an acronym, but a wave of culture, creativity, and universal connect.
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar speaks to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over Pahalgam terrorist attack; Vows to bring perpetrators of terror attack to justice.
Pakistan violates ceasefire along LOC for seventh consecutive day; India counters proportionately.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan says, Caste census reflects NDA government’s commitment to social justice.
And, In IPL T20 Cricket, Rajasthan Royals to take on Mumbai Indians in Jaipur this evening.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, this is the perfect moment for India to lead global creativity. Inaugurating the first World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai today. Prime Minister Modi said the WAVES is not an acronym, but it is a wave of culture, creativity, and universal connect. He said, this is a global platform which will promote new ideas of artists and creators. The Prime Minister said, WAVES is attracting global attention as artists, innovators, investors and policy makers from over 100 countries have gathered under one roof. Lauding the WAVES Bazar initiative, he said it would encourage innovators and creators.

Prime Minister Modi said, the WAVES Summit highlights India’s creative strengths on a global platform. He highlighted that currently, the global animation market is valued at over 430 billion dollars and is projected to double within the next decade. He said, this presents a significant opportunity for India’s animation and graphic design industry to thrive and establish itself on a global scale.

Mr Modi added that the country is striving towards becoming the third-largest economy, and it has the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world. He said, the journey towards Viksit Bharat has just started. He said, India, with a billion-plus population, is also a land of billion-plus stories.

The Prime Minister appealed to the investors to invest in the people and not just in platforms. He asked the youth of the country to tell India’s billion-story to the world.

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Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said the WAVES summit will create new economic opportunities. Addressing the inaugural session of WAVES 2025 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai today, Mr Vaishnaw said, this Summit will provide a global platform to creators and provide them with exposure to new technology. The Minister said, it will connect the creators to buyers and investors around the world.

Speaking at the event, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, India is prepared to lead the world in the media and entertainment sector. He said the entertainment economy is the new development engine for India and Maharashtra.

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External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.yesterday the Minister said that during their conversation they discussed the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Mr. Jaishankar called for the perpetrators, backers, and planners of the Pahalgam terrorist attack to be brought to justice.

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External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar discussed the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam during a telephonic conversation with his South Korean counterpart, Cho Tae-yul, this morning. In a social media post, Dr. Jaishankar emphasised the need to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. He also expressed gratitude to Mr. Cho Tae-yul for the Republic of Korea’s support and solidarity in light of the Pahalgam terror attack.

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Pakistan violated the ceasefire for the seventh consecutive night by launching unprovoked firing along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. Defence sources said the Indian Army effectively responded to small arms fire by the Pakistan military. It added that Pakistan Army posts initiated unprovoked small-arms fire across the Line of Control in areas opposite Kupwara, Uri, and Akhnoor sectors. Meanwhile, Indian Army countered the ‘unprovoked’ firing across the LoC proportionately.

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India has closed its airspace for Pakistan airlines in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack. The airspace closure will be in effect till the 23rd May. The Civil Aviation Ministry has informed that Indian airspace is not available for aircraft registered in Pakistan, aircraft operated, owned or leased by Pakistani airlines or operators including military aircraft during the period.

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Border Security Force has foiled a terror plot in Amritsar, Punjab by recovering arms, ammunition and grenades. On the information received by the BSF Intelligence wing, a joint search operation was launched yesterday evening near the village of Bharopal, which led to the recovery of two hand grenades, three pistols with six magazines, and 50 live rounds. The recovered arms and ammunition have been handed over to the Police.

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The Supreme Court today refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a judicial probe into the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam. It cautioned that such actions could demoralise the armed forces at a critical time. The Top Court also remarked that the sensitivity of the issue should have been considered before filing such a plea and asked the complainant to withdraw the petition. The PIL, filed by three residents of Jammu and Kashmir, was subsequently withdrawn.

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Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said the decision to conduct a caste census reflects the NDA government’s commitment to social justice. Addressing the media in New Delhi today, Mr. Pradhan said that the decision was not made abruptly but represents a considered and deliberate approach by the Government. He mentioned that the national census was originally scheduled for 2021, but the Committee on Political Affairs has now taken a decision in principle to include a caste census in the upcoming census. He added that the Home Minister had hinted at this about a year ago.

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Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, has concluded his visit to Norway, marking the first such visit by an Indian Commerce Minister in over 25 years. In a social media post shared last night, Minister Goyal described the visit as highly productive, expressing confidence that his engagements with Norway’s political and business leadership would usher in a new phase of trust and growth in India-Norway relations. During his visit, Goyal met with Cecilie Myrseth, Norway’s Minister of Trade and Industry. The two leaders held discussions aimed at enhancing trade relations, particularly in light of the recently signed India-EFTA (European Free Trade Association) Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement.

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India has reiterated its commitment to working closely with all parties involved in the Gaza conflict to help bring peace to the region. Speaking during a Security Council debate on Palestine yesterday, India’s Permanent Representative, P. Harish, emphasised the need for an immediate ceasefire and the safe release of hostages. He noted that India is one of the few countries that maintains open and direct relations with both Israel and Palestine, allowing it to play a unique and pivotal role in peace efforts.

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India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast above normal heatwave days over many parts of the northwest, central and adjoining east India during this month. The IMD in its monthly outlook said that heatwave days are likely to be above normal in many parts in many parts of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal and some parts of Gujarat, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and adjoining Telangana and north Karnataka.

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Meanwhile IMD has issued an Orange Alert for several regions of Uttarakhand today, warning of rain, hailstorms, and strong winds. According to the latest forecast, isolated parts of all districts in the state may experience thunderstorms with wind speeds ranging from 40 to 70 kilometers per hour.

In light of the storm and hail warnings, the weather department has urged residents to remain alert and take necessary precautions.

The IMD has also forecast heat wave conditions at isolated places over Jammu and West Rajasthan today.

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In IPL T20 Cricket, Rajasthan Royals (RR) will take on Mumbai Indians (MI) at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur today. The match will begin at 07:30 PM. All eyes will again be on 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who stunned the cricketing world with a record-breaking 35-ball century in his previous outing. His performance could prove pivotal in RR’s do-or-die encounter.

In yesterday’s fixture, Punjab Kings defeated Chennai Super Kings by 4 wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, this is the perfect moment for India to lead global creativity; Inaugurates first World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit in Mumbai today.
Prime Minister Modi asserts, WAVES is not an acronym, but a wave of culture, creativity, and universal connect.
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar speaks to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over Pahalgam terrorist attack; Vows to bring perpetrators of terror attack to justice.
Pakistan violates ceasefire along LOC for seventh consecutive day; India counters proportionately.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan says, Caste census reflects NDA government’s commitment to social justice.
And, In IPL T20 Cricket, Rajasthan Royals to take on Mumbai Indians in Jaipur this evening.