At least 28 tourists were killed and many wounded Tuesday when terrorists opened fire in a picturesque meadow near the resort town of Pahalgam in J&K, marking the deadliest attack since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. The Resistance Front, a proxy of ISI-backed LeT, claimed responsibility. Hot Off the Press This was the deadliest attack on tourists since militancy began in Kashmir in the 1990s, wrote Naseer Ganai for The Times of India. The attack coincided with US Vice-President J D Vance’s four-day visit to India and PM Narendra Modi’s ar rival in Saudi Arabia for strengthening bilateral engagement with the influential Islamic country. Equally significantly, it followed a bellicose speech of Asim Munir, chief of the Pakistan army, the mainstay of terrorists. Mir Ehsan and Neeraj Chauhan for Hindustan Times reported eyewitneses recounting the horror. Some of them claimed that the victims were lined up, asked their names and faith, and to recite an Islamic verse

  Steve Jackson is returning to The Australian, joining the newsroom as a media writer after a stint at the Mail Online. He will start on May 12. Jackson previously contributed to The Australian as NSW Chief Reporter. He returns to the masthead with a sharp eye for behind-the-scenes intrigue, sharp commentary, and a flair for breaking stories at the intersection of media and politics. In his new role, Jackson will take over the paper’s influential weekly Media Diary column. He replaces Media Editor James Madden on Diary, who has been anchoring the column while Nick Tabakoff is on leave. Madden will continue to edit the Media section. Jackson was previously Head of News across The Daily and Sunday Telegraph, Chief of Staff at 60 Minutes, and Supervising Producer at Seven’s Spotlight, as well as The Australian’s NSW Editor. In London, he worked on the features desk of The Daily Mirror, and sports desk at the Guardian and The Sunday Times. Jackson’s appointment strengthe

     There’s an indescribable comfort in the world of stories—where people, creatures, and words quietly come alive. Once drawn in, you realise the stories never really end. How do thoughts find their way onto a page? And how does a reader find meaning in them, like morning light slipping through a curtain to gently warm the skin? It’s in that still moment—stumbling upon a sentence that lingers—that you glimpse the calm clarity of the writer’s mind. As the world marks World Book and Copyright Day, authors and readers across India are revisiting the value of storytelling in a time dominated by screens and scrolls. Influencing India spoke to a few authors and journalists to understand what keeps them engaged with books in the world of Instagram reels and podcasts. Padmaja, an independent journalist and founder of the Guindy Reading Circle, shared how her reading habit waned in adulthood but returned through community. “I wanted to be part of a community of readers.

  Lucy Zelic - picture by Nathan Smith.   Award-winning broadcaster Lucy Zelic will be writing a regular column for The Daily Telegraph in what she says is “a real honour”. A story in the Tele written by Holly Truelove, reveals that for the majority of her career, Ms Zelic has been a sports reporter, appearing on radio stations, hosting podcasts and presenting on national television. But in recent years, the mum of two has transitioned into political commentary. “It’s something that I’ve become more cognisant of - what world are (my kids) growing up in and what does that word look like - and it all starts with politics, right?” “I can see just how challenging and how volatile a space it is, but we need people operating within this space to be able to call people to account ... (and) contribute to the narrative in a more common sense way,” Ms Zelic said. She revealed that foreign aid, equality in sport and citizenship issues are among the topics her columns

  Tanya French has been appointed to a newly created role of business editor for News Corp Australia's The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, The Courier-Mail, Advertiser, and regional mastheads. In this national role, she will lead a newly created team within the Australian Business Network made up of reporters based in each major capital city. Her team will work in close partnership with the other experts in the ABN, which is home to some of the nation’s most experienced and influential business reporters. French brings extensive digital experience, having worked as Digital Editor at both The Courier-Mail and Gold Coast Bulletin, and most recently as Queensland Audience Growth Editor. On behalf of the editors, The Courier-Mail editor Chris Jones said French’s appointment was an investment in a shared renewed commitment to important - and readable - state-based business content. “Tanya is a top-shelf editorial executive with a laser-sharp understanding of what our audiences

Union Minister L. Murugan called the upcoming World Audiovisual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), set to take place in Mumbai from May 1–4, a 'major opportunity for creators' in the media and entertainment space. Speaking to PTI, he said WAVES will bring together global and Indian players across print, digital, OTT and film, with events like the CEO Round Table and WAVES Bazaar. Murugan added that the summit will showcase India’s creative and tech potential to the world.

Star Utsav marked a strong return on DD Free Dish, drawing 111 million viewers in just 11 days.   With popular shows like RadhaKrishn, Rabba Ve, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, and Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin, the channel secured the top spot in the FTA universe and ranked fourth overall in the HSM category, according to BARC.  The team behind Star Utsav expressed gratitude for the massive response and reaffirmed their commitment to offering feel-good, family-oriented entertainment on Free Dish.