ABP Live News Shots: PM Modi's Reply To No-Trust Debate To Imran Khan's Disqualification — Top Headlines This Week

ABP Live News Shots: From PM Modi's speech during the no-trust debate to Imran Khan's disqualification — bringing to you all the big news that made headlines this past week, in case you missed it.

This week, Parliament witnessed intense discussion on the no-confidence motion that was brought by the opposition parties over the Manipur issue.  The week also saw the return of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to the Lok Sabha as an MP and marked the same with his fiery tirade against the Centre and the Prime Minister. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while replying to the motion, slammed the opposition over various issues and assured that the entire country was with Manipur. He said peace will soon be restored in the strife-torn state. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced three bills to overhaul the criminal justice system in the country. In world politics, former Pakistan PM Imran Khan was disqualified by the country's highest electoral body for five years following his conviction in a corruption case. Russia launched its first lunar exploration mission after 1976, Luna25, with an aim to land on the Moon's south pole, where India's Chandrayaan-3 is heading as well.

INDIA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his reply to the no-confidence motion on Thursday, said that the Congress was disrespecting its senior Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury by not letting him speak in the debate. He said our sympathies lie with Adhir babu. He asked why do you [Congress] not let him speak? Assam Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi tabled the no-confidence motion against the government last month over the violence in Manipur. On Tuesday, Gogoi also moved the no-confidence motion. 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in his first speech after being reinstated as a Lok Sabha MP tore into the government, asking them not to be scared as he would not speak on Adani this time. Gandhi said: "I won't speak against Adani. So, you don't have to be scared. Dariye mat. Just Relax." He also said that he won't be too hard on the government in his speech. He said he will speak on the Manipur issue. He then went on to detail his experience during the Bharat Jodo Yatra and how he connected with the people during the rally in the various states.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday introduced three bills for the overhaul of "colonial-era" criminal laws, including repealing the controversial sedition law. The three bills that will replace Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Act and Indian Evidence Act are Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Bill and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill respectively.

WORLD

India on Friday said it is closely monitoring the developments in Niger and urged the Indian nationals whose presence is not essential to leave the country immediately, news agency ANI reported. Following the coup, Niger has seen massive protests. Several European nations, including France, have begun evacuating nationals from Niger.

Following his conviction in a corruption case, Pakistan's highest electoral body disqualified jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan for five years on Tuesday, news agency PTI reported. An Islamabad trial court sentenced Khan, 70, to three years in prison on Saturday in the Toshakhana corruption case, in which the beleaguered former prime minister is accused of benefitting from the sale of pricey official gifts while in office. Punjab police later nabbed Khan at his Zaman Park mansion in Lahore.

 

The toll from Hawaii wildfires has risen to 80 and officials have warned the number of deaths could further increase. Search teams with cadaver dogs searched through the charred ruins of Lahaina looking for more victims. As per the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the cost to rebuild the historic resort town was estimated at $5.5 billion. The fast-moving flames consumed more than 1,000 buildings and levelled almost the entire town, reported news agency Reuters.

BUSINESS

India's industrial production grow by 3.7 per cent in June, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation data on Friday showed. Industrial production growth, measured by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), was at a three-month low in June. In May, industrial growth was registered at 5.2 per cent and was later revised to 5.3 per cent. The IIP in June 2022 stood at 12.6 per cent on account of a lower base effect. As per the data relesed on Friday, June's IIP expanded slower primarily due to low manufacturing output, which increased by 3.1 per cent year-on-year, a down from the 5.8 per cent recorded in May.

The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) monetary policy committee (MPC) headed by Governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday announced to keep policy rate unchanged at 6.5 per cent. This was third time in a row that the RBI opted for a pause in rate hike. During his address, Governor Das said that the MPC unanimously voted to leave the repo rate unchanged at 6.5 per cent. He said the Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rate also retained at 6.25 per cent. Marginal Standing Facility rate and Bank Rate also retained at 6.75 per cent. The MPC also decided to remain focused on withdrawal of accommodationwith preparedness to act should situation so warrant.

The Centre on Wednesday said that it will sell additional 50 lakh tonnes of wheat and 25 lakh tonnes of rice from the central pool in the open market to contain the price rise. Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said, "There has been a sharp increase in prices of wheat and rice recently...The government has decided to offload 50 lakh tonnes wheat and 25 lakh tonnes wheat under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS)." This is over and above the 15 lakh tonnes of wheat and 5 lakh tonnes of rice sale under the open market sale scheme (OMSS) announced a few months ago, he added. So far, about 7 lakh tonnes of wheat has been sold through e-auction under the OMSS, while the rice sale has been negligible, he said. Chopra also said the reserve price of rice was being brought down by Rs 2 to Rs 29 per kg. "We hope these measures will bring down food inflation," Chopra said.

TECH

Instagram currently boasts over 2.35 billion monthly active users across the globe, with around 229 million in India itself. Owing to the considerable volume of users, it doesn’t come as a shock that the photo-sharing platform has come under the crosshairs of malicious actors, trying to dupe unsuspecting users out of their money via phishing scams. ABP Live has come across several recent cases where users are reporting their accounts getting cloned, and hackers reaching out to their contacts with mal intentions. 

The pink WhatsApp logo pictured above may look enticing but be afraid if somebody tells you they would help get "WhatsApp Pink" via an exclusive update and it would add extra features to the messaging platform. Meta-owned WhatsApp is the world's most popular messaging and also the biggest target of online scammers and hackers. While Telegram and WhatsApp scams are not new, WhatsApp Pink malware is relatively new that apparently changes the theme colour of the app and also steals personal data. Flagged by security researcher Rajashekhar Rajaharia last year that WhatsApp Pink is a virus that is spread via Android Application Package (APKs). The malicious virus is still on the prowl and has prompted police officials and cyber cells to issue a warning against the scam that has duped several users. However, staying alert and making use of mobile antivirus can prevent you from falling prey to potential financial and personal security risks.

The Digital Personal Data Protection law would be implemented in roughly 10 months, the government has said, news agency PTI reported. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that the Centre has started work on its implementation. The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill (DPDPB), 2023 was cleared by the Parliament on Wednesday. The bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha by a voice vote amid sloganeering by the Opposition. The DPDPB comes six years after the Supreme Court (SC) declared that the "Right to Privacy" was a fundamental right. The bill would be sent to President Draupadi Murmu for assent. After it is officially notified in the gazette, the bill would become law.

SPORTS

ODI World Cup 2023: India vs Pakistan Among Nine Fixtures Rescheduled

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released the revised schedule of the ODI Cricket World Cup set to commence on October 5. As many as nine matches, including the India vs Pakistan (IND vs PAK) fixture at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad has been rescheduled. The much-anticipated India vs Pakistan fixture, which was originally supposed to happen on October 15, will now be played at the same venue on October 14 (Saturday). Tickets of the marquee tournament will go on sale on August 25.

No Head Coach For Jasprit Bumrah-Led India In IND vs IRE T20I Series: Report

Jasprit Bumrah-led India is slated to tour Ireland for a three-match T20 International series, starting from August 18 onwards. In a shocking development, it is being reported that India will be touring the European nation without the services of a head coach. Head coach Rahul Dravid, who is currently with Rohit Sharma & Co. in West Indies, won't be travelling to Ireland. In Dravid's absence, as it has occurred is past, National Cricket Academy (NCA) chief VVS Laxman was in line to travel to Ireland with the Men in Blue but now, as per reported by Cricbuzz on August 11 (Friday), Laxman won't be accompanying the Indian contingent leaving for Dublin for the T20I series.

Bangladesh Cricket Appoints Shakib Al Hasan As Skipper for Asia Cup And ODI World Cup 2023

Bangladesh Cricket Board announced the appointment of stalwart all-rounder, Shakib Al Hasan, as the captain for their One Day International (ODI) team, for both the upcoming Asia Cup and the 2023 World Cup. To add to it, the Bangla tigers will lock horns with New Zealand in a white ball series in late September, followed by the World Cup in India which is scheduled to start on October 5. The BCB president Nazmul Hassan stated that the squads for both World Cup and the Asia Cup will come tomorrow.

SCIENCE

The Higgs Boson, identified after over 40 years of research, is considered one of the most important scientific discoveries of the modern era, because it provides evidence for the Standard Model of Particle Physics, which describes how various particles make the universe. Dr Archana Sharma, a principal scientist at CERN, told ABP Live that the discovery of the Higgs Boson is “not the complete story”, because there could be "other particles that mimic the Higgs Boson", and it is not known "if we will see particles of dark matter". She said that since there could be new particles, “we need an all-encompassing theory”.

Space-based internet, space manufacturing and production, space education and research, satellite launch services, satellite data-based monitoring, and international collaborations are the different opportunities for India in the space sector, experts told ABP Live. India aims to improve the market presence of the country's space sector to nine per cent by 2030. In 2022, the value of the global space economy reached $464 billion. A large portion of the space economy's revenue is used to fund the satellite-based service sector. India is actively involved in the service-based economy, especially in the digital domain, and provides such services through satellites. 

Luna 25, the first Soviet lunar exploration mission to be launched after 1976, began its voyage towards the Moon on August 11, 2023. It is modern Russia's first lunar exploration, and aims to land on the Moon's south pole. However, Luna 25 is not the only lander attempting a landing on the lunar south pole. Chandrayaan-3, the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO's) third lunar exploration mission, was launched almost a month back, on July 14, 2023, and is expected to land on the Moon's south pole on August 23.  The previous tentative landing date of Luna 25 was August 23, but after the launch, Yuri Borisov, the head of Roscosmos, announced that the lunar lander is expected to land on the Moon's south pole on August 21. The country whose spacecraft lands on the Moon's south pole first will become the first nation to achieve this feat. Experts told ABP Live that Luna 25 is likely to land on the Moon before Chandrayaan-3. 

ENT

Rani Mukerji, who was a guest at Melbourne's Indian Film Festival, discussed a tragic experience she had in 2020 during the pandemic. In 2020, towards the end of the fifth month of her pregnancy, she disclosed that she had suffered a miscarriage. Rani said that if she had spoken about her experience during the promotions of ‘Mrs Chatterjee vs. Norway’ or before its release, it would have been seen as an attempt to boost interest in the film. 

Shah Rukh Khan will be replaced by Ranveer Singh as the next Don. The star of 'Don 3' has finally been unveiled by actor and filmmaker Farhan Akhtar in a new teaser. Shah Rukh Khan played the lead role in both of the previous 'Don' franchise films. Ranveer Singh has now been formally chosen to play the role of the next Don in the much-awaited installment. The movie is slated for release in 2025 and is produced by Excel Entertainment's Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar.

After alleging exploitation by the makers of the Oscar-winning documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperers’, Bomman and Bellie, the couple who featured in the documentary, have now issued a legal notice to filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves. The couple seeks a ‘goodwill gesture’ of Rs 2 crore from Kartiki.  In a recent interview, the duo alleged that the documentary makers did not give them remuneration and had been irresponsive after the Oscar win.