ABP Live News Shots: Ujjain Horror, Demise Of Visionary MS Swaminathan To Twin Pak Blasts — Top Headlines This Week

ABP Live News Shots: From Ujjain rape case, the demise of visionary agronomist MS Swaminathan to twin blasts in Pakistan and — bringing to you the big news that made headlines this past week.

This week, the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain shocked the nation as the Opposition trained guns on the ruling BJP in the state questioning the safety of women and children. Meanwhile, the nation mourned the passing of visionary agronomist and 'Father of India's Green Revolution' MS Swaminathan at the age of 98 in Chennai on Thursday. On the other hand, protests raged across Karnataka over the order to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, which disrupted normal life as 44 flights had to be cancelled. In neighbouring Pakistan, twin blasts killed over 50 people, deepening concerns over security in the region. 

INDIA

In the wake of a shocking case involving the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain, the father of the accused is demanding capital punishment for his son, while the local bar association has made an appeal to lawyers not to represent him in court. The incident has also ignited political controversy, with the opposition Congress party targeting the BJP government and questioning the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Bengaluru police on Friday detained several protesters who are agitating against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as the issue continues to increase tensions between the two southern states. Visuals shared by news agency ANI show heavy police deployment with personnel pushing the protesters inside a bus. Pro-Kannad outfits are observing a state-wide bandh in Karnataka or the Cauvery water dispute on Friday.

Visionary Indian agronomist MS Swaminathan, who was hailed as the Father of the Green Revolution, passed away due to age-related ailments at the age of 98 years in Chennai on Thursday. Swaminathan was known for being the main architect of green revolution in India. He was called "The Father of Economic Ecology" by the United Nations Environment Programme. Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan is survived by three daughters - Soumya Swaminathan who served as chief scientist at the World Health Organization, Madhura Swaminathan and Nitya Rao. His wife Mina passed away in 2022.

WORLD

At least 52 people, including a police officer, lost their lives, while more than 50 others sustained injuries in an explosion that rocked the Mastung district in Balochistan on Friday. This marks the second major explosion in the district within the month of September, deepening concerns over security in the region. Mastung Assistant Commissioner, Atta Ul Munim, disclosed that the explosion occurred near a mosque where a congregation had gathered to commemorate Eid Miladun Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Geo TV reported.

In a concerning incident, Vikram Doraiswami, the Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, was allegedly prevented from entering a Gurudwara in Scotland. The High Commission of India in London has provided details of the incident, which transpired on September 29, 2023. According to official statements from the High Commission, the incident occurred when three individuals from areas outside Scotland deliberately disrupted a planned interaction organised by the Gurudwara Committee.

In the latest round of developments on the Russian mercenary group Wagner, commander of the mercenary group Andrei Troshev is now actively working for the Russian defence ministry, as reported by the Russian state media, citing Kremlin. In July, Putin said that Troshev was his preferred candidate to replace previous mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who died in a plane crash last month.

SPORTS

India At ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023: A SWOT Analysis

As a leader, Rohit has already lost the T20 World Cup and the World Test Championship final and this could be his last chance at the helm of affairs in a tournament of this stature but for all the experience that he has as a player and as a leader and with the team seemingly peaking at the right time, there are more reasons than one why this could be India's year at the World Cup.

ICC Cricket World Cup: A Journey Through The Eras- Facts And Trivia

India is eagerly preparing for the 13th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2023. This marks a historic occasion as it's the first time that India will be the sole host of the ODI World Cup, having previously shared hosting duties with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan in various editions.

ODI World Cup 2023: Five Players To Watch Out For

As teams gear up to compete for the prestigious ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 trophy, it's time to turn our attention to the players who are anticipated to make a significant impact in the mega ICC tournament.

TECH

In a significant move merging the virtual and real worlds, Meta Platforms Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg introduced a range of new AI products during the Meta Connect conference, the company's major annual event and first in-person conference since the pandemic. These innovations include bots capable of generating photo-realistic images and smart glasses designed to answer user queries, alongside an updated virtual-reality headset.

Zuckerberg emphasised the ability of these products to seamlessly integrate into daily routines, underlining Meta's commitment to offering low-cost or free AI solutions. Meta's VR bestseller, Quest, was lauded as the best value in the VR industry, contrasting with the imminent release of a more expensive headset by Apple.

With several initial users complaining that their iPhone 15 Pro models are overheating, famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities has come up with the reason, in a note. Kuo has mentioned that Apple's A17 Pro chip is not to be blamed for overheating issues in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models but it is likely the "Apple' compromises" in the design of the thermal system that is causing the models to overheat.

Several reports are doing the rounds about the iPhone 15 overheating, and some say it is across the vanilla iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models too. Measurements taken with an infrared camera have shown temperatures touching 116F, reported 9to5Mac. The issue appears to be with the design of the thermal system and not the A17 Pro chip which is built on TSMC's advanced new 3nm node. The chip seems to release more heat than the device can dissipate.

Google has launched a new earthquake alert system for Android users in India. This system utilises the inbuilt sensors, like the accelerometer, in Android smartphones to detect earthquake activity and provide timely warnings. The Android Earthquake Alerts System, already operational in several countries worldwide, has been introduced in India in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the National Seismology Center (NSC).

Google's advanced system effectively transforms a user's smartphone into a miniature earthquake detector, by utilising the accelerometer. When the phone is stationary and connected to a charger, it can sense initial signs of an earthquake. If multiple phones detect similar earthquake-like shaking simultaneously, Google's server can identify the earthquake's location and measure its intensity.

Following this detection, alerts are promptly sent to nearby phones, categorised based on the earthquake's magnitude.

BUSINESS

The government on Friday increased the interest rate for the five-year recurring deposit scheme, raising it from 6.5 per cent to 6.7 per cent for the upcoming December quarter. However, interest rates on all other post office small savings schemes were kept unchanged.

These interest rate adjustments are significant for various small savings schemes, primarily operated through post offices, and are reviewed by the government on a quarterly basis. 

The growth of eight key infrastructure sectors rose to a 14-month high of 12.1 per cent in August 2023 against 4.2 per cent a year ago, mainly due to expansion in production of coal, crude oil, and natural gas, according to the official data released on Friday. The expansion in August is the highest since June 2022, when it was 13.2 per cent.

The eight core industries comprise 40.27 per cent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). The final growth rate of Index of Eight Core Industries for May 2023 is revised to 5.2 per cent. 

The new rates for tax collected at source (TCS), KYC norms for mutual funds and demat accounts, mutual fund folios nomination, and several important financial changes will come into effect from October 1. Next month will also mark the end of the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) facility to exchange or deposit withdrawn Rs 2,000 currency notes. Here's a list that you need.

ENT

Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha's wedding is the talk of town. The Bollywood actress tied the knot with the AAP MP in an intimate yet lavish ceremony on September 24 in Udaipur in the presence of close friends and family members. The newlywed couple took to their social media handles to share their first wedding pictures, looking adorable as husband and wife.

Veteran actor Waheeda Rehman, who ruled the silver screens during the 1960s and 70s has been named as the recipient of the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award, this year. Her honours include a National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards. She is regarded as one of Hindi cinema's best actresses. In 1972, the Indian government awarded Rehman the Padma Shri, and he subsequently received the Padma Bhushan in 2011. Over the course of a career spanning more than five decades, Rehman has appeared in over 90 films. She has also gained substantial media attention.

Irish-English actor Sir Michael Gambon has passed away. The veteran actor known for films like 'Fantastic Mr Fox' and the 'Harry Potter' film series died at 82. His family confirmed the same, reported BBC. His widow and son said their 'beloved husband and father' died peacefully with his family by his side after suffering from pneumonia.

SCIENCE

OSIRIS-REx, NASA's first asteroid sample delivery mission, returned pristine material from asteroid Bennu on September 24, 2023. Bennu was earlier known as 1999 RQ36. OSIRIS-REx stands for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security — Regolith Explorer. After OSIRIS-REx entered the Earth's atmosphere, it released the sample return capsule which made a landing in the Utah desert. OSIRIS-REx was launched on September 8, 2016, and reached Bennu in December 2018. OSIRIS-REx collected rocks and dust from Bennu, a near-Earth asteroid, in 2020, after mapping the asteroid for two years. It is important to study these materials because they might provide insights into what the universe was like when the Sun and planets of the solar system were forming 4.5 billion years ago. 

Several regions were affected by devastating floods from late August to early September. Libya, Greece, Türkiye, Bulgaria, Brazil, Spain, China, and the United States are among 10 different regions hit by storms in a short period of time this year. The storms occurred due to heavy rainfall in these regions, which is believed to have been triggered by the warming of oceans and human-induced climate change. Some storms may have been enhanced due to increased precipitation occurring as a result of global warming. 

Australian researchers have revealed that killer T cells in older adults are similar to those found in neonates and children, but cannot recognise infected cells. This world-first discovery is significant because it will help researchers develop better vaccines and therapies. The study describing the findings was recently published in the journal Nature Immunology. Scientists have studied killer T cells, also known as CD8 + T cells, for several years. While they are known to eliminate virus-infected cells, not much is known about their mechanism of functioning.