ABP Live News Shots: Manipur Peace Committee To Trump's Indictment — Top Headlines From The Week

ABP Live News Shots: From Centre's peace committee for Manipur to Donal Trump's indictment — bringing to you all the big news that made headlines this past week, in case you missed it.

Top wrestlers of the country, including Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat and Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, suspended their agitation till June 15 after the Union government assured them that a chargesheet will be filed against outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations against him. Meanwhile, violence broke out in Maharashtra's Kolhapur over alleged objectionable social media posts on Aurangzeb, internet services were suspended for 31 hours in view of the clashes. In international news, Donald Trump became the first-ever United States president to face a federal case for allegedly taking "hundreds" of classified government documents in cardboard boxes to his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

INDIA

The government of India has constituted Peace Committee in Manipur under the Chairpersonship of the Manipur Governor. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the members of the committee include the Chief Minister, a few Ministers of the State Government, MP, MLAs and leaders from different political parties. The Committee also includes former civil servants, educationists, litterateurs, artists, social workers and representatives of different ethnic groups. The MHA said that the mandate of the Committee will be to facilitate the peacemaking process among various ethnic groups of the state, including peaceful dialogue and negotiations between conflicting parties or groups. The Committee should strengthen social cohesiveness, and mutual understanding and facilitate cordial communication between various ethnic groups, the ministry added.

Grappler Sakshi Malik said that the wrestlers will participate in the Asian Games only when the matter pertaining to allegations against outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is resolved. She added that no one understands what the wrestlers are going through mentally each passing day. Malik reached Sonipat to attend the Mahapanchayat to decide on the future course of action for wrestlers. In an important development, the sexual harassment case saw a new twist as the father of the minor wrestler, on whose complaint a case was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, claimed that Brij Bhushan did not sexually harass his daughter, but discriminated against her. Grapplers suspended their agitation till June 15 after the government assured them that a chargesheet will be filed against the outgoing WFI president. 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India’s relationship with Russia has been steady since 1955 when Moscow supported New Delhi’s cause at the United Nations for the first time, while its ties with Washington and Beijing saw several ups and down as the world underwent significant changes with disintegration of the Soviet Union. According to the External Affairs Minister, the relationship between India and Russia grew from strength to strength for over six decades due to the support from the leadership in both countries coupled with robust public sentiment. On the growing ties between Moscow and Beijing, he said it is up to those countries to decide whom they want to partner with. He also made it clear that the G20 Summit, which will take place in September for the first time under India’s Presidency, will see participation only from the member countries, ruling out the attendance by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

WORLD

Four children who went missing in Colombia’s Amazon jungle have been found alive after 40 days, said the country’s President Gustavo Petro. He said that the finding of the children was "a joy for the whole country" and that it was a "magical day". The siblings were lost after their plane crashed in Colombia's Amazon jungle. The children, aged 13, nine, four and a one-year-old baby, were on board the plane with their mother, a pilot and a co-pilot when it crashed on May 1. Their mother and the other adults on board the plane died. He said the children were now receiving medical attention - and that he had spoken to their grandfather, who told him "the mother jungle returned them". Preliminary information from the civil aviation authority had previously suggested the children escaped the wreckage and wandered into the rainforest to find help.

After federal prosecutors unsealed the indictment of former US president Donald Trump on Friday, it was revealed that he had stored sensitive documents on the nuclear capabilities and defence, endangering the country’s national security. The current frontrunner of the 2024 Republican presidential election nominee, 76-year-old Trump took "hundreds" of classified government documents in cardboard boxes to his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, the 49-page charge sheet said. The historic indictment is the first federal case against a former president. Prosecutors have said that the documents Trump stowed, refused to return and in some cases showed to visitors risked jeopardising not only relations with foreign nations but also the safety of troops and confidential sources. The files included records from the Pentagon, CIA, and National Security Agency which he stored unsecured at the Mar-a-Lago, a property that regularly hosted large social events involving tens of thousands of guests over time. 

Cameron MacKay, the High Commissioner for Canada in India, expressed strong condemnation for an event held in Brampton that celebrated the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, marking the anniversary of Operation Blue Star. Videos on social media showing a tableau on the assassination of the late Indian Prime Minister by her Sikh bodyguards as part of a 5-kilometre-long parade in Brampton on June 4. Indira Gandhi, who served as Prime Minister of India, was assassinated at her residence in New Delhi on October 31, 1984, months after Operation Blue Star, which was carried out by the Indian Army between June 1 and June 10, 1984, to remove militants from the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The operation resulted in significant casualties and also caused damage to the Golden Temple, the holiest site in Sikhism.

SPORTS

Manchester City completed a historic treble and became the first-ever English club since Manchester United in 1998-99 to win three titles (Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League) in the same season and just the second England club to have done so. They achieved the distinction by beating Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul on Saturday (local time). In a game of few opportunities, Rodri's 68th minute goal proved to be the difference between the two sides as he found the back of the net through a stunning finish as Pep Guardiola's City clinched their maiden UEFA Champions League title after dominating a significant part of the season and peaking just at the right time.

India and Australia are squaring off in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) Final at the Kennington Oval in London. India won the toss and invited Australia to bat first. Meanwhile, players of both the teams wore black armbands on their left sleeves and observed a minute’s silence before the national anthem to pay their respect to victims of tragic train accident in Odisha. More than 250 people died while thousands of commuters faced injuries in one of the most horrific train accidents that occured after collision between two express passenger trains and a stopped freight train in Odisha’s Balasore on Friday (June 2).

Lionel Messi has reportedly rejected a lucrative deal from Saudi Arabia to join American side Inter Miami after leaving Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Messi had to choose between Saudi's Al-Hilal and America's Inter Miami. The Argentine wished for another season with Europe but didn't get good offers, leading him to go for the American club. Predictions were and are still being made that Messi would move to Saudi Arabia, eventually joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in the league. However, his former club FC Barcelona, while wishing him luck announced that he would be moving to America in order to enjoy the day to day while also playing competitive football.

BUSINESS

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday said that so far, about Rs 1.8 lakh crore worth of Rs 2,000 currency notes have come back to the banking system. This figure is about half the notes in value terms that were in circulation as on March 31, 2023. The governor, while addressing a press meet on the MPC, said, "About 85 per cent of Rs 2,000 notes are being deposited in bank accounts, which is in line with our expectations.” He also issued a note for the general public on exchanging or depositing Rs 2000 banknotes. “I would like to request the public to go to bank branches to deposit or exchange Rs 2,000 currency notes at their convenience. There is no reason to rush. At the same time, please do not leave it to the last moment,” Das added.

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 second time in a row that the RBI opted for a pause in rate hike. The central bank has retained growth projection at 6.5 per cent for FY24, expects 8 per cent growth in Q1, 6.5 per cent in Q2, 6 per cent in Q3, while 5.7 per cent in Q4. "Domestic demand condition remains supportive of growth, while rural demand on revival path," he said. During his address, the governor said the domestic demand conditions remain supportive of growth. "Urban demand remains resilient, while rural demand is on a revival path. And fixed investment by manufacturing companies expanded in 2022-23. Consumer and business outlook surveys display continued optimism." This is the third time in 2023 that the MPC announced its monetary policy decision.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Rs 89,000 crore revival package for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), according to a release by the government. The package will be utilised for enhancing BSNL's 4G and 5G services. It includes allotment of 4G and 5G spectrum for the BSNL through equity infusion. The release said that the authorised capital of BSNL will be increased from Rs 1 lakh 50 thousand crore to Rs 2 lakh 10 thousand crore. The government believes that a PSU in telecom should flourish because of its strategic importance, the sources said. This is not the first revival package for BSNL announced by the government. The Centre in July 2022 announced a revival package for BSNL to provide 4G and 5G services to turn the telecom PSUs into a more profitable organisation. The package focused on advancement of services and its quality, distress BSNL's balance sheet, and expanding BSNL's optical fibre network.

TECH

At the WWDC 2023 on Monday, Apple announced its Apple Vision Pro that has all the apps you'd need for work. It is the company's long-awaited VR/AR headset with two 4K displays. What sets it apart from other VR headsets is the fact that Apple Vision Pro does not rely on a controller. Apple's first MR headset instead makes use of the wearer’s eyes, voice and hands to navigate the interface. The device's price will start at $3,499 and launch in early 2024, starting in the US market with more countries to follow.

During his visit to India, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, shared his insights into the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for employment. Altman recognised AI as a disruptive force but reassured that it does not signify the end of permanent jobs. He stressed the urgency for governments to adapt and develop new socioeconomic agreements in response to the rapid advancements in AI technology.

Facebook parent Meta has pledged action after popular photo-sharing platform Instagram was found promoting an extensive network of paedophile content, media reports say. The social networking giant said that "child exploitation is a horrific crime". A Wall Street Journal report revealed that Meta-owned Instagram's systems helped "connect and promote a vast network of accounts" devoted to underage-sex content.

SCIENCE & HEALTH

There are many skills in which robots cannot match humans, and one of them is cooking. Now, researchers at the University of Cambridge have trained a robot “chef” to make dishes after watching videos and learning how to cook. Training robots in certain tasks has been a challenge for a long time. For example, if a user asks how to cook a certain dish, a robot may be able to give clear instructions such as: get the vegetables out of the fridge, chop them, put them into a pan, add these other ingredients, etc. But when the robot is asked to do these tasks, it usually fumbles. In the new experiment, researchers programmed the robot with eight simple recipes, all of them salads. Then it was made to watch a video in which a human demonstrates one of the recipes. Having been programmed, the robot was able to identify which of the eight recipes was being demonstrated, and eventually made the recipe itself. In fact, after successfully completing the eight dishes, the robot came up with a ninth recipe on its own.

James Webb Space Telescope has been surprising the world with its jaw-dropping images since July last year. Now, the world's most powerful space telescope, also called Webb, has captured an image which shows 45,000 galaxies at the same time, and has helped scientists decode interesting mysteries and secrets of the early universe and stars. An investigation into galaxies that existed 500 to 850 million years after the Big Bang, a time known as the Epoch of Reionization, found that early galaxies were very good at creating bright, massive stars which pumped out torrents of ultraviolet light.

Consuming metformin, a safe, affordable and widely-available diabetes medication, for two weeks after being infected with SARS-CoV-2, reduces the risk of developing long Covid by 40 per cent over the 10 months following infection, says a study published June 9 (Indian local time) in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases. When the symptoms of Covid-19 persist in a patient for weeks, months, and even a year, in spite of testing negative for the virus, the condition is known as long Covid. There are no proven treatments for long Covid. Also, the only way to prevent the condition is to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection. 

ENTERTAINMENT

The 'Adipurush' pre-release event, held on June 6 in Tirupati, was a grand event in which the film’s final trailer was released. A video from the event showing the film’s director Om Raut kissing Kriti Sanon on her cheek has surfaced online, sparking a controversy. 
The team of Adipurush, including Prabhas and Kriti Sanon, launched the film's final trailer at Sri Venkateswara University Stadium in Tirupati on June 6. The viral video of director Om Raut and Kriti is from outside the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, where they had gone to seek blessings. In the video, Om Raut gives Kriti a goodbye kiss on her cheek as she leaves in her car.  

'Ramayan', directed by Nitesh Tiwari, is scheduled to begin filming in December, according to reports. After working in 'Brahmastra', Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor seem to be cast in the leading roles in the much-anticipated movie. According to reports, Alia Bhatt will star as Goddess Sita with her real-life husband Ranbir Kapoor, who will portray Lord Ram, in the Nitesh Tiwari-directed film. Producers apparently put the film on hold because they couldn't find an actor to play Ravana's role, but it now seems that their search is over.

Kamaal R Khan, who is known for tweeting outrageous opinions and wild allegations, has come up with yet another shocking tweet. The former actor/producer-turned-film critic has now accused Akshay Kumar of hiring contract killers to kill him. He also said that if anything happens to him, ‘Akshay Kumar will be fully responsible’. On Thursday night, he tweeted, I have good relation with everyone in the Bollywood except @akshaykumar! He is the one who gave my supari to kill me in jail and got me arrested. I was lucky to get out from jail. He is again giving my supari to kill me in police station or jail. If anything will happen to me then Akshay Kumar is fully responsible. @BeingSalmanKhan @iamsrk or #KaranJohar has nothing to do with my murder.”