New Delhi: A lot of developments in India and from around the world made headlines over the past week. Five jawans were charred to death as their Army vehicle caught fire after it was fired upon by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s woes continued with a Surat court dismissing his plea for a stay on conviction in the 2019 defamation case. In poll-bound Karnataka, the BJP continues to witness exits of senior leaders, mostly over being denied a nomination. Interestingly, a lot of celebrities lost their Twitter verification badge as the mandate requiring them to pay for Twitter Blue finally kicked in. On the entertainment front, Salman Khan-starrer ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’ hit the cinemas and opened to mixed reviews.   

INDIA

JeM-Affiliate PAFF Claims Responsibility For Poonch Terror Attack That Killed 5 Soldiers

Five jawans were charred to death as their Army vehicle caught fire after it was fired upon by terrorists on the Poonch-Jammu highway. Proscribed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed-affiliate PAFF (People’s Anti-Fascist Front) has claimed responsibility for the attack. The incident occurred when the Army vehicle was moving from Bhimber Gali to Sangiot in the Poonch district. Security forces launched a massive search operation in the forests of the Bata-Doriya area of Poonch. The Army has also put out the names of the five martyred jawans. They are: Havildar Mandeep Singh, Lance Naiks Debashish Baswal and Kulwant Singh, and Sepoys Harkrishan Singh and Sewak Singh.

Pak Minister Bilawal Bhutto To Visit India For SCO Summit, Seeks Meeting With Jaishankar

Pakistan will attend the foreign ministers’ meeting of member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in India on May 4-5, Pakistan’s foreign ministry confirmed last week. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will lead the Pakistani delegation to the meeting in Goa, the ministry said. He has also requested a bilateral meeting with EAM S Jaishanker on the sidelines of the SCO meeting, sources told ABP Live. The ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after India’s warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Pakistan’s Balakot in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack. India currently holds the presidency of the SCO, which comprises China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

CBI Summons Satyapal Malik. Wants Clarification In Connection With Insurance Scam

Former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satyapal Malik has been summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with an alleged corruption case by industrialist Anil Ambani’s Reliance General Insurance. In April last year, the CBI had lodged two FIRs over corruption allegations levelled by Satyapal Malik in the awarding of contracts for a group medical insurance scheme for government employees and civil work worth Rs 2,200 crore related to the Kiru hydroelectric power project in Jammu and Kashmir. “They want certain clarifications for which they want my presence. I am going to Rajasthan so I have given them dates from April 27 to 29 when I am available,” Malik said.

WORLD

Sudan Conflict: Prepare Contingency Evacuation Plan, Closely Monitor Situation, PM Modi Directs Officials

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday presided over a high-level meeting to assess the security condition of Indians stuck in Sudan. According to his office, Prime Minister Modi instructed the officials to develop contingency evacuation plans, taking into consideration the quickly changing security scenario and the practicality of alternative options. He directed that all concerned officials be attentive, constantly monitoring developments and continuously assessing the safety of Indian people in Sudan and offering all available aid to them.

US Supreme Court Allows Broad Access To Abortion Pill, Prez Biden Hails Decision

The United States Supreme Court blocked new restrictions set by lower courts on the abortion pill. US President Joe Biden welcomed the decision of the top court as his administration defends broad access to the drug in the latest legal battle over reproductive rights in the US. In a brief order, the justices granted emergency requests by the Justice Department and the manufacturer of the pill Danco Laboratories to put on hold an April 7 preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas. “As a result of the Supreme Court’s stay, mifepristone remains available and approved for safe and effective use while we continue this fight in the courts,” Biden said in a statement. “The stakes could not be higher for women across America. I will continue to fight politically driven attacks on women’s health,” Biden added. 

UK Deputy PM Dominic Raab Resigns Over Bullying Allegations

UK Deputy PM Dominic Raab quit his post over allegations of bullying after an independent investigation into formal complaints. “I called for the inquiry and undertook to resign, if it made any finding of bullying whatsoever. I believe it is important to keep my word,” Raab said. “In setting the threshold for bullying so low, this inquiry has set a dangerous precedent. It will encourage spurious complaints against Ministers, and have a chilling effect on those driving change on behalf of your government – and ultimately the British people,” He added. In a letter to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak shared on Twitter, Raab said the inquiry had set a dangerous precedent, but that he would remain supportive of the government. Allegations surfaced about Raab in November 2022, with former staff claiming he created a “culture of fear” in their departments.

SPORTS

IPL 2023: MS Dhoni Becomes 1st Wicket-Keeper To Complete 200 Dismissals In IPL History

Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni, arguably the best wicket-keeper in the history of sport, on Friday (April 21) became first wicket-keeper to complete 200 dismissals (Catch+Run-out+Stumping) in the history of Indian Premier League (IPL). Dinesh Karthik (187 dismissals) and AB de Villiers (140 dismissals) complete Top 3. 41-year-old Dhoni also smashed the record of taking most catches (208) in T20 cricket as he surpassed South Africa’s Quinton de Kock (207 catches) and is ahead of Dinesh Karthik (205 catches), Kamran Akmal (172) in the elite list.

Australia Announce Squad For World Test Championship Final

Cricket Australia has announced the squad for ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final where the Kangaroos will lock horns against India on June 7 at The Oval. They also declared the squad for the first two Ashes Tests that is scheduled to take place on June 16 at Edgbaston. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been included in the side as he was away from a Test cricket for close to four years. Players like Marcus Harris and Josh Inglis are also part of the side as backup opener and reserve wicketkeeper. Australia and India finished first and second respectively in the 2021-23 Cycle of the World Test Championship to set up this summit clash. This will be the Men in Blue’s second successive appearance in the WTC final after a runners-up finish post losing to New Zealand in the inaugural WTC final.

Arjun Tendulkar Makes His IPL Debut 2 Years After Being Bought By Mumbai Indians

Arjun Tendulkar, son of legendary cricket star Sachin Tendulkar, made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut in Mumbai Indians’ face off against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday (16 April). The left-arm seam bowling all-rounder bowled an impressive first over but couldn’t get a wicket in his first game, finishing with figures of 0/17 from his 2 overs. In the second match, Arjun got his maiden IPL wicket when he removed Bhuvneshwar Kumar, successfully defending 20 of the final over to win the match for MI with his match stats reading 1/18 in 2.5 overs. Reacting to Arjun’s first IPL wicket, his father tweeted: “..And finally a Tendulkar has an IPL wicket.”

BUSINESS

Wholesale Inflation Eases To 1.34 Per Cent In March, Lowest In 29 Months: Commerce Ministry Data

The central government data on Monday showed that Wholesale inflation in March eased to 1.34 per cent compared to 3.85 per cent recorded in February. The ministry said that the decline in the rate of inflation in March is primarily contributed by the fall in prices of basic metals, food products, textiles, non-food articles, minerals, rubber and plastic products, crude petroleum and natural gas, and paper and paper products. Retail inflation fell to 5.66 per cent in March, according to the data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released last week on Wednesday.

Disney Planning To Cut Thousands Of Jobs Next Week: Report

Walt Disney Co. is planning to cut thousands of jobs next week, including laying off 15 per cent of its staff in its entertainment division. The cuts will include TV, film, theme parks, and corporate positions, and affect every region where Disney operates. In February, Disney announced it will cut 7,000 positions to save $5.5 billion in annual costs.

TECH

Security To Education — National Quantum Mission And The Windows It Is Likely To Open For India

The Union Cabinet on April 19 approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM) at a total cost of Rs 6,003.65 crore. The visionary project will be aimed at seeding, nurturing, and scaling up research and development in scientific and industrial sectors to set up a “vibrant and innovative ecosystem” in quantum technology. Under this backdrop, there are certain areas that the Centre should ideally look at now, to not only help nurture developments in the quantum space but also develop use cases for the technology in various sectors. 

Twitter Starts Removing Blue Ticks: How Much It Will Cost Users To ‘Verify’ Now

Twitter has finally started removing ‘legacy’ blue ticks from users who are yet to pay for Twitter Blue plans. CEO Elon Musk on April 12 tweeted that all the users who are yet to pay up will lose their verified blue badges starting April 20, and it appears that the microblogging platform has finally started doing the same. Users will have to subscribe to Twitter Blue to retain or regain their blue ticks, at at Rs 900 per month on iOS and Android, and Rs 650 on the Web client. 

Apple Begins New Chapter In India With Official Stores. Will iPhones Get Cheaper Now?

Apple has begun a new love story with India by opening two official Apple Stores in the country — one in the financial capital Mumbai, followed by another in the national capital Delhi today (April 20), almost twenty years after Asia got its first Apple Store. However, the pertinent questions are: Will Apple Stores in India help increase its market share in the country? Will this potentially lead to a fall in iPhone prices?

HEALTH & SCIENCE

First Black Hole Image Gets Makeover, Sharper Version Appears Like A ‘Skinny Donut’

The first image ever of a black hole has got a makeover with the help of machine learning, resulting in a sharper and brighter picture. The supermassive black hole at the centre of the M87 galaxy is the first black hole to be captured. The black hole is sometimes referred to as the “fuzzy, orange donut”. After the makeover, the central region of the black hole is larger and darker. The surrounding bright accreting gas now appears to be shaped like a “skinny donut”, according to researchers from the Institute for Advanced Study in New Jersey. The researchers used the data obtained by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration in 2017 and artificial intelligence to give the black hole image a makeover. The width of the thin bright ring in the image is now smaller by about a factor of two. 

Link Between Body And Mind Is Embedded In Brain Structure, Scientists Find

Philosophers and doctors always advise people to control their mind in order to have proper bodily functions, and to maintain a healthy body to have a healthy mind. While the mind and body have always been associated with each other on a spiritual level, new evidence suggests that the inextricable intertwinement is more than just an abstraction. The link between the body and mind is embedded in the brain structure, scientists led by the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis have found. There are certain parts of the brain that control movement. These areas are plugged into networks involved in thinking and planning. These networks are also involved in the control of involuntary bodily functions such as blood pressure and heart beat. The findings suggest that a literal linkage of body and mind exists in the structure of the brain. The newly identified network, which includes three special areas on each half of the brain, and connects the key motor areas of the brain to areas involved in thinking, planning and control of basic bodily functions such as heart rate and blood pressure, has been named the Somato (body)-Cognitive (mind) Action Network, or SCAN. The special areas themselves are not directly involved in movement despite lying in the motor region of the brain, but become activated when a person thinks about moving. 

SpaceX Starship, Most Powerful And Largest Rocket Ever Built, Explodes During First Orbital Flight Test

Starship, the name for the fully integrated system of the Starship spacecraft and reusable launch vehicle Super Heavy, exploded during its first orbital flight test on Thursday, April 20, 2023. Starship, designed and manufactured by SpaceX, is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. On Thursday, SpaceX launched Starship from Starbase in Texas as part of the first orbital flight test of the rocket. Starship took off into space at 8:33 am CT (7:03 pm IST) on Thursday. A few minutes after launch, Starship exploded. According to SpaceX, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly before stage separation. SpaceX also said in a mission update that teams will continue to review data and work toward their next flight test of Starship. 

ENTERTAINMENT

‘An Attempt To Tarnish My Image’: Honey Singh Reacts To Kidnapping And Assault Complaint

Singer and rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh has been all over the news lately due to his legal troubles. Honey was accused of kidnapping and assaulting one of his event organisers, Vivek Ravi Raman. On Thursday, he reportedly had a police case filed against him at the Bandra Kurla Complex. Now, Honey Singh turned to his social media to explain his side of the story. The rapper has finally spoken on the situation, calling the complaint and news “false and baseless.”

Shailesh Lodha Sues ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’ Producer Asit Modi

Shailesh Lodha, who played the titular role in the cult TV show ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’, is taking legal action against the show producer Asit Modi. Last year, Shailesh Lodha had quit the show due to an alleged rift with the showrunner Asit Modi. Earlier this year, it was reported that Lodha had been waiting for more than six months to clear his dues of over a year.

Yash Chopra’s Wife Pamela Chopra Passes Away At 74

On April 20, Pamela Chopra, wife of Bollywood director Yash Chopra, died early in the morning. She was 74 years old. Pamela Chopra reportedly had to be hospitalised at Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital owing to age-related health problems. Her condition worsened to the point that she needed to be placed on a ventilator.