News Dabba 28 June: 5 stories across the web for a balanced news diet

Anushka Vani brings you the daily updates that the internet is talking about through various news websites. Here's a glance through some of the National and International news updates, from India and four other countries pledging to protect free speech at G7, 46 migrants found dead in a truck in San Antonio to the arrest of Alt News co-founder Mohmmad Zubair. 

India and 4 other countries pledge to protect free speech at G7, The Hindu

The Hindu reports today that the leaders of the powerful G7 and its five partner countries, including India, have said that they are committed to open public debate and the free flow of information online and offline while guarding the freedom, independence, and diversity of the civil society. The report also adds that Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi said that they are prepared to defend these principles and are resolved to protect the freedom of expression. Additionally, this statement has also stated that the joint settlement came amidst allegations that the Indian Government was suppressing the freedom of speech and the civil society actors. Read the full report on The Hindu.

CNN reports that 46 migrants were found dead inside a semi-truck in San Antonio

46 migrants have been found dead inside a semi-truck in San Antonio while 16 others have been hospitalised on Monday, as reported by CNN. Mayor Ron Nirenberg has called this a horrific human tragedy. Among the 16 individuals, 12 are adults and 4 are children who were taken to nearby medical facilities for further care. According to the report, authorities were alerted to the scene just before 6 pm when a worker in a nearby building heard a cry for help. The individuals who were found alive were hot to touch and suffering from heat stroke and exhaustion, as mentioned by San Antonio Chief, Charles Hood. The report also shared that there was no sign of water in the refrigerator tractor-trailer and no visible working air conditioning. Read the full report on CNN.

Indian Express reports about the FIR filed against Alt News Mohammed Zubair

The Indian Express has reported that Mohammed Zubair who is the co-founder of the fact-checking website Alt News, was arrested by the cyber unit of the Delhi as an FIR (First Information Report) was registered on June 20. The FIR was filed under Section 153-A that state promoting enmity between different groups, and Section 295-A which stands for malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings, of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) the complaint was raised from Arun Kumar, works with the Intelligence fusion & Strategic Operations Cell (IFSO). The report says that according to Kumar through Zubair’s tweet he shared a picture of a signboard of one hotel, “honeymoon hotel changed to hanuman hotel”. Read the full report on IE.  

In Indonesia, ‘pay later’ services leave some drowning in debt, Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera reports as buy now, pay (BNPL) later services take off in Southeast Asian countries where most of the people do not have a bank account. According to this it states that credit card applicants in Indonesia are typically required to provide proof of monthly earnings along with a healthy credit score. Nadhea Putri who has been experiencing mounting debt began with a single purchase of a mobile phone, followed by a 21-one-year-old university student who came across the BNPL services offered on the checkout page of a shopping app, this costed her nearly five times her monthly earnings. The report says that the BNPL services lets customers pay for the goods in installments at varying rates of interest. Read the full report on Al Jazeera.

ThePrint on why India has revived relations with Kabul, and why Taliban is welcoming

ThePrint’s opinion report is focused on the India-Afghanistan relationship, it states that by protecting the Indian Embassy in Kabul for the last ten months, the Taliban is sending a message to its neighbors and the rest of the world. Last week, the Indian Embassy reported in Afghanistan which marked the formal return of India nearly ten months after then-ambassador Rudrendra Tandon and his staff evacuated the chancery soon after the Taliban walked into the Afghan capital without firing shots. With the return of India to Afghanistan the Indian diplomats have found all the embassy property in good shape as Taliban made sure that all the properties had been properly guarded, while it has pillaged other embassy properties including the United States and Norway. Read the full report on ThePrint.