News Dabba 29 September: Five stories across the web for a balanced news diet

Indie Journal 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's Supreme Court upholding every woman's right to legal abortion, Hurrican Ian's impact in Florida, to America's big dollar Pacific Islands deal.

Bihar Officer in trouble for "Want condoms?" reply to schoolgirl: NDTV

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has sought an explanation from the Bihar IAS officer who told a schoolgirl "you'd want condoms too" after she asked if the government could make sanitary pads more widely available. The NDTV reported that NCW said the officer — Harjot Kaur Bhamra, Managing Director of the Bihar Women and Child Development Corporation — has to reply within seven days. She had yesterday said her remarks at an event on Tuesday were misreported. The report adds that videos showed how Harjot Kaur Bhamra had a series of snarky answers to questions by girls on stage. Read the full report on NDTV.

BBC reports cities flooded as Hurricane Ian crosses Florida

BBC reports that Hurricane Ian, one of the most dangerous storms to hit the US in years, has left millions in Florida without power and floodwaters surging inland. The hurricane made landfall at around 15:10 local time on Wednesday, smashing into the coast with wind speeds of 241km/h. The report adds that Ian has now been downgraded from a category four to a category one storm. However, Floridians have been warned that the most dangerous 24 hours lay ahead. Cuba's western coast was hit by Hurricane Ian on Tuesday. Read the full report on BBC.

All women, SC says, have right to legal and safe abortion, the Hindu reports

The Supreme Court on Thursday held that all women, irrespective of their marital status, are entitled to safe and legal abortion till 24 weeks of pregnancy under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act. The Hindu's report on the same said that a Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, J.B. Pardiwala and A.S. Bopanna delivered the verdict on the interpretation of the MTP Act. The court said the distinction between married and unmarried women under the abortion laws is “artificial and constitutionally unsustainable” and perpetuates the stereotype that only married women are sexually active. Read the full report on the Hindu.

US has agreed Pacific Islands deal involving big dollar numbers, Al Jazeera

The United States says it has agreed on a partnership with the Pacific Islands that offers the prospect of “big dollar” help to a region where China has been expanding its influence, Al Jazeera reports. US President Joe Biden is hosting leaders and representatives from 14 island nations for a two-day summit at the White House. The news adds citing another report that the Biden administration would announce it would invest more than $860m in expanded programmes to aid the islands, on top of more than $1.5bn provided over the past decade. All visiting leaders, including Solomon Islands’ President Manasseh Sogavare, had agreed to the 11-point statement. Read the full report on Al Jazeera.

The Straits Times reports at least 2 lakh Russians have left country since Putin's draft began

At least 200,000 Russians have left the country in the week since President Vladimir Putin announced a partial military mobilisation, the Straits Times reported. The figures, the report said, were provided by Russia's neighbours. The government of Kazakhstan said on Tuesday that 98,000 Russians entered the country in the last week and Georgia's interior minister said more than 53,000 people crossed into the country from Russia since September 21. The independent Latvian-based Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta Europe cited what it said was a security service estimate, provided by an unnamed source, of 261,000 men having left the country by Sunday. Read the full report on TST.