News Dabba for 03 January 2024: Five stories 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 the Supreme Court's clean chit to Adani Group in Hindenburg case, Japan's twin probes into rare Tokyo runway collision, to Claudie Gay's resignation.

The Hindu reports manufacturing activity hit 18-month low in December

India’s manufacturing activity slipped to an 18-month low in December 2023, The Hindu reports as per the HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index. Its reading for the month stood at 54.9 compared to 56 in November. A reading of over 50 on the index indicates expansion in activity. Factories’ output grew at the slowest pace since October 2022, with demand for certain types of products fading, and new orders expanded at a pace that was the weakest in a year-and-a-half. International orders continued to grow in December, but at the joint-slowest rate in eight months. Read the full report here.

Supreme Court backs SEBI clean chit to Adani Group in Hindenburg case, NDTV reports

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the report by the OCCRP can't be the basis for doubting the capital markets regulator SEBI's investigation into the Hindenburg case. NDTV reported that delivering the judgment, a Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said there were no grounds to transfer the probe to a special investigation team (SIT). The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has investigated 22 out of the 24 cases linked to the US-based short seller Hindenburg Research's allegations. The report adds that the Supreme Court also ordered the government and SEBI to check whether Hindenburg has ignored rules in shorting the market and to take action accordingly. Read the full report here.

Claudine Gay resigns as Harvard University president, BBC reports

BBC reported that Claudine Gay resigns as Harvard University president. Harvard University's president has resigned after facing allegations of plagiarism and criticism over her comments about antisemitism on campus. The report says that Claudine Gay had faced mounting pressure to step down in recent weeks. In a letter announcing her resignation, she said it was in the "best interests" of the university for her to go. The 53-year-old served as president for six months and was the first black person, and the second woman, to be appointed to lead the Ivy League university. Read the full report here.

Oil tanker catches fire in Punjab's Khanna, Hindustan Times

An oil tanker caught fire after it hit a divider on a flyover in Khanna in Punjab's Ludhiana district, Hindustan Times reported. It led to panic in the area. The situation is now under control, Amneet Kondal, SSP, Khanna, said. According to local media reports, the vehicle was on its way from Jalandhar to Mandi Gobindgarh when it experienced tyre burst on a national highway, overturned, hit and divider, eventually catching fire, the report adds. Fortunately, however, there were no fatalities and injuries as the two occupants of the tanker. Read the full report here.

The Straits Times: Japan begins twin probes into rare Tokyo runway collision

The Straits Times reported that Japan’s transport authorities began inspecting the charred remains of a passenger jet and a coast guard plane that collided at a Tokyo airport on wednesday. Media reports said police were also investigating possible professional negligence in the case, it adds. All 379 people miraculously escaped the Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350 that erupted into flames after colliding with a De Havilland Dash-8 coast guard turboprop shortly after landing at Haneda Airport on January 2 evening. But five died among the six coast guard crew responding to a major earthquake on the west coast, while the captain, who escaped the wreckage, was badly injured. Read the full report here.