News Dabba for 03 January 2025: 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 PM Modi attacking AAP, Rohit Sharma's test cricket retirement to China battling new 'mystery' virus outbreak. 

The Hindu reports, PM Modi likens AAP to ‘aapda’ for Delhi, calls for its defeat in polls

A report byThe Hindu says that on Friday India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the AAP as an "aapda" for Delhi, saying this "aapda" has taken the national capital in its grip in the past 10 years. The PM was addressing a gathering of people after launching a slew of infrastructure projects in Delhi, the national capital. He hit out at the city government led by AAP and claimed the situation in the national capital would worsen if its reign continued. While accusing the AAP government of committing corruption in a host of sectors ranging from school education to fighting pollution and liquor trade, he said the Union Territory government stands for brazen lies. On the other hand the Centre is making a lot of efforts, he saida, according to the report. Next month will the election season for the city, so it seems Modi has lauched a war this 'aapda (disaster)', says the report. Read the full report here.

Indian Express: Selectors told Rohit Sharma they were looking beyond him after BGT

An Indian Express report claims to have inside information about discussions in India cricket team's dressing room and it understands that Rohit Sharma isn’t part of the selectors plan beyond the Australia tour when it comes to red-ball cricket. It has already been communicated to Sharma prior to the Sydney Test, the report further claims. The selectors will also sit with Virat Kohli to discuss the way forward as the team is all set to enter its biggest-ever transition, post the Australia tour. Ravindra Jadeja and other senior players will continue to remain in the scheme of things. At the toss and later, as the Indian playing XI lined up for the national anthem at the SCG, Rohit Sharma was conspicuous by his absence.With regards to Rohit Sharma not playing at Sydney, it seems to have been a decision taken by the player and head coach Gautam Gambhir after the meeting with the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, the report mentions. Read the full report here. 

China battles new 'mystery' virus outbreak five years after Covid pandemic, Hindustan Times

Hindustan Times reports that as winter sets in, China is grappling with a surge of respiratory illnesses, notably human metapneumovirus (HMPV). This outbreak comes five after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the report suggests that hospitals and crematories are struggling to cope with the rising number of cases. In videos circulating on social media some users claim that multiple viruses, including HMPV, influenza A, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and even Covid-19, are circulating simultaneously. The situation has sparked fears of overwhelmed healthcare facilities, particularly in children's hospitals, which are reportedly under strain due to a sharp increase in pneumonia and 'white lung' cases, a term often used to describe severe pneumonia symptoms.While some have speculated that China has declared a state of emergency, there has been no official confirmation from either the Chinese government or the World Health Organisation (WHO). Read The full report here. 

BBC on Attempt to arrest S Korea president suspended after dramatic standoff

South Korean police have called off an attempt to arrest suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol, BBC reports, after a dramatic six-hour long standoff with security. Police were trying to carry out an arrest warrant issued earlier this week after Yoon ignored three summonses for him to appear for questioning. But the 150 officers involved found themselves helplessly outnumbered - first by the large number of pro-Yoon supporters who had gathered outside his residence before sunrise, and then by a human wall of security staff inside the property, the report mentions. Yoon is currently under investigation for abusing his power and inciting an insurrection when he tried to impose martial law in early December. The operation to arrest Yoon started out with a 20-strong team, but quickly multiplied to some 150 people. Even then, they were outnumbered, says the report. Read the full report here.

Texas man who backed Islamic State acted alone in New Orleans attack, FBI says as per Reuters

The US Army veteran who killed 14 people by ramming a truck into a crowd of New Year's Day revelers in New Orleans had pledged allegiance to Islamic State, reuters reports. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Texas native who once served in Afghanistan, appeared to have made recordings in which he condemned music, drugs and alcohol and acted alone in the attack, says the report citing FBI. This reverses an earlier assessment that the attacker may have had accomplices. Jabbar was killed in a shootout with police after the rampage, which also injured dozens of people and has been labeled by the FBI as an act of terrorism, the report highlights. The massacre on New Orleans' famed Bourbon Street in the French Quarter during a holiday celebration and an explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas have made for an unnerving start to the new year in the US. Read the full report here.