News Dabba for 08 February 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 Pakistan elections, India's suspension of the Free Movement Regime with Myanmar, to another volcanic eruption in Iceland.

Pakistan cuts mobile internet as polls held, BBC reports

BBC reports that Pakistan has suspended mobile calls and data services as millions head to the polls to vote in a new government. An interior ministry spokesman said the measure was warranted, citing recent incidents of terror in the country. The report adds that the election comes almost two years since the previous prime minister, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, was ousted in a no-confidence vote. Three-time PM Nawaz Sharif is now on the ballot in what many analysts say is Pakistan's least credible election yet. Khan was jailed on corruption charges last year and is barred from standing. Read the full report here.

India suspends Free Movement Regime with Myanmar, The Hindu

India has suspended the Free Movement Regime along the Myanmar border with immediate effect. The Hindu reports that this would mean people living in border areas, who could cross over to India, will require visas. The Hindu had reported last month that the Union government is actively considering scrapping the arrangement. The Free Movement Regime between India and Myanmar dates back to the 1970s, the report adds. Read the full report here.

TeleSUR: 5.5 tons of Fukushima radioactive water leak into the ocean

Fukushima Central Television reported that approximately 5.5 tons of water containing radioactive materials have leaked from an equipment at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, according to a report by TeleSUR. The Japanese plant has been generating a massive amount of water tainted with radioactive substances from cooling down the nuclear fuel in the reactor buildings. The amount of water that leaked was approximately 5.5 tons, which may contain 22 billion becquerels of radioactive materials such as cesium and strontium, the report says. Most of the leaked water appeared to have seeped into the soil, but monitoring of a nearby drainage channel did not show any significant radiation level changes. Read the full report here.

NDTV on Congress's Salman Khurshid's wife facing arrest warrant over funds misuse

NDTV reports that an MP-MLA court has issued an arrest warrant against Louise Khurshid, wife of former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid in a case involving alleged misuse of government funds. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Shambhavi of the special MP-MLA court on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant against two persons including Louise Khurshid in this regard and fixed February 16 as the next date of hearing. The FIR says the funds misuse occurred at a programme of distribution of artificial limbs and equipment was organised by Dr Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust for Disabled Persons, run by Dr Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust of Louise Khurshid in the Bhojipura area of the district. Read the full report here.

Iceland volcano erupts again: The Straits Times

A volcano erupted on Thursday in south-west Iceland for the second time in 2024, the country’s meteorological office said. The Straits Times reports that this is the sixth outbreak on the Reykjanes peninsula since 2021. Live video from the area showed fountains of bright-orange molten rock spewing from fissures in the ground. “Warning: A volcanic eruption started north of Sylingarfell,” the Met Office said on its website. The previous eruption started on January 14 and lasted roughly two days. Read the full report here.