News Dabba for 09 October 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 Gaza ceasefire, three more cough syrups being flagged, to CJI BR Gavai's response to ‘shoe attack’ amid outrage.

Three more cough syrups flagged for dangerously high DEG levels, Indian Express explains

At least three cough syrups tested in the aftermath of the deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh were found to have higher than permissible limits of diethylene glycol (DEG) — a contaminant that is toxic for humans and can lead to acute kidney injury and failure. Indian Express reports that testing by state drug regulators revealed that the Gujarat-based Rednex Pharmaceutical’s Respifresh contained 1.3 percent DEG. The maximum permissible limit of this contaminant in pharmaceuticals is 0.1 percent. The Relife syrup, manufactured by another Gujarat-based company Shape Pharma, was found to contain 0.6 percent DEG. And, as earlier reported, the Tamil Nadu-based Sresan pharma’s Coldrif syrup was found to contain a very high 48.6% DEG. Read the full report here.

Trump says Israel, Hamas agree on ‘first phase’ of Gaza ceasefire, Al Jazeera reports

US President Donald Trump announced the breakthrough in a post on social media, saying Israel and Hamas have agreed on the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal, Al Jazeera reports. Qatar, a key mediator in the ceasefire talks, confirmed the development, saying an agreement has been reached on “all the provisions and implementation mechanisms” of the first phase of a ceasefire plan. Hamas said in a public statement that it has concluded an “agreement stipulating an end to the war on Gaza, the occupation’s withdrawal from it, the entry of aid, and a prisoner exchange”. Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 67,183 people and wounded 169,841 since October 2023, the report says. Read the full report here.

Hindustan Times on CJI BR Gavai's response to ‘shoe attack’ amid outrage

Hindustan Times reports that Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai on Thursday responded to the ‘shoe attack’ on him in the Supreme Court premises amid pouring public outrage over it, saying that he was “very shocked with what happened”. Speaking on the issue during a courtroom exchange, CJI also called it a “forgotten chapter” for him. Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, who was also on the bench, strongly disapproved of the attack. Read the full report here.

Special heavy rain warning issued for Tokyo’s Izu islands: The Straits Times

Japan’s weather agency issued a special heavy rain warning for Izu island chain, south of Tokyo, The Straits Times reports, cautioning about life-threatening conditions and urging residents to remain vigilant for landslides and flooding. The southern part of the chain saw record rainfalls as Typhoon Halong moved in a north-easterly direction over the Pacific, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue the alert covering Hachijo Island, some 280km south of the Japanese capital. The report says that the rainfall on Hachijo in the three hours till 7am (6am Singapore time) reached 207mm, the highest ever for the area. Read the full report here.

36% academic budget cut, women and research students vanish at JNU, India Today

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), once celebrated as India’s strongest public research university and a beacon of progressive thought, is now facing what teachers describe as a "severe crisis." India Today reports that a new 'State of the University' report by the JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) reveals that academic expenditure has plunged by 36 percent, while the share of women students and research scholars has fallen to around 40 percent, reversing decades of progress in inclusion and equity. In recent years, JNU has repeatedly clashed with the central government over issues ranging from campus dissent to academic autonomy. Read the full report here.