News Dabba for 11 August 2023: 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 a big revamp of Indian criminal laws proposed, 55 dead in Hawaii fires, to Russia's first mission to the moon in nearly 50 years.

Fires in Hawaii leave 55 dead and hundreds missing, BBC reports

The number of people killed in the Hawaii wildfires has risen to 55, BBC reports. Police say that as many as 1,000 may be missing on the island of Maui. The report quotes Governor Josh Green saying the fires are the "largest natural disaster in Hawaii state history". It is said that 80 percent of the historic seaside town of Lahaina is "gone". In Lahaina, tourists were forced to jump into the sea and tread water for hours, the report mentions. Tens of thousands of visitors have been evacuated while 11,000 people remain without power on the western side of the island. Read the full report here.

NDTV report on big revamp of Indian criminal laws introduced in Parliament

The government today introduced bills for the complete overhaul of colonial-era Indian criminal laws. NDTV reports the 1860 Indian Penal Code will be replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita will replace the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Bharatiya Sakshya will replace Indian Evidence Act. All three have been referred to a Standing Committee for review, it adds. Further, a new offence on acts of secession, armed rebellion, subversive activities, separatist activities or endangering the sovereignty or unity and integrity of India has been added in the revised laws. he sedition law "has been repealed", said Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the report adds. Read the full report here.

SC Collegium recommends transfer of 24 HC judges: The Hindu

The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the transfer of 24 judges from High Courts across the country. The Hindu's report says this comes despite requests from several of them to reconsider its decision. While some judges urged the Collegium to rethink their transfers, others sought a shift to High Courts in neighbouring States. A few gave the apex court body the names of cities they did not mind moving into. The Collegium has declined to retract any of the 24 proposed transfers, the report says. Read the full report here.

Haryana says Nuh, Gurgaon demolition drive as per law, Indian Express

The counsel for the Haryana government told the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday that the question of ‘ethnic cleansing’ in the demolition drive carried out in Nuh and Gurgaon earlier this month did not arise. Indian Express reports that the government said the exercise was undertaken as per law. The suo motu PIL on the alleged illegal demolition drive in Haryana following communal violence came up for hearing before a division bench of Justices Arun Palli and Jagmohan Bansal. the Bench said the case should be placed before the Chief Justice as per high court rules. The matter will now be placed before the Chief Justice, the report says. Read the full report here.

Al Jazeera: Russia launches first mission to the moon in nearly 50 years

Russia has launched its first mission to the moon in nearly 50 years, Al Jazeera reports. The launch of the Luna-25 craft to the moon on Friday was Russia’s first since 1976 when it was part of the Soviet Union. The report adds it was conducted without assistance from the European Space Agency, which ended cooperation with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. The launch from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Far East took place at 2:10am Moscow time Friday. The four-legged lander is due to reach lunar orbit in five days and the report adds that it will then spend between three and seven days choosing the right spot before landing in the lunar south pole area. Read the full report here.