News Dabba for 12 February 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 ED's revelation on Lottery King's shell companies, Maharashtra's important decision on mass copying, to the fate of Gaza truce.

ED says Lottery King set up 350 shell firms only to hold properties: Indian Express

After almost a decade since it registered its first case in Kochi against lottery king Santiago Martin and his companies, the Enforcement Directorate has assessed that the group has incorporated more than 350 entities or “shell” companies where little or no business activities are being conducted, The Indian Express reports. Top ED officials said that of the 350 entities incorporated by Martin and his family members, there were 15 partnership firms, 200 companies and 110 limited liability partnerships (LLPs). According to an assessment by the agency, these firms have been found to be only  “land-holding entities”, the report adds, without any actual business and no other source of funds except “diversion” from the lottery business to acquire properties. Read the full report here.

Maharashtra exam centres with mass copying cases to be barred permanently, NDTV

The examination centres where mass copying for classes 10 and 12 board exams is reported will be barred permanently, NDTV reports as per Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Forty two cases of copying were reported on the first day of the HSC examination for class 12 on Tuesday, according to the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE). Mr Fadnavis on Tuesday asked officials to monitor sensitive examination centres through drones and video cameras. The report adds that he directed the sacking of school employees or teachers if they were involved in facilitating copying. The decision was taken in the state cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Read the full report here.

Netanyahu threatens to resume Israel’s war on Gaza if captives not released, Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera reports that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to resume the war on Gaza unless Hamas releases the captives held there by Saturday. The continuation of the ceasefire, which began on January 19, has been called into question after Hamas officials said Israel has violated key provisions of the agreement, prompting it to call off the release of three more captives on Saturday. Hamas said Israeli ceasefire violations have reached a point where it would no longer hold up its end of the bargain and will delay the release of an upcoming group of Israeli captives indefinitely, the report adds. Read the full report here.

Laid-off Meta employee says workers who took leaves were targeted, Hindustan Times reported

Meta has begun a fresh round of layoffs with an aim to trim its workforce by 5 percent. Hindustan Times reports that the layoffs will affect roughly 3,600 workers across Europe, Asia and the US, the report said as per the Business Insider. In an internal memo, the tech giant claimed that the job cuts will be performance-based, targeting employees who have failed to meet expectations. However, a handful of employees who were let go by Meta have already disputed this claim, the report mentions, saying they never received a bad review during their time with the company. Read the full report here.

BBC reports dozens evacuated in Argentine skyscraper fire

BBC reports that more than 100 people were evacuated from a luxury residential tower in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, as a fire spread through several floors. Forty people were treated for smoke inhalation and several others were admitted to hospital before the blaze was controlled. The cause of the fire is not yet known, the report says. The 50-floor building is located in the exclusive neighbourhood of Puerto Madero. Read the full report here.