News Dabba for 15 January 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 DGCA's SOPs to handle passenger discomfort amid fog delays, Oxford's first human vaccine trials for the deadly Nipah virus, to Nauru cutting diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

DGCA to issue SOPs to handle passenger discomfort amid fog delays: Hindustan Times

The aviation regulator- Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will issue standard operating procedures (SOPs) for airlines on better communication and facilitation of passengers to minimise their discomfort when flights are cancelled or delayed because of adverse weather, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Monday. Hindustan Times reports that the minister posted on X about various steps taken by the stakeholders to mitigate passenger inconvenience and asked them to “bear” with them. This comes after Delhi witnessed unprecedented fog on Sunday and visibility fluctuated for several hours, at times dropping to zero between 5 am to 9 am. The report mentions that at least 400 flights were delayed and others were diverted or cancelled. Read the full report here.

Oxford scientists launch first human vaccine trials for deadly Nipah virus, The Hindu

Scientists at the University of Oxford in the UK have launched first-in-human vaccine trials for the deadly Nipah virus which impacts many Asian countries, including India, The Hindu reports. The trials of the ChAdOx1 NipahB vaccine, consisting of 51 people aged 18 to 55, will be led by the Oxford Vaccine Group. Nipah virus is a devastating disease that can be fatal in around 75% of cases, the researchers said. Despite the first outbreaks of the Nipah virus occurring 25 years ago in Malaysia and Singapore, there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments, the report says. Read the full report here.

Reuters on Israel pounding targets across Gaza

Reuters reported that Israeli forces bombarded targets in the south, north and centre of the Gaza Strip on Monday ahead of an expected announcement by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on the fate of three Israeli hostages shown in a video clip at the weekend. The report says 12 Palestinians were killed and others wounded in an Israeli airstrike overnight on a house in Gaza City in the north, health officials said. Palestinian Press Agency SAFA reported fierce clashes between Hamas militants and Israeli forces in Khan Younis, while Israeli tank barrages were also reported near the Al-Bureij and Al-Maghazi refugee camps in central Gaza. Read the full report here.

IndiGo pilot slapped by flier after 13-hour delay: NDTV report

A passenger aboard an IndiGo flight physically assaulted the aircraft's pilot while he was making an announcement regarding delays. A video of the assault is now viral on social media. NDTV reports that the incident took place on the IndiGo flight (6E-2175) from Delhi to Goa which was delayed due to fog by several hours on Sunday. The passenger has been identified as Sahil Kataria. The pilot has filed a complaint against him and the airline is currently in the process of filing an official case, the report adds. Read the full report here.

Nauru cuts diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of China, BBC reports

One of Taiwan's last diplomatic allies has cut ties with the island in favour of Beijing, BBC reports. Nauru, a tiny Micronesian island, was just one of 12 countries that kept diplomatic ties with Taipei. Taiwan suggests this latest loss is related to the weekend's election results, which angered China, the report says. This is not the first time Nauru has cut ties with Taiwan. The report mentions that in 2002, Nauru made a similar diplomatic switch to China. Read the full report here.