News Dabba for 16 January 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 the 8th Pay Commission, attack om Saif Ali Khan to Gaza ceasefire deal.

8th Pay Commission for central government employees approved by Cabinet: Hindustan Times

Hindustan Times reports that the Union Cabinet on Thursday approved to set up 8th Pay Commission to revise salaries of central government employees and allowances of pensioners. The decision to set up the 8th Pay Commission was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. The report says that the minister informed that the chairman and two members of the Commission will be appointed soon. Read the full report here.

Gaza ceasefire deal reached by Israel and Hamas, BBC reports

Israel and Hamas have agreed a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal following 15 months of war, BBC reports as per the mediators Qatar and the US. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said the agreement would come into effect on Sunday so long as it was approved by the Israeli cabinet. US President Joe Biden said it would "halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much needed-humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families". The report adds Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the deal's final details were still being worked on, but he thanked Biden for "promoting" it. Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya said it was the result of Palestinian "resilience". Read the full report here.

Doctors say Saif out of danger after stabbing incident, NDTV reports

NDTV reports that Saif Ali Khan's spinal fluid leaked out after shards of the attacker's knife lodged into his spine during the actor's fight with the intruder at his Bandra home last night, a doctor at Lilavati Hospital said today. The doctor said they repaired the spinal injury and also performed plastic surgeries on his hand and neck, where he was stabbed. He added that the 54-year-old actor is out of danger and recovering well. In his statement to the media, the report adds, Dr Nitin Dange said, "Saif Ali Khan was admitted to the hospital at 2 am with an alleged history of assault by some unknown person. He sustained a major injury to the thoracic spinal cord due to a lodged knife in the spine," he said. Read the full report here.

WHO reports outbreak of Marburg virus in Tanzania, TeleSUR reports

A suspected outbreak of the Marburg virus in northwest Tanzania has infected nine people, killing eight, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). TeleSUR reports that this alarming development comes just weeks after neighboring Rwanda declared its own outbreak of the deadly virus officially over. The Marburg virus, a highly contagious hemorrhagic fever with a fatality rate of up to 88%, is closely related to Ebola. Both viruses are endemic to East Africa and are believed to be transmitted to humans through fruit bats. The recent Tanzanian outbreak has been reported in the Kagera region, which shares a border with Rwanda.The WHO confirmed it received reports of the suspected cases on January 10. Read the full report here.

Indian Express: Cabinet okays third launch pad at Sriharikota

The Union Cabinet approved the setting up of a third launch pad at the country’s only spaceport in Sriharikota on Thursday, Indian Express reports, a day when the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) completed its historic docking experiment. The new launch pad will be required for the space agency to become future ready to use the heavier Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) that it is currently developing. It will also be essential for India’s plan of setting up the Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035 and sending a human to moon by 2040. The third launch pad will be built with a configuration support of NGLV launches and the current vehicle with the heaviest capacity, LVM3, both of which use semi-cryogenic engines. Read the full report here.