News Dabba for 16 March 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 Army’s Cheetah helicopter crash, world Cocaine production hitting record levels, to Parliament adjourning again on Thursday over chaos.

Al Jazeera reports protests resume in Israel over judiciary crisis

Al Jazeera reports that Israeli protesters have pressed ahead with demonstrations against a plan by the far-right government to weaken the independence of the judiciary.  The protesters pushed back against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he rejected a compromise proposal from President Isaac Herzog that was meant to diffuse the crisis, the report adds. The drive by Netanyahu’s government to enact sweeping changes to Israel’s courts has sparked domestic uproar and alarm among the country’s Western allies. Read the full report here.

Army’s Cheetah helicopter crashes near Arunachal’s Bomdila: Indian Express

An Indian Army Aviation Cheetah helicopter flying an operational sortie near Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh, crashed Thursday. Indian Express reports that the helicopter is reported to have lost contact with the ATC at around 9:15 am. According to the Army, a search has been launched to locate the pilots. As per the report, the ageing Chetak and Cheetah helicopters with the IAF and the Army are in dire need of replacement. Read the full report here.

Cocaine production reaches record levels post Covid, BBC reports

Global cocaine production has reached record levels as demand rebounds following Covid lockdowns, BBC says as per a new report. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime said coca cultivation rose by 35 percent between 2021 and 2022 to record levels. Findings suggest new hubs for trafficking have emerged in West and Central Africa. BBC adds that the report says traffickers were using international postal services more often to get drugs to consumers. Europe and North America are the largest markets for cocaine. Read the full report here.

Both Houses adjourned once again amid loud protests, The Hindu

Once again on Thursday, both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day amid loud sloganeering by the BJP and Opposition members. The Hindu reports that both Houses did not even function for a whole minute after resuming proceedings at 2 pm. So far, the second part of the session has failed to transact any major legislative business due to repeated disruptions, the report adds. The Congress has accused the Modi government of not allowing the Opposition to raise its demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee into the Adani issue. The ruling party has been demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi over his recent comments about Indian democracy in London. Read the full report here.

Reuters Report: Credit Suisse thrown $54 bln lifeline

Reuters reports that Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) said on Thursday it would borrow up to $54 billion from Switzerland's central bank to shore up liquidity and investor confidence. The move comes after a slump in its shares had intensified fears about a global banking crisis. The bank's announcement prompted a 24 percent rise in Credit Suisse shares, the report adds. Credit Suisse is the first major global bank to be thrown an emergency lifeline since the 2008 financial crisis. Read the full report here.