News Dabba for 18 July 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 Teesta Setalvad's bail, Pilot thrashed by mob for torturing 10-year-old help, to heatwave in southern Europe.

Power transformer explodes in Uttarakhand's Chamoli, killing at least 15: The Hindu

Fifteen people were electrocuted and several injured in an accident at a power transformer at a Namami Gange project site on the banks of the Alaknanda River in the Chamoli district. The Hindu reported that The dead included three home guards and one policeman. Chamoli District Disaster Management Officer NK Joshi said the police had gone to the spot to prepare a report on the electrocution of a person working on the project site late on Tuesday. The report adds at that time, a surge of electricity at the same spot hit the police personnel and the curious onlookers, leading to deaths and injuries. Read the full report here.

Pilot thrashed by mob for torturing 10-year-old help, NDTV

NDTV reports that an IndiGo pilot and her husband, also an airline staff, were thrashed by a mob in Delhi's Dwarka for allegedly employing a 10-year-old girl as domestic help and torturing her. The pilot has been de-rostered by the airline, which said it is probing the matter. Videos of the incident surfaced on social media. According to reports, the couple hired a 10-year-old girl for domestic chores about two months back. Today, a relative of the girl spotted injury marks on her arms and informed the police. Read the full report here.

South Africa says Putin won’t attend BRICS summit, Al Jazeera reports

South Africa, the host of this year’s BRICS summit, has said Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending this year’s meeting, Al Jazeera reports. The South African Presidency highlighted that the decision was a “mutual agreement” between the two countries. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Putin in March. As an ICC member, South Africa is obliged to arrest Putin if he shows up for the summit, the report adds. On Tuesday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa asked permission from the ICC not to arrest Putin, saying doing so would amount to a declaration of war. Read the full report here.

Hindustan Times: Supreme Court grants regular bail to Teesta Setalvad

Supreme Court on Wednesday granted regular bail to Teesta Setalvad in connection with the FIR for allegedly fabricating evidence in the 2002 Gujarat riots cases. Hindustan Times reports that the top court quashed the Gujarat high court order denying her bail. The court further directed that during her bail, Setalvad's passport will remain deposited with the trial court. Read the full report here.

BBC reports nearly all major Italian cities on red heat alert

Red alerts for extreme heat are in place in most of Italy's main cities as a heatwave intensifies in Europe, BBC reports. Temperatures are expected to peak on Wednesday, with 23 cities on high alert - from Trieste in the north-east to Messina in the south-west. The warnings mean the heat poses a threat to everybody, the report says, and not just vulnerable groups. Wildfires are also raging across the continent, including in Greece and the Swiss Alps. The report explains that the heatwaves are being caused by a high pressure system bringing warmer, tropical air, south of a jet stream currently stuck over central Europe. Read the full report here.