News Dabba for 20 April 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 dozens killed in crush at a Ramzan charity event in Yemen, Surat court dismissing Rahul Gandhi's plea, to Khartoum residents facing food and water shortages in Khartoum.

Al Jazeera report: Dozens killed in crush at Ramzan charity event in Yemen

At least 78 people have been killed in a crush at a school in Yemen’s capital Sanaa just days before the Eid al-Fitr festival, according to Houthi officials and media. Al Jazeera reported that the crush happened late on Wednesday as hundreds of people crowded into a school in the Bab al-Yemen district of Sanaa in the hope of getting a charitable donation of about $10 that was being handed out by merchants to mark the final days of Ramzan. The report adds a video posted by Houthi television on the Telegram messaging app showed a crowd of people jammed together, some screaming and shouting and reaching out to be pulled to safety. Read the full report here.

Surat court dismisses Rahul Gandhi's plea for stay on conviction, TOI reports

A Surat court on Thursday dismissed Rahul Gandhi's plea seeking a stay on conviction in the criminal defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark, Times of India reports. A stay on conviction by the sessions court could have paved the way for Rahul's reinstatement as a Member of Parliament (MP). In March, the former Congress president was sentenced to two years in jail in the defamation case, the report adds. On April 3, the Surat sessions court granted bail to the Congress leader, who had filed an appeal following his conviction in the case. Rahul Gandhi was a Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad but was disqualified after a lower court in Surat sentenced him to two years in jail on March 23. Read the full report here.

Bilawal Bhutto to attend SCO meet in India, Hindustan Times

Hindustan Times reports that Pakistan announced on Thursday that foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will head the country’s delegation at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit to be held in May in Goa. Bilawal’s visit to India is the first by any Pakistani leader after Nawaz Sharif in 2014, the report adds. Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a briefing that the SCO foreign ministers meeting is scheduled from May 4-5. Bilawal is also the first foreign minister to visit India 12 years after former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar came to India. Read the full report here.

Thailand air pollution leads millions to seek medical help: The Straits Times

About 2.4 million people in Thailand have sought hospital treatment for medical problems linked to air pollution since the start of 2023, health officials said. The Straits Times reported that Bangkok and the northern city of Chiang Mai were among the most polluted cities in the world on Thursday morning. There were 1,84,465 hospital admissions this week alone, Public Health Department Permanent Secretary Opas Karnkawinpong said on Wednesday. Read the full report here.

Khartoum residents fear food shortages amid fighting: BBC reports

Ongoing fighting in Sudan's capital is now severely affecting food supplies, as well as disrupting access to water and electricity. In the special report by BBC, a resident is quoted saying that "We only have enough food for two days." It adds water and electricity cuts have affected many Sudanese homes since clashes began between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group and the Sudanese army on 15 April. More than 270 people had died, according to a statement from the US embassy in Khartoum. Read the full report here.