News Dabba for 20 December 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 614 new COVID cases in India, two more Lok Sabha MPs suspended, to a controversial immigration bill passed in France.

India logs 614 new COVID cases, Indian Express

India recorded 614 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, prompting the Union Health Minister to direct states to monitor emerging strains. Indian Express reported that this is the highest number of new cases detected since May 21. India now has 2,311 active cases. The report mentions that three new deaths have been reported from Kerala, taking the overall death toll to date to 5.33 lakh and the Covid case tally to 4.50 crore. Read the full report here.

The Hindu's live updates on Parliament session: Two more Lok Sabha MPs suspended

Two more Lok Sabha MPs, C. Thomas and A.M. Arif, were suspended from the Lower House for the remainder of the Winter Session on Wednesday for displaying placards in the House. The Hindu reports that the total number of MPs suspended this Session has risen to 143. Meanwhile, the Lower House continues to debate the three criminal Bills. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has moved in Rajya Sabha a Bill to amend the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. The Bill was earlier passed by the Lok Sabha. The report adds that the Upper House also took up Question Hour, after witnessing five unscheduled adjournments as Opposition members demanded a statement on the Parliament security breach. Read the full report here.

Colorado Supreme Court kicks Trump off ballot, BBC reports

Colorado's Supreme Court has ruled that Donald Trump cannot run for president next year in the state, citing a constitutional insurrection clause, BBC reports. The court ruled 4-3 that Trump was not an eligible candidate because he had engaged in an insurrection over the US Capitol riot nearly three years ago. It does not stop Mr Trump running in the other states and his campaign says it will appeal to the US Supreme Court, the report adds. The ruling only mentions the state's primary election on 5 March, when Republican voters will choose their preferred candidate for president. Read the full report here.

Hindustan Times: UGC asks varsities to integrate electoral literacy in curricular framework

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked universities and colleges to integrate electoral literacy in the curricular framework, evolve a robust mechanism to fulfill the aspirational goal of the Election Commission of India (ECI) of handing over voter IDs to every eligible student, organise mock polls and administer a pledge to vote by students. Hindustan Times reported that the higher education regulator on Tuesday wrote to the Vice Chancellors of all Universities and principals of all colleges in the country informing them that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Union Ministry of Education and ECI on November 2, 2023 to incorporate voter education and electoral literacy formally into the University/ and College education system to prepare future and new voters for greater electoral participation. Read the full report here.

France passes controversial immigration bill: The Guardian

The Guardian reports that the French government is facing a political crisis after the health minister Aurélien Rousseau offered his resignation in protest over a hardline immigration bill. Emmanuel Macron’s ruling centrist party was divided and soul-searching on Wednesday after a strict new immigration law was approved by parliament but contained so many hardline measures that the far-right Marine Le Pen claimed it as an “ideological victory” for her own anti-immigration platform. A key part of the bill was that some social security benefits for foreigners should be conditional on having spent five years in France, or 30 months for those with jobs. Read the full report here.