News Dabba for 20 February 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 deadly storms on the Brazilian coast, Uddhav Thackeray saying the Election Commission should be dissolved, to Gautam Adani's net worth dropping below $50 billion.

BBC reports dozens killed as deadly storms hit Brazilian coast

Authorities in the Brazilian state of São Paulo say at least 36 people have been killed in heavy flooding and landslides, BBC reports. This has forced some cities to cancel annual Carnival celebrations. The video showed neighbourhoods under water, flooded motorways and debris left after houses were swept away. Rescue teams have been struggling to reach survivors and unblock roads. The report says more than 600mm of rain fell in some areas on Sunday, twice the expected amount for the month. Read the full report here.

Uddhav Thackeray says Election Commission should be dissolved, NDTV

Uddhav Thackeray said on Monday the Election Commission "should be dissolved" and election commissioners should be elected by the people, NDTV reports. His statment comes two days after the Thackeray-led faction lost the name and symbol of the Shiv Sena, the party founded by his father Bal Thackeray. "There is not a single instance where the party name and symbol were directly given to one faction," said the former Maharashtra Chief Minister, hours after challenging the Election Commission's decision in the Supreme Court. The report adds he accused the BJP of destroying democracy with the help of democratic institutions. Read the full report here.

Reuters report: Main Afghan-Pakistani border crossing closed

The main border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan was closed on Monday, officials from the two sides said. Reuters reports that residents in the area reported the sound of gunfire near the normally bustling border transit point. It was not immediately clear if Afghan or Pakistani authorities closed the Torkham border crossing, near the Khyber Pass. But it comes after relations between Afghanistan's ruling Taliban and Pakistan have deteriorated sharply. Read the full report here.

For first time in years, Gautam Adani's net worth drops below $50 billion, Hindustan Times

On Monday, the net worth of billionaire Gautam Adani slipped to less than $50 billion for the first time in several years. The real-time billionaires lists of both Forbes and Bloomberg ranked him as the twenty-fifth wealthiest person in the world, with a fortune of $48 billion (down $2.7 billion since yesterday) and $49.1 billion (down $1.15 billion) respectively. The report adds the massive drop in Adani's total wealth is largely due to a report published by Hindenburg Research. This, however, has failed to stop Adani's fall on the list of the world's wealthiest people. Read the full report here.

Govt considers phased withdrawal of Army from Kashmir hinterland

Three and a half years after the Union government revoked the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir amid deployment of large additional troops, it is discussing a proposal to withdraw the Indian Army completely from the Valley hinterland. Indian Express reports that if approved, the Army will have presence only on the Line of Control (LoC). Officials in the security establishment said the proposal to withdraw the Army from the Kashmir hinterland has been under discussion for about two years. It is at an “advanced stage” now with the involvement of the Union Ministry of Defence, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, armed forces and the J&K police, the report further says. It is proposed that the CRPF would fill in for the army personnel removed from the Valley. Read the full report here.