News Dabba for 22 April 2025: 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 Delhi HC slamming Ramdev's 'Sharbat Jihad' term, parliamentary surveys on One Nation One Election, to Tripura rains.

Ramdev to take down Rooh Afza videos after High Court rap, India Today

India Today reports that the Delhi High Court on Tuesday expressed strong displeasure with Baba Ramdev's recent comments that used terms such as "sharbat jihad" to target the popular drink Rooh Afza. The "indefensible" comments shock the "conscience of court", the Delhi High Court said on Tuesday morning as it heard a plea by Rooh Afza-maker Hamdard against Baba Ramdev's comments. Around an hour after the Delhi High Court's observation, the report says that Baba Ramdev's lawyer told the court that the Patanjali group would be taken down all the videos in question. Read the full report here.

Indian Express on One Nation One Election: Parliamentary panel to go on 4 ‘study tours’

The joint committee of Parliament looking into holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, referred to as ‘One Nation, One Election’, will go on four “study tours” in May and June, Indian Express reports, to gather views on two Bills on the matter. “The study tours will begin on May 17. We will cover Maharashtra on May 17-18. Then, Dehradun (Uttarakhand) from May 19 to May 21. We will cover the state of Uttarakhand,” P P Chaudhary, the chairperson of the committee, said on Tuesday, ahead of the panel’s seventh meeting. The two Bills, called the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, were introduced in the Lok Sabha by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on December 17, 2024, the report mentions. Read the full report here.

BBC reports, Putin suggests Russia open to direct talks with Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signalled he is open to bilateral talks with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky for the first time since the early stages of the war, BBC reports. Speaking to Russian state TV on Monday, Putin said Russia has "always looked positively on any peace initiatives. We hope that representatives of the Kyiv regime will feel the same way". Zelensky did not respond directly to Putin's comments, but the report says that he said Ukraine was "ready for any conversation" that would ensure the safety of civilians. Read the full report here.

Tripura heavy rains damage over 400 houses, NDTV reports

Over 400 houses were damaged as heavy rains, accompanied by thunderstorms, lashed Tripura, NDTV reports. Electricity connectivity was also disrupted, with 49 poles getting damaged. Two persons were injured at Karbook in the Gomati district as their houses collapsed, the report adds. All the major rivers, including Gomati, Muhuri and Feni, are flowing below the flood level. Read the full report here.

The Straits Times: Harvard University sues to block Trump from slashing funding

Harvard, the world’s wealthiest university, has sued the Trump administration, fighting back against its threats to slash billions of dollars from the school’s research funding as part of a crusade against the nation’s top colleges. The Straits Times reports that the lawsuit signalled a major escalation of the ongoing fight between higher education and US President Donald Trump, who has vowed to “reclaim” elite universities. The administration has cast its campaign as a fight against anti-Semitism, but has also targeted programmes and teaching related to racial diversity and gender ideology, the report mentions. Read the full report here.