News Dabba for 23 March 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 the continued logjam in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi sentenced in Surat court, to the Punjab vote delayed in Pakistan.

Indian Express report on logjam in Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned again abruptly Thursday with Congress-led Opposition seeking an opportunity for Rahul Gandhi to speak in the House and the ruling BJP demanding an apology from him for his London remarks. Indian Express report adds that when the House meets in the afternoon, discussions on demands for grants are listed. Guillotining of the demands for grants is expected to be taken up at 6 pm, it adds. The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned until 2 pm. Read the full report here.

Punjab vote is delayed, Imran Khan condemns the move, Al Jazeera

Pakistan’s election authorities have delayed the election for a crucial regional assembly. Al Jazeera reports that this comes after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government refused to provide the necessary funds and polling staff citing financial constraints. The elections for the legislative assembly in Punjab province, which were to be held on April 30, were delayed until October 8. Former prime minister and current opposition leader Imran Khan condemned the move. Read the full report here.

The Hindu reports Rahul Gandhi gets two years imprisonment in defamation case

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to two years imprisonment by a local court in Gujarat’s Surat, The Hindu reports. The action was in a criminal defamation case filed against him over his remark on the “Modi surname” that he had allegedly made during campaigning for the 2019 parliamentary polls. He was granted bail. The report adds the sessions court in Surat soon suspended the sentence for 30 days so that Gandhi can appeal in a higher court. Gandhi was present at the court when the judge passed the verdict. Read the full report here.

Australia PM unveils plan for historic Aborginal vote plan, BBC reports

BBC reports that Australia's leader has unveiled crucial details of a planned referendum for Aboriginal voice. If approved, the vote later this year would establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice - a formal body for Indigenous people to give advice on laws. The report says that this could see Australia change its constitution for the first time in almost 50 years. PM Anthony Albanese argues it would be a "very simple" but "momentous" change, as per the report. Read the full report here.

The Wire's analysis on Sri Lanka’s IMF Agreement

The Wire's analytical report on the approval of loans by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to crisis-stricken Sri Lanka says that the limited funds that will be released in installments will not alter the trajectory of a collapsing economy. Given Sri Lanka’s default on its external debt in April 2022, the debt restructuring process, is likely to drag on for months, if not years, the report says. However, Sri Lanka will likely be knocking on the door for another IMF agreement, it adds. The agreement is based on the same assumptions and projections rooted in the free market regime. Read the full report here.