News Dabba for 25 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 the Water Metro inauguration in Kochi, SC issuing notice to the Delhi government, to the ceasefire in Sudan.

NDTV reports Kerala gets its first Vande Bharat train, Water Metro

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday flagged off Kerala's first Vande Bharat Express train from Thiruvananthapuram. NDTV reports that the PM also inaugurated the Kochi Water Metro, a one-of-its-kind project that connects 10 islands through electric hybrid boats. The Vande Bharat train will cover 11 districts. The report says that the train has been touted by many as an alternative to the ruling Left Democratic Front government's ambitious semi-high speed rail corridor - SilverLine. The Kochi Water Metro is a one-of-its-kind project that connects 10 islands around Kochi through battery-operated electric hybrid boats for seamless connectivity with the city. Read the full report here.

SC issues notice to Delhi government on plea of 7 women wrestlers

The Hindu reports that the Supreme Court on Tuesday said the sexual harassment allegations raised by seven women wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh are “serious”. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud decided to examine the petition. The report adds that the case has been listed for hearing on Friday. The court issued formal notice and allowed petitioners liberty to serve copies of their petition to counsel for the Delhi government. Read the full report here.

Warring sides agree to ceasefire in Sudan, BBC reports

A ceasefire in Sudan appears to be holding after taking effect at midnight, BBC reports. It is the fourth attempt to stop the fighting which began on April 15, with previous truces not observed. As per the report, at least 400 people have been killed in the hostilities. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the 72-hour truce had been agreed between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after 48 hours of negotiations, the report adds. Both sides in the conflict independently announced their involvement in the ceasefire. Read the full report here.

Ukraine’s allies denounce ‘cynical’ Russian meeting at UN

Ukraine’s international allies blasted Russia during a United Nations Security Council meeting chaired by Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Al Jazeera reports tat the allies said that the meeting was focussed on protecting the principles of the UN’s charter, which Moscow itself is accused of violating by invading Ukraine last year. In a note to UN member states laying out the premise for the meeting on Monday, Russia denounced the “unipolar world order” that took effect after the end of the Cold War. Before the meeting, Lavrov said the UN system was “enduring a profound crisis”. He accused Western countries, particularly the United States, of being responsible. Read the full report here.

India to pass China this week as world's most populous nation: The Straits Times

The United Nations said on Monday that India will overtake China as the world’s most populous country in the coming week, The Straits Times reports adding that the country is hitting almost 1.43 billion people. Last week, the UN’s annual State of World Population report had said the milestone would come by mid-year 2023. India is topping China due to both rapid growth in its own population and a decline in China’s, the report adds. The China data does not include Taiwan, Hong Kong or Macau. Meanwhile, UN says that India’s population “is virtually certain” to continue to grow in the coming decades. Read the full report here.