News Dabba for 26 January 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 India's Republic Day parade on the Kartavya Path, expanded Israeli settler plan, to unseasonal rains hamper coffee harvest in Karnataka.

Indian Express Republic Day Live Updates: PM Modi greets the crowd as Kartavya Path spectacle ends

As many as 23 tableaux, 17 from states and Union Territories and six from various ministries and departments, rolled down the Kartavya Path as part of the Republic Day parade, the Indian Express reported. As the spectacle came to an end, Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi greeted the crowd amid cheers, after bidding adieu to President Droupadi Murmu and her Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the chief guest at the event. The parade was kicked off in Delhi by the guest contingent of the Egyptian Armed Forces, followed by a show of strength by the Armed Forces. The report adds that only made-in-India weapons were on display at the parade this year. It also said that in another first, the parade witnessed a contingent of women armed police battalion of CRPF. Read the full report here.

Expanded Israeli settler plan revealed, Arab News reports

The Israeli government is planning unprecedented settlement activities in the West Bank, including the building of 18,000 housing units in the coming months, an Israeli newspaper revealed on Wednesday. Arab News reported that the move, which is seen as a serious threat to the Palestinians, was described by the Israeli newspaper Israel Today as a “revolution in Israeli politics in the West Bank” and a “mini-annexation.”. Under Israel’s One Million Settlers plan, approval will be given to thousands of settlements put on hold during the past two-and-a-half years. The project also envisages the construction of 18,000 units in the coming months, along with the transfer of hundreds of thousands of settlers to the West Bank, the report adds. Read the full report here.

Japan hunts for person who faxed bomb threats to schools, BBC

BBC reported that Japanese police are on the hunt for a person who sent bomb and death threats to hundreds of schools, prompting hasty closures. The report says the threats were faxed to high schools and universities earlier this week from a Tokyo-registered number. No explosives have been found in school buildings, according to police and there have been no reports of attacks on pupils and staff so far. Bomb threats are rare in Japan, which is known for its low crime rate. As per the report, the first wave of messages began on Monday, reaching schools and universities across the country. Read the full report here.

Unseasonal rains hamper coffee harvest in Karnataka, reports The Hindu

The Hindu reported that unseasonal rains have battered the plantation districts of Chikkakmagaluru, Kodagu, Hassan and Chamarajanagar in the last few days hampering coffee harvesting and berry drying activities. It also adversely impacted fresh blossoms in the region, said the Karnataka Planters’ Association (KPA) on Wednesday. The early arrival of blossom rains have affected the harvesting of coffee crop and may also cause damage to fresh blossoms. The report also adds that heavy rains in November and December 2022 had severely damaged standing coffee crops and coffee plants. Read the full report here.

The Wire: Students' screenings of BBC's banned Modi documentary make global headlines

The Wire today published a report on how the screenings of the banned BBC documentary by students in India made headlines across the world. The Government has banned the screenings of the documentary on PM Narendra Modi and the 2002 Gujarat riots. The report says students have argued that the documentary showcases an important event in India’s history – particularly so because Modi is now the prime minister – and have defied these bans to screen it. As per the report, screenings were attempted or held at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Universities in Kerala and Hyderabad. The action taken against the students – and their perseverance – has been covered by publications including the New York Times, NPR, CBS News, Washington Post, Al Jazeera, Fortune, South China Morning Post, Independent, NBC News, Slate and BBC itself. Read the full report here.