News Dabba for 26 June 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 traffic jam due to the Himachal landslide, conservatives winning the Greek Parliament, to the arrest of 11 in Nashik for beating to death man carrying meat.

The Hindu reports Sharad Pawar says No discussion held on 'PM post'

NCP president Sharad Pawar on Monday said no discussion took place on the "Prime Ministerial post" in the meeting of opposition parties held in Patna last week, The Hindu reports. There were discussions on issues like inflation, unemployment and "deliberate attempts" at some places to encourage communal forces, Pawar said. The report adds that he also hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party for its criticism of the opposition meeting. At a joint press meeting, the opposition parties said they would fight the polls on a common agenda and state-wise strategy, setting aside their differences. Read the full report here.

Himachal landslide nightmare for 200 standed tourists, NDTV reports

Around 200 people, most of them tourists, were stranded due to a block on the national highway connecting Mandi and Kullu in Himachal Pradesh. NDTV reports that most of them were stranded in a traffic jam at least 15 km-long, with no hotel room available and no clue on how long the wait will be. The highway has remained blocked since last evening following flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain in the hill state. Moreover, the report adds, the local weather office has issued alert for more rain and thunderstorms in Himachal over the next two days. Read the full report here.

Earth has two Swinhoe's Softshell Turtles left: TeleSUR report

TeleSUR reports that the Earth's last two Swinhoe's softshell turtles (Rafetus swinhoei) are both males. This has started a cruel countdown on the species' extinction. Critically endangered as listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the two belong to the world's largest and rarest living turtle species. The report says that one is in Vietnam, while the other is in the Suzhou Zoo in China. In April, Vietnam announced the much-lamented death of the only female Swinhoe's turtle on Earth, the report mentions. Read the full report here.

Hindustan Times: 11 arrested in Nashik for beating to death man carrying meat

Eleven members of a vigilante group have been arrested from Maharashtra’s Nashik for allegedly beating a 31-year-old man to death with iron rods and a stick over suspicion of carrying beef in Nashik. As per Hindustan Times, police said that the group of around 15 persons stopped a car on its way from Ahmednagar to Mumbai on Saturday after receiving a tip-off from a toll Plaza employee about meat in the vehicle. The vigilante group beat up two occupants of the car. One of the two, Afaan Abdul Majid Ansari, a resident of Mumbai’s Kurla, later died, while the other, Nasir Hussain Shaikh, also sustained injuries, the report adds. Police superintendent Shahaji Umap said the 11 arrested in Nasik claim to be cow protectors. Read the full story here.

Greek conservatives hail win as mandate for change, BBC

Greek conservative leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis has trounced his centre-left rival in the second election in a month, BBC reports. His New Democracy party (ND) won 40.5 percent of the national vote, almost 23 points ahead of Alexis Tsipras's Syriza party. The report adds that he beat Syriza in May, but called new elections in a bid to win a majority. "ND is today the most powerful centre-right party in Europe," he told delighted supporters in Athens, as per the report. Mitsotakis is credited with successfully returning the Greek economy to stability and growth after a severe debt crisis and three international bailouts. The vote came 11 days after a migrant boat tragedy off Greece. Read the full report here.