News Dabba for 26 September 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 Sonam Wangchuk's arrest, Israel's continued attacks on Gaza, to Hong Kong's bill to ban ‘cage homes’.

India, US to push for early conclusion on mutually beneficial trade deal, Hindustan Times

Amid the tariff stand-off between India and the US, Hindustan Times reports that the two countries discussed key bilateral trade matters and exchanged views on various facets of the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) deal. It was mutually agreed to continue engagements to expedite the early conclusion of a trade agreement that benefits both countries, government said. The report says that the discussions on the bilateral trade issues were held in the US where an Indian delegation, led by Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal, met US government representatives and key businesses and investors. Read the full report here.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk arrested 2 days after 4 died in Ladakh clashes, NDTV reports

Ladakh statehood activist Sonam Wangchuk has been arrested a day after he said he would be "happy to be arrested anytime for this cause". NDTV reports that he faces allegations of inciting a mob with provocative statements. The arrest also comes a day after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) cancelled the registration of Mr Wangchuk's non-profit 'Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh' (SECMOL) to receive funds from abroad under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act or FCRA, 2010. Read the full report here.

Israel kills at least 27 Palestinians as Gaza attacks resume, Al Jazeera reports

Israel’s bloody onslaught on the Gaza Strip continued with 29 Palestinians killed and dozens injured as rescue teams comb through the debris attempting to save those buried, Al Jazeera reports. US President Donald Trump said he won’t allow Israel to annex the occupied West Bank, rejecting calls from far-right politicians in Israel to seize the Palestinian territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a much-watched speech as he faces growing international isolation, accusations of war crimes, and rising pressure to end the devastating war on Gaza, the report adds. Read the full report here.

Crowd storms home of Zubeen Garg’s manager, Indian Express

Indian Express reporta that the outcry after Assamese superstar Zubeen Garg’s untimely death escalated on Thursday, when a crowd tried to storm his manager Siddhartha Sharma’s residence in Guwahati while a police team was conducting searches there. Some people later threw stones at police vehicles leaving the premises in the evening, leading to police resorting to lathi charge to disperse them, the report adds. Garg (52) died in Singapore after he had gone swimming during an outing on a yacht. He had gone to Singapore for the Northeast India Festival, which was supposed to take place from September 19 to 21. Read the full report here.

The Strais Times: Hong Kong passes Bill to ban ‘cage homes’ as urged by Beijing

Hong Kong’s lawmakers have passed a Bill to phase out substandard tiny residential units, as the government moves to address Beijing’s call to improve the city’s living conditions. The Straits Times reports that under the new Bill passed on Sept 26, so-called subdivided apartments must be at least 86 sq ft in size and equipped with a separate bathroom, fire safety facilities, lighting and ventilation. The crackdown follows concerns raised by Beijing over the city’s so-called cage homes, or tiny units, often rented to the poor. Read the full report here.