Quick Reads
News Dabba for 3 February 2023: Five stories for a balanced news diet
Here are the daily updates that the internet is talking about through various news websites.
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 Supreme Court notice to the Centre over appeals against blocking BBC series, Israel’s finance minister confiscating Palestinian money, to Amul milk price hike.
Supreme Court notice to Centre over appeals against blocking BBC series, NDTV reports
The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Centre over appeals challenging the ban on a controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and allegations linked to the 2002 Gujarat riots. NDTV reports that hearing two petitions, the Supreme Court asked for the original record of the order to take down the documentary from the public domain. The petitions challenge the use of emergency powers to block the documentary and remove links from social media. The report adds that a separate petition has been filed by veteran journalist N Ram, activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra. Read the full report here.
BBC: Up to 40 countries could boycott Paris Olympics 2024, says Poland
BBC reports that up to 40 countries could boycott the next Olympic Games, making the whole event pointless, said Poland's sport and tourism minister Kamil Bortniczuk. His comments came after Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia jointly rejected an International Olympic Committee (IOC) plan to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete in 2024. Ukraine has threatened to boycott the Paris Olympics if that occurs. But the IOC said on Thursday that any boycott would only "punish athletes". The report adds it started after the IOC announced last week that it would "explore a pathway" to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in Paris under a neutral flag. Read the full report here.
Israel’s finance minister confiscates Palestinian money for compensation, Arab News
Israel, which collects taxes on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, would use 100 million shekels ($29 million) from PA funds to compensate victims of Palestinian attacks, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said. The amount to be deducted is double the amount normally confiscated monthly — $14.7 million — in the first such move since Smotrich took office. Smotrich signed off orders, claiming these funds would normally be transferred by the PA to the families of prisoners and those carrying out attacks against the occupation. This is not the first time that Israeli authorities have confiscated Palestinian tax revenues as “compensation” to the families of Israelis killed and injured in Palestinian operations. Read the full report here.
Centre says appointment of 5 Collegium-recommended judges likely in two days
The Centre assured the Supreme Court, on Friday, that the Collegium’s recommendation for the appointment of five judges in the apex court will be cleared soon. The Hindu reports that the Supreme Court expressed displeasure over the Centre’s delay in clearing recommendations for the transfer of High Court judges and said that it’s a very serious issue. Attorney General R. Venkataramani informed Supreme Court that the appointment of five judges to the apex court is likely to come through by February 5, 2023. The report further says that the court also flagged the issue of appointments kept pending by the government despite repeated reiterations by the Collegium. Read the full report here.
Amul hikes milk price by up to Rs 3/litre: Economic Times
The Economic Times reports that Gujarat dairy co-operative Amul has announced a hike of up to Rs 3/litre on fresh milk effective immediately. Post this revision, the price of Amul Gold will be Rs 66 per litre, Amul Taaza will be Rs 54 per 1 litre and Amul cow milk Rs 56 per litre and Amul A2 buffalo milk will now cost Rs 70 per litre, the report adds. Amul last hiked its prices in October by Rs 2 per litre. "This price hike is being done due to an increase in an overall cost of operation and production of milk," a statement by Amul said. Read the full report here.
