News Dabba for 4 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 Karnataka HC quashing gender discriminatory defence welfare norm, US House in chaos after no speaker elected, to Russia blaming its soldiers' mobile phone use for the deadly missile strike.

Karnataka HC quashes gender discriminatory defence welfare norm: IE

A married daughter remains a daughter in the same manner that a married son remains a son, the Karnataka High Court has ruled. The Indian Express reported that the statement was made while quashing a Sainik Welfare Board guideline that barred married daughters from availing dependent cards available to the children of ex-defence personnel. As per the report,  single judge bench of the Karnataka HC ruled in an order on January 2, "If the act of marriage does not change the status of the son; the act of marriage cannot and shall not change the status of a daughter.” The HC has also asked the Central Government to stop referring to former defence personnel as ex-servicemen on account of the changing gender equations in the forces. Read the full report here.

US House in chaos after no speaker elected, BBC reports

BBC reported that on a day of high political drama, Republican leader Kevin McCarthy repeatedly failed in his bid to be elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives. The House adjourned without a speaker on Tuesday night. It was the first time since 1923 they had failed to choose a leader after a first round vote. The report said that the start of a new Congress was supposed to be a victory lap for the Republican Party as it took control of the lower chamber following November's elections. Instead, Mr McCarthy faced a rebellion from within his own ranks and made history for all the wrong reasons. Read the full report here.

NDTV report on drunk man urinating on woman in Air India flight

A drunk man urinated on a woman co-passenger in the business class of an Air India flight in November and left without facing any action. NDTV reports that weeks after the incident, Air India has filed a case and has recommended that the unruly flier be placed on the no-fly list. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has sought a report from the airline into the incident that was revealed after the woman wrote to the group chairman of Air India, N Chandrasekaran. The report adds that after urinating, the man allegedly kept exposing himself and didn't move until another passenger asked him to return to his seat. Air India has now filed a police complaint against the man. Read the full report here.

Russia blames its soldiers' mobile phone use for deadly missile strike, Reuters

Russia's defence ministry on Wednesday blamed mobile phone use by its soldiers for a deadly Ukrainian missile strike that it said killed 89 servicemen, raising the reported death toll from 63. The New Year's Eve strike, the deadliest single incident Moscow has acknowledged since the start of the war, has angered pro-war Russian commentators, Reuters report says. Criticism has been directed at military commanders rather than Russian President Vladimir Putin. The report adds that although a probe has been launched, the Russian ministry said the main reason for the attack was the mass use of mobile phones by servicemen, which it described as illegal. Read the full report here.

HT: Night curfew imposed along Indo-Pak border in Samba for 2 months

Night curfew has been imposed around 1km radius of the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district to ensure better area domination by BSF men, an official order by district magistrate Anuradha Gupta said on Tuesday. A Hindustan Times report said that the step was taken in view of the threat of cross-border infiltration and smuggling of weapons through drones in the present foggy weather, it stated. As per the order, movement of civilians has been banned from 9pm to 6am in the area up to 1km from the International Border (IB) in Samba district. Read the full report here.