News Dabba for 6 December 2022: 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 Indonesia banning sex outside of marriage, Kerala govt. agreeing to debate Vizhinjam port agitation, to Maharashtra ministers' Karnataka visit getting postponed.

Indonesia passes criminal code banning sex outside of marriage, BBC

Indonesia's parliament has approved a new criminal code that will make sex outside of marriage punishable by up to a year in prison. BBC report says that it is part of a raft of changes that critics say erode people's rights. The new criminal code, the report adds, will not come into effect for another three years and also includes a ban on insulting the president and speaking out against state ideology. Protesters staged small rallies outside the parliament in Jakarta this week. The code will apply to both Indonesians and foreigners and includes several "morality" laws which make it illegal for unmarried couples to live together and have sex. Read the full report here.

The Hindu: Kerala govt. agrees to debate Vizhinjam port agitation

The Hindu reported that the Kerala government has agreed to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) opposition’s demand for an adjournment debate in the Legislative Assembly on the Latin Catholic Church-backed fishers’ agitation against the Vizhinjam port. The report says fishermen have cited severe livelihood and environmental concerns. On Tuesday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the government was willing to debate the issue in the House. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government will likely make the case articulated repeatedly by top Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leaders in the administration’s defence, the report adds. Read the full report here.

Over 2 000 Dead Seals Found in the Caspian Sea, TeleSUR

At least 2 500 seals were found dead off the coast of the Caspian Sea in Dagestan, Russia, according to the region's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. TeleSUR reports that as per Svetlana Radionova of Russia's natural resources monitoring agency Rosprirodnadzor, hypoxia is believed to be the most likely cause of the seals' deaths. Radionova said scientists are investigating whether natural gas emissions in the Caspian Sea could explain the low oxygen levels. The carcasses of seals found dead along dozens of kilometers of Dagestan's coastline are being examined. Read the full report here. 

IE reports Maharashtra ministers say Karnataka visit ‘postponed not cancelled’

The Indian Express reports Maharashtra ministers Chandrakant Patil and Shambhuraj Desai on Tuesday rescheduled their trip to Belagavi. This comes a day after Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai threatened legal action against the delegation of Maharashtra leaders if they visited the state amid the raging border dispute between the two states. Patil and Desai are nodal ministers for coordination regarding legal matters in the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute. The report adds that Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra Tuesday held a meeting with senior police officials and took stock of the situation in the state’s Belagavi district adjoining the border. Read the full report here.

Trinamool's Saket Gokhale Detained citing 

Trinamool Congress spokesperson Saket Gokhale was detained by the Gujarat Police from Jaipur in Rajasthan last night over a tweet about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Morbi, NDTV reported. The Morbi bridge collapse killed over 130 people in October. It was confirmed by a Gujarat Police officer hours after the party tweeted about the action this morning and alleged political vendetta by the BJP, the report adds. Charges include those for forgery and defamation. The government's fact-check unit had recently said that Gokhale's claim that "RTI revealed the PM's visit to Morbi cost ₹ 30 crore", was false. Read the full report here.