News Dabba for 7 April 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 Israel strike on Lebanon and Gaza, the government panel on the New Pension Scheme, to the Kurmi agitation in West Bengal.

Israel strikes Lebanon and Gaza after major rocket attack, BBC reports

Israel's military says it has struck targets linked to Palestinian militant group Hamas inside Lebanon and across the Gaza Strip, BBC reports. The attacks come after a major rocket barrage on Israel from Lebanon, which the Israelis blamed on Hamas. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Hamas' "terrorist" infrastructure was hit in southern Lebanon. Tensions are high after Israeli police raided Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque on consecutive nights earlier this week. The mosque is Islam's third holiest site, and the Israeli raids have triggered violent confrontations with Palestinians inside. Read the full report here.

NDTV reports Nitish Kumar urges Centre to provide fresh COVID-19 vaccine stocks

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday urged the Centre to provide fresh stocks of COVID-19 vaccine vials. NDTV report says that administering of jabs is currently on hold. It says Kumar also asserted that his government was "alert" He underscored that the current spike was noticed in those parts of the country which were the worst affected when the coronavirus had caused a global pandemic. Read the full report here.

China jails six for up to 11 years in case of chained woman in Jiangsu, The Straits Times

A Chinese court has jailed six people for up to 11 years for the abuse of a woman who was shown chained by the neck in an online video in 2022. The Straits Times reports that the widely shared video sparked a public outcry and calls for the better protection of women. The video showed the woman in an apparently confused state in China’s eastern province of Jiangsu. The report adds that it was seen by millions. It stirred debate about the treatment of women and in particular the trafficking of brides in rural areas. Read the full report here.

The Hindu reports 64 trains cancelled due to agitation by Kurmi organisations in Bengal

At least 64 express and passenger trains were cancelled on Friday in West Bengal, The Hindu reported. Different Kurmi organisations are agitating by blocking train tracks in the important Kharagpur-Tatanagar and Adra-Chandil sections of the South Eastern Railway that have been continuing for three days, an SER official said. Both long-distance and local passengers have been suffering immensely owing to the rail blockade, the report adds. The organisations have been agitating over a string of demands including recognition as a scheduled tribe, recognition of the Sarna religion and inclusion of the Kurmali language in the eighth schedule of the Constitution. More than 225 trains have been cancelled since April 5. Read the full report here.

Govt notifies panel to improve pension benefits for govt employees: Indian Express

Indian Express reports that the Finance Ministry on Thursday set up a four-member committee headed by Finance Secretary T V Somanathan to review the pension system for government employees. It, however, did not specify any timeline for the submission of the recommendations by the committee. The committee would suggest whether in the light of the existing framework and structure of the National Pension System (NPS), as applicable to government employees, any changes therein are warranted. It would also suggest measures to modify the same. Read the full report here.