News Dabba for 02 July 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 govt allowing cab aggregators to charge 2X base fare during peak hours, Himachal Pradesh rain fury, to Iran's law suspending cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog.

Indian Express on govt allowing cab aggregators to charge 2X base fare during peak hours

The government has allowed cab aggregators such as Uber, Ola and Rapido to charge up to two times the base fare during the peak hours, Indian Express reports. Earlier, these aggregators could have charged 1.5 times of the base fare as surge price or dynamic fare during peak hours. In the revised Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025 released on Tuesday, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) said that during non-peak hours, the aggregators can charge a minimum of 50 percent of the base fare. Read the full report here.

Siddaramaiah puts ‘doubts’ about CM post to rest, Hindustan Times

Hindustan Times reports that Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday issued a strong message for party loyalists backing DK Shivakumar for the post of chief minister. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the Karnataka CM said that he "will be the chief minister for five year." "I will be Karnataka CM for five years; why should there be a doubt?" said Siddaramaiah, as per the report. The Congress leader's message comes as party legislators vocalise their backing for Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar as the future Chief Minister of the state. The report adds that Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress president, has said that he has not asked anyone to make him the CM. Read the full report here.

The Straits Times: Iran enacts law suspending cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian put into effect on Wednesday a law passed by parliament last week to suspend cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, Iranian state media reported. The Straits Times reports that Iran has threatened to halt cooperation with the IAEA, accusing it of siding with Western countries and providing a justification for Israel's air strikes. The law stipulates that any future inspection of Iran's nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) needs approval by Tehran's Supreme National Security Council. Read the full report here.

51 dead, 22 missing amid rain fury in Himachal Pradesh, NDTV reports

At least 51 people have lost their lives and 22 others are missing in Himachal Pradesh, NDTV reports, as torrential rains, flash floods and landslides continue to wreak havoc across the state during the ongoing monsoon season, according to the latest official data. The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), under the Department of Revenue, Government of Himachal Pradesh, released a cumulative damage assessment report on July 2, covering the period from June 20 to July 1. The report reveals significant damage to human lives, private properties, livestock, and public infrastructure across the state's 12 districts. Read the full report here.

Israel has killed 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, Al Jazeera reports

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has escalated its violence in the occupied West Bank, killing 1,000 Palestinians, Al Jazeera reports. As the world was distracted by Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 56,331 people and uprooted nearly the entire population of 2.3 million, the report says that Israel ramped up its violent raids on the West Bank, as well as its silence as Israeli settlers attack and kill Palestinian villagers. The most recent casualty was Samer Bassam al-Zagharneh, a young man who was shot by Israeli soldiers on July 1. Read the full report here.