News Dabba for 04 February 2026: 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 Mamata Banerjee's Supreme Court hearing on SIR, Budget session of the Parliament, to Israel ‘suspending’ evacuation of patients through Rafah crossing.

Opposition disrupts Piyush Goyal's address on India-US trade deal, Hindustan Times reports

Massive ruckus and sloganeering broke out in the Lok Sabha during Union minister Piyush Goyal’s address as opposition members displayed banners and yelled slogans, Hindustan Times reports, leading to the adjournment of the lower house of Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to respond to the “motion of thanks to the President’s address” during the ongoing Budget Session on Wednesday, as both Houses of Parliament continue the discussion. The report says the motion comes after President Droupadi Murmu’s address to a joint sitting of both Houses at the start of the Budget Session on January 28. Read the full report here.

Indian Express live on Mamata Banerjee's Supreme Court hearing on SIR

In her plea before the Supreme Court, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has sought directions to stop the deletion of names of the voters from the rolls, Indian Express reports. In a letter dated January 3 to CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Banerjee accused the poll panel of overseeing an “unplanned, ill-prepared and ad hoc” process marred by “serious irregularities, procedural violations and administrative lapses”. The report says that in her plea, she has sought setting aside of the ECI’s SIR notification dated June 24, 2025 and October 27, 2025. Banerjee said justice is crying behind doors. Read the full report here.

Thousands of Epstein documents taken down after victims identified, BBC reports

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has removed thousands of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein from its website after victims said their identities had been compromised, BBC reports. Lawyers for Epstein's victims said flawed redactions in the files released on Friday had "turned upside down" the lives of nearly 100 survivors. The report says that email addresses and nude photos in which the names and faces of potential victims could be identified were included in the release. Survivors issued a statement calling the disclosure "outrageous" and said they should not be "named, scrutinised and retraumatised". Read the full report here.

NDTV: Women gig workers lead nationwide protest

NDTV reports that thousands of gig and platform service workers, led largely by women, staged a nationwide protest on Tuesday against what they described as widespread exploitation by digital platform companies. The demonstrations, organised by the Gig and Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU), were held across multiple states, including Delhi, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Maharashtra, covering major cities and several other districts. Following the protests, workers submitted a Memorandum of Demands to the offices of the Chief Ministers, urging immediate government intervention, the report says. Read the full report here.

Israel ‘suspends’ evacuation of patients through Rafah crossing: Al Jazeera live

Spokesperson of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) says the organisation was informed this morning that evacuation of patients and wounded via the Rafah crossing has been cancelled for today, Al Jazeera reports. Israeli attacks across Gaza today have killed at least 10 people, including a four-year-old girl. A young Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli forces on Tuesday evening during a raid in Jericho in the occupied West Bank, the report adds. Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary, reporting from Khan Younis yesterday, said only 16 Palestinians were allowed to cross into Egypt via Rafah to seek medical treatment on Tuesday. Read the full report here.