News Dabba for 06 May 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 India's mock drill, UNSC's tough questions to Pakistan, to Germany's Merz falling short of majority.

India Today on India's first mock drill since 1971 war

Air raid sirens will sound across various parts of the country on May 7, as civilians participate in mock drills aimed at preparing them for self-protection in the event of war. India Today reports that these exercises, the first of their kind since 1971, have been ordered by the central government amid escalating tensions with Pakistan following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. During the drills, air raid warning sirens will be activated, and civilians and students will be trained in civil defence to protect themselves in the event of a hostile attack. Read the full report here.

Indian Express live on UNSC's tough questions to Pakistan

The UN Security Council on Monday afternoon held a closed-door consultation, discussing rising tensions between India and Pakistan after a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam claimed 26 lives. Indian Express reports that in the meeting, envoys called for de-escalation between the two countries and posed “tough questions” for Pakistan. The meeting was scheduled by Greece, president of the UNSC for the month of May, after Pakistan raised a request for the same. The rport says that the 15-member UNSC did not issue a statement after the meeting, but Pakistan claimed that its own objectives were “largely served”. Read the full report here.

Gaza residents refuse Israeli displacement, Al Jazeera

Senior Hamas official Basem Naim says there is “no sense in engaging in talks or considering new ceasefire proposals” as long as Israel’s blockade and bombing of Gaza continue, Al Jazeera reports. Palestinians in Gaza tell Al Jazeera that they will refuse Israeli orders to flee their homes after PM Netanyahu announced a new ground offensive, saying Gaza’s more than 2 million people “will be moved”. The report says Israel has attacked Yemen, Lebanon and Syria, as well as Gaza, where air raids killed at least 54 people on Monday. Read the full report here.

SC warns contempt action if NCR states fail to implement complete curb on crackers: Hindustan Times

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana to ensure a "scrupulous" ban on firecrackers in areas falling under the NCR region, Hindustan Times reports, and warned any failure would attract contempt. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan asked the governments to issue a direction under the Environment Protection Act imposing a complete ban on manufacture, sale and storage, including online delivery, on all types of firecrackers in the areas which fall under the NCR region. The top court said the state governments should ensure "scrupulous implementation" of the ban on firecrackers and create a machinery for effectively implementing the prohibition, the report says. Read the full report here.

Germany's Merz falls short of majority in vote for chancellor, BBC reports

BBC reports that Germany's conservative leader has unexpectedly fallen short of a majority in a parliament vote to become chancellor. Friedrich Merz needed 316 votes in the 630-seat Bundestag but only secured 310, in a significant blow to the Christian Democrat leader, two and a half months after winning Germany's federal elections. His coalition with the centre-left has enough seats in parliament but it appears 18 MPs who had been expected to back him dissented. Merz's failure in the first vote is seen as unprecedented in modern German history. Read the full report here.