News Dabba for 15 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 Shubhanshu Shukla's return to Earth, 875 Palestinians killed near aid sites in Gaza, to Rajasthan floods.

Indian Express: Shubhanshu Shukla returns to Earth after 18 days aboard ISS

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, with India’s Shubhanshu Shukla and three other astronauts on the Axiom-4 Mission, made splashdown in San Diego, California today at 3 pm, Indian Express reports. The spacecraft had undocked the Harmony module of International Space Station (ISS) approximately 7.05 am EDT (4.35 pm IST) on July 14. One of the key experiments Shukla has conducted during his time at ISS involves the study of space microalgae to understand their potential to produce food, oxygen and biofuels, the report says. Read the full report here.

875 Palestinians killed near aid sites, says UN human rights office, The Straits Times

The Straits Times reports that the UN rights office said on Tuesday it had recorded at least 875 killings within the past six weeks at aid points in Gaza run by the US - and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and convoys run by other relief groups, including the United Nations. The majority of those killed were in the vicinity of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites, while the remaining 201 were killed on the routes of other aid convoys. The GHF uses private U.S. security and logistics companies to get supplies into Gaza, largely bypassing a U.N.-led system that Israel alleges has let Hamas-led militants loot aid shipments intended for civilians. Hamas denies the allegation. Read the full report here.

Trump's NATO weapons deal for Ukraine sparks MAGA anger, BBC reports

Some conservative members of Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement have reacted angrily to the president's plans to sell weapons to Nato, BBC reports, arguing it is a betrayal of his promise to end US involvement in foreign wars. On Monday, Trump said he would send weapons to Ukraine via NATO, while also threatening Russia with more tariffs if a deal to end the war is not reached in 50 days. Republican Congresswomen Marjorie Taylor Greene, a key Trump ally, and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon are among those who have criticised the decision, with Bannon telling his podcast listeners that Ukraine is a "European war". Read the full report here.

Blockade on Assam-Arunachal road lifted after intervention by chief ministers: Hindustan Times

The indefinite road blockade along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, called by several Mising community organisations, was put on hold following a telephonic conversation between Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Pema Khandu. Hindustan Times reports that the agitation, led by the Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK), Mising Mimag Kebang (MMK), and Takam Mising Mime Kebang (TMMK), saw blockade of seven key roads linking Assam and Arunachal Pradesh on Monday morning. The protest was in response to the alleged murders of two Assam youths Prabash Doley (22) and Shankar Pegu (29) in Arunachal Pradesh within a span of one month, the report says. Read the full report here.

Heavy rain inundates Kota, other Rajasthan districts, NDTV reports

Widespread rain across Rajasthan has left colonies inundated and rivers overflowing, with the state administration grappling with the situation in the worst-affected Kota, Pali, Jalore and Dholpur districts, NDTV reports. At least 12 deaths have been reported in rain-related incidents across the state. In separate incidents in Jodhpur, a farmer working at his tubewell and an electricity linesman died due to electrocution. Kota's Collector has asked all residents to remain indoors in view of the situation, the report says. Read the full report here.