News Dabba for 28 January 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 Ajit Pawar's demise in plane crash, Russian drone strike in Ukraine, to Israel’s attacks on Gaza fertility clinics.

Mamata Banerjee wants SC intervention over Ajit Pawar's death, suspects political link, Hindustan Times

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has demanded an investigation monitored by the Supreme Court into Maharashtra deputy CM and NCP leader Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash at Baramati, Hindustan Times reports, and raised questions purportedly linking the incident to his political trajectory. “Even political leaders are not safe in this country, let alone common people," she said in a public speech on Wednesday. Calling for court's supervision for the probe, the report says that she added, “We have trust only in the Supreme Court and no other agency. All (central) agencies have been completely compromised.” Read the full report here.

Indian Express on the 26 minutes before the plane crash that killed Ajit Pawar

The chartered plane that was carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was airborne for around 35 minutes before crashing and killing all five people on board. Indian Express reports that the aircraft was a Bombardier Learjet 45, registered as VT-SSK and operated by Delhi-based private jet charter operator VSR Ventures (VSR Aviation). It took off from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at around 8:10 am and was headed to Baramati, the report says. While the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing the accident, the Civil Aviation Ministry has released the information available so far, including the sequence of events as the pilots tried to land at Baramati. Read the full report here.

Zelensky condemns Russian drone strike that killed five on passenger train, BBC reports

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned as "terrorism" a Russian drone attack on a crowded passenger train that local officials say killed at least five people and injured several others, BBC reports. More than 200 people were on the train, officials said, when one of the carriages was hit by a drone and two other drones exploded nearby, in Ukraine's north-eastern Kharkiv region on Tuesday. Zelensky said 18 people were in the carriage at the time and there was no "military justification" in targeting civilians, the report adds. Read the full report here.

NDTV: TDP pushes for Amaravati capital status, social media ban for minors at all-party meet

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a key ally in the NDA, has intensified its demand for giving Amaravati permanent legal status as the capital of Andhra Pradesh, NDTV reports. The party is also calling for national discussions on restricting social media access for children under 16, citing growing concerns about online safety. The report says that in the all-party meeting held in New Delhi on Tuesday, TDP leaders strongly pressed for a law that would declare Amaravati the state's capital. Read the full report here.

Israel’s attacks on Gaza fertility clinics shatter dreams of parenthood, Al Jazeera

Medical officials in Gaza say Israel has destroyed nine out of 10 fertility clinics in the territory, Al Jazeera reports. In addition, embryos that remain are still in danger, despite the ceasefire, due to fuel shortages and a lack of liquid nitrogen to keep them at the required temperature. Rights advocates say Israel’s attacks on reproductive health in Gaza are a textbook implementation of genocidal policies, as defined by the United Nations, the report says. Read the full report here.