News Dabba for 03 April 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 Raghav Chaddha's reaction over being dropped from RS position, India-bound oil changing course to China, to Artemis II leaving Earth's orbit on track.

NDTV on Raghav Chadha's 'Aam Aadmi' Message

Raghav Chadha hit back Friday morning after the Aam Aadmi Party dropped him as its Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, NDTV reports, and said he would no longer be allowed to speak for it in Parliament. "Whenever I get a chance to speak in Parliament I raise public issues. Maybe I raise topics not usually raised,,, but is raising public issues a crime? Have I committed a crime? Have I made a mistake? Have I done something wrong?" Chadha asked in a video message posted on X. AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj replied with a video message of his own, in which he criticised Chadha for focusing only on "soft issues" and not supporting the party on contentious political topics, the report says. Read the full report here.

India-bound oil tanker carrying Iranian crude changes course close to arrival, Indian Express

A crude oil tanker carrying Iranian crude that was on course for India, which had not bought Iranian oil for nearly seven years, has changed its declared destination to a Chinese port after coming quite close to Gujarat, as per ship tracking data. Indian Express reports that Eswatini-flagged tanker Ping Shun, which was approaching the Vadinar port in Gujarat is now signaling Dongying in China’s Shandong province as its destination, according to data from commodity market analytics firm Kpler. According to trade sources, payment-related issues could be behind this diversion. The tanker—carrying about 600,000 barrels of Iranian crude, had taken a path that was headed to Vadinar, the report adds. Read the full report here.

Artemis II leaves Earth's orbit on track for far side of the Moon, BBC reports

The four astronauts on the Artemis II mission have now left the Earth's orbit, BBC reports, after their Orion spacecraft fired its main engine for a final push towards the Moon. The five minute and 55 second engine burn, known as the translunar injection (TLI), went "flawlessly", Nasa's Dr Lori Glaze said afterwards. And from the Orion capsule, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen said the crew was "feeling pretty good up here on our way to the Moon", the report adds. Artemis II is now on a looping path that will carry the crew around the far side of the Moon and back again. It is the first time since 1972 that humans have travelled outside of the Earth's orbit. Read the full report here.

Russian deputy PM meets PM Modi and EAM Jaishankar: Hindustan Times

Russia's first deputy prime minister Denis Manturov met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Thursday and discussed ways to advance cooperation in critical areas such as energy and fertilisers, Hindustan Times reports. Modi said on social media that he and Manturov discussed “mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, fertilisers, connectivity and people-to-people ties”. Jaishankar said after his meeting with Manturov that the two sides had focused on bilateral cooperation in trade, industry, energy, fertilisers, connectivity and mobility, the report says. Read the full report here.

Al Jazeera: Kuwait desalination plant, oil refinery hit by missile and drone strikes

Kuwait says a power and desalination plant has been hit by an Iranian attack, Al Jazeera reports, as Gulf countries continue to face heavy retaliatory strikes on the 35th day of the United States and Israel’s war on Iran. Authorities in Kuwait said the plant was struck before midday local time on Friday. The extent of the damage is not yet known. The attack came hours after the Mina al-Ahmadi oil refinery was targeted in early morning drone strikes. Read the full report here.