News Dabba for 23 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 West Bengal polling, Iran war update, to India's online gaming rules.

Hindustan Times live update on West Bengal elections: 89.93% turnout till 5 pm

Voter turnout of 89.93 was recorded till 5 pm in first phase of West Bengal elections on Thursday, as per Election Commission of India. Hindustan Times reports that out of the total 294 assembly constituencies, 152 cast their vote today. The voting for Bengal's first phase started at 7 am. Reports of clashes and violence also emerged from some pockets, the report says. Read the full report here.

Protected forrest corridor damaged to ferry construction material for Sterlite Power Project: The Wire

A private contractor wilfully damaged a protected forest corridor in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir without government clearances to pave the way for a road to ferry construction material for a Rs 384 crore-power transmission line, The Wire reports. Its sources said that heavy machinery rumbled into the forest zone in Shakti Nagar area of Kishtwar earlier this week, allegedly under the eyes of unknown forest department officials, to clear the way for building a nearly one-km road to a hilly area where two transmission towers are proposed to be constructed. Dozens of photos and videos, independently verified by The Wire, show that the bulldozer machines have created deep gashes on the forest landscape at many places with the extracted mixture of soil and stones dumped recklessly by the contractor on the forest demarcation fences erected by the government. Read the full report here.

Iran says won’t reopen Strait of Hormuz if US upholds naval blockade: The Straits Times

Iran vowed it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz as long as the United States continues to blockade its ports, in a tense standoff on Thursday that has dominated the ceasefire in the Middle East war, The Straits Times reports. While strikes around the region have mostly ceased since the truce began, there has been no letup in the pressure around the crucial trade route, with the two sides exercising their economic leverage in a bid to force the other to back down. With the ceasefire due to expire earlier this week, US President Donald Trump announced an indefinite extension at the eleventh hour, the report adds. Read the full report here.

India notifies online gaming rules, Indian Express reports

The government on Wednesday notified the rules to operationalise the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, Indian Express reports, paving the way for the sector’s digital-first regulator and setting out a framework that will not require mandatory registration or prior classification for most online social games. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026, which MeitY finalised after extensive inter-ministerial consultations, are scheduled to come into force on May 1, the report says. Read the full report here.

Lebanon accuses Israel of targeting journalist killed in air strike, BBC reports

Lebanon's prime minister has accused Israel of war crimes after Israeli air strikes killed one journalist and wounded another in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, BBC reports. The strike killed Amal Khalil, who worked for a Lebanese newspaper, and injured freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj. As per the report, officials in Lebanon say they were deliberately targeted as they sought shelter in a home after an initial air strike hit the vehicle in front of them, killing two men. Read the full report here.