Morning Digest: R.G. Kar rape-murder accused held guilty, sentencing tomorrow; Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza to take effect, and more

The Hindu Morning Digest gives a select list of stories to start the day. Read the top news today on January 19, 2024

The Additional District and Sessions Court, Sealdah on (January 18, 2025) held accused Sanjay Roy “guilty” of rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Judge Anirban Das pronounced the verdict in the presence of the accused. The parents of the victim were also present in the court premises. The term of the sentence will be pronounced on Monday (January 20).

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will go into effect on Sunday at 8.30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT), mediator Qatar announced on Saturday (January 18, 2025), as families of hostages held in Gaza braced for news of loved ones, Palestinians prepared to receive freed detainees and humanitarian groups rushed to set up a surge of aid.

At the first-ever integration training organised by the Assam Rifles for the Manipur Police last month, recruits from all the three communities – Meitei, Kuki-Zo and Naga – concurred that peace in the ethnic violence-affected State should be brokered by a “neutral third party”, a senior government official told The Hindu.

Three people were arrested on Saturday (January 18, 2025) in connection with the death of a man from Kerala, who had joined the military support service in Russia. Sandeep Thomas, Sumesh Antony, and Sibi, all natives of Thrissur, were arrested for allegedly recruiting youths to Russia with promises of high-paying jobs, police said.

The Centre will hold a meeting with Punjab’s protesting farmers on February 14 in Chandigarh to discuss their demands, thus ending a stalemate over the resumption of a dialogue with the agitators, who have been demanding a legal guarantee on the MSP for crops.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday (January 18, 2025) that Israel reserves the right to resume fighting in Gaza with U.S. support, as he pledged to bring home all hostages held in the Palestinian territory.