Morning Briefing: Nitish Kumar Clarifies Stance on Media Boycott Issue; Nipah Outbreak Affects Local Fruit Sales; Latest News Highlights

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Nitish Kumar Addresses Media Boycott Controversy Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, a leader of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), clarified his position on Saturday regarding the reported plans within the INDIA bloc to boycott journalists. He affirmed that he does not support the idea of banning journalists and expressed his strong support for press freedom. Kumar emphasized that journalists should enjoy complete freedom to express their views and denied any involvement in controlling them. While hinting at perceived government influence over some journalists, he stressed that he is not against any particular group.

Nipah Outbreak Affects Local Fruit Sales in Kozhikode Local fruit farmers in Kozhikode, particularly those from the eastern hilly regions of the district, are facing concerns as the public is showing reluctance to purchase locally grown fruits such as rambutan, dragon fruit, and guava. This decline in sales of locally cultivated fruits is attributed to the Nipah virus outbreak in the Kerala district. A similar trend was observed during the first Nipah outbreak in 2018. Although no new cases were reported in the state on Saturday, Kerala has confirmed six cases of Nipah infection, with two fatalities, leaving four active cases currently.