The Hindu top news of the day December 7, 2023

As Pannun case heats up in U.S. Senate, FBI chief to visit India The U.S. indictment of an Indian national for an assassination plot against wanted Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, allegedly directed by an Indian government official, is likely to be at the top of the agenda as the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation director Christopher Wray travels to India next week. Cyclone Michaung | Centre releases ₹450 crore to Tamil Nadu’s disaster response fund Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who took an aerial survey of flood-affected regions in and around Chennai on December 7, 2023 said that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has released the second instalment of its share of ₹450 crore to Tamil Nadu’s State Disaster Relief Fund. Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson defends efforts to balance health and economy at COVID-19 inquiry Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended his efforts to balance the health and economic impacts of COVID-19 as he gave a second day of testimony on December 7 to Britain’s public inquiry into the government’s response to the pandemic. Pneumonia cases in AIIMS Delhi have no link to the recent surge in respiratory infections in children in China: Health Ministry Reports claiming that bacterial cases detected at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi were linked to the recent surge in pneumonia cases in China were misleading and inaccurate, the Union Health Ministry said on December 7. Government directs sugar mills to not use sugarcane juice for ethanol production to keep prices in check The Centre on December 7 banned the use of ‘sugarcane juice and sugar syrup’ for ethanol production in the 2023-24 supply year that started this month, in order to maintain adequate sugar availability for domestic consumption and to keep prices under check.