The Catch Up: 2 January

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Ichha Sharma.
Today is the 2nd of January and here are the headlines.

The Supreme Court slammed the Punjab government today over the hunger strike by farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, saying that the state’s attitude appeared to be against reconciliation and its officials were spreading the wrong impression that the court is trying to persuade Dallewal from breaking his fast.  Justice Surya Kant, presiding over a two-judge Bench said, quote, “There appears to be a deliberate attempt in the entire media where your state government officers are trying to create an impression that there is a persuasion by the court to Mr Dallewal to break the fast. That’s why he is probably reluctant”, unquote.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said that the Solar Energy Corporation of India’s agreement to purchase power from the Adani Group was an advantage for the state government and any action on the bribery charges would be taken only after a thorough examination of the records. On Tuesday, speaking at Vijayawada, the CM said that the state government cannot scrap contracts unless there is adequate proof of irregularities. The development comes more than a month after Gautam Adani’s indictment in the United States over allegations of bribing Indian government officials for securing “lucrative solar energy supply contracts”.

The Chattogram Court in Bangladesh has denied bail to monk Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, in a hearing held under tight security today. Bangladesh Supreme Court lawyer Apurba Bhattacharya and 10 others had appeared before the court to represent the monk. The bail request was turned down after about 30 minutes of hearing both parties’ arguments. Chinmoy Krishna Das, spokesperson of Bangladesh Sammi lito Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested on November 25 in Bangladesh on charges of sedition.

After 40 years, the process of relocating the toxic waste from Bhopal’s Union Carbide factory began Wednesday night when 12 containers carrying 337 metric tonnes of hazardous waste departed for Pithampur. Officials said the waste is being transported under tight security through a 250 km-long green corridor. Each container has a unique identification number, and detailed route information has been shared with the district administration and police. The chosen route was selected to minimize traffic disruptions at night. The specialised containers, which are moving at a speed of 40-50 km per hour, will halt briefly at designated points. Along with the containers, police escorts, ambulances, fire brigades, and a quick response team are accompanying the convoy. Each container is manned by two drivers.

A terrorist attack on New Year’s Day in New Orleans left 15 dead and over 30 injured when a pickup truck rammed into a crowd on Bourbon Street. The suspect, identified as Shamsud Din Jabbar, was killed in a gunfight with police after the attack. Speaking on the incident, US President Joe Biden said that every resource is being utilized to ensure there is no threat to the American people. He further said that law enforcement is investigating any possible connection between the “terror attack” and the Tesla Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas.’’

This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by The Indian Express.