3 Things

First, Indian Express’ Pratip Acharya informs us about why a plane, carrying 303 passengers, predominantly Indians, was grounded in France for four days.Next, Indian Express’ Anonna Dutt tells us about the JN.1 variant of COVID-19, and how worried we should be about it (06:42).And in the end, we provide a crucial update on the eight ex-navy men who have been sentenced to death in Qatar (12:16).Hosted by Rahel PhiliposeWritten and produced by Rahel Philipose, Niharika Nanda, and Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.\It’s the 28th of December and here are the headlines.India saw a single day rise of 702 cases of COVID-19, with the number of active cases of the infection rising to 4,097. Six new fatalities — two from Maharashtra and one each from Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal, and Delhi — were reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry’s data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits by December 5, but the cases have again gone up after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions.The death toll in the bus accident in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna district Wednesday evening has gone up to 12. The police said that the bus was headed from Guna to Aaron when it collided with a dumper truck, at around 8.30 pm. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, has directed the district administration to provide financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of those killed, and Rs 50,000 each to those injured.The Enforcement Directorate, in a recently filed money laundering case charge-sheet claimed that the purchase of three plots of land in Haryana in 2005-06 by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra from a real estate agent is being probed along with a land deal made by his wife Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The federal agency filed the charge-sheet in November before a court against NRI businessman C C Thampi, who is allegedly linked to Robert Vadra, and Sumit Chadha, a relative of alleged middleman Sanjay Bhandari.Tamil super star and DMDK founder Vijayakanth, fondly called as ‘Captain’, passed away at a private hospital in Chennai today after a prolonged illness. He was 71.Vijayakanth’s death marks the end of an influential chapter in Tamil Nadu’s political history and leaves a void in the state’s diverse political tapestry. MIOT Hospital in Chennai released a statement confirming that he was admitted for pneumonia, was placed on ventilator support due to the severity of his condition, before succumbing to illness.The Aam Aadmi Party has slammed the BJP-led Central government for allegedly rejecting its entry for the Republic Day tableau segment and termed the move politically motivated. AAP national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said Delhi wanted to showcase its transformation of education and health facilities in the tableau, but was denied the opportunity. Furthermore, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that he received a letter of R-Day tableaux finalists from the Centre which did not have names of Delhi and Punjab.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express

First, Indian Express’ Apurva Vishwanath discusses the major highlights of the three bills poised to replace India's colonial-era criminal laws—the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act. From bringing terrorism and organised crime under the ambit of ordinary criminal law to expanding detention in police custody, she explains the concerns raised by some of these proposed changes.Next, Indian Express’ Diplomacy Editor Shubhajit Roy provides insights into the recent missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea. This includes incidents involving two cargo ships carrying Indian nationals, shedding light on the security concerns these attacks pose for the country (14:40).And in the, we give you a quick update on Defense Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Jammu and Kashmir, where he met with the families of the three civilians allegedly killed after interrogation by security forces in the region (21:36).Further reading: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-law/indian-penal-code-to-nyaya-sanhita-whats-new-what-is-out-what-changes-9078213/Hosted by Shashank BhargavaProduced by Shashank Bhargava and Niharika NandaEdited and mixed by Suresh pawar

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It’s the 27th of December and here are the headlines.Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, today visited Jammu and Kashmir, days after an ambush by militants on Army vehicles in Poonch left four soldiers dead. Addressing troops in the border district of Rajouri, he said, quote,"I believe in your bravery and steadfastness… Terrorism should be finished from Jammu and Kashmir and you need to move forward with this commitment. I have full faith that you will achieve victory." Unquote.Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to embark on another yatra from 14th January to 20th March. Announcing the decision, Congress MP K C Venugopal said, quote, "The Congress Working Committee, during its meeting, asked Rahul Gandhi to launch an East-West yatra, following which, he decided to respect the opinion of the CWC and do it. As such, he will be starting his yatra from January 14 from Manipur and end it in Mumbai. It will be called the Bharat Nyay Yatra." Unquote.Days after several wrestlers returned their awards Congress MP Rahul Gandhi met Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia and other grapplers in Haryana today. Later, he posted on X, quote, "With years of relentless hard work, patience, and unparalleled discipline, an athlete brings medals for his country by nurturing the soil with his blood and sweat… There is just one question – if these athletes leave their training grounds and if India’s daughters have to fight for their rights and justice on the streets, who will encourage their children to choose this path?" Unquote.Protests demanding the implementation of 60 per cent Kannada in all signboards in Bengaluru city turned to vandalism in many parts of the city today. Several boards were defaced during a procession by Karnataka Rakshna Vedike. The procession was taken out after the pro-Kannada outfit had set a December 27 deadline for all establishments in Bengaluru to implement the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike order mandating 60 per cent Kannada in signage across the city.Hours after a suspected explosion outside the Israel Embassy in New Delhi and a letter addressed to the ambassador at the site, Tel Aviv has issued a travel advisory for its citizens in India, suspecting that the blast near the embassy was "a possible terror attack". Israeli nationals have been warned to try to avoid going to crowded places (malls and markets) and places identified as serving Westerners/Jews and Israelis.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

First, we discuss the developments related to the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). Last week, Sanjay Singh was elected as the President of WFI, which was followed by Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik announcing that she was quitting wrestling. Though later the government ended up suspending the newly elected committee.To understand what went down, we speak to Indian Express' Mihir Vasavda.Next, Indian Express Amrita Nayak Dutta talks about the three civilians who were killed in Jammu and Kashmir after allegedly being questioned by security forces regarding a recent terror attack. (13:56)Lastly, Indian Express' Arnabjit Sur tells us how a man named Shyamsunder Chauhan managed to dupe thousands of people whose children had gone missing. (19:12)Hosted by Shashank BhargavaWritten and Produced by Shashank Bhargava, Niharika Nanda and Rahel PhiliposeEdited and Mixed by Suresh Pawar

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It’s the 26th of December and here are the headlines.Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today said the Central government has taken the recent attacks on merchant navy ships very seriously and will take strict action against those responsible by pulling them out even from the "depths of seas". Singh said, quote,"The Indian government has taken the drone attack on MV Chem Pluto and attack on MV Saibaba in the Red Sea seriously. We will find those who executed the recent attacks on merchant navy ships even from the depths of the seas and take strict action against them." Unquote.Battling difficult terrains and dense forests, security forces continued to carry out cordon and search operations for the sixth consecutive day today to track down the terrorists behind the ambush that left four soldiers dead in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch last week. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to visit ground zero on Wednesday with top Army and civilian officials monitoring the situation in Poonch.Meanwhile, criticising the Narendra Modi-led BJP government for not engaging in peace talks with Pakistan, Lok Sabha MP and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah today warned that India could meet the same fate as Gaza if a solution is not found through dialogue. Invoking former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Abdullah, stressed on how both India and Pakistan "will prosper if friendly relations are maintained."Stealth guided missile destroyer INS Imphal, which has an ability to fire extended range supersonic BrahMos missile, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in Mumbai today. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar were present at the event that marked the formal induction of the third of four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers into the Navy. Designed by the navy’s in-house organisation, Warship Design Bureau and constructed by defence PSU Mazagon Dock Limited, it will join the Western Naval Command.As per the health ministry, India recorded 412 fresh cases of Covid-19, while the number of active cases of the infection has gone up to 4,170. The death toll due to the viral disease was recorded at 5,33,337 with three new fatalities reported from Karnataka in a span of 24 hours. India’s Covid case tally currently stands at 4,50,09,660.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

After decades of being dominated by men, both young and old, Punjab’s drug crisis is now increasingly impacting the women of the state. An analysis by The Indian Express of all 11,156 FIRs filed under the NDPS Act reveals how girls as young as 19 and even matriarchs in their 50s face charges related to both drug consumption and trafficking. Along with women’s participation in the drug trade, the investigation also unveils a surge in the misuse of pharmaceutical drugs, and the administration’s focus on apprehending end users.In this episode, we speak to Indian Express’ Manraj Grewal Sharma, who headed the investigation, about what its findings reveal.Hosted by Shashank BhargavaWritten and Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and Mixed by Suresh PawarYou can read the investigation here: https://indianexpress.com/article/express-exclusive/untold-story-in-punjabs-drug-crisis-steady-uptick-in-number-of-women-booked-9078271/

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It’s the 25th of December and here are the headlines.In his reply to a letter written by Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said the Chairman’s letter “unfortunately justifies the autocratic and arrogant attitude of the Government towards Parliament.” Replying to the points raised by Dhankhar, the senior Congress leader urged him to examine his concerns “objectively and with neutrality as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.” He said, quote, “The ruling party has indeed weaponised the suspension of members as a convenient tool to undermine democracy, sabotage Parliamentary practices and throttle the Constitution." UNquote.Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee, who had sparked a controversy last week for mimicking Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, once again imitated Dhankar, saying mimicry is a right to expression and a fundamental right. While speaking during a programme in West Bengal’s Sreerampur, he said, quote, “I will keep doing the mimicry. It is an art form. If needed, I will do it a thousand times. I have all the fundamental rights to express my views. You can put me in jail. I will not step back," Unquote.Leaders across the political spectrum paid tributes to former Prime Minister and BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 99th birth anniversary today. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar visited the ‘Sadaiv Atal’ memorial in New Delhi early this morning and paid floral tributes to the BJP founder member.Iran today rejected a US claim that it had attacked a chemical tanker in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast on the 23rd of December as “baseless”. Responding to a question about the attack, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry said that the “US accusation is baseless.” The reaction comes a day after the Pentagon said that a drone launched from Iran had struck the vessel in the Indian Ocean. The human resources head of NewsClick, Amit Chakraborty, has reportedly moved an application before the Patiala House Court stating that he wants to become an approver in the case filed under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against the news portal. NewsClick has been accused of acting with the intention to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India and to cause ‘disaffection’ against India.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

Writers Jerry Pinto and Madhulika Liddle talk about the many unique flavors of an Indian Christmas — from a village in Nagaland, to Bow Barrack in Kolkata, and from churches to Goa to even rural Jharkhand.(Cover image of Jerry Pinto by Ashima Narain)Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Embark on a fascinating exploration of the dynamic landscape of online education in this insightful podcast, brought to you by Indian Express in collaboration with Parul University. Join our esteemed guest, Dr Kunjal Sinha, Director of the Centre for Distance and Online Learning at Parul University, as she navigates through the transformative journey of online courses. From changing societal perceptions to technological advancements shaping the virtual classroom experience, we unravel the factors contributing to the popularity of online degrees. Discover the diversity of courses, delve into the accessibility and convenience aspects, and unravel strategies to overcome challenges faced by online learners. Join us in deciphering the new face of education in the digital age and explore the vast opportunities presented by online courses.