Quick Reads
News Dabba for 06 March 2024: Five stories for a balanced news diet
Here are the daily updates that the internet is talking about through various news websites.
Indie Journal brings you the daily updates that the internet is talking about through various news websites. Here's a glance through some of the National and International news updates, from Supreme Court's remarks on tree felling in Corbett Tiger Reserve, Haiti PM arriving in Puerto Rico, to Gaza ceasefire talks.
Madras HC dismisses petition against Udhayanidhi Stalin, Indian Express
The Madras High Court on Wednesday dismissed petitions challenging the continuation of Tamil Nadu ministers Udhayanidhi Stalin and Sekar Babu as legislators over their remarks on Sanatan Dharma, Indian Express reports. Justice Anita Sumanth said, as per the report, that in equating Sanatana Dharma to HIV, malaria, and dengue, Stalin acted against the Constitutional principles and spread misinformation. The Supreme Court earlier on Monday slammed Stalin over his controversial remarks that ‘Sanatana Dharma’ ought to be “eradicated” from the country, stating that he had abused his free speech rights. Read the full report here.
SC holds that trees in Corbett tiger reserve fell prey to greed: The Hindu
The Supreme Court on Wednesday condemned the illegal felling of over 6,000 trees to construct buildings ostensibly for “eco-tourism” at the Corbett tiger reserve in Uttarakhand, The Hindu reports, calling it a “classic case” of the greedy nexus between politicians and officials working to devastate the environment for short-term commercial ends. A three-judge Bench headed by Justice B.R. Gavai also directed the Environment Ministry to form a specialised committee to study and recommend whether tiger safaris should be permitted in the buffer or fringe areas of a tiger reserve. The judgment approved the Central Bureau of Investigation probe initiated into the case and directed the Central agency to submit a report of its investigation in the next three months, the report adds. The Bench said Uttarakhand could not “run away” from its responsibility to restore the forest to the last tree. Read the full report here.
Hamas says no exchange of prisoners before Gaza ceasefire, The Straits Times
An exchange of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages in Gaza can only happen after a ceasefire, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said, as per a report by The Straits Times. The ceasefire talks in Cairo between Hamas, Egypt and Qatar continued with no sign of a breakthrough. Hamdan, speaking at a press conference in Beirut, repeated his group’s conditions for a deal: an end to Israel’s military offensive, a withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, and the return of displaced Palestinians to homes they have fled in other parts of Gaza. The humanitarian situation is particularly dire in northern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of residents are believed to have remained despite Israeli orders to evacuate, the report adds. Read the full report here.
Hindustan Times: Culcutta HC again orders Bengal govt to hand over Sheikh Shahjahan to CBI
Hindustan Times reports that the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday again directed the West Bengal government to transfer the investigation into the attack on Enforcement Directorate officials earlier this year to CBI and hand over suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan to the agency by 4.15 pm. The court passed a similar order on Tuesday but the West Bengal police refused it, claiming that the state has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against its order. After a standoff outside the Crime Investigation Department (CID) office in Kolkata for two hours, the CBI teams returned for the day, the report adds. The order is the latest in a series of setbacks to the Bengal government in the high-profile case. Read the full report here.
BBC on Haiti PM Ariel Henry in Puerto Rico as gang violence continues
Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry has landed in Puerto Rico after apparently being unable to return to his country, BBC reports. According to local media, he arrived in the capital San Juan on Tuesday after flying from the US state of New Jersey. For the past few days, the report adds, Henry's whereabouts had been unknown following a visit to Kenya. Violence in Haiti has spiralled in his absence - with armed gangs trying to take over the international airport to stop him from landing. Read the full report here.
