This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain, wishing all our listeners a very happy new year!

It’s the 1st of January and here are the headlines.

Tsunami waves hit several parts of Japan’s coastal areas and urgent evacuation warnings have been issued after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit north-central Japan today. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, in a televised address, asked citizens to follow evacuation orders closely and warned that more powerful quakes and tsunami waves might follow the initial ones. As per local media reports several coastal roads have been closed and bullet trains in the region have been suspended.

With the new year chiming in, several leaders from the Centre, states, and the Opposition conveyed their greetings on social media platforms early this morning. President Droupadi Murmu wished her countrymen and laid emphasis on committing the coming year to sustainable growth and development. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar met out his wishes with a renewed enthusiasm to build a better Bharat. Prime Minister Modi, also wished everyone a happy new year.

Indian Space Research Organisation began the New Year "in style" with its popular launch vehicle PSLV-C58 putting its first polarimetry mission XPoSat in a precise circular orbit this morning. ISRO Chairman S Somanath said, quote, "2024 is going to be the year of Gaganyaan. The TV-D1 mission happened last year and this year we are expecting two more such test flights of the Test Vehicle followed by the unmanned mission of Gaganyaan programme." Unquote.

Over 25,000 fair price shop dealers from Jharkhand today joined the nation-wide indefinite ‘Ration Bandh’ call given by All India Fair Price Shop Dealers’ Federation. The strike might impact over 65 lakh beneficiaries covered under national and state food security schemes in Jharkhand, if it goes long. As per reports, the ‘Ration Bandh’ call has been given in protest against the Central Government’s failure to ensure a minimum monthly income guarantee for the dealers and some other issues.

A 36-year-old lawyer was allegedly shot dead by a security manager in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi following a heated argument fueled by a purported casteist remark during a New Year’s Eve party on Sunday. Assistant Commissioner of Police of Varanasi Vidush Saxena said, quote, "We have arrested security officer Hadendu Shekhar Tripathi in the case. The security officer claims he was intoxicated at the time and reacted impulsively to the victim’s remark." Unquote.

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