A look at the top stories of the day:

  1. Former Pope Benedict XVI dies at 95: He was the first head of the Catholic Church since 1415 to have resigned.
  2. Use correct map of India if you want to continue working, Union minister warns companies: In a letter to the chief justice, the PDP president also said that the fundamental rights of J&K citizens have been arbitrarily suspended since 2019.
  3. In J&K, Centre’s ‘iron-fisted policy’ being justified in name of national security, says Mehbooba Mufti: In a letter to the chief justice, the PDP president also said that the fundamental rights of J&K citizens have been arbitrarily suspended since 2019.
  4. Core sector output increased by 5.4% in November, shows government data: The growth was driven by an increase in the production of cement, coal, electricity, steel and fertilisers.
  5. WHO urges China to share specific, real-time information on Covid-19: The health body has invited Chinese scientists to share data on coronavirus at a meeting scheduled for January 3.
  6. Assam merges four districts a day ahead of EC ban on creating new administrative units: The chief minister announced that Biswanath district will be merged with Sonitpur, Hojai with Nagaon, Bajali with Barpeta and Tamulpur with Baksa.
  7. ‘Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati want an India of love’, says Rahul Gandhi on Bharat Jodo Yatra: The Congress leader said that the march is open for all those who wish to unite the country.
  8. NIA says it registered record 73 cases this year, arrested 456 persons: The cases filed in 2022 is 19.67% higher than 61 registered a year ago, the central agency said in a statement.
  9. North Korea fires three ballistic missiles, Seoul terms launch ‘grave provocation’: The launch of the short-range missiles took place a day after Seoul carried out a successful test of a solid-fuel space launch vehicle.
  10. Andhra Pradesh chief minister blames Chandrababu Naidu for stampede deaths: The police have filed a case saying that the public meeting had created a lot of deviations, which obstructed the officers and lead to stampede.