A look at the headlines right now:
- Mumbai man imprisoned in Pakistan for illegally entering the country returns to India: Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar welcomed Hamid Nehal Ansari’s repatriation.
- ‘We won’t let Narendra Modi sleep at night till he waives farm loans all over India,’ says Rahul Gandhi: A complete farm loan waiver will be part of the Congress’ manifesto in 2019 elections, he said.
- Centre never asked for Urjit Patel’s resignation, says Finance Minister Arun Jaitley: Jaitley also rubbished speculation that the government was eyeing money held by the RBI in its reserves to announce a big scheme ahaead of the 2019 polls.
- Cyclone Phetai hits parts of Odisha, more than 11,000 people evacuated: The India Meteorological Department has forecast heavy to very heavy rain in southern Odisha till Wednesday.
- There is no proposal to extend NRC exercise to states other than Assam, Centre tells Lok Sabha: Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir was responding to Trinamool Congress MP Prasun Banerjee.
- A day after two children died in a school wall collapse, police arrest principal in Uttar Pradesh: This is the first arrest made in the incident.
- Alleged middleman in case against CBI chief Rakesh Asthana granted bail: Dubai-based businessman Manoj Prasad is accused of facilitating the payment of kickbacks to the CBI special director in the Moin Qureshi corruption case.
- Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed leader of the Opposition in Sri Lanka: The former president resigned as prime minister on December 15, putting an end to weeks of instability.
- Manipur journalist sentenced to one year in jail under NSA for Facebook post against Modi, BJP: Kishorechandra Wangkhem’s lawyer said that his family will challenge his sentencing on Wednesday.
- British Airways to resume flights to Pakistan a decade after suspension: In 2008, operations were suspended after a terrorist attack on the Marriot hotel in Islamabad.
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