A look at the top headlines of the day:

  1. WHO issues alert against India-made cough syrups linked to deaths of children in Uzbekistan: Last month, Uzbekistan’s health ministry had said that 18 children died after consuming Dok 1 Max syrup manufactured by Noida-based company Marion Biotech Limited.
  2. Indian government continued systemic discrimination against minorities in 2022, says Human Rights Watch: Hindu majoritarian ideology reflected in bias in institutions such as the judiciary and constitutional authorities, the rights body said in its annual report.
  3. Myanmar bombed Indian territory during airstrike on rebel camp, says witness: A vehicle was damaged along the Mizoram-Myanmar border in Champhai district, an official said.
  4. Give Old Pension Scheme benefits to all CAPF personnel, Delhi HC tells Centre: This is a significant judgement since the Centre, in many cases, has not been recognising the paramilitary forces as armed forces.
  5. India’s retail inflation eases to 5.72% in December – lowest in a year: For the second consecutive month now, retail inflation has stayed under the Reserve Bank of India’s upper tolerance level. The central bank aims to keep inflation between 2% and 6%.
  6. Another cold wave expected in North India from January 15, says weather department: A weather expert wrote on Twitter that temperatures in the region could drop to a minimum of -4 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 2 degrees Celsius.
  7. In Bhopal gas tragedy case, SC tells Centre it is bound by law, cannot be ‘knight in shining armour’: A constitution bench told Attorney General R Venkataramani that the court could not hear the government’s curative petition like a suit.
  8. Delhi government publicity wing tells AAP to pay Rs 163 crore for money spent on ads: The information and publicity department alleged that the advertisements violated guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in 2015.
  9. India ranks 85 among 199 countries in list of most powerful passports: Indians can only travel to 59 countries without a pre-departure visa application, according to 2023 Henley Passport Index.
  10. NRIs in 10 countries can now set up UPI on international mobile numbers: The countries are Singapore, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar, the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.