A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Russian military plane bound for Syria crashes in Black Sea: There were 91 people on board the flight, and there were no signs of survivors at the site.
  2. Interpretation was erroneous, Jaitley clarifies Modi’s remarks on higher taxes for capital markets: The prime minister’s comments were misunderstood by some sections of the media, the finance minister said.
  3. Tsunami warning in Chile after 7.7-magnitude earthquake strikes off southern coast: The national emergency office issued an alert and ordered citizens to evacuate the coastal areas of the Los Lagos region.
  4. J&K government decides to lift ban on newspaper Kashmir Reader: Editor of the daily Hilal Mir said they were awaiting a formal order to resume publication.
  5. Narendra Modi announces prizes for those making digital transactions: The prime minister said he was waiting to discuss demonetisation in Parliament, but that the session was not fruitful because of Opposition protests.
  6. Pope Francis calls for end to Syrian war, Israel-Palestine conflict in Christmas Day address: The pontiff said the international community must ‘actively seek a negotiated solution’ to the fighting in the West Asian country.
  7. Passengers will now be charged extra to book even middle seats on domestic flights: Jet Airways, IndiGo, Go Air and Spice Jet will charge a fee to reserve these seats only at the time of online booking or during web check-in.
  8. Sarabjit Singh’s sister Dalbir Kaur joins BJP: She is known for her persistent campaign to secure her brother’s release since he was sentenced to death for terrorism by a Pakistani court in 1991.
  9. Pakistan releases 220 Indian fishermen as a ‘goodwill gesture’: NGO Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy had said that a batch of 219 fisherfolk will be released on January 5.
  10. Several BJP, Akali Dal and AAP leaders join Congress ahead of Punjab polls: Amarinder Singh said their decision to join his party was a milestone in the Congress’ path towards a ‘clear majority’ in the upcoming Assembly polls.