A look at the headlines right now:

  1. I will not contest UP elections, said Akhilesh Yadav before expulsion from Samajwadi Party: The chief minister’s supporters held protests in parts of the state after Mulayam Singh’s decision to remove him from the party for six years.
  2. Daily withdrawal limit at ATMs hiked to Rs 4,500 from Jan 1, weekly cap unchanged: The disbursals will ‘predominantly be in the denomination of Rs 500’, according to the RBI order.
  3. Israel issues travel warning for India citing threat of attacks at tourist hotspots: The country’s anti-terrorism directorate asked travelers to stay away from New Year’s parties, markets, festivals and crowded shopping areas.
  4. Five prisoners escape from Buxar Central Jail in Bihar: The inmates were reportedly undergoing treatment in the jail’s hospital ward, where they broke the window of the bathroom and fled.
  5. Pakistan labels RSS, Shiv Sena as terror elements, India calls it a ‘desperate attempt’: A Foreign Ministry spokesperson had accused the ‘terrorist organisations’, including the VHP and Bajrang Dal, of hindering the resolution of the Kashmir row.
  6. Narendra Modi launches ‘Bhim’ e-wallet to ease making digital transactions: The prime minister said that with security upgrades, only a fingerprint will be required to make payments using the app.
  7. Vladimir Putin says Russia will not expel US diplomats in response to Washington’s sanctions: The two countries are disagreeing over US claims that the Kremlin hacked into Democratic Party accounts before the presidential elections.
  8. Civilian killed in cross-border firing in Jammu & Kashmir’s Poonch district: A defence ministry spokesperson said the Indian Army was retaliating to ‘indiscriminate fire’ on their posts.
  9. China blocks UN proposal to designate JeM chief Masood Azhar a terrorist: The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said the move confirmed the ‘prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism’.
  10. George Michael’s autopsy results are inconclusive: The police had said the iconic singer’s death was unexplained but ‘not suspicious’.