International

1. Russia acknowledges that scores of its troops were killed in one of the Ukraine war’s deadliest strikes.
2. Sri Lanka's ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country in July last year and then returned after nearly two months, has applied for restoration of his US citizenship after he failed to get asylum in any country, according to a media report.
3. North Korea has sacked Pak Jong Chon, the second most powerful military official after leader Kim Jong Un, state media reported.
4. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been sworn in as the new President of Brazil -- a hird time he has held the country’s highest office.
5. Nepal’s newlyappointed Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has decided to take the vote of confidence in the Parliament January 10, an official said Monday.

National

1. The Supreme Court Monday upheld the legality of the Centre’s 2016 decision to ban Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes, saying the decision-making process was neither flawed nor hasty and that it is not relevant whether the stated objectives were achieved or not.
2. Manjula Subramaniyam, a Gujarat cadre IAS officer of 1972 batch, passed away due to health complications at a hospital in Vadodara January 1, 2023. She had the distinction of serving as Gujarat’s first woman Chief Secretary, whereby she served under the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
3. West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee Monday lashed out at both her opponents in the state – BJP and the CPI(M) led Left Front - claiming the ideological opposites, 'Ram-Baam' (BJP-Left), had allied covertly
4. Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav Monday thanked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for inviting him to his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' and wished it a success, even as the party said he will not be attending it.
5. Online gaming companies will not be allowed to engage in betting on the outcome of games under the principle laid in draft rules, Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said Monday.
6. Payments through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) touched a record high of `12.82 lakh crore in December. During the month, 782 crore transactions in volume terms were done on the platform, which was launched in 2016.
7. Homegrown internet platforms on Monday said that the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) should not grant a stay on the appeal Google has raised against the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) judgment.
8. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' will resume from Uttar Pradesh today after a nine-day break.The Yatra has covered more than 110 days and over 3,000 km so far.
9. India on Monday reported 173 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total number of cases to 4,46,78,822.

Odisha

1. With the change in the pattern of Odisha Civil Service Examination (OCSE), the state government has given another compensatory attempt to students to appear in the Odisha Civil Service, Combined Competitive Recruitment Examinations, 2022
2. The last surviving queen of the Jeypore royal family, Rama Kumari Devi breathed her last Sunday night at the Moti Mahal palace here. She was 92 and suffering from old-age related complications since a long time.
3. Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi has been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital here with pneumonia.
4. Commissionerate police today arrested Dr Ashok Acharya, the director of Ayush Hospital and Trauma Care, in a case registered under the Negotiable Instruments (NI) Act.The Nayapalli Police apprehended Dr Acharya of the private hospital, shut over six years ago in Bhubaneswar.
5. In Malkangiri, Remaining absent from duty came at a huge cost for 10 junior teachers who were fired from their jobs by the district administration on Sunday.
6. Good news for enthusiasts and collectors of vintage vehicles, owners of classic vehicles of more than 50 years can apply for special number plates and enjoy exemption from scrappage in Odisha. With an aim to preserve and promote the heritage of vintage vehicles, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has made provision under CMV Rule, 1989 for the registration process of Vintage Motor Vehicles.

Sports

1. India take on Sri Lanka in the first T20I without the big three – Virat, Rohit and Rahul – keeping an eye on 2024 T20 World Cup .
2.  Hardik Pandya will be expected to begin his fulltime T20 captaincy tenure on a bold note as the Indian T20 team prepares to start its life beyond Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul with the three match series against Sri Lanka, beginning here Tuesday.