1.Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry said Saturday that its forces hit several points inside Pakistan in retaliation for deadly airstrikes last week. 19 Pakistani soldiers were killed in the attack.

2.The police Saturday arrested three women Maoists, carrying a total bounty of Rs 8 lakh on their heads, in Malkangiri district

3.There has been a significant surge in bank fraud cases in the first half this fiscal with18,461 incidents.

4.Former prime minister Manmohan Singh was cremated with full state honours here Saturday in the presence of top dignitaries from India and abroad.

5.Russian President Vladimir Putin Saturday apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a “tragic incident” following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people.

6.In order to promote Odisha’s traditional handlooms and support its weavers, ‘Abika’ annually organises a calendar model competition. This year, in its 5th season, Ipsita Nanda from Balasore was crowned as the ‘Face of the Year-2025.’

7.The Crime Branch of Odisha Police has arrested a woman and her son from Uttar Pradesh in connection with a digital arrest case wherein they duped a Bhubaneswar resident of Rs 1.38 crore in May this year, official sources said, Saturday

8.Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has found 41 drug samples tested in the central drug laboratories in November as ‘not of standard quality’ (NSQ), official sources said. Besides, 70 drug sample.

9.Farmers, on a warpath against the Centre, Saturday called for a "Kisan  Mahapanchayat" at the Khanauri protest site January 4.

10.The number of people in the United States experiencing homelessness reached a new record this year, with lingering inflation and high housing prices among likely drivers, a government report said Friday.

11.Women investors in the Indian mutual fund (MF) industry, especially from the smaller cities and towns, have grown more than 2.5 times (year-on-year) on average amid the boom in the stock market, a report showed Saturday.

12. Artificial intelligence (AI) transitioned from a temporary trend to a widespread reality, gaining traction across industries due to its potential to enhance efficiency, generate revenue and create entirely new roles, yet concerns around its use and impact on jobs remained.

13.The electronics sector in the country is projected to create 12 million jobs by 2027 — 3 million direct and 9 million indirect roles, a report by Team Lease Degree Apprenticeship said Saturday.

14.Warren Upton, the oldest known survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack, has died at the age of 105. He died December 25, 2024, in a hospital in Los Gatos, California, following a bout of pneumonia.

15.Nitish Reddy virtually bailed India out with his dogged maiden Test century, severely denting Australia’s hopes of winning the match.