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A five-judge Supreme Court Constitution bench will on January 2, the first day of business after winter break, deliver its judgment on a bunch of petitions which had challenged the Union government’s November 8, 2016 decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

All 58 petitions are listed for judgment on January 2 before a bench of Justices S Abdul Nazeer, BR Gavai, AS Bopanna, V Ramasubramanian and BV Nagarathna. Most petitions challenged the validity of demonetisation while some sought a fresh window for exchanging scrapped notes which could not be exchanged within the deadline.

The United States Administration of President Joe Biden has announced new COVID-19 testing requirements for all travellers coming from China, joining other nations imposing restrictions because of a surge of infections. The increase in cases across China follows the rollback of the nation's strict anti-virus controls. China's "zero COVID" policies had kept China's infection rate low but fuelled public frustration and crushed economic growth.

Beginning Jan. 5, all travellers to the US from China will be required to take a COVID-19 test no more than two days before travel and provide a negative test before boarding their flight. The testing applies to anyone 2 years and older.

China is facing another big Coronavirus outbreak and although official authorities continue to deny the severity of the fourth wave of the virus, shocking videos have emerged on social media from Chinese hospitals. These videos are in stark contrast to the statements made by officials claiming that the situation is under control. In one of the videos shared by an independent journalist from China, Jennifer Zeng, dead bodies were seen wrapped in blue plastic bags and tied together. The pile of bodies was seen lying on the hospital floor as if objects were laid down. The video raised questions about the way China was handling the menacing fourth wave caused by new variants of the virus. 

The Union Home Ministry has given its consent to change the names of two places in Uttar Pradesh following recommendations from the state government, officials said on Tuesday.

The 'no-objection' certificates were issued by the ministry for changing the name of municipal council 'Mundera Baazar' in Gorakhpur district to 'Chauri-Chaura' and that of 'Telia Afghan' village in Deoria district to 'Telia Shukla', an official said.

The home ministry considers proposals for name change according to the existing guidelines, in consultations with the agencies concerned.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is likely to form an alliance with the Congress in Tripura to take on the BJP in the upcoming state Assembly election. The CPM, which ruled the state for more than two decades, lost the state to the BJP as Manik Sarkar-led party was defeated in the 2018 polls. 

The CPM is now planning to retake it's only northeastern bastion once again in the Assembly election which is scheduled to be held in February-March of next year. 

A CPM politburo meeting is underway in New Delhi to discuss strategy, including a possible alliance with Congress. Similarly, the state unit would also discuss the same next month in Agartala.