Olympic medallist Sakshee Malikkh announces her resignation following Sanjay Singh's victory in the Wrestling Federation of India elections. She expresses her concern over continued harassment. Singh, a long-time aide of former chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, triumphs with 40 out of 47 votes. Disappointed top wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, criticize unfulfilled government promises. Malikkh, who advocated for a female chief, states, "If the new president is Brij Bhushan's aide, his business partner, then I quit wrestling," placing her boots on the table. Singh assures no injustice to women wrestlers. The WFI election process faced delays and suspension, now cleared by the Supreme Court.

Delhi High Court has instructed the Election Commission to take action against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over his derogatory remarks, calling PM Modi, HM Amit Shah, and businessman Gautam Adani 'pickpockets.' The court, noting the statements were not in good taste, granted the EC eight weeks to act, emphasizing the need for swift resolution. Earlier, the EC had issued a notice to Gandhi, who failed to respond. While the court didn't specify the action, it urged compliance with the law. The EC notice stemmed from Gandhi's 'panauti and pickpocket' jibes, deemed potentially violating electoral conduct.

Three more Congress MPs - Deepak Baij, Nakul Nath and DK Suresh - were suspended from the Lok Sabha on Thursday. This takes the total number of MPs suspended from Parliament over recent disruptions to 146. Over 140 opposition MPs have faced suspension for causing disruptions in both houses of Parliament and shouting slogans demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the security breach at Parliament on December 13th. The opposition has been protesting to question the government about loopholes that allowed the security breach, but the repeated disruptions have stalled Parliament functioning, prompting widespread MP suspensions.

The European Court of Justice has ruled that UEFA and FIFA's control over European football constitutes an illegal monopoly under EU competition law, in a major victory for the breakaway European Super League project. The court found that the governing bodies' rules requiring prior approval for new competitions like the Super League and threatening bans for participating clubs are contrary to EU laws on market freedom. It stated that organizing football events is an economic activity that must comply with competition rules. While the ruling does not automatically approve the Super League, it removes UEFA and FIFA's exclusive power over the game in Europe. Super League backers A22 Sports hailed it as ending UEFA's monopoly, allowing clubs to freely decide to join new competitions without threats of punishment.

In a UN Security Council briefing, the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, highlighted the lack of progress in human rights issues as a key obstacle between Afghanistan and the global community. She emphasized that adherence to international norms is a "non-negotiable condition" for the country's UN seat. The Taliban's preference for bilateral approaches and internal matters like bans on girls' education poses challenges. India, expressing unwavering commitment, urged sustained international attention amid deteriorating humanitarian conditions exacerbated by natural disasters in Afghanistan.

The UK's inflation rate unexpectedly fell to 3.9% in November, the lowest in over two years, raising hopes the Bank of England will start cutting interest rates sooner than expected. The fall was largely driven by declining petrol prices. However, while inflation is declining from its peak in 2022, prices overall remain high and many households continue to struggle with high borrowing costs and energy bills. Some economists now predict the Bank may begin lowering rates in the first half of 2024 to stimulate the economy, much earlier than previously thought. But inflation remains almost double the Bank's 2% target so rate cuts are unlikely in the very near future.

Egypt is actively involved in brokering a new ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, with discussions ongoing in Cairo. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's visit to Egypt signals potential progress, but the demands from both sides remain significant hurdles. The U.S. acknowledges "very serious" negotiations, including the release of Israeli hostages, but Hamas insists on a complete end to Israel's offensive. The focus is on which hostages could be freed, with Hamas linking discussions to the cessation of Israeli aggression and increased humanitarian aid for Palestinians. The situation remains delicate, with no guarantees of a breakthrough.

The US has released details on the much-anticipated H-1B visa renewal pilot program, open to 20,000 applicants in India and Canada starting January 2024. Eligibility is limited to those with valid H-1B visas issued by the US missions in Canada and India within certain date ranges. Applicants must meet other criteria related to visa status and fingerprints. The pilot aims to allow qualified visa holders to renew their work authorization without traveling abroad. Slots will be released weekly, with 2,000 for Canada and 2,000 for India. The program ends April 2024 or when slots are filled. It intends to reduce lengthy visa wait times and ease the process for Indian H-1B holders.

The Lok Sabha has passed the bill to regulate appointments of top election officers, after it was already cleared by the Rajya Sabha. The highly contentious bill aims to establish procedures for selecting the three Election Commissioners, but conflicts with the Supreme Court's direction that they should be chosen by a panel including the Chief Justice of India. The new law drops the CJI from the selection committee in an attempt to limit judicial oversight. A key amendment is a clause protecting election commissioners from lawsuits over actions taken in their official capacity. Courts cannot entertain civil or criminal cases against current or former election commissioners for acts done in discharging duties. The bill's passage comes despite opposition objections over its impact on the independence of the election body.

The body of 23-year-old Gurashman Singh Bhatia, an Indian student pursuing a masters at Loughborough University, was recovered from a lake in London's Canary Wharf area after being reported missing on December 14th. Bhatia was last seen on a night out with friends. Police are treating the death as unexpected and have released a CCTV image in hopes of piecing together Bhatia's last known movements. Though no foul play is suspected currently, police say they will thoroughly investigate to confirm. Bhatia's death sparked appeals from Indian student groups in the UK, who expressed condolences to his family and friends mourning the tragic loss.