The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the The Telecommunications Bill, 2023. The bill was introduced by Minister of Communications Ashwini Vaishnaw on December 18. The Bill seeks to modify and streamline the legal framework pertaining to the growth, enhancement, and management of telecommunications services and networks, as well as the allocation of spectrum and related issues.

Shuttlers Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will be conferred Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2023 by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 9, 2024. Chirag and Satwik won several men's doubles tournaments in 2023. They also clinched India's first-ever gold medal in badminton in Asian Games history in October.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on Wednesday announced National Sports Awards 2023. Cricketer Mohammad Shami will be conferred the Arjuna Award along with 25 other sportspersons by President Droupadi Murmu on January 9, 2024. Shooters Esha Singh and Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, who bagged gold medals at Hangzhou Asian Games, will also be conferred the award.

Iran on Wednesday hanged a woman convicted of murdering her husband, whom she married while she was still a child, a human rights group said. She was arrested 10 years ago when she was 19 and subsequently sentenced to death. She had two children whom she hadn't seen since her arrest until a final meeting in prison earlier this month.

TMC MP Saket Gokhale shared an alleged private chat with Union Minister Piyush Goyal, claiming that the minister said, "Don't worry, you'll all be suspended before Amit Shah ji comes to Rajya Sabha to table the criminal law Bills." Goyal denied his claims and said, "Hardly surprising that Saket Gokhale is spreading vicious lies with obvious mala fide intent."