A look at the top headlines right now:

  1. Five states to vote in seven phases from February 10, results on March 10: Polls will be held in Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.  
  2. Delhi, Mumbai register over 20,000 new coronavirus cases: The capital’s positivity rate increased to 19.6% from 17.73% a day earlier.  
  3. ‘Your silence emboldens hate-filled violence’: IIM students, faculty members tell Narendra Modi: The 183 signatories of the letter urged the prime minister to ‘stand firm against forces’ seeking to divide the country.  
  4. Missionaries of Charity’s FCRA approval restored by Centre, says report: The home ministry had last month rejected the NGO’s application to renew its registration, saying ‘adverse inputs were noticed’ in it.  
  5. Kashmiri journalist Sajad Gul charged with criminal conspiracy, press body condemns arrest: Gul was arrested on Wednesday after he posted a video of a family protesting against the killing of their kin in a gunfight with security forces.  
  6. Twenty-one die in cars stranded in snow near Pakistan’s Murree town: The authorities have declared the area as a disaster zone and calamity hit. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar imposed a state of emergency.  
  7. Akhilesh Yadav to ask EC for funds for digital campaign to compete with BJP: The Election Commission has advised political parties to conduct campaigns virtually and said no rallies or roadshows will be allowed till January 15.  
  8. India recorded over 30 lakh Covid-19 deaths till July, shows analysis: The study by researchers from University of Toronto’s Centre for Global Health Research was based on 3 sources – a national survey and two government databases.  
  9. In Mumbai, 96% of Covid-19 patients on oxygen support are unvaccinated, says civic body chief: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation chief said that 80% of the the coronavirus beds in Mumbai are unoccupied.  
  10. India reports 1.41 lakh new Covid cases in past 24 hours, 285 more deaths: This is a 21.3% increase from the number of new cases reported on Friday morning.