A look at the headlines right now:

  1. No room for religion in politics, an election is a secular exercise, SC rules in Hindutva case: Politicians cannot seek votes in the name of caste, creed or religion, the bench said.
  2. Supreme Court removes Anurag Thakur as BCCI president, Ajay Shirke as secretary: Thakur was accused of perjury during a hearing on December 15 during a hearing for the case involving the cricketing body and the Justice Lodha Committee.
  3. Mulayam Singh, Ram Gopal Yadav to fight over Samajwadi Party symbol at Election Commission: Shivpal Yadav said on Twitter that the national convention meeting, which was scheduled for January 5, had been postponed.
  4. Appoint Sasikala Natarajan Tamil Nadu chief minister immediately, says Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker: M Thambidurai said the AIADMK general secretary’s speech at her swearing in had affirmed the party’s confidence in her ability to think like Jayalalithaa.
  5. Nuclear-capable missile Agni-IV test-fired off Odisha coast: It is capable of carrying a one-tonne warhead to a distance of up to 4,000 km.
  6. Indian markets open lower as banking stocks face selling pressure from investors: Lending rate cuts by public banks and low-cost housing schemes announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi hurt sentiments.
  7. Total deposits in Jan Dhan Yojana accounts rise to Rs 87,000 crore 45 days after demonetisation: The Income Tax Department said it was investigating areas and bank branches where the largest sums of money had been deposited under the scheme.
  8. Patanjali biggest disruptive force in India’s FMCG sector in 2016, finds Assocham-TechSci report: The Baba Ramdev-promoted company saw an annual growth of 146%, with a turnover of $769 million for the 2016 financial year, according to the study.
  9. Donald Trump wants email replaced with couriers because ‘no computer is safe’: The US president-elect, claiming to be a hacking expert, warned intelligence officials to be sure before making accusations against Russia.
  10. Five Delhi Police personnel suspended, charged with culpable homicide after suspect dies in custody: The officers are believed to have beaten up the victim, a fruit seller, after which he died jumping off the fourth floor of the Adarsh Nagar Police Station.