A look at the headlines right now:

  1. I am still the Samajwadi Party chief, says Mulayam Singh Yadav: Ram Gopal Yadav did not have the right to declare Akhilesh Yadav the party’s national president as he had been expelled, the SP leader said.
  2. Petrol bunks defer their decision on card payments until January 13: Fuel pump owners postponed their decision to accept only cash to protest against banks’ levying a 1% fee on credit and debit card transactions.
  3. Parliamentary committee summons RBI Governor Urjit Patel, Finance Ministry officials over demonetisation drive: The central bank chief was asked to elaborate on how and by whom the decision on the currency ban was made and its impact on the economy.  
  4. Period of pain and inconveniences is getting over, says Arun Jaitley two months after demonetisation: The Union finance minister said India had been compromised because of ‘tax non-compliances’ and that Modi had introduced a ‘new normal’.
  5. Istanbul nightclub shooting gunman identified as Uzbek jihadist, member of Islamic State group: The assailant, who is on the run, is believed to have the code name Ebu Muhammed Horasani within the terror outfit, according to Turkish media reports. 
  6. Banks must report all cash deposits made in savings accounts between April 1 and November 9, 2016: Those who did not provide a PAN or Form 60 while opening their accounts will be asked to do so by February 28.
  7. Delhi University asked to allow inquiry into records of 1978 batch of BA students in Modi degree row: The Central Information Commission dismissed a varsity official’s claim that the data was personal, with no relevance to public interest.  
  8. South Korean Buddhist monk sets himself afire to protest against deal on ‘comfort women’ with Japan: Tokyo recalled its envoy after a statue representing the women, who were forced into sex slavery, was placed in front of the Japanese consulate in Busan.
  9. New regulations will allow stepparents and relatives to adopt children: The rules under the Juvenile Justice Act 2015 has expanded the definition of children eligible for adoption from only orphans, abandoned or surrendered ones.
  10. Chhattisgarh security forces raped and assaulted at least 16 women in October 2015, says NHRC: The commission has issued a notice to the state government asking why it should not recommend interim monetary relief of Rs 37 lakh to the women.