A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Rescue efforts in Kerala floods intensified across state, toll rises to 324: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for the state on Friday evening and conduct an aerial survey of the flood-affected regions tomorrow.
  2. Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s body taken to BJP headquarters as hundreds of people throng outside: The king of Bhutan and the foreign ministers of Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will attend the funeral at Rashtriya Smriti Sthal.
  3. Social activist Agnivesh heckled near BJP office in Delhi while on his way to pay tributes to Vajpayee: This is the second such attack on him in a month.
  4. CBI searches former Bihar minister Manju Verma’s homes in connection with the Muzaffarpur rape case: Her husband is accused of having links to Brajesh Thakur, who used to run the shelter home where the sexual assaults allegedly took place.
  5. Supreme Court asks crisis management panel to explore ways to reduce water level: The top court also directed the Kerala government to take steps to ensure safety of people when water is released from the dam.
  6. Former intelligence officials say Donald Trump’s action against ex-CIA chief is ‘political’: They said the decision to revoke John Brennan’s security access was an ‘attempt to stifle free speech’.
  7. Woman accuses UN of hindering police investigation into sexual harassment by top India official: She alleged that the United Nations was claiming immunity for its staff member who she had accused of sexually harassment.
  8. Pakistan Army allegedly violates ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district: The Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged fire till 5 am.
  9. Sensex, Nifty 50 open strongly after reports of US-China trade talks lift Asian markets: The foreign exchange markets are closed on Friday on account of Parsi New Year.
  10. Pakistan Army allegedly violates ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district: The Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged fire till 5 am.