A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party agree on alliance ahead of Lok Sabha polls: A formal announcement on the development will be made later in January, a spokesperson for Samajwadi Party said.   
  2. Secretaries of three Uttar Pradesh ministers arrested on corruption charges, say reports: Chief Minister Adityanath suspended them last week after ABP News aired a sting operation on December 26.   
  3. Protests break out against Citizenship Bill in Assam after Narendra Modi vows to get it passed: A citizens’ group urged editors of all newspapers in Assam to keep their editorial columns blank on Monday in solidarity.   
  4. Mamata Banerjee can become the first prime minister from West Bengal, says state BJP chief: The fate of the state depends on the chief minister’s success, Dilip Ghosh added.   
  5. Vijay Mallya is first person to be declared fugitive economic offender: The Bharatiya Janata Party called it a ‘feather in the cap’ for its fight against corruption.  
  6. Alleged middleman Christian Michel sent to judicial custody till February 26 in AgustaWestland deal case: The Enforcement Directorate had sought his custody to continue its investigation into a money laundering case.   
  7. ‘Bank giving colour of criminality to usual bank transactions,’ Nirav Modi tells court in PNB scam case: The businessman’s lawyer submitted his reply to the court in response to the Enforcement Directorate’s plea to declare him a fugitive.
  8. Chinese President Xi Jinping calls on armed forces to be ‘battle-ready’: The armed forces must prepare for a ‘comprehensive military struggle from a new starting point’, Xi Jinping said.   
  9. JNU spent Rs 13 lakh to host preachers, alleges students’ union; two-day strike called: The students’ body accused the vice chancellor of diverting money meant for seminars and academic conferences for non-academic purposes.   
  10. Ready for government shutdown to last for months or years, says US President Donald Trump: The president said he could declare a national emergency to build the US-Mexico border wall without congressional approval.