A look at the headlines right now:

  1. At least 100 killed due to rain, floods in Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu: The Army said that it had rescued about 6,000 people and evacuated about 15,000 people from flood-hit areas of the four states till Friday. 
  2. National Conference moves Supreme Court against President’s order on Article 370: The party also sought direction from the Supreme Court to declare the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 as unconstitutional. 
  3. Congress Working Committee expected to choose next party chief today: Rahul Gandhi resigned from the post in July, months after the party’s poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections. 
  4. Russia says scrapping Jammu and Kashmir’s special status is within India’s constitutional framework: Meanwhile, China said it was “seriously concerned” about the Indian government’s recent decisions on Jammu and Kashmir, and urged India and Pakistan to resolve its differences bilaterally.
  5. Thousands defy curfew in Srinagar to protest against scrapping of J&K’s special status, say reports: While reports said at least 12 people were injured in Friday’s protests, the government played it down and said the situation outside Srinagar was normal.
  6. ‘People are saying we can now bring girls from Kashmir,’ says Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Khattar: He was speaking at an event in Fatehabad about Haryana’s poor sex ratio.
  7. North Korea fires two missiles into Sea of Japan, South Korea says more launches expected: The missiles were fired from the city of Hamhung in the country’s South Hamgyong Province and landed in the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean peninsula.
  8. Former BJP MLA booked for allegedly raping daughter-in-law: The incident reportedly happened on the intervening night of December 31, 2018 and January 1 this year, and the woman filed a complaint on Thursday.
  9. MHA refutes reports on thousands protesting in Kashmir: A spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs said there were a few stray protests but none of those involved more than 20 people.  
  10. DMK candidate Kathir Anand wins Vellore Lok Sabha election by over 8,000 votes: The constituency had voted on Monday with a 71.51% turnout.