A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Five Pakistani soldiers killed in retaliatory firing along LoC, say Indian Army officials: A labourer working with the General Reserve Engineer Force was also killed in the exchange of fire.
  2. India will be Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member in a week, says Vladimir Putin after meeting Narendra Modi in Russia: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan had founded the SCO, a political, economic and military bloc, in 2001.
  3. AAP will organise its own EVM ‘hackathon’ on the same day as the Election Commission: Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said that it would be impossible to tamper the machines if contestants followed the poll body’s guidelines.
  4. Aviation ministry will plan privatisation of Air India, says Arun Jaitley: The finance minister’s remarks came amid protests by the state-run carrier against the government’s proposal.
  5. Afghanistan cancels friendly cricket series with Pakistan after Kabul attack: Islamabad has, however, denied the allegations that they had a role to play in Wednesday’s explosion, and called the claims baseless.
  6. World’s largest plane that will launch rockets into space makes its first appearance: Stratolaunch, developed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, will be demonstrated in 2019.
  7. Bengaluru BJP party worker hacked to death, personal rivalry suspected: Harish, 40, was the vice president of the party’s SC/ST Yuva Morcha in Anekal.
  8. Response to Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana wasn’t very good, says government: Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said only Rs 5,000 crore in undisclosed income was declared under the post-demonetisation amnesty scheme.
  9. Kerala police arrest eight Youth Congress leaders for public slaughter of calf during festival: The men were allegedly shouting slogans against the Narendra Modi-led BJP government while committing the act. They later cooked and distributed the meat.
  10. Meghalaya BJP leader resigns protesting Centre’s ban on cattle sale at animal markets for slaughter: The party is hurting sentiments here on the beef issue and the tribal society has its own laws, said Bernard Marak.