A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Exit polls predict a comfortable win for BJP in both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh:  The BJP’s Prem Kumar Dhumal is likely to take over from incumbent Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in the northern state, according to the figures. 
  2. Deadline to link Aadhaar with services can be pushed to March 31, Centre tells Supreme Court: A Constitution bench has been hearing petitions seeking a stay on the Centre’s direction to link government services with the UIDAI system.
  3. Shiv Sena will snap ties with BJP in Maharashtra within a year, says Aaditya Thackeray: The Yuva Sena chief said the Shiv Sena will come to power on its ‘own strength’ in the Assembly elections in 2019.
  4. Court sentences convict in Kerala student’s rape and murder to death: The 29-year-old student was found raped and murdered in her home in Ernakulam on April 28, 2016. 
  5. At least 6,700 Rohingya Muslims were killed violently in one month, says Medecins Sans Frontieres: At least 730 children below 5 years were killed, and more than 59% of them were shot dead, the organisation’s survey found.  
  6. Government has till March 1 to set up special courts to try cases against lawmakers: The Supreme Court told the Centre to divide the cost to set up these 12 courts among the states where they will be established.  
  7. Over 600 fishermen still missing in Kerala and Tamil Nadu after Cyclone Ockhi: A Home Ministry official said authorities are moving from house to house to verify the number of people yet to be traced.
  8. Walt Disney Company buys 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion: The deal would allow Disney to compete with tech giants such as Google, Facebook, Amazon and Netflix.  
  9. Vijay Mallya files appeal after UK court accepts banks’ plea to freeze his assets worth £1.2 billion: The court will hear his appeal in April.
  10. Teacher couple in Jammu and Kashmir sacked on wedding day, school says ‘romance bad for students’: The couple asked why the administration approved their leave requests for the wedding day, and said they have not committed any crime.