A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Kerala chief minister says 324 killed in floods, weather department predicts heavy rainfall over weekend: Meanwhile, the Supreme Court asked the crisis management panel to explore ways to reduce water level in the Mullaperiyar dam. 
  2. Atal Bihari Vajpayee cremated with state honours at Rashtriya Smriti Sthal in Delhi: BJP President Amit Shah, chief ministers such as Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vijay Rupani, Devendra Fadnavis and Adityanath joined the funeral procession.   
  3. Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan elected prime minister of Pakistan: In a vote in the National Assembly, Khan won 176 seats while his opponent, PML(N) leader Shahbaz Sharif, won 96 seats.   
  4. Nifty hits record high, Sensex surges as China, US agree to resume trade talks: The Indian foreign exchange markets were closed on Friday on account of Parsi New Year. The rupee had closed at 70.14 on Thursday.
  5. Six bodies recovered after nine go missing at waterfall in Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh: Rescue personnel rescued 45 people who were stranded at the site.
  6. At least 868 people dead in rain-related incidents across seven states, says Centre: Kerala reported the maximum number of deaths – 247.   
  7. Insurance regulator orders firms to include mental health in medical policies: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority asked companies to adhere to the provisions of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. 
  8. Former US 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’.   
  9. UP cleric, two others charged with sedition for allegedly not letting students sing national anthem: The police took action after Sunil Tripathi, a science teacher, handed over a video clip of the incident.  
  10. Sikh man found stabbed to death in New Jersey: Shiromani Akali Dal leaders urged India’s Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, to intervene in the matter.