A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Pranab Mukherjee, Bhupen Hazarika and Nanaji Deshmukh awarded Bharat Ratna: Nambi Narayanan, Gautam Gambhir, Kader Khan and Kuldip Nayar are among Padma award recipients. 
  2. CJI Ranjan Gogoi names new Supreme Court bench to hear Ayodhya case matter on January 29: Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi named Justices Ashok Bhushan and Abdul Nazeer as part of the new bench.  
  3. Longest US government shutdown ends as Trump signs deal excluding his demand for border wall funds: The shutdown had left 8,00,000 federal workers without pay.  
  4. Arun Jaitley tells investigators to focus on targets, a day after CBI raids Videocon offices: While the finance minister’s post on Facebook mentioned the ICICI-Videocon case, it did not identify any investigating agency by name.  
  5. Suspected militants attack CRPF camp in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama: Two grenade attacks were reports in Kashmir on Friday on the eve of Republic Day amid increased security arrangements.  
  6. Supreme Court issues notice to Centre on upper-caste quota but refuses to stay implementation of law: The court said it would examine the matter and posted it for hearing in four weeks.
  7. After CBI case against Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress claims government is misusing central agencies: Congress leader Anand Sharma accused the BJP government of using the central agencies to ‘discredit and disturb’ its political opponents.
  8. Saudi Arabia, UAE transfer $1 billion each to Pakistan as part of financial assistance packages: The installments are part of a plan to help Islamabad tide over its balance-of-payout crisis.
  9. Custodial interrogation of P Chidambaram is needed, CBI and ED tell Delhi High Court: The court reserved its order on Chidambaram’s anticipatory bail plea.
  10. Former Gujarat CM Shankarsinh Vaghela confirms that he will join NCP: Nationalist Congress Party leader Jayant Patel said an induction ceremony may be held in Ahmedabad on January 29.