Five must-read stories—January 20

Akhilesh has my blessings, I will campaign, says Mulayam

In the first major conciliatory gesture, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav has said his son Akhilesh has his blessings and that all is well in the family now. He was speaking to Economic Times in his first media interaction since war broke out in the Yadav family.

No ISI in Kanpur train derailment: UP top cop junks blast theory

The UP top cop’s statement made to The Quint seems to rubbish the recent alarming—and maybe even outlandish—claim by the Bihar police that the ISI was behind the derailment of the Indore-Patna Express near Kanpur in November 2016.

Demonetisation decree imperilled as Supreme Court signals imminent end of Ordinance Raj

Re-promulgation of ordinances is illegal, the apex court ruled, in a judgment that will be applicable to all central ordinances including The Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Ordinance, promulgated in December to give effect to demonetisation. A report by The Wire.

I almost gave up after being dropped: Yuvraj Singh

On a day he cracked his highest individual ODI score, Yuvraj Singh revealed he had thought about giving up the game after being dropped from the team, reports The Times of India. "When I came back from cancer it was hard work. I was not performing...," Yuvraj said, crediting 'hard work' for the change in his fortunes.

Julian Assange confirms he is willing to travel to US after Manning decision

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has said he stands by his offer to travel to the US following President Barack Obama’s decision to release whistleblower Chelsea Manning from prison, reports The Guardian. He was speaking from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has been living since 2012.