A look at the headlines right now:

  1. India’s first two Omicron cases detected in Karnataka, says Centre: Five contacts of one of the infected persons have also tested positive. However, it is not yet confirmed if they too have contracted the Omicron variant.  
  2. Former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh suspended: Singh had been serving as the director-general of the Maharashtra Home Guard since March.  
  3. On Delhi pollution, Supreme Court gives 24-hour ultimatum to Centre, states to take action: Schools in the national capital will be shut from tomorrow due to high pollution levels: 
  4. I don’t see Congress winning 300 seats in 2024 Lok Sabha elections, says Ghulam Nabi Azad: The senior Congress leader indicated that the party will probably not be in a position to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.  
  5. Baseless allegations in UN statement on civilian killings, activist’s arrest, says India: The United Nations had criticised the arrest of human rights activist Khurram Parvez and the recent spate of killings of civilians in Kashmir.  
  6. Rajya Sabha passes Bill to set up regulatory body for dam safety: Opposition parties demanded that the Dam Safety Bill, 2019 be sent to a select committee, arguing that it was a state subject.  
  7. SC asks Trinamool Congress to move High Court on plea seeking investigation into alleged irregularities in Tripura civic polls: The court noted that it had dealt with the urgent aspects of the plea, and that the remaining appeals in the petition should be heard by the Tripura High Court.  
  8. Maharashtra issues new rules for passengers arriving from ‘ultra-risk’ nations: These apply to passengers coming from South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Eswatini and those who visited these nations in the last 15 days.  
  9. ‘Congress leadership not divine right of an individual,’ says Prashant Kishor: In an apparent jibe at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, the political strategist said the decision on Opposition’s leadership should be taken democratically.  
  10. Alec Baldwin says he did not pull the trigger in fatal ‘Rust’ shooting: The actor said he has ‘no idea’ why a real bullet had made its way to the set when the accident occurred in October.