A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Supreme Court strikes down adultery law, says Section 497 is ‘absolutely manifestly arbitrary’: Politicians and leaders praised the verdict, calling it an ‘excellent decision’.
  2. Supreme Court rejects plea for larger bench to decide if mosques are integral to Islam: The RSS and several BJP leaders such as Subramanian Swamy, Uma Bharti and Adityanath welcomed the ruling.
  3. Model Code of Conduct will kick in as soon as Assemblies are dissolved, says Election Commission: In effect, it is currently in place in Telangana where the Assembly was dissolved earlier this month.
  4. Defence ministry official raised objections a month before Rafale deal was signed, says report: ‘Go on the offensive,’ Union minister Nitin Gadkari urged BJP workers.
  5. Antigua has assured India it will cooperate in extraditing Mehul Choksi, says MEA: Foreign Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Chet Greene, told Sushma Swaraj that they must go through required legal and court procedures in his country.
  6. Court orders FIR against Digvijaya Singh, three others for ‘fabricating evidence’ in Vyapam scam: It asked the police to also name Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia as well as Right To Information activist Prashant Pandey.
  7. Australia’s chief of national news network ABC quits after claims of government interference: Justin Milne had allegedly pressured the broadcaster to fire two senior journalists after complaints from the ruling conservative government.
  8. Supreme Court to deliver verdict on entry of women into Sabarimala temple on Friday: A five-judge Constitution bench had reserved its verdict on August 1.
  9. Missionaries of Jesus nuns meet Kerala CM, accuse police of being biased against bishop: They accused the investigation team of threatening those who supported him and intruding into their convents without prior notice.
  10. Police seize antique items worth over Rs 100 crore from businessman’s house in Tamil Nadu: The confiscated items include 22 pillars, 12 metal idols and artefacts and 56 stone sculptures mostly belonging to temples in the states.