A look at the top headlines right now:

  1. IAF refutes US magazine claim, says it shot down F-16 fighter jet in aerial skirmish with Pakistan: Wing commander Abhinandan Varthaman had been captured during that dogfight a day after the Balakot air strike.
  2. Biopic on Narendra Modi will now be released on April 11 – the first date of polling: The movie was originally scheduled to be released on April 5. Meanwhile, lead actor Vivek Oberoi will be a star campaigner for the BJP in Gujarat.
  3. ‘Which family is Ahmed Patel close to?’ Narendra Modi attacks Congress on VVIP chopper scam: Arrested middleman Christian Michel told a court he has not named anybody during ED interrogation, as claimed in a chargesheet. Modi was citing the chargesheet while accusing Ahmed Patel at a rally.
  4. Sumitra Mahajan drops out of poll race, complains of BJP’s delay in naming candidate from Indore: Mahajan, who is an eight-time MP from Indore, said the party can now choose a candidate with a ‘free mind’.
  5. Middle class will not be taxed to fund NYAY scheme, says Rahul Gandhi: The Congress has promised that the poorest 20% families of the country will get an income support of Rs 72,000 per annum.
  6. Prashant Kishor says Lalu Yadav’s claim that Nitish Kumar wanted to rejoin grand alliance is bogus: The RJD chief has claimed in a soon-to-be-released book that the Bihar chief minister told him through Kishor he was willing to re-enter the mahagathbandhan.
  7. J&K government has withdrawn security to 919 ‘undeserving persons’ since June 20 last year, says Centre: The list of persons whose security cover has been removed include 22 separatist leaders.
  8. British PM Theresa May writes to European Union, requests extension of Brexit date to June 30: The European Council had on March 22 granted an extension to Britain to exit the bloc by May 22.
  9. UK court sentences lawyer who spat at and racially abused Air India crew to six months in prison: Simone Burns was angry at being denied a fourth bottle of wine, according to reports.
  10. Congress is ‘infected with Muslim League virus’, says Adityanath: The Bharatiya Janata Party leader said the Opposition’s alliance is bent on ‘defeating Hindustan’.