A look at the headlines right now:

  1. PM Modi congratulates J&K, Ladakh after bill to scrap special status is passed: He added that vested interest groups who believed in emotional blackmail never cared for people’s empowerment for years.
  2. Nirmohi Akhara seeks control of entire disputed land in Ayodhya during hearing in SC: The day-to-day hearing in the case commenced on Tuesday after court-mandated mediation efforts to resolve the dispute had failed.
  3. Pakistan PM Imran Khan says India may start ‘ethnic cleansing’: China, on the other hand, called India’s move to bifurcate Ladakh as UT ‘unacceptable’.
  4. Toni Morrison, author and Nobel laureate, dies at 88: Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 and was awarded the US’ Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014.  
  5. Jyotiraditya Scindia supports move on J&K, says constitutional process should have been followed: He is the eighth Congress leader to go against the party’s stand.  
  6. Delhi court dismisses Ratul Puri’s anticipatory bail plea: Puri, who is the nephew of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, is accused of receiving money transacted during the scam.
  7. SC asks nine states to file responses about procedure of evicting Adivasis from forest land: The bench said the eviction of around 11.8 lakh allegedly illegal forest dwellers was an important matter.  
  8. SC asks rape accused Tarun Tejpal why he apologised to complainant if he was not guilty: The former ‘Tehelka’ magazine editor had moved the top court after a trial court framed charges against him.  
  9. Artists, historians, writers support 49 personalities in their appeal to PM Modi to stop lynchings: Last month, 49 personalities had said that the slogan ‘Jai Shri Ram’ had become a ‘provocative war cry’ and the reason for a number of lynchings in the country.
  10. Unnao rape complainant on life support after being shifted to Delhi, still in critical condition: Meanwhile, a court in Delhi sought a status report from CBI on steps taken to ensure security of the woman, her family and witnesses in the case.