The big news: Centre issues new guidelines for those travelling to India, and nine other top stories
Other headlines: Aryan Khan denied bail in drugs case, and Supreme Court pulled up UP government for its investigation into Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
A look at the top headlines right now:
- Negative RT-PCR report mandatory for international passengers, says health ministry: Fully vaccinated travellers from countries with which India has an arrangement for mutual acceptance of Covid-19 vaccines will not need to undergo quarantine, the health ministry said in a guideline issued on Wednesday.
- Aryan Khan involved in ‘illicit drug activities on regular basis’, says court denying him bail: The counsels of actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son have moved the Bombay High Court challenging the order.
- UP government appears to be ‘dragging its feet’ in Lakhimpur Kheri investigation, says Supreme Court: The chief justice pulled up the state for its delay in submitting a status report on the violence. The judges also questioned why the statements of only four out of 44 witnesses have been recorded so far.
- CBI charges two accused men with murder in Dhanbad judge death case: The accused have also been booked for disappearance of evidence and giving false information.
- Punjab forms SIT to investigate Singhu killing case after sister of deceased files complaint: In her complaint, Raj Kaur alleged that her brother was “allured by some unknown persons and taken to Singhu where he was murdered” by some Nihang Sikhs accusing him of sacrilege.
- BJP open to alliance with Amarinder Singh, says party’s leader in charge of Punjab: On Tuesday, the former chief minister had said that he will launch his own party and was hopeful about a seat arrangement with the BJP for the elections.
- Toll in Uttarakhand rains rises to 52, Ranikhet and Almora cut off from plains: Four days of heavy rainfall in the state has caused landslides in several places and damaged homes and roads.
- Two suspected militants killed in gunfight with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian: One of them has been identified as Adil Wani, the Shopian district commander of The Resistance Front, the police said.
- Russia hosts Taliban for talks, calls for an inclusive government in Afghanistan: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow was yet to recognise the Taliban administration as it wanted the insurgent group to fulfill the promises of political and ethnic inclusivity.
- US House committee votes to recommend ex-Trump advisor’s prosecution in Capitol violence case: If the charges are proven in the court, Steve Bannon would have to serve one year in federal prison, or pay a fine of $1,00,000 (or Rs 74 lakh approximately) or both.