A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Delhi’s air quality worsens on Diwali: At 10 pm, the central pollution board recorded the air quality at 409 in Delhi. A reading between the 401 to 500 range means that the air quality is severe.
  2. Bihar: At least 15 die after drinking spurious liquor in West Champaran, Gopalganj: Nineteen residents fell ill after consuming the alcohol and are being treated.  
  3. BJP cut excise duty on fuel because it lost bye-polls, claims Opposition: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that the decision was made ‘out of fear, not from the heart’.  
  4. Modi in J&K: Army gave ‘befitting reply’ to those attempting to disturb peace in India, says PM: The prime minister was in Rajouri’s Nowshera sector to meet the soldiers on Diwali.
  5. Plea to remove Modi’s photo from vaccine certificates is a dangerous proposition, says Kerala HC: The petitioner told the court that he had to pay for his vaccination and the government had no right to take credit for it.  
  6. Covid-19: UK approves first pill to treat mild to moderate infections: The country has approved the drug molnupiravir, an antiviral pill developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.  
  7. Assam to relocate those evicted from Darrang if their names appear in NRC, government tells HC: The state administration had in September conducted mass eviction drives, during which one turned violent and caused two deaths.  
  8. Covid: US makes it compulsory for private firm workers to get vaccinated or tested from January: The mandate applies to organisations that have employed more than 100 people, and will cover about 84 million employees.   
  9. Tripura Police send UAPA notices to lawyers who joined team to probe anti-Muslim violence: In a report released on Tuesday, the lawyers said that at least 12 mosques, nine shops, three houses of Muslims were targeted during the violence in October. 
  10. Covaxin for children is likely to be approved faster, says WHO chief scientist: Soumya Swaminathan added that there was enough data about the vaccine’s safety for pregnant women.