A look at the top headlines right now:

  1. In Delhi and Mumbai, new Covid-19 cases more than double in a week: On Friday, the single-day case count in Delhi was the highest since June 16, while in Mumbai it was the most since October 6. Meanwhile, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments imposed night curfews and other restrictions. At a press conference, the health ministry cautioned citizens against lowering their guard against the coronavirus, pointing out that the world was witnessing a fresh surge in infections amid the spread of the Omicron variant.
  2. Gurudwara caretaker held for murder in Kapurthala lynching case after Punjab CM says no proof of sacrilege: Apart from caretaker Amarjit Singh, around 100 unidentified people have also been included in the case, the police said on Friday. Of these, 25 to 30 of them were armed.
  3. Air Force pilot dies in MiG-21 crash in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district: Wing Commander Harshit Sinha died in the accident during a training sortie around 8.30 pm on Friday.
  4. Uttarakhand Police file FIR against one person for hate speeches made at Haridwar event: The police said “others” had been mentioned in the FIR and more names would be included later. No arrest has been made so far.
  5. River was ‘dumping ground for the dead’ during Covid second wave, Ganga mission chief says in book: During the peak of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in May, reports emerged from multiple cities along the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh about bodies floating in the river or buried along its banks.
  6. No in-person interviews for H-1B, other visas till December 2022 as US changes rules: The US State Department said that the coronavirus pandemic has “resulted in profound reductions in the department’s visa processing capacity”.
  7. Decision on holding Assembly polls after UP visit next week, says Election Commission chief: The Allahabad High Court has requested the Election Commission to postpone the polls in view of spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
  8. Bill to recover property damages from protestors passed in Madhya Pradesh Assembly without debate: If the governor approves the Bill, Madhya Pradesh will become the third BJP-ruled state after Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to formulate such a law.
  9. At least 38 killed after fire breaks out in ferry near Bangladesh’s Jhalokati: Officials said the fire started in the engine room and quickly ripped through the ferry, which was going to Barguna district from capital Dhaka.
  10. Acclaimed writer Joan Didion dies at 87: She was an important member of the New Journalism movement in the 1960s and 70s alongside writers like Tom Wolfe and Truman Capote. She had been suffering complications from Parkinson’s disease.