A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Indian Army locked in stand-off with Chinese troops over irrigation project in Leh, say reports: Around 55 People's Liberation Army personnel forcefully stopped the construction work undertaken under the MNREGA scheme in Demchok sector.
  2. State government orders judicial investigation into Bhopal SIMI encounter: Two purported audio clips have revealed that there was no crossfire with the escaped prisoners.
  3. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to attend Samajwadi Party’s silver jubilee function: The Janata Dal (United) leader reportedly agreed to attend the event after a phone call with SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.
  4. GST Council agrees on four-tier rate structure starting at 5%, caps levy at 28%: Items of mass consumption will be taxed the least, while the highest band will be reserved for luxury goods and demerit items.
  5. NDTV India been ‘singled out’, channel says on being taken off air for a day because of Pathankot coverage: A statement compared the Information and Broadcasting Ministry's move with when the media was gagged during the Emergency.
  6. Pakistan lists eight Indian High Commission staffers as spies, India says allegations are baseless: Islamabad's Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria accused them of 'subversive activities' and 'fuelling instability' in Balochistan and Sindh.
  7. Delhi is facing the worst smog in 17 years, says environmental research organisation: The Centre for Science and Environment urged the AAP government to issue health alerts and put in place an effective winter pollution mitigation plan.
  8. High Court says British government can't leave EU without parliament's vote: The pound rose to its highest since August by 1% to $1.24, after the ruling.
  9. Delhi LG Najeeb Jung cancels appointments of AAP government’s Supreme Court lawyer panel: The move will impact the state’s ongoing cases, including petitions against a Delhi High Court order on the lieutenant governor’s administrative primacy.
  10. Republican Hindu Coalition video accuses Hillary Clinton of Pakistani bias: The 29-second advertisement, aired on Indian channels, raised questions about the Democrat candidate's aide, Huma Abedin's Pakistani origins.