A look at the headlines right now:

  1. India and Israel to focus on defence deals and tackling terrorism on Day 2 of Narendra Modi’s visit: An Israeli chrysanthemum has been named ‘Modi’ in the Indian prime minister’s honour.
  2. China rules out compromise with India on Sikkim standoff, says onus on New Delhi to resolve crisis: China also claimed that India has no right to interfere with the China-Bhutan boundary talks, or make territorial claims on behalf of Bhutan.  
  3. Bengaluru hotel turns away interfaith couple because ‘Hindus don’t marry Muslims’: ‘What if they go into the room and hang themselves’, reasoned the receptionist at Olive Residency.  
  4. Maharashtra BJP worker arrested on rape charges after video shows him kissing complainant on a bus: Ravindra Bawanthade is a school teacher in Gadchiroli district and had promised the woman that he would marry her.  
  5. US denies 2 Afghan girls visas for a competition, but the robot they built can pass border security: They will now watch their ball-sorting bot compete via a live Skype video link from their hometown of Herat.  
  6. Anil Ambani’s Reliance Communications suggests brother Mukesh’s Jio has affected telecom industry: The company pointed at a new entrant’s ‘strategy of freebies to gain customers’ to explain the sector’s current financial problems.  
  7. Maharashtra’s loan waiver beneficiary list has 813 farmers from urbanised Mumbai city, its suburbs: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said their applications will be approved only after an inquiry.  
  8. Cyrus Mistry, four others face Rs 500-crore defamation complaint filed by managing trustee: The complainant claimed that the ousted chairman’s email after his dismissal alleging fraud had ‘damaged his reputation’.  
  9. Cow protectors are victims, not tyrants, media ignores deadly attacks on them, claims VHP: The Hinduvta group’s joint general secretary, in an apparent reference to Modi’s remarks, said gau raksha was an ‘indispensable part of gau seva’.
  10. Rajinikanth asks Tamil Nadu government to roll back additional tax on theatre owners: The film industry is losing Rs 4 crore a day because of the ongoing strike against the new GST regime, market experts said.