A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Election Commission says it is ready for simultaneous Lok Sabha and state polls from September 2018: Election Commissioner OP Rawat said it is up to the government to take a decision and make necessary legal amendments for it.  
  2. Still not paid for working extra hours during demonetisation, bank employees threaten strike: Unions said the government has been informed about the non-payment for the extra hours that the staff put in to deal with the rush during note ban.
  3. EU orders Amazon to pay nearly €250 million for receiving illegal tax advantages: The European Commission said Luxembourg had given the online retailer several benefits without any ‘valid justification’.
  4. Leopard enters Maruti Suzuki plant in Manesar, Gurugram: Forest department officials and the police are trying to rescue the animal.  
  5. This is not the first time India’s GDP growth has dropped to 5.7%, says Narendra Modi: The prime minister said the country had seen such a slowdown eight times under the previous government’s regime. 
  6. RBI keeps interest rates unchanged, slashes economic growth forecast: The central bank said that the implementation of GST appeared to have had an ‘adverse impact’ on the manufacturing sector in the short term. 
  7. Eight soldiers on joint US, Nigerien routine patrol killed in ambush near Niger-Mali border: Officials said the attackers had come from Mali.
  8. Bangladesh razes over 20 boats carrying refugees from Myanmar: The local commander of the border guards said they were cracking down on human trafficking and the smuggling the methamphetamine drug.  
  9. Ram Rahim’s adopted daughter Honeypreet Insan sent to six-day police remand: She had complained of chest pain during her interrogation. 
  10. Akhilesh Yadav re-elected as Samajwadi Party national president for five years: The party’s constitution had been amended to extend the tenure of party chief from three years to five years.