A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Security forces battling militants in two encounters in South Kashmir’s Kulgam and Pulwama: The shootouts are on in Kulgam’s Qazigund area and in Pulwama’s Awantipora area.
  2. Iran ends rescue operations as toll in powerful earthquake reaches 450: Officials said chances of finding any more survivors in the debris were slim to none.
  3. Two arrested for allegedly killing Muslim man transporting cows in Rajasthan’s Alwar: The victim Ummar Khan’s neighbours said they were all dairy farmers in their village, and his wife said she had asked him to buy a cow for milk..
  4. It is ‘juvenile politics’ to link the reduction in GST rates to elections, says Arun Jaitley: The finance minister also rejected Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s demand for a single 18% levy on all goods.
  5. Being homosexual is a tendency and not permanent, says Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The spiritual leader made the statement at JNU after a student asked how he should handle the abuse he faced for his sexual orientation.
  6. Good governance, technology are transforming India at ‘unprecedented scale’, says Narendra Modi: After meeting President Donald Trump, he said India and the US are working for the future of humanity.
  7. Pawan Hans says it cannot use helicopters to dissipate Delhi smog in low visibility: An air traffic controller said sprinkling operations would be possible only in North and East Delhi as there were several no-fly zones in the district.
  8. ‘Secular’ is a lie, government can’t be run by one way of prayer, says Adityanath: The Uttar Pradesh chief minister also accused the Congress of dividing the country on the lines of caste and religion.
  9. Four arrested in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly killing a man who informed police about a cow slaughter: The police in Rampur said they had received a call about the animal being sold for its meat two weeks ago..
  10. Heavy rain forecast for the next 24 hours in Chennai, neighbouring districts: A low-pressure area in the Southwest Bay of Bengal, which has been building up since Sunday, is causing the downpour.