A look at the headlines right now:

  1. BJP promises farm loan waivers, separate agriculture budget in its Karnataka election manifesto: Chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa said the party would allocate Rs 1.5 lakh crore to irrigation projects if voted to power.  
  2. IMD forecasts more thunderstorms, squalls and heavy winds across India over next few days: More than 125 people have died in rain and weather disturbances across the country since Wednesday evening.  
  3. Nobel Prize in Literature cancelled this year after sexual assault scandal: Six of the 18 members of the Swedish Academy have resigned in recent months.
  4. Congress and NCP form alliance for Maharashtra bye-elections, Legislative Council polls: NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said they are confident of winning both, the bye-polls and the council elections.
  5. Kashmir police officer accuses security forces of vandalising his home: Nisar Ahmad Bakshi said the attack took place on Wednesday after clashes in Anantnag’s KP Road area.  
  6. United States warns China of consequences for militarisation in disputed South China Sea: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the country was involved in peaceful construction in the region.  
  7. Dining with Dalits is not enough, says RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat: He said BJP leaders should stop doing drama of eating food at Dalit homes, and rather talk to people to get rid of caste barriers.  
  8. Twitter urges all users to change their passwords after it found a bug: The website said it had fixed the bug and had not found any indication of a breach or misuse by anyone.  
  9. India is doing extremely well in its push for electrification, says World Bank: About three crore people got access to electricity each year in India between 2010 and 2016, more than any other country, the World Bank said.
  10. Bill Cosby, Roman Polanski expelled from Oscars Academy: Cosby was recently convicted of sexual assault while Polanski pleaded guilty to the rape of a 13-year-old in 1977.