A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Congress claims Jaitley’s meeting with Vijay Mallya lasted 15 minutes: The BJP, on the other hand, claimed the Gandhi family was helping the fugitive businessman with ‘sweet deals’.
  2. Police investigation in Kerala nun rape case is moving in the right direction, says High Court: The nun’s family was offered money and were threatened, her counsel told the court.
  3. Health ministry bans 328 fixed dose combination drugs with immediate effect: Around 6,000 brands of drugs, with a combined market size of between Rs 2,000 crore and Rs 2,500 crore, are likely to be affected.
  4. Aung San Suu Kyi rejects claims that Reuters reporters were jailed for journalism: She said the they can appeal the court’s verdict.
  5. Pakistan SC allows Hafiz Saeed’s organisation to continue charity work in the country: The organisation is believed to be a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group.
  6. AAP, Congress criticise civic body’s order for students to recite Gayatri Mantra in assembly: The North Delhi Municipal Corporation, which is under the control of the BJP, runs schools up to Class 5.
  7. European Parliament votes in favour of controversial copyright law: The law aims to protect artists, journalists and other content creators from the use of their work by online platforms.
  8. Centre notifies rules to regulate pet trade; only micro-chipped puppies can now be sold: Under the new rules, all pet shops will have to get a certificate of registration from the State Animal Welfare Board.
  9. Sri Lanka’s military did not wage ethnic war against Tamils, says ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa: He refuted allegations of human rights violations against his country’s military.
  10. In India, air pollution led to more lung diseases than smoking in 2016, finds new study: Air pollution led to 53% of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder cases in 2016 while 25.4% is attributed to tobacco use.