A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Union Cabinet allocates Rs 10,000 crore to send three astronauts into space by 2022 under Gaganyaan mission: If it succeeds, India will become the fourth nation, after Russia, the United States and China, to launch a manned space mission.   
  2. Cabinet amends POCSO Act, introduces death penalty for aggravated assault on children: The Cabinet also cleared amendments to protect children from assault during natural calamities, and from being given hormonal substances to speed up growth.   
  3. No ban on ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’, reports are misleading, says Madhya Pradesh: Randeep Singh Surjewala said ‘fake propaganda’ by the BJP will not desist his party from questioning the Modi government on various matters.   
  4. Israeli author Amos Oz dies at 79: Much of his work, both fiction and non fiction, explored kibbutz life and picked apart his characters’ often complex relationship with modern politics.
  5. CBI inquiry in Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case was ‘preconceived and premeditated’, says trial court judge: Special CBI court judge SJ Sharma accused the agency of ‘creating evidence’ and ‘placin witnesses’ in the chargesheet.  
  6. Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad accuses police of holding him captive in Mumbai hotel: Earlier in the day, Azad had announced that his organisation would conduct a rally in the city’s Worli area on Saturday despite not receiving police permission.  
  7. Sky over New York City turns bright blue for a while after explosion at power plant: The New York Police Department said that the colour, caused by a brief electrical fire, was not the result of any ‘extraterrestrial activity’.    
  8. Union Cabinet approves setting up of a new regulatory body for Indian medicine: The new organisation, which seeks to replace the Central Council for Indian Medicine, will ensure transparency, the government added.   
  9. Centre is ready for Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, says Rajnath Singh: The Union home minister told the Lok Sabha that governor Satya Pal Malik had no option but to opt for President’s Rule in the state. 
  10. PM Modi announces Rs 4,500 crore financial assistance for Bhutan’s five-year plan: Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement after meeting his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering in New Delhi.