A look at the headlines right now:

  1. BJP releases first list of candidates, Amit Shah to contest from Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be a candidate for the Varanasi seat.  
  2. Minor boy held hostage in Bandipora, gunfight between militants and security forces under way: In Baramulla’s Sopore, two police personnel sustained injuries in a gunfight.
  3. ‘Soldiers were killed for votes,’ claims Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav: He said the incident will be investigated when the government changes, and prominent people will be caught.  
  4. Six killed, 30 wounded in blast at pesticide plant in China’s Jiangsu province: Many of those injured were hit by debris flying from the plant following the explosion.  
  5. Dharwad building collapse toll rises to 11, rescue operation still underway: Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said he had asked the chief secretary to make a detailed inquiry into the incident.  
  6. Kerala court summons journalist Arnab Goswami for alleged remarks against people of state: The petitioner alleged that Goswami called the people of Kerala ‘shameless’ during a debate on the floods last year.
  7. Counter-terrorism officials investigate overnight attacks at four Birmingham mosques: A man with a sledgehammer was reportedly seen smashing windows of mosques.
  8. Jet Airways pilots write to PM about salary dues, say their stress ‘can easily compromise safety’: The National Aviators Guild pointed out that the salary payment has been erratic for the last seven months.  
  9. People welcome spring with colours and celebrations: This year, several leaders refrained from celebrating the festival as a mark of respect for the 40 security personnel who died in the Pulwama attack.  
  10. Chuddies, bigsie, sitooterie — Oxford English Dictionary adds 650 new words and phrases: The Indian word for underpants became popular in the mid-1990s in the UK when it was used in the British-Asian comedy series ‘Goodness Gracious Me’ on BBC.