A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Opposition parties urge EC to verify all VVPAT slips in case of errors: Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea that sought 100% VVPAT verification during counting of votes and called it ‘nonsense’. Modi, at his meeting with NDA leaders, called the controversy ‘needless’. The BJP said the Opposition parties question the credibility of EVMs only when they lose.
  2. PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah thank allies and Union ministers for their ‘service to the nation’: The BJP president hosted a dinner for the party’s allies in New Delhi. Leaders such as Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Ram Vilas Paswan and Uddhav Thackeray attended it.
  3. ISRO launches earth observation satellite RISAT-2B into space: The satellite was launched using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C46 at 5.30 am.
  4. Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group to withdraw defamation suits against Congress leaders, says report: The defamation suits were filed for statements and an article on alleged corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal.
  5. Arunachal Pradesh MLA Tirong Aboh, six others shot dead in Tirap:Some reports said 11 people were killed in the attack.
  6. Dissenting views in poll code violation cases won’t be made public, says Election Commission: Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa had recused himself from the poll panel’s meetings on the ground that his minority decisions were not recorded. He had defended his right to dissent earlier in the day and said minority view must be part of the final order.
  7. Enforcement Directorate officials in Delhi barred from interacting with media: The agency said the order was issued after information about ongoing investigations were leaked to the press.
  8. EVMs are ‘absolutely safe’ in strongrooms, says Election Commission: The poll panel called the Opposition’s claims of EVM movement and problems at strong rooms ‘baseless’. Pranab Mukherjee expressed concerns over the alleged tampering and said the prime responsibility of the ECI should be to put all speculation around EVMs to an end, while Upendra Kushwaha exhorted people to pick up weapons if attempts are made to manipulate results.
  9. Civilian traffic ban on Jammu and Kashmir national highway to be completely lifted from May 27: The movement of civilians on the highway was curtailed on Sundays and Wednesdays to enable the increased movement of security forces ahead of Lok Sabha polls.
  10. Instagram influencers’ data leaked online, traced to Mumbai-based marketing firm: The photo-sharing app said it was looking into the breach of a database containing more than 49 million records.