A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Pakistan refuses to allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flight over its airspace: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the decision was made keeping in mind the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
  2. ‘I never advocated Hindi imposition,’ says Amit Shah: The Union home minister said at an event in Ranchi that Hindi should be a person’s choice for second language.
  3. E-cigarettes banned by government as they pose health risk, says Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman: The Centre will immediately pass an ordinance, and the matter will be taken up in the next Parliament session, she added.
  4. Mamata Banerjee meets PM Modi, discusses plan to rename West Bengal: The chief minister said the demand to rename West Bengal as Bangla has been pending for long.
  5. Donald Trump appoints diplomat Robert C O’Brien national security adviser: This came about a week after the president fired John Bolton, saying he ‘disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions’.
  6. Farooq Abdullah was not arrested till Sunday, says Union minister Prakash Javadekar: He also said prohibitory orders were still in place only in nine to ten police stations and free movement was allowed in the other areas.
  7. Facebook to set up oversight board to govern content, it can overrule Mark Zuckerberg too: The board will have up to 40 members, who will serve three-year terms.
  8. After techie’s death, DMK President MK Stalin calls for an end to ‘banner culture’ in Tamil Nadu: He criticised the ruling AIADMK for flouting a Madras High Court order on erecting hoardings, and said his party had filed an affidavit on the matter.
  9. Delhi court asks AAP government to decide on prosecuting accused in JNU sedition case within a month: Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Manish Khurana adjourned the hearing in the matter to October 25.  
  10. German city rescinds literary prize to Kamila Shamsie for supporting anti-Israel movement: The British-Pakistani novelist said there was no contradiction between supporting the BDS movement of Palestinian activists and receiving the Nelly Sachs Prize.