A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Meeting between Centre and farmers ends, next round of talks on Saturday: Former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal returned his Padma award to protest the ‘betrayal’ of farmers; meanwhile West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee threatened to hit the roads if the farm laws were not withdrawn immediately, and Punjab CM urged the Centre and farmers to resolve the deadlock.
  2. Rajinikanth to launch political party in January, will contest TN polls: The actor said he will announce his political party on December 31.
  3. Varavara Rao’s condition has improved, but will remain in hospital till December 14, says Bombay HC: A bench of Justices SS Shinde and MS Karnik also said that the poet’s family can continue to see him at the hospital.  
  4. Plea in SC against UP government’s ordinance on forced religious conversions: The petitioners contended that the ordinance was against public policy and fundamental rights of people.
  5. ‘No further discussion on Suvendu Adhikari,’ says TMC leader after he dismisses patch-up hopes: On Wednesday, a day after Trinamool Congress said the matters were ‘sorted’, Adhikari reportedly said that he ‘won’t be able to continue’.
  6. Daily trial in Malegaon blast case to begin on Friday, court asks all accused to appear on December 19: Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Thakur is among the seven accused in the case.  
  7. SC stays Gujarat HC order mandating community service for those not wearing masks: The top court said that the order may lead to health problems and called it ‘disproportionate’.
  8. IMD issues red alert for parts of TN, Kerala ahead of cyclone Burevi; Amit Shah promises to help both states: The cyclone is likely to reach near Tamil Nadu’s Pamban town by noon and cross the south coast of the state between Thursday night and Friday morning.
  9. Arnab Goswami moves Bombay HC seeking stay on inquiry in 2018 abetment to suicide case: The Republic TV anchor sought a stay in filing of chargesheet and the transfer of case to an agency outside the purview of the Maharashtra government.
  10. RBI asks HDFC Bank to stop sourcing new credit cards, halt digital launches amid technical glitches: The RBI also asked the HDFC Bank board to examine the technical lapses in its operating systems and fix accountability.