HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 9.15 PM: NATION DEL79 DEF-2NDLD CHOPPER-CRASH Sudden weather change led to pilot's spatial disorientation: Court of Inquiry on IAF chopper crash New Delhi: The IAF chopper crash on December 8 that killed CDS Gen Bipin Rawat and 13 others was due to an unexpected change in weather that led to spatial disorientation of the pilot, according to the preliminary findings submitted by the tri-services court of inquiry.

DEL68 UP-LD MAKAR SANKRANTI Lakhs take holy dip in Ganga in Prayagraj on Makar Sankranti, defy Covid surge Prayagraj (UP): Tens of thousands of devotees took a holy dip in the Ganga here on the occasion of Makar Sankranti on Friday, braving severe cold and belittling the coronavirus threat.

DEL63 DL-VIRUS-CASES COVID-19: Delhi records 24,383 cases, 34 deaths New Delhi, Jan 14 (PTI) Delhi on Friday reported 24,383 COVID-19 cases and 34 fatalities while the positivity rate surged to 30.64 per cent, according to health department data.

CAL16 WB-3RDLD-TRAIN-DERAIL Problem with locomotive's equipment: Railway min after inspecting train accident site in Bengal Jalpaiguri/Guwahati: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday visited West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district, where the Bikaner-Guwahati Express met with an accident a day ago, and said that preliminary reports suggested there was ''some issue'' with the equipment of the locomotive.

BOM9 MH-VIRUS-MUMBAI At 9, Mumbai logs highest COVID-19 deaths in 5 months; cases drop to 11,317 Mumbai: Mumbai on Friday reported nine fresh deaths linked to COVID-19, the highest single-day fatalities since August 11, 2021, and 11,317 new cases, a drop of 17.60 per cent from the previous day, the BMC said.

MDS10 KL-COURT-2NDLD BISHOP Bishop Franco Mulakkal acquitted in rape case; nuns say they will file appeal Kottayam: A court in Kerala on Friday acquitted Roman Catholic Bishop Franco Mulakkal of the charges of raping a nun in a convent in the southern state, triggering emotional reactions from nuns who support the survivor, while the jubilant priest urged followers to ''praise the lord and be happy''. BUSINESS DEL59 BIZ-CAR-LD AIRBAGS-GADKARI Minimum 6 airbags to be made mandatory in vehicles that can carry up to 8 passengers: Gadkari New Delhi: The Centre will make it mandatory for carmakers to provide a minimum of six airbags in motor vehicles that can carry up to 8 passengers for enhanced safety of occupants, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday.

DEL55 BIZ-LD EXPORTS Exports rise 38.91 pc to USD 37.81 bn in Dec; trade deficit widens to USD 21.68 bn: Govt data New Delhi: The country's exports in December 2021 surged 38.91 per cent on an annual basis to USD 37.81 billion, the highest-ever monthly figure, due to healthy performance by sectors such as engineering, textiles and chemicals, even as the trade deficit widened to USD 21.68 billion during the month, government data showed on Friday.

LEGAL LGD13 DL-COURT-BULLI BAI Delhi court dismisses bail plea of 'Bulli Bai' app creator New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday dismissed the bail application of 'Bulli Bai' app creator Neeraj Bishnoi, noting that a vilification campaign against Muslim women containing derogatory content and offending material having communal overtones was run on this app.

LGC2 JH-HC-JUDGE DEATH CASE Jharkhand HC asks CBI to unearth greater conspiracy into Dhanbad judge's death Ranchi: Reprimanding the CBI for not properly conducting the unnatural death case of Dhanbad judge Uttam Anand in July last year, the High Court of Jharkhand on Friday said there is a greater conspiracy into the matter which needs to be unearthed.

FOREIGN FGN30 PAK-2NDLD POLICY PM Imran launches Pak's first-ever National Security Policy; focuses on flagging economy instead of military capabilities Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday launched Pakistan’s first-ever National Security Policy based on a citizen-centric framework and focusing more on boosting the country’s flagging economy and its standing in the world, unlike the previous one-dimensional security policy deeply rooted in the development of military capabilities. - By Sajjad Hussain FGN17 CHINA-INDIA-TRADE India-China trade grows to record USD 125 billion in 2021 despite tensions in eastern Ladakh Beijing: The India-China bilateral trade touched a record high of over USD 125 billion in 2021, crossing the USD 100 billion-mark in a year when the relations hit a new low due to the prolonged standoff by the militaries in eastern Ladakh, while India’s trade deficit too mounted to over USD 69 billion, according to official data released on Friday. - By KJM Varma SPORTS SPD16 SPO-BAD-2NDLD IND Sindhu, Sen enter semifinals of India Open New Delhi: P V Sindhu and world championship bronze medallist Lakshya Sen registered contrasting wins to advance to the women's and men's singles semifinals, respectively, at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open badminton tournament here on Friday.

SPD20 SPO-CRI-IND-SA-KOHLI You probably have to speak to selectors what they've in mind: Kohli on Pujara and Rahane's future Cape Town: India captain Virat Kohli's defence of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane lacked conviction as he put the ball on selection committee's court with regards to the future of the two out-of-form senior batters.

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