HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 5 pm: DEL4 VIRUS-LD CASES India now sixth worst-hit nation by COVID-19, surpasses Italy with an infection tally of 2,36,657 New Delhi: India went past Italy to become the sixth worst-hit nation by the COVID-19 pandemic with the country registering a record single-day spike of 9,887 cases which pushed the nationwide tally to 2,36,657. DEL16 DEF-SINOINDIA-TALKS Eastern Ladakh standoff: Indian and Chinese armies hold Lt-General-level talks New Delhi: Indian and Chinese armies on Saturday held Lieutenant General-level talks in their first major attempt to resolve the month-long border standoff in eastern Ladakh, official sources said.

DEL27 VIRUS-HAJ Muslims from India undertaking Haj this year seems unlikely: Sources New Delhi: With the coronavirus pandemic showing no signs of abating, it seems unlikely that Muslims from India will be able to undertake the Haj pilgrimage this year, sources said on Saturday. DEL22 DL-KEJRIWAL-VIRUS-LD HOSPITALS Some pvt hospitals refusing admission to COVID patients, doing 'black-marketing of beds': Kejriwal New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday warned of strong action against some private hospitals allegedly refusing admission to COVID-19 patients and involving in "black-marketing" of beds, and said his government is going to issue an order stating that hospitals cannot deny treatment to such people.

DEL21 BJP-TEJASHWI Amit Shah's Bihar rally amid 'crisis of the century' nothing but 'political vulturism': Tejashwi New Delhi: A day ahead of Amit Shah's virtual rally to sound BJP's poll bugle in Bihar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday said electioneering amidst the coronavirus crisis in the country is nothing but "political vulturism", and alleged that the saffron party was only interested in electoral victory even at the cost of human lives. By Asim Kamal DEL26 PB-KHALISTAN-JATHEDAR Will accept Khalistan if govt offers it: Akal Takht Jathedar Amritsar: The Sikh community will accept Khalistan, a separate state for Sikhs, if the government offers it, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh said on Saturday. BOM9 GJ-AMUL-TWITTER Amul Twitter account blocked briefly after ad targeted China Ahmedabad: The Twitter account of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, owner of the Amul brand, was blocked briefly after it posted a cartoon apparently calling for a boycott of Chinese products.

BOM8 MP-EKTA KAPOOR-FIR FIR against Ekta Kapoor, 2 others for obscene web show: Police Indore: An FIR has been registered against television producer Ekta Kapoor and two others here in Madhya Pradesh on charges of spreading obscenity, hurting religious feelings, and improper use of national emblems in her web show 'Triple X season 2', police said on Saturday. FOREIGN FGN16 VIRUS-CHINA-LD PANGOLIN China accords highest level of protection to pangolins after COVID-19 Beijing: China has upgraded the protection of the pangolin, believed to be the intermediate host of the coronavirus, to that of the first-class protected animals on par with the endangered species like giant pandas. By K J M Varma FGN14 US-PROTESTS-TRUMP-UN-EXPERTS Trump's response to Floyd protests has language associated with racial segregationists: UN experts United Nations: US President Donald Trump’s response to protests against the killing of African-American George Floyd has included language "directly associated with racial segregationists" from America's past, a group of UN human rights experts have said. By Yoshita Singh FGN8 VIRUS-TRUMP-INDIA-LD CHINA Trump says India, China will have more COVID-19 cases with more tests Washington: US President Donald Trump has said that countries like India and China would have much more coronavirus cases than America, the worst-hit country in the world, if they conduct more tests. By Lalit K Jha PTI NSD