HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 1 pm NATION DEL11 VIRUS LD CASES India records over 10,000 COVID-19 cases in single day, tally nears 3 lakh: Health Ministry New Delhi: For the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak, India recorded over 10,000 new cases in a day taking the tally to 2,97,535, while the death toll rose to 8,498 with a record single-day spike of 396 fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data. DEL21 RAHUL-NICHOLAS Challenges India, US face are from authoritarian nations like China, Russia: Ex-US diplomat New Delhi: India and the United States can work together not to fight an "authoritarian" China but to make it observe the rule of law, former US diplomat and Harvard professor Nicholas Burns said on Friday in a conversation with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

DEL22 DEF-CONTRACTS-EXTENSION Govt extends delivery period of all capital acquisition contracts in view of COVID-19 New Delhi: The Defence Ministry on Friday extended by four months the delivery period for all military equipment and hardware under capital acquisition contracts with Indian vendors in view of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said. MDS6 AP-ESI-2ND LD CUSTODY Former AP minister, 5 others arrested in "ESI scam" Amaravati: Senior TDP leader and former Andhra Pradesh Minister K Atchannaidu and five others were arrested on Friday by the Anti-Corruption Bureau sleuths over their alleged involvement in the Rs 150 crore ESI medical purchases 'scandal' during the previous regime, a senior ACB official said.

BOM4 CG-NAXAL-COPS Two Chhattisgarh cops dismissed from service for Naxal links Raipur: Two policemen, including an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), who were arrested for their alleged involvement in supplying ammunition to Naxals in Chhattisgarhs Sukma district, have been dismissed from service, a senior official said on Friday. BOM2 MH-VIRUS-MINISTER Maharashtra minister tests positive for COVID-19 Mumbai: A Maharashtra cabinet minister, who belongs to the NCP, has tested positive for COVID-19, sources said on Friday.

BOM3 MP-VIRUS-WARRIOR Electrician shows spark for service, joins anti-COVID-19 war Bhopal: A local electrician is winning hearts of people in the city for providing free sanitisation service during the coronavirus pandemic, joining countless ordinary citizens in the country who have emerged "COVID-19 warriors" in their own right. LEGAL LGD7 VIRUS-SC-LD WAGES No coercive action against pvt firms for non-payment of full wages during lockdown: SC New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre and states not to take any coercive action till July end against private companies, which have failed to pay full wages to their employees during the coronavirus-induced lockdown period.

LGD8 VIRUS-SC-MORATORIUM Waiver of interest charged during moratorium: SC asks Centre, RBI to hold meet in three days New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India to hold a meeting within three days to decide on waiver of interest on interest for deferred payments of instalments for loans during the moratorium period announced in wake of the coronavirus-induced lockdown. LGD11 VIRUS-SC-AIR TICKET REFUND SC asks Centre to discuss ticket price refund issue with airlines New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday asked the Centre and the airline companies to discuss modalities for full refund of tickets for domestic and international flights which were cancelled following the COVID-19 lockdown. BUSINESS DEL2 BIZ-PETROL-HIKE New Delhi: Petrol price on Friday was hiked by 57 paise per litre and diesel by 59 paise a litre as oil companies adjusted retail rates - the sixth straight day of increase in rates since oil firms ended an 82-day hiatus of rate revision.

DEL4 BIZ-STOCKS-OPEN Sensex plummets over 1,100 pts in early trade on global sell-off Mumbai: Witnessing a gap-down opening, equity benchmark Sensex plummeted 1,100 points in early trade on Friday tracking massive global sell-off fuelled by concerns over economic recovery and a second coronavirus wave in the US. DES2 BIZ-OIL-FIRE-COMMITTEE Oil Ministry sets up high-level panel to inquire into Assam oil well disaster New Delhi: The Petroleum Ministry has constituted a three-member high-level committee to inquire into the blowout at an Oil India Ltd well in Assam and the subsequent fire that killed two firefighters and injured at least one.

FOREIGN FGN7 US-H1B-REPORT Trump considering suspending H1B, other visas: report Washington: US President Donald Trump is considering suspending a number of employment visas including the H-1B, most sought-after among Indian IT professionals, in view of the massive unemployment in America due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a media report. By Lalit K Jha FGN10 PAK-KASHMIR-JOURNOS Pak's PTV News fires 2 journos for showing Kashmir as part of India Islamabad: Pakistan’s state-run PTV News has fired two journalists for airing an “incorrect map” of the country in which Kashmir was shown as a part of India. By Sajjad Hussain FGN20 VIRUS-STUDY-LD POVERTY Extreme poverty could rise to over one billion people globally due to COVID-19 crisis: report New York, Jun 12 (PTI) Global poverty could rise to over one billion people due to the COVID-19 pandemic and more than half of the 395 million additional extreme poor would be located in South Asia, which would be the hardest-hit region in the world, according to a new report. By Yoshita Singh..