HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 2100 hours: NATION: DEL84 LDALL VIRUS India registers a record daily jump of nearly 14k COVID-19 cases, Chennai back into lockdown after spike New Delhi: India on Friday registered a record one-day jump of 13,856 COVID-19 cases in a grim trend that has continued for most of this month as Chennai was back into lockdown after a sharp rise in the infections. DEL63 SINOINDIA-IAF Eastern Ladakh tension: IAF chief pays quiet visit to Leh, Srinagar New Delhi: Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria paid a two-day visit to Leh and Srinagar to oversee preparedness of the IAF in view of the massive escalation in tension with China following the violent Galwan Valley clash that left 20 Indian Army personnel dead and 76 injured, military sources said on Friday.

DEL64 LD ALLPARTY MEET All party meeting discusses border tension with China New Delhi: An all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the situation along the India-China border on Friday saw leaders of major political parties putting across their views on the sensitive issue. DEL77 ALLPARTY-SONIA Was there intelligence failure on situation along LAC with China: Sonia asks govt at all-party meet New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday asked the government whether there was any intelligence failure on the situation along the LAC where 20 army personnel were killed in a violent face-off with Chinese troops, and sought an assurance from the prime minister that status quo ante would be restored at the border and China will revert to its original position.

DEL79 DL-VIRUS-3RDLD JAIN COVID-infected Delhi Health Minister moved to private hospital ICU as his condition deteriorates New Delhi: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, battling the coronavirus infection, was moved to the ICU of the private Max Hospital from a city government-run facility after his condition deteriorated on Friday, sources said. DEL68 RAIL-MAKE-IN-INDIA Efforts to use only made-in-India components, reduce imports to zero: Chairman, Railway Board New Delhi: The Railways aims to use only made-in-India components and reduce imports to zero, a top official said on Friday, a day after the transport behemoth decided to cancel the contract of a Chinese firm in a signalling project.

DEL69 NIA-DYSP-CHARGESHEET Enough evidence against Davinder Singh, will file charge sheet in terror case in due course: NIA New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday said it had "adequate evidence" against tainted Deputy Superintendent of Police of Jammu and Kashmir Davinder Singh, arrested in a terror case, and a charge sheet would be filed against him in due course. DEL82 UP-JOURNALIST-EDITORS GUILD FIR against journalist in UP: Editors Guild says it will undermine media freedom New Delhi: The Editors Guild of India on Friday described as an "overreaction" the filing of an FIR in Uttar Pradesh against a journalist over a report on the impact of the coronavirus-induced lockdown on a village and asserted that it will "seriously undermine" freedom of the media.

BOM18 MH-VIRUS-CM-TASK FORCE Maha CM asks for district-level coronavirus task forces Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday asked district collectors to appoint a task force of expert doctors to curb COVID-19-related deaths, and warned against complacency in tracing patients and their contacts. LEGAL: LGD26 VIRUS-SC-MIGRANTS SC asks Centre, states to send migrant workers home without charging fare New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre and all the states to ensure that all stranded migrant workers willing to return must be sent to their native places without any fare being charged from them.

LGD29 SC-PURI YATRA Plea in SC seeks recall of order staying Puri Rath Yatra due to COVID-19 New Delhi: A plea was Friday filed in the Supreme Court seeking recall of its order staying this year's historic Puri Rath Yatra, which is attended by lakhs of people from across the world and was to start from June 23, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. BUSINESS: DEL86 BIZ-GADKARI-FOREST-BAMBOO Forest & environment ministry policies outdated, hinder growth: Gadkari Mumbai: Union MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said the environment and forest ministry's policies are "outdated" and "should be thrown away" as they inhibit the growth of the bamboo industry in India.

FOREIGN: FGN44 CHINA-INDIA-BOYCOTT-CALLS China reacts cautiously to mounting boycott calls of its products in India, says it values ties Beijing: China on Friday reacted guardedly to calls for a boycott of Chinese products and investments in India following the brutal attack on Indian soldiers at the Galwan Valley, saying it values its relations with New Delhi and both countries are in talks to ease the situation. By K J M Varma FGN43 VIRUS-CHINA-LD CASES Coronavirus strain in Beijing has EU origins: Chinese virologists Beijing: China has reported 37 new coronavirus cases including 25 in Beijing where 183 patients are undergoing treatment while the Chinese virologists said the strain of the new cluster of cases in the capital may have come from Europe. By K J M Varma..