HIGHLIGHTS

DEL43 SINOINDIA-FACEOFF-LD TALKS Eastern Ladakh standoff: India, China hold second round of Lt Gen-level talks New Delhi: Indian and Chinese militaries are holding a second round of Lt General-level talks on Monday in an attempt to lower the temperature following the violent clashes in Galwan Valley last week that left 20 Indian Army personnel dead, official sources said. DEL70 BIZ-LD RELIANCE-MCAP Reliance Industries becomes first Indian firm to hit USD 150 bn market cap New Delhi: Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on Monday became the first Indian firm to hit a market valuation of USD 150 billion during the day.

These are the top stories at 9pm: TOP STORIES: LGD37 SC-4THLD PURI YATRA SC allows Puri Rath Yatra with no public attendance New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday allowed holding of historic Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra at Puri, which starts tomorrow, with certain conditions including that there would be no public attendance. DEL43 SINOINDIA-FACEOFF-LD TALKS Eastern Ladakh standoff: India, China hold second round of Lt Gen-level talks New Delhi: Indian and Chinese militaries are holding a second round of Lt General-level talks on Monday in an attempt to lower the temperature following the violent clashes in Galwan Valley last week that left 20 Indian Army personnel dead, official sources said.

DEL70 BIZ-LD RELIANCE-MCAP Reliance Industries becomes first Indian firm to hit USD 150 bn market cap New Delhi: Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on Monday became the first Indian firm to hit a market valuation of USD 150 billion during the day. NATION: CAL16 OD-RATH YATRA-SHUTDOWN Odisha imposes 'curfew-like' shutdown in Puri for Rath Yatra Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Monday imposed a "curfew-like" shutdown in Puri district ahead of the historic Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra and appealed to citizens to refrain from stepping out of their homes when the chariots roll out on the Grand Road on June 23 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DEL101 LDALL VIRUS Goa reports 1st COVID-19 fatality as death toll jumps by a record 445, Delhi surpasses TN to be in 2nd spot New Delhi: Goa reported its first COVID-19 fatality on Monday as the countrywide death toll from the disease jumped by a record 445 while Delhi surpassed Tamil Nadu to become the second worst-hit state though authorities said the situation in the national capital was getting stabilised gradually. DEL88 MHA-CHINA-ROADS Govt to expedite works on 32 road projects along border with China: Officials New Delhi: Amidst the continuing standoff between the Indian Army and China's PLA, the Centre on Monday reviewed ongoing road projects along the Sino-Indian border, and decided to expedite work on 32 of them, officials said. By Achinta Borah DEL94 DEF-RAJNATH-LD RUSSIA Rajnath to press for timely delivery of S-400 missile defence system in Russia New Delhi: In the midst of India's escalating border row with China, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday left for Russia on a three-day visit during which he is likely to press for timely delivery of the S-400 missile defence system and discuss ways to further expand bilateral military ties.

DEL20 SINOINDIA-LD MANMOHAN PM must be mindful of implications of his words: Manmohan Singh on Ladakh face-off New Delhi: In his first remarks on the Ladakh face-off, former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said PM Narendra Modi must be mindful of the implications of his words and cannot allow China to use them as a vindication of its position. DEL77 RAIL-ISOLATION COACHES-LD PATIENTS UP first to use COVID-19 isolation coaches; pedestal fans, hay ready at Mau station to battle heat New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh has become the first state to use the Railways’ coronavirus isolation wards with coaches deployed at Mau station receiving 59 suspected COVID-19 cases in two days, officials said on Monday. BUSINESS: DEL62 BIZ-LD STOCKS Indices scale over 3-month highs riding on financial stocks Mumbai: Benchmarks Sensex and Nifty on Monday settled at over three-month highs led by financial counters despite concerns over the mounting Covid cases in the country and the second wave of infections in some parts of the world.

DEL99 BIZ-MOODYS-GROWTH Moody's projects Indian eco to shrink 3.1 pc in 2020; flags rising geopolitical risks in Asia New Delhi: Moody's Investors Service on Monday projected the Indian economy to shrink 3.1 per cent in 2020 and said clashes with China on the border also suggest rising geopolitical risks in the Asian region where countries are particularly vulnerable to changes in geopolitical dynamics. LEGAL: LGD12 DL-HC-RFL-SHIVINDER HC seeks ED's response on ex-Fortis Healthcare Promoter Shivinder Singh bail plea New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Monday asked the Enforcement Directorate to respond to former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh's plea seeking bail in a money laundering case related to alleged misappropriation of funds at Religare Finvest Ltd (RFL).

LGM1 TN-HC-HONOUR-ACQUITTAL Madras HC sets aside death sentence of five accused in TN honour killing case; girl's father acquitted Chennai: The Madras High Court on Monday acquitted the prime accused and modified the death sentence awarded to five others to life imprisonment in 2016 honour killing of a 22-year old man in full public view in Tirupur district in Tamil Nadu. FOREIGN: FGN23: CHINA-INDIA Beijing: China on Monday declined to comment on Union Minister and former Indian Army chief Gen (retd) V K Singh’s remarks that more than 40 Chinese soldiers were killed in the Galwan Valley clash in eastern Ladakh, saying it has no information to release on the issue.

FGN34: VIRUS-PAK-LD DOCTORS Lahore: As many as 65 medics, most of them doctors, in Pakistan have died of coronavirus and around 5,000 infected so far while battling on the frontline against the deadly disease, a government report said on Monday..