HIGHLIGHTS

BUSINESS: DEL7 BIZ-PETROL-PRICE HIKE Diesel crosses Rs 80-mark in Delhi after 19th consecutive price hike New Delhi: Diesel price in the national capital crossed the Rs 80 per litre-mark for the first time ever on Thursday as oil companies raised prices for the 19th day, taking the cumulative rate to Rs 10.63 a litre. DEL5 BIZ-STOCKS-OPEN Sensex falls over 300 pts in early trade ahead of F&O expiry Mumbai: Equity benchmark Sensex tumbled over 300 points in early trade on Thursday tracking losses in index-heavyweights HDFC twins, Infosys and ICICI Bank ahead of the expiry of June derivatives..

These are the top stories at 12:30 pm: NATION: DEL15 VIRUS-LD CASES India registers 16,000 COVID-19 daily cases for first time; death toll rises by 418 New Delhi: India registered its worst single-day increase in COVID-19 cases on Thursday, recording more than 16,000 coronavirus infections, to push the overall tally to 4.73 lakh as the number of fatalities also jumped by 418, the Union Health Ministry said. DEL10 SHAH-EMERGENCY Shah comes down heavily on Cong; says interests of one family prevailed over national interests New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah came down heavily on the Congress on Thursday, saying the interests of one family prevailed over the party and national interests, and questioned why the 'Emergency mindset' still remained in the opposition party.

DEL16 ISRO-SIVAN Pvt sector to be allowed to build rockets, provide launch services: ISRO chief Sivan New Delhi: The private sector will now be allowed to carry out space activities like building of rockets, satellites and providing launch services, ISRO chief K Sivan said on Thursday DEL19 VIRUS-LD IITB-ONLINE IIT-Bombay to go completely online next semester, other IITS likely to follow suit New Delhi: Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay will go completely online next semester in view of the COVID-19 pandemic so there is no “compromise on the safety and well being” of students, its director said on Thursday. MDS1 TN-VIRUS-NAVY Over 30 personnel at Naval Air Station 'INS Parundu' test positive for COVID-19 Ramanathapuram (TN): Over 30 personnel attached to Naval Air Station INS Parundu here have tested positive for coronavirus, district officials said on Thursday, but the forward operating base was 'operational', Defence sources in Chennai said.

BOM3 MH-VIRUS-POLICE Three more Maha cops die of COVID-19; toll rises to 54 Mumbai: Three Maharashtra Police personnel, including an officer, died of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, taking the toll in the state force to 54, an official said Thursday. FOREIGN: FGN4 US-5G-HUAWEI Huawei’s deals with telecom operators ‘evaporating’, says Pompeo Washington: Calling Orange in France, Jio in India and Telstra in Australia as 'clean telcos' for refusing to do business with firms from China, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has claimed that Chinese tech giant Huawei’s deals with telecommunications operators around the world are “evaporating”.

FGN13 UK-SINO-INDIA UK PM terms Sino-India standoff ‘very serious, worrying situation’; calls for dialogue London: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called on India and China to engage in dialogue to sort out their border issues as he described the escalation in eastern Ladakh as “a very serious and worrying situation” which the UK is closely monitoring. FGN6 VIRUS-US-FOOD DRIVE Indian-American doctors, gurdwara launch food drive for COVID-19 patients Washington: Indian-American doctors from in and around the national capital along with a prominent gurdwara have launched a food drive for the people impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

LEGAL: LGM1 TN-HC-INDIANS OVERSEAS Over 17,000 people from TN stranded in various countries brought back: Centre informs HC Chennai: The Centre has informed the Madras High Court that 17,701 people from Tamil Nadu stranded in various countries due to travel curbs following the COVID-19 pandemic were brought back through 50 flights. BUSINESS: DEL7 BIZ-PETROL-PRICE HIKE Diesel crosses Rs 80-mark in Delhi after 19th consecutive price hike New Delhi: Diesel price in the national capital crossed the Rs 80 per litre-mark for the first time ever on Thursday as oil companies raised prices for the 19th day, taking the cumulative rate to Rs 10.63 a litre.

DEL5 BIZ-STOCKS-OPEN Sensex falls over 300 pts in early trade ahead of F&O expiry Mumbai: Equity benchmark Sensex tumbled over 300 points in early trade on Thursday tracking losses in index-heavyweights HDFC twins, Infosys and ICICI Bank ahead of the expiry of June derivatives..