HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 9:30 pm NATION DEL103 LDALL VIRUS COVID-19: India records single-day highest jump of 507 deaths, June worst month with close to 4 lakh cases New Delhi: India on Wednesday recorded the highest single-day jump of 507 COVID-19 deaths and also a majority of cases--close to four lakh--in June to make it the worst month for the country prompting some states to go for varying degrees of lockdown. DEL90 PM-WEIBO Modi quits Weibo; BJP says PM sends strong message at personal level too New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has quit Chinese social media platform Weibo, the BJP said on Wednesday, with its general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh saying that Modi has sent out a "strong message" at the border, on economic front and now at "personal level too".

DEL108 SINOINDIA-LD RAJNATH-LADAKH Def Min Rajnath Singh, army chief scheduled to visit Ladakh on Friday: Sources New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to visit Ladakh on Friday to take stock of India's military preparedness in the wake of a bitter border standoff with the Chinese troops in the region, government sources said. DEL97 LD DOCTORS DAY Doctors' Day: India lauds its brave doctors' contribution in fight against COVID-19 pandemic New Delhi: Hailing doctors for their selfless service and spirited fight against the COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in saluting the medicos on National Doctors' Day, which has assumed even greater significance this year for the role played by these frontline warriors during the pandemic.

DEL100 LD WEATHER 7 killed in rain, landslides in Assam, taking toll to 33; rainfall in some parts of North India New Delhi: Seven people were killed in floods and landslides across Assam, raising the death toll to 33, while hot and humid conditions prevailed in parts of northern India where rainfall was recorded in some regions. DEL76 JK-LD ATTACK CRPF Terrorists hiding in mosque kill CRPF jawan, civilian in Kashmir, toddler rescued Srinagar: Terrorists hiding inside a mosque opened fire at a CRPF patrol team in Jammu and Kashmir’s Sopore town on Wednesday, killing a jawan and a civilian whose three-year-old grandson narrowly escaped the hail of bullets and was rescued by security forces, officials said.

DEL98 MHA-SHAH-LD TERRORISTS Nine linked to Khalistani groups designated as terrorists New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday declared nine individuals linked to separatist Khalistani organisations, including four based in Pakistan, as designated terrorists under provisions of the UAPA Act. DEL96 CBI-LD SAMSUNG CBI books alleged arms dealer for corruption involving Korean firm for ONGC-related contract New Delhi: The CBI has booked purported arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari for allegedly receiving kickbacks worth USD 4.99 million from South Korean major Samsung Engineering Co Ltd (SECL) in 2009 to influence government officials in awarding a Rs 6,744 crore contract to a company promoted by central and state PSUs including ONGC, officials said.

DEL106 PRIYANKA-LD VACATE Govt asks Priyanka to vacate bungalow by Aug 1; cites withdrawal of SPG cover New Delhi: The government on Wednesday asked Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to vacate her bungalow in Lutyens' Delhi within a month, saying she is not entitled to the facility following withdrawal of her SPG protection. DEL92 UKD-2NDLD PATANJALI Patanjali can sell Coronil but not as 'cure' to COVID-19: AYUSH New Delhi/Haridwar: The Union AYUSH Ministry Wednesday said Patanjali can sell Coronil but only as an immunity booster, days after yoga guru Ramdev’s company launched it as a medicine for COVID-19 and is now calling it a product to “manage” the disease.

MDS12 TN-EXPLOSION-2ND LD BOILER Six killed in NLC India's boiler explosion in TN Neyveli: A boiler exploded at NLC India's thermal plant here killing six people and leaving 17 others injured on Wednesday and it has been shut for safety audit, the company said. BUSINESS DEL66 BIZ-LD STOCKS Sensex jumps 499 pts as macro data bolsters recovery hopes; RIL, finance stocks shine Mumbai: Equity indices clawed back lost ground on Wednesday after two sessions of losses as investors accumulated banking, finance and energy stocks amid encouraging macroeconomic data and firm global cues.

DEL68 BIZ-GOLD-PRICE Gold zooms Rs 647; silver jumps Rs 1,611 New Delhi: Gold in the national capital zoomed Rs 647 to Rs 49,908 per 10 grams on Wednesday in line with gains in the international prices of the precious metal, according to HDFC Securities. FOREIGN FGN48 UK-LD HONGKONG UK PM holds China in 'clear and serious breach' of pact, confirms citizenship route for Hong Kong London: Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday held China in "clear and serious breach” of the Sino-British agreement under which Hong Kong had been handed over to the Chinese authorities and confirmed that a citizenship route will now be offered to Hong Kong’s British National (Overseas) passport holders. By Aditi Khanna PTI AD