HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 5 pm: NATION DEL62 PM-2NDLD LADAKH Era of expansionism is over, says PM from Ladakh Leh/New Delhi: Sending a firm message to China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the era of expansionism is over and that India's enemies have seen the "fire and fury" of its armed forces as he made a surprise visit to Ladakh in the midst of a seven-week tense border standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in a number of areas of the region. DEL21 VIRUS-LD CASES Highest single-day spike of 20,903 COVID-19 cases in India, total case tally 6,25,544 New Delhi: India's COVID-19 cases soared by over 20,000 in a day for the first time taking the country's total tally to 6,25,544 on Friday, while the death toll climbed to 18,213 with 379 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data.  DEL64 UP-COPS-5THLD ENCOUNTER Eight UP policemen shot dead in failed raid, 2 criminals killed later Kanpur: Eight police personnel, including a DSP, were gunned down in a village near the city by a criminal’s henchmen who lost two of them in a firefight later, officials said on Friday.

DEL23 VIRUS ICMR VACCINE ICMR aims to launch indigenous COVID-19 vaccine by Aug 15 New Delhi: Aiming to launch an indigenous COVID-19 vaccine by August 15, the Indian Council of Medical Research has written to select medical institutions and hospitals to fast-track clinical trial approvals for the vaccine candidate Covaxin being developed in collaboration with Bharat Biotech. DEL40 UP-ENCOUNTER-LD OPPN Kanpur encounter: UP govt in line of fire over law and order situation Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath government in UP faced opposition onslaught on Friday over the killing of policemen in an encounter in Kanpur, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying it was another proof of "hooliganism", while the Samajwadi Party said the state has become "Hatya Pradesh".

DEL59 BJP-PM-LADAKH True leadership in action: Nadda on PM's visit to Ladakh New Delhi: BJP leaders hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ladakh on Friday amid a military standoff between India and China, with party president J P Nadda saying his "words give words to the emotion of 130 crore Indians and act as a great morale booster for our armed forces". BOM3 MH-KASHMIR-SAAMANA Despite noteban, 370 move, no change in J&K situation: Sena Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Friday said the 2016 demonetisation exercise, scrapping of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir have done nothing to improve the security situation in the terror-affected Union Territory.

LEGAL LGD2 DL-COURT-RIOTS Nine of those killed in Delhi riots were forced to shout 'Jai Shri Ram', police tells court New Delhi: Some of the rioters used a WhatsApp group to coordinate with each other during north-east Delhi riots in February and killed nine Muslims after they refused to chant 'Jai Shri Ram', Delhi police has alleged in its charge sheets filed in a court here. BUSINESS DEL31 BIZ- LD POWER EQUIPMENT-CHINA India not to import power equipment from China: R K Singh New Delhi: Power Minister R K Singh on Friday said that India will not import power equipment from China, amid a border standoff with China.

DEL19 BIZ-VIRUS-ZYDUS-VACCINE Zydus says potential COVID-19 vaccine gets DGCI nod for human trials New Delhi: Zydus, a part of the Cadila Healthcare group, on Friday said its indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate - ZyCoV-D - has successfully completed pre-clinical phase and has received permission from Indian authorities to conduct human trials. FOREIGN FGN7 US-SENATOR-INDIA-CHINA China's CPC acting 'aggressively' in neighbourhood, essentially 'invaded' India: top US Senator Washington: The ruling Communist Party of China is acting "aggressively" in its neighbourhood and it essentially "invaded" India, killing 20 of its soldiers, a top American Senator has said. By Lalit K Jha FGN26 PAK-SIKHS-LD ACCIDENT 29 people, mostly Pakistani Sikh pilgrims, killed in train-bus collision in Pak Lahore: At least 29 people, mostly Pakistani Sikh pilgrims, were killed when a mini-bus carrying them rammed into a train at an unmanned crossing in Pakistan's Punjab province on Friday. By M Zulqernain FGN5 US-INDIA-CHINA-REPORT China under Xi stepped up 'aggressive' foreign policy towards India: Congressional commission report Washington: China under President Xi Jinping has stepped up its "aggressive" foreign policy toward India and "resisted" efforts to clarify the Line of Actual Control that prevented a lasting peace from being realised, according to a report released by a US Congress appointed commission. By Lalit K Jha ENT20 LD ALL SAROJ KHAN ‘Dhak Dhak’ choreographer Saroj Khan dies after brief illness Mumbai: Choreographer Saroj Khan, the feisty 'Masterji' of Bollywood who stormed into a largely male bastion with her dance moves in numbers like “Dhak Dhak”, “Hawa Hawaii” and “Ek Do Teen”, died following a cardiac arrest at a hospital here early Friday. She was 71.

SPORTS SPD8 SPO-GOLF-LD IND COVID-19 impact: Hero Indian Open cancelled New Delhi: Hero Indian Open, the biggest golf tournament the country hosts, was on Friday cancelled owing to the COVID-19 pandemic..