Chennai, July 6 (PTI): Highlights from the southern region at 5.30 pm.

MDS2 KL-GOLD-SYNDICATE-SECRETARY Kerala IT Secretary removed as CM's Secretary Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala IT Secretary M Sivasankar was removed as Secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday in the backdrop of the gold smuggling controversy, where the role of a former woman employee of the IT department is being probed. MDS7 AP-VIRUS-CASES AP COVID-19 tally rises to 21,197; toll increases to 252 Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh recorded over 1,000 fresh COVID-19 cases for the second consecutive day, taking the aggregate to 21,197 while another 13 patients died, taking the overall toll to 252 on Tuesday.

MDS8 TL-SECRETARIAT-LD DEMOLITION Demolition work of historic secretariat building in Telangana begins Hyderabad: The Chandrashekhar Rao-led dispensation in Telangana on Tuesday began razing of the old secretariat building complex here, which has stood the test of time and witnessed the rise and fall of several governments. MES2 PD-VIRUS-CASES 32 new COVID-19 cases in Pondy, tally rises to 1,041 Puducherry: Puducherry recorded 32 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, taking the tally of infections in the Union Territory to 1,041.

MES5 KA-LD SUICIDE Ex-CEO of co-op bank in K'taka found dead; cops suspect suicide Bengaluru: A former CEO of a cooperative bank, which was being probed for alleged financial fraud, was found dead in his car here, police said on Tuesday. MES7 KA-VIRUS-BORDER-PASSES Kerala stops daily passes for commuters to Kasaragod, Mangaluru Mangaluru: The Kerala government has stopped issuing daily e-passes for those commuting between neighbouring Kasaragod district and Mangaluru in Dakshina Kannada District in Karnataka from Tuesday in the wake of rise in the number of COVID-19 cases on both sides of the border.

MES8 KA-VIRUS-KPCC Congress MLA who tested positive for COVID-19 attended KPCC chief takeover function Bengaluru: Congress MLA H D Ranganath testing positive for COVID-19 has become a cause of concern in the Congress circle here as he had attended a function where D K Shivakumar formally took over as the state party chief recently..