HIGHLIGHTS

Not restraining Rajasthan HC from passing order on pleas of dissident 19 Cong MLAs challenging Speaker's disqualification notice: SC. ON THE WIRE DEL18 VIRUS-LD CASES India's COVID-19 tally crosses 12-lakh mark, record 1,129 fatalities in single day New Delhi: With the highest single-day spike of 45,720 cases, India's COVID-19 tally crossed the 12-lakh mark on Thursday, while the death toll mounted to 29,861 with a record 1,129 fatalities in a day, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

Following are the top stories at 1.15 pm IN THE PIPELINE Progress we have seen in managing tension is welcome: British High Commissioner Sir Philip Barton on Sino-India border row. Not restraining Rajasthan HC from passing order on pleas of dissident 19 Cong MLAs challenging Speaker's disqualification notice: SC.

ON THE WIRE DEL18 VIRUS-LD CASES India's COVID-19 tally crosses 12-lakh mark, record 1,129 fatalities in single day New Delhi: With the highest single-day spike of 45,720 cases, India's COVID-19 tally crossed the 12-lakh mark on Thursday, while the death toll mounted to 29,861 with a record 1,129 fatalities in a day, according to the Union Health Ministry data.  DEL15 PM-MN-WATER Northeast has potential to become India's growth engine: PM Modi New Delhi: The northeast has the potential to become India's growth engine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, noting that peace is now being established in the entire region. DEL23 RAHUL-CHINA One man's vision cannot be substitute for national vision: Rahul Gandhi New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was busy building his own image, and noted that one man's vision cannot be a substitute for a national vision.

DEL16 CONG-VIRUS-YOGI UP CM interested in hiding conditions of health facilities than improving them: Priyanka New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday attacked Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the state of health facilities in Uttar Pradesh where COVID-19 patients are being treated, alleging that he is more interested in hiding their conditions than improving them. CAL1 WB-LOCKDOWN COVID-19: Shops shut, transport off roads as lockdown enforced in W Bengal Kolkata: Life came to a near standstill across West Bengal on Thursday as the state was put under a complete lockdown to break the chain of rapidly rising COVID-19 cases.

CAL4 OD-VIRUS-CASES Odisha's COVID-19 tally crosses 21,000-mark Bhubaneswar: Odisha's COVID-19 caseload on Thursday breached the 21,000-mark as the state reported its highest single-day spike of 1,264 cases, while six more patients succumbed to the disease taking the death toll to 114, a Health department official said. LEGAL LGD18 SC-LD RAJASTHAN SPEAKER Voice of dissent in a democracy cannot be shut down: SC to Raj Speaker New Delhi: “Voice of dissent in a democracy cannot be shut down”, the Supreme Court said on Thursday as it questioned Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi on the reasons for initiating disqualification proceedings against 19 dissident Congress MLAs, including sacked deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot.

LGD23 UP-COURT-LD BABRI Babri demolition case: Murli Manohar Joshi deposes before CBI court via video link Lucknow: A special CBI court on Thursday recorded the statement of BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi in the 1992 Babri mosque demolition case. LGD11 RJ-COURT-LD SHEKHAWAT Credit society scam: Jaipur court directs probe into complaint against Gajendra Shekhawat Jaipur: A city court has directed that the Rajasthan police should probe a complaint alleging the involvement of Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a credit society scam.

FOREIGN FGN18 CHINA-MARS-LD MISSION China launches first Mars mission Beijing: China successfully launched its first Mars probe on Thursday from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan, official media here reported. By K J M Varma FGN11 US-TRUMP-CHINA-MISSIONS Closure of more Chinese embassies 'possible', says Trump as US shuts down consulate in Houston Washington: The US does not rule out the possibility of closing more Chinese diplomatic missions in the country, President Donald Trump has said, hours after Washington ordered the closure of Beijing's consulate in Houston to "protect American intellectual property and private information". By Lalit K Jha FGN10 US-H1B-LAWSUIT US trade bodies file lawsuit against proclamation suspending new non-immigrant visas Washington: Five top trade bodies, including the US Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers, have filed a lawsuit challenging the presidential proclamation suspending for the rest of the year new non-immigrant visas that include the H-1B, the most sought-after among Indian IT professionals. By Lalit K Jha FGN6 US-INDIANS-GREENCARD Green Card waitlist for Indian is more than 195 years: US senator Washington: The backlog for an Indian national to get permanent residency or Green Card is more than 195 years, a top Republican senator has said, urging his Senate colleagues to come out with a legislative resolution to address this problem. By Lalit K Jha PTI IJT.