HIGHLIGHTS

DEL38 JK-OMAR-ELECTIONS Will not contest Assembly polls in J and K till full statehood is restored: Omar Abdullah Srinagar: Upset over downgrading of Jammu and Kashmir to the status of a Union Territory following abrogation of Article 370, former chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said he will not contest assembly elections till full statehood is restored. DEL58 COVID-AISHWARYA Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, daughter Aaradhya discharged after testing negative for COVID-19 Mumbai: Actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and daughter Aaradhya Bachchan on Monday tested negative for COVID-19 and were discharged from a city hospital here.

Following are the top stories at 5:30 PM: NATION: DEL28 VIRUS-LD CASES India's COVID-19 tally crosses 14-lakh mark with record single-day spike of 49,931 cases New Delhi: With a record single-day jump of 49,931 COVID-19 cases, India's caseload climbed to 14,35,453 on Monday, while recoveries surged to 9,17,567, according to Union Health Ministry data. DEL51 DEF-LD RAFALE First batch of five Rafale jets takes off from France to India New Delhi: The first batch of five Rafale jets on Monday took off from France for India, nearly four years after New Delhi inked an inter-governmental agreement with Paris to procure 36 of the multi-role fighter aircraft under a Rs 59,000-crore deal.

DEL53 RJ-GUV-SESSION Session can be summoned, give 21-day notice: Rajasthan Governor to Cabinet Jaipur/New Delhi: Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra on Monday agreed to summon a session of the state assembly provided the government gives a 21-day notice. DEL38 JK-OMAR-ELECTIONS Will not contest Assembly polls in J and K till full statehood is restored: Omar Abdullah Srinagar: Upset over downgrading of Jammu and Kashmir to the status of a Union Territory following abrogation of Article 370, former chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said he will not contest assembly elections till full statehood is restored.

DEL58 COVID-AISHWARYA Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, daughter Aaradhya discharged after testing negative for COVID-19 Mumbai: Actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and daughter Aaradhya Bachchan on Monday tested negative for COVID-19 and were discharged from a city hospital here. DEL33BIZ-GOVT-APP BAN Govt bans 47 more Chinese apps: Source New Delhi: The government has banned 47 more Chinese apps, taking the total number of mobile applications banned for being prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and defence of the country, to 106, according to a source.

DEL60 RAIL-LD INDOBANGLA India hands over 10 broad gauge locomotives to Bangladesh New Delhi: India on Monday handed over 10 railway locomotives to Bangladesh, reflecting its continued efforts to further boost bilateral economic engagement and expand ties with the neighbouring countries notwithstanding the coronavirus pandemic. DEL23 POL-RAHUL-CHINA Will not lie about Chinese transgressions in Ladakh even if it costs me politically: Rahul New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said he is not going to lie about Chinese transgressions in eastern Ladakh even if it costs him politically, asserting he will say the truth as far as Indian territory is concerned.

DEL46 BJP-RAHUL BJP hits back at Rahul over his latest Ladakh face-off remarks: ’He insulted our soldiers again’ New Delhi: Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi for his latest remarks on the Ladakh face-off, the BJP Monday said he was again insulting the bravery of 20 soldiers who sacrificed their lives in Galwan Valley, and alleged his family ceded thousands of kilometres of land to China. BOM4 GJ-CONG-PROTEST Guj Cong chief among 60 detained for march towards Raj Bhavan Ahmedabad: Nearly 60 Congress workers and leaders were detained by police Monday when they marched towards the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar to protest against the BJP over the political crisis in Rajasthan. CAL7 JH-VIRUS-LALU Lalu tests negative for COVID-19; three of his attendants diagnosed with disease Ranchi/Patna: Jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad, currently undergoing treatment at a Ranchi hospital for multiple ailments, has tested negative for COVID-19, a senior doctor at the facility said on Monday.

MDS5 KA-YEDIYURAPPA BJP govt in K'taka completes one year in office, Yediyurappa seeks cooperation for remaining tenure Bengaluru: As his government completed one year in office, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday sought cooperation from every one in providing a stable government during the remaining period of his tenure, and towards achieving his goal of all-round development of the state. LEGAL: LGD16 VIRUS-SC-LD PMCARES Centre defends PMCARES in SC, verdict reserved New Delhi: The Centre on Monday strongly defended the PM CARES Fund in the Supreme Court saying it's a public trust meant to receive "voluntary contributions" to fight COVID-19 pandemic and the budgetary allocations for NDRF and SDRF are not "being touched".

LGD12 DL-HC-VIOLENCE-PINJRA TOD Delhi violence: HC restrains police from circulating info on allegations on Pinjra Tod activist New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Monday restrained the police from circulating information about the allegations against 'Pinjra Tod' activist Devangana Kalitha, arrested in relation to communal violence here during the anti-CAA protests, till the trial commences in the case. BUSINESS: DEL55 BIZ-STOCKS-CLOSE Sensex, Nifty close lower in choppy trade; banking stocks weigh Mumbai: Benchmark Sensex slid over 194 points to settle at 37,935 in a see-saw session on Monday, weighed down by intense selling in banking stocks.

FOREIGN: FGN10 CHINA-US-3RDLD CONSULATE China closes US consulate in Chengdu, takes over building Beijing/Chengdu: China on Monday said it took control of the US consulate in Chengdu after it was formally closed as per Beijing's directive in retaliation to America's move to shut down the Chinese diplomatic mission in Houston..