HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 5:15 PM: NATION: DEL42 VIRUS-FATALTY RATE India's COVID-19 fatality rate slides to 1.76 pc, one of the lowest globally: Health ministry New Delhi: India has been reporting one of the lowest COVID-19 fatality rates in the world with the figure further declining to 1.76 per cent as on date against a global average of 3.3 per cent, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday. DEL33 SINOINDIA-TALKS Border tension: India, China hold another round of Brigade Commander-level talks New Delhi: Days after China's "provocative actions" in Pangong lake area in eastern Ladakh, the situation in the region remained sensitive on Wednesday while army commanders from both sides held another round of talks to defuse tensions, government sources said.

DEL53 CABINET-JK-LANGUAGES Cabinet approves Bill to include Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi as official languages in J-K New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a bill under which Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi, apart from the existing Urdu and English, will be the official languages in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. DEL26 SUSHANT-LD NCB Sushant case: NCB arrests alleged drug dealer, detains another in Mumbai Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau has arrested an alleged contraband dealer and detained another in connection with the drugs trafficking case linked to the case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, officials said on Wednesday.

DEL25 PAR-SESSION No Question Hour, pvt members' bills, curtailed Zero Hour during Parliament's monsoon session New Delhi: There will be no Question Hour and private members' bills will not be taken up in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, while the Zero Hour will be restricted, notifications issued by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats said. DEL54 CAB-KARMAYOGI SCHEME Union Cabinet approves Mission Karmayogi for bringing post-recruitment reforms New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved Mission Karmayogi, a scheme for bringing post-recruitment reforms in civil services.

DEL17 TMC-FACEBOOK TMC MP writes to Mark Zuckerberg, raises issue of alleged bias of Facebook towards BJP New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress has written to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg raising the issue of alleged bias of the social media giant towards the BJP, and claimed that there is enough evidence in public domain to substantiate this charge. DEL45 LJP-BIHAR As Manjhi enters NDA, LJP considers putting up candidates against JD(U) New Delhi: The expected entry of former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi in the National Democratic Alliance ahead of the Bihar assembly polls has added to disquiet within another NDA constituent Lok Janshakti Party, which has called a meeting of its state parliamentary board next week. BOM10 GJ-QUAKE 4.1 magnitude earthquake in Gujarat's Kutch district Ahmedabad: An earthquake of 4.1 magnitude was recorded in Gujarat's Kutch district on Wednesday afternoon, an official said.

CAL8 WB-ADHIR-CONGRESS-INTERVIEW Dissenting voices within Congress as it's not in power: Adhir By Pradipta Tapada Kolkata: Attacking Congressmen who raised questions over the party leadership, leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said on Wednesday they were "beneficiaries of the system" and that no voice of dissent would have been heard had the party been in power at the Centre. CAL9 WB-MAMATA-MODI-GST Depriving states of GST compensation attempt to undermine federalism: Mamata to PM Kolkata: Depriving states of GST compensation is an "attempt to undermine federalism", West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.

MDS8 TN-LOCKDOWN-TRANSPORT Passenger trains, inter-district bus services will commence on Sept 7 in TN: CM Palaniswami Chennai: Inter-district bus transport and passenger train services within Tamil Nadu would be permitted from September 7, Chief Minister K Palaniswami announced on Wednesday. LEGAL: LGD12 SC-CHHATTISGARH SCAM SC notice to Chhattisgarh govt in multi-crore Public Distribution System scam New Delhi: The Supreme Court has sought response from the Chhattisgarh government on a plea filed by a witness in the multi-crore Public Distribution System (PDS) scam alleging that all endeavour is made to derail the proceedings of the case in the trial court.

LGD11 SC-LD NETFLIX SC dismisses Netflix plea against order restraining it from using Subrata Roy's name in web series New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday refused to entertain a plea filed by Netflix against a Bihar lower court order restraining it from using the name of businessman Subrata Roy in its upcoming web series 'Bad Boy Billionaires'. FOREIGN: FGN43 US-CHINA-LD BASES China seeks to set up military logistic facilities in Pakistan, Sri Lanka & Myanmar: Pentagon Washington: China is seeking to set up more robust logistics facilities in about a dozen countries, including three in India's neighbourhood, to allow the PLA to project and sustain military power at greater distances, according to a Pentagon report. By Lalit K Jha SPORTS: SPF9 SPO-OPEN-2NDLD IND Nagal downs Klahn, becomes first Indian to win a round at Grand Slam in seven years New York: Sumit Nagal became the first Indian tennis player to win a round at a Grand Slam in seven years when he downed American Bradley Klahn in his US Open first round, setting up a contest against world number three Dominic Thiem, here.