HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 12:30 PM: NATION: DEL16 RAFALE-INDUCTION Five Rafale jets formally inducted into IAF in boost to India's air power Ambala: Five Rafale fighter jets were formally inducted into the Indian Air Force on Thursday at a glittering ceremony in the Ambala air base, in a major boost to India's air power capability at a time the country is engaged in a tense border row with China in eastern Ladakh. CAL10 WB-NADDA Bengal govt has 'anti-Hindu' mindset, its policies driven by 'minority appeasement': Nadda Kolkata: BJP chief J P Nadda on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, accusing it of having an "anti-Hindu" mindset and pursuing "minority appeasement" policies.

CAL5 OD-MAOISTS Two security personnel killed in gunfight with Maoists in Odisha's Kalahandi Bhubaneswar: Two security personnel lost their lives in the gunfight with Maoists in Odisha's Kalahandi district, police said on Thursday. BOM1 MH-COURT-RHEA-PLEA Coerced to make self-incriminating confessions: Rhea in plea Mumbai: Actor Rhea Chakraborty, held in a drugs case linked to her boyfriend and actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, has alleged in her bail application filed in a Mumbai court that during her interrogation by the NCB, she was "coerced" into making "self-incriminating confessions". DEL10 VIRUS-LD CASES Record 95,735 infections, 1,172 fatalities take COVID caseload past 44 lakh, death toll to 75,062 New Delhi: The country saw a record single-day spike of 95,735 infections and 1,172 fatalities taking India's COVID-19 caseload past 44 lakh and death toll to 75,062, while recoveries surged to 34,71,783 on Thursday, according to the Union Health Ministry.

FOREIGN: FGN17 RUSSIA-JAISHANKAR-BILATERAL Jaishankar and his Uzbek counterpart agree to coordinate closely on regional concerns Moscow: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday held a cordial meeting with his Uzbek counterpart Abdulaziz Kamilov during which the two leaders agreed to coordinate closely on regional concerns and take forward their growing development partnership. FGN6 VIRUS-TRUMP-LD BOOK Trump downplayed COVID risk to reduce panic: Book Washington: President Donald Trump has acknowledged downplaying the dangers of the deadly novel coronavirus as he did not want to create panic, according to a new book by a renowned US investigative journalist. By Lalit K Jha LEGAL: LGD1 SC-CBSE EXAMS CBSE won't be able to help students taking class XII compartment exams: SC New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday said the CBSE would not be able to help much the students taking compartment exams for class XII this month as it would be the colleges and universities which will take their admissions for higher studies.

BUSINESS: DEL2 BIZ-STOCKS-OPEN Sensex jumps over 250 pts in early trade; Nifty tests 11,350 Mumbai: Domestic equity benchmark Sensex jumped over 250 points in early trade on Thursday led by gains in index majors Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank and SBI amid positive cues from global markets. DCM2 BIZ-STOCKS-RIL  Reliance Industries shares extend rally, jump nearly 3 pc New Delhi: Shares of Reliance Industries continued to rally on Thursday, gaining nearly 3 per cent, on US private equity firm Silver Lake Partners’ 1.75 per cent stake-buying plan in the firm’s retail arm for Rs 7,500 crore.