HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 9:45 PM: NATION DEL84 LD SINOINDIA Necessary to ensure stability on ground: MEA on Sino-India border standoff in eastern Ladakh New Delhi: With another round of talks on the border standoff with China likely soon, India on Thursday said it is necessary to ensure stability on the ground while the two sides work towards ensuring complete disengagement of troops in all friction areas in eastern Ladakh. DEL82 INDOPAK-GILGIT-BALTISTAN India slams Pak's announcement to hold polls in Gilgit-Baltistan New Delhi: India on Thursday came down heavily on Pakistan for its decision to hold general elections in Gilgit-Baltistan and said any action to alter the status of the militarily-occupied region has no legal basis.

DEL77 MEA-INDOPAK-CICA India hits out at Pakistan for raising Kashmir issue at CICA meet New Delhi: India on Thursday hit out at Pakistan for raising the Kashmir issues at a virtual meeting of multilateral grouping CICA, and advised Islamabad to cease its "overt and covert" support to cross-border terrorism. DEL52 PB-FARMERS-2NDLD PROTEST Farm Bills: 'Rail roko' agitation starts in Punjab, train services suspended Chandigarh/New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) Farmers squatted on the tracks in Punjab on Thursday, beginning a three-day "rail roko" agitation against the farm Bills as the Railways suspended several trains to avoid any untoward incident.

DEL45 MEA-SAARC-JAISHANKAR SAARC must deal with terrorism, obstruction in trade and connectivity: Jaishankar New Delhi: The SAARC must overcome three key challenges of cross-border terrorism, blocking of connectivity and obstruction in trade, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday in a clear criticism of Pakistan at a virtual meeting of the regional grouping. DEL59 JK-SHELLING Pak army resorts to shelling along LoC in Rajouri Jammu: The Pakistani army resorted to heavy firing and mortar shelling in forward areas along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Thursday, officials said.

DEL83 LD WEATHER 7 killed in rain-related incidents in UP, no end in sight for Delhi's dry spell New Delhi: Seven people were killed in rain-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, while neighbouring Delhi reeled under a prolonged dry spell with the rainfall recorded in September so far being the lowest for the month in 16 years. BOM17 GJ-FIRE-2ND LD ONGC Gujarat: Fire at ONGC's Hazira gas processing plant Surat: A fire broke out at the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation's (ONGC) Hazira gas processing plant in Gujarat's Surat district in the wee hours on Thursday, an official said.

The blaze was preceded by three blasts, and has been extinguished, the official said. BOM20 MH-NCB-DEEPIKA Drugs case: Deepika to join NCB probe on Sat, Rakul on Friday Mumbai: Actor Deepika Padukone will join the NCB probe into alleged Bollywood-drugs nexus on Saturday, an official said on Thursday.

MDS18 KA-ASSEMBLY-NOCONFIDENCE Karnataka Assembly Speaker admits Cong's notice of no- confidence against BJP government Bengaluru: Signalling another political bout, a notice by opposition Congress expressing no-confidence in the B S Yediyurappa-led BJP government in Karnataka was admitted by Legislative Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri on Thursday. MDS14 TN-VIRUS-SPB SP Balasubrahmanyam extremely critical: Hospital Chennai: Popular playback singer S P Balasubrahmanyam admitted for COVID-19 treatment and on life support is extremely critical, a hospital treating him here said on Thursday.

MDS20 KL-JNANPITH-AKKITHAM Jnanpith award presented to renowned Malayalam poet Akkitham Palakkad: Renowned Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri was conferred the Jnanpith award, the country's highest literary award, on Thursday at a special functionheld at his house at Kumaranallur,near here. LEGAL LGD14 DL-COURT-RIOTS-UAPA-LD KHALID Delhi riots: Court sends Umar Khalid to judicial custody till Oct 22 in UAPA case New Delhi: A Delhi court Thursday sent former JNU student leader Umar Khalid, arrested under the stringent anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, in a case related to the communal violence in north east Delhi in February, to judicial custody till October 22.

LGB6 MH-HC-LD KANGANA HC seeks Sanjay Raut's reply on Kangana's plea over bungalow demolition Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday asked Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut to file a reply to actor Kangana Ranaut's petition against the demolition of a part of her bungalow here, and said it will start final hearing from Friday. FOREIGN FGN44 CHINA-AIRCRAFT CARRIERS China's two aircraft carriers complete training, sea trials: military spokesman Beijing: China's two aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong have completed routine training and sea trials, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence said on Thursday. By K J M Varma SPORTS: SPD11 SPO-CRI-2NDLD-JONES-DEAD Former Australian batsman Dean Jones dies of cardiac arrest Mumbai: Former Australia batsman Dean Jones, one of the finest exponents of ODI cricket, died of a sudden cardiac arrest in Mumbai on Thursday.