HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 9:30 PM: NATION DEL87 PASWAN Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan dead New Delhi: Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan died on Thursday, his son Chirag Paswan tweeted. DEL70 INDOAFGHAN-PM-LD ABDULLAH PM assures Afghan leader India's support to peace process in Afghanistan New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday conveyed to Afghan peace negotiator Abdullah Abdullah India's commitment towards sustainable peace and prosperity in Afghanistan and welcomed efforts towards a permanent ceasefire in the country.

DEL75 MEA-KULBHUSHAN India says Pak must address core issues in Kulbhushan Jadhav case New Delhi: India on Thursday said Pakistan has failed to address the core issues in the case relating to Indian death row convict Kulbhushan Jadhav and pressed for an "unimpeded, unconditional and unhindered" consular access to him as ordered by an international tribunal. DEL81 MEA-INDIANS-KIDNAP-LIBYA 7 Indians kidnapped in Libya; govt in touch with Libyan authorities to rescue them: MEA Seven Indians, hailing from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, were kidnapped in Libya last month and India is in touch with authorities in the African nation to secure their release, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

DEL76 RAHUL-PM-PLANE Rahul attacks PM over VVIP aircraft acquisition New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi again attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday over the acquisition of VVIP aircraft and wondered how many things could have been bought for the soldiers stationed in Siachen-Ladakh border in the amount spent. DEL73 CONG-EXPORT-IRON ORE Rs 40,000-cr of iron ore pellets exported in violation of laws by some pvt players: Cong New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday alleged that Rs 40,000 crore worth of iron ore pellets were exported in violation of rules by some private players, causing losses to the state exchequer, and demanded that names of these entities be made public.

DEL97 MEA-VANDE BHARAT 17.22 lakh Indians have returned from abroad under 'Vande Bharat' mission: MEA New Delhi: As many as 17.22 lakh Indians have returned from abroad after the government launched the ''Vande Bharat'' evacuation mission on May 7 in view of the coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. BOM17 MH-3RD LD TRP RACKET TRP manipulation racket busted, 4 held: Mumbai police chief Mumbai: Mumbai police on Thursday claimed to have busted a Television Rating Points (TRP) manipulation racket, adding four persons have been arrested in this case.

CAL21 WB-LDALL-BJP-POLICE-CLASH BJP workers take over streets of Kolkata-Howrah during 'March to Nabanna", face police crackdown Kolkata/Howrah: Defying COVID regulations, a combative BJP mustered thousands of its workers on the streets of Kolkata and Howrah on Thursday for a march to the state secretariat over alleged worsening law and order, provoking a crackdown by police which left scores injured, eyewitnesses and officials said. LEGAL LGD24 SC-LD CHINMAYANAND SC sets aside HC order on supply of woman's statement to ex-Union Minister Chinmayanand in rape case New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday set aside an Allahabad High Court order allowing former Union Minister and BJP leader Chinmayanand to get a copy of statement of a woman law student recorded before a magistrate in connection with a rape case against him, saying “utmost confidentiality is required to be maintained” in sexual exploitation cases.

LGB1 MH-HC-SUSHANT-MEDIA TRIAL Is it media's job to advise on probe, asks Bombay High Court Mumbai: The Bombay High Court asked on Thursday if it was the media's job to proffer advise to an investigating agency about how it should conduct a probe. BUSINESS DEL84 BIZ-LD PM PM invites Canadian businesses to invest in education, agri, manufacturing sectors New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hard sold his government's latest labour, education and agriculture reforms, saying they will make doing business in India easier as also give farmers the right to choose their market.

FOREIGN FGN61 US-VP-LDALL DEBATE COVID, China and jobs dominate one-off vice presidential debate between Harris and Pence Washington: The much-awaited vice presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence saw the duo sparring on US President Donald Trump's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, jobs, China, racial tensions and climate change, less than four week's ahead of the election. By Lalit K Jha PTI AD.