HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 1 pm NATION DEL11 SINOINDIA-BORDER Disengagement at all friction points necessary to consider de-escalation of troops: India to China New Delhi/Beijing: Asserting that peace and tranquillity on the border is essential for development of bilateral relations, India has told China that disengagement at all friction points is necessary to contemplate any de-escalation of troops even as the two sides agreed to establish a hotline contact for timely exchange of views.

MDS2 TN-PM-MODI-MEDICAL COMMISSION ''National Medical Commission will bring great transparency,'' says PM Modi Chennai: The government is transforming the entire medical education and healthcare sector and the National Medical Commission would bring great transparency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday.

DEL14 EC-LD ASSEMBLY POLLS EC to announce dates of assembly polls in TN, Assam, Kerala, Bengal on Friday New Delhi: The Election Commission will announce the schedule for assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, West Bengal and Puducherry on Friday afternoon, the poll panel said.

DEL7 VIRUS-LD CASES COVID-19: India records 16,577 fresh infections, 120 deaths New Delhi: India recorded its single-day increase in coronavirus cases above 16,000 for the second consecutive day as the infection tally rose to 1,10,63,491, while the recoveries have surged to 1,07,50,680, according to data updated by the Union Health Ministry on Friday.

DEL9 DEF-BALAKOT-RAJNATH Balakot air strikes displayed India's strong will to act against terror: Rajnath New Delhi: The success of Balakot air strikes displayed India's strong will to act against terrorism, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday.

BOM1 MH-AMBANI-VEHICLE-FIR FIR registered after vehicle with explosives found near Mukesh Ambani's house Mumbai: An FIR has been registered in connection with the seizure of a vehicle, which had explosive material inside it, from near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence in South Mumbai, police said on Friday.

BOM3 MH-STADIUM-SENA People's mandate no licence to act irresponsibly: Sena on stadium renaming Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Friday targeted the Centre over the renaming of Ahmedabad's Sardar Patel cricket stadium after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the massive mandate that his government got in the last election was not a licence to act irresponsibly.

BOM4 MH-NIRAV MODI-PRISON Arthur Road jail keeps special cell ready to lodge Nirav Modi Mumbai: With a UK court ruling in favour of extradition of fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering in Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case, Mumbai's Arthur Road jail has kept a special cell ready to lodge him, an official said on Friday.

CAL1 CBI-ED-RAIDS CBI, ED conduct joint raids at different places in coal scam Kolkata: Investigation agencies CBI and Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted joint raids at various places in West Bengal in connection with the multi-crore coal pilferage scam, sources in them said.

MDS1 KL-RAILWAY-GELATIN STICKS Gelatin sticks, detonators seized from train passenger in Kerala Kozhikode (Ker): The Railway Protection Force (RPF) on Friday seized large quantities of explosives from a woman passenger travelling in a train from Chennai.

LEGAL LGD2 CH-HC-NAUDEEP-BAIL HC grants bail to labour rights activist Naudeep Kaur Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court granted bail to labour rights activist Naudeep Kaur on Friday, more than six weeks after she was arrested in Haryana's Sonipat for allegedly gheraoing an industrial unit and demanding money from the company.

FOREIGN FGN4 US-INDOPAK-LD STATEMENT US welcomes India-Pakistan joint statement on ceasefire Washington: The United States has welcomed the joint statement of India and Pakistan to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the Line of Control and other sectors, saying it is a positive step towards greater peace and stability in South Asia. By Lalit K Jha FGN7 US-IMMIGRATION-LD BIDEN US president believes it's important to modernise immigration system: WH Washington: US President Joe Biden believes that it is important and long overdue to modernise the immigration system, and this includes taking steps to help ensure highly skilled workers can stay in the country, the White House has said. By Lalit K Jha FGN13 UN-INDIAN-APPOINTMENT Guterres appoints Indian economist Ligia Noronha as Assistant SG & Head of UNEP NY Office United Nations: UN chief Antonio Guterres has appointed leading Indian economist Ligia Noronha as Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the New York Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). By Yoshita Singh BUSINESS DEL4 BIZ-STOCKS-OPEN Sensex tanks over 1,000 pts in opening trade; Nifty slips below 14,900 Mumbai: Equity benchmark Sensex tanked over 1,000 points in the opening session on Friday tracking losses in index majors ICICI Bank, HDFC twins and Reliance Industries amid a negative trend in global markets.

SPORTS SPD7 SPO-KHELO-LD PM PM inaugurates Khelo India Winter Games, says will make J&K winter sports hub New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the second Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg and said that the event is a step towards making Jammu and Kashmir a hub of winter sports.