HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 9 pm.

DEL58 LD VIRUS COVID-19: States impose more restrictions; PM reviews situation as daily cases surge to highest after May New Delhi/Mumbai: Several states imposed fresh restrictions to check the COVID-19 surge and Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the situation at a high-level meeting on Sunday as cases continued to rise with 1,59,632 new infections reported, the highest in 224 days.

DEL55 VACCINE-PRECAUTION DOSE All set to start administering precaution dose of Covid vaccine in India from Monday New Delhi: India will start administering the precaution dose of Covid vaccine to healthcare and frontline workers and comorbid people aged 60 and above from Monday in a bid to stymie the coronavirus spread driven by its Omicron variant.

BOM5 GJ-PAK-BOAT Pak boat with 10 crew members apprehended off Gujarat coast Ahmedabad: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) apprehended a Pakistani boat with 10 crew members on board in the Indian waters off the Gujarat coast, a state defence spokesperson said on Sunday.

DEL42 POLL-HEALTH-VACCINE-CERTIFICATE Covid vaccination certificates in 5 poll-bound states won't have PM's photo New Delhi: Covid vaccination certificates issued in the five poll-bound states will not have Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photo since the model code of conduct has come into force there, an official source said. By Payal Banerjee DEL30 DEF-NAVY-AIRCRAFT-CARRIER India's first indigenous aircraft carrier begins another phase of sea trials New Delhi: India's first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) Vikrant began another set of sea trials on Sunday to carry out complex manoeuvres in high seas ahead of its planned induction in August.

DEL27 NAT-NEET-PG-COUNSELLING NEET-PG counselling to begin Jan 12, says Mandaviya New Delhi: The NEET-PG counselling will commence from January 12, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Sunday.

DEL24 DL-POLICE-LD SULLI DEALS Creator of 'Sulli Deals' app arrested from Indore in Madhya Pradesh: Delhi Police New Delhi/Indore: The Delhi Police has arrested a man believed to be the creator of ''Sulli Deals'' app from Indore in Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Sunday.

DEL26 DL LD KEJRIWAL LOCKDOWN No plan to impose lockdown in Delhi yet: Kejriwal New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said there is no plan to impose a lockdown as of now in the city, and that there will be no need for it if people wear masks.

DEL57 IRAN-INDIA-TALKS Iran offers to assist India in transportation of aid to Afghanistan New Delhi: Iran has offered to assist India in the transportation of wheat, medicines and coronavirus vaccines to Afghanistan which has been reeling under a serious humanitarian crisis.

DEL46 AVI-AI-DEVAS Canada court allows Devas shareholders to continue seizure of 50% of Air India's funds New Delhi: A Canadian court has allowed Devas Multimedia shareholders to continue to seize 50 per cent of Air India's funds that have been held by global airlines body IATA.

DEL31 VIRUS-PAR-CASES Nearly 400 Parliament staffers test Covid positive; attendance restricted New Delhi: Nearly 400 staffers working with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats and allied services have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last few days, triggering a move to impose restrictions on employees' attendance.

LEGAL LGD2 SC-SECURITY BREACH Breach in PM's security: SC to take up matter on Monday New Delhi: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea on the recent breach in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security in Punjab.

LGD4 VIRUS-SC-JUDGES 4 judges, 5 per cent of Supreme Court staff test positive for Covid New Delhi: Four Supreme Court judges and almost five per cent of its staff have tested positive for COVID-19, official sources said on Sunday, as the national capital witnesses a sharp spike in coronavirus cases.

FOREIGN FGN14 VIRUS-UK-DEATHS UK records 'terrible toll' of 150,000 COVID-19 pandemic deaths London: The UK crossed another grim COVID-19 milestone after recording 150,000 deaths since the pandemic hit the country in 2020, even as the Omicron variant surge continues with a further 146,390 daily infections and 313 deaths on Saturday. By Aditi Khanna FGN4 US-SIKH-ASSAULT-REAX US State Dept says ‘deeply disturbed’ by attack on Sikh cab driver at JFK airport New York: The US State Department is “deeply disturbed” by reports of an attack on an Indian-origin Sikh cab driver at the JFK International Airport and condemned any form of hate-based violence, saying perpetrators of hate crimes should be held accountable for their actions, no matter where such crimes occur. By Yoshita Singh FGN6 AIIB-URJIT-APPOINTMENT Ex-RBI Governor Urjit Patel appointed Vice President of AIIB Beijing: Former RBI Governor Urjit Patel has been appointed as a Vice President of the Beijing-based multilateral funding institution AIIB, according to sources in the bank on Sunday. By K J M Varma FGN8 VIRUS-CHINA-TIANJIN Omicron scare in China’s Tianjin close to Beijing ahead of Winter Olympics Beijing: China on Sunday scampered to test 14 million residents of Tianjin as the port city near the capital has set off alarm bells ahead of the next month’s Beijing Winter Olympics by reporting a cluster of COVID-19 cases, including two with the dreaded Omicron variant. By K J M Varma.