HIGHLIGHTS

DEL49 BIZ-EDIBLE OIL-PRICE Govt asks industry to cut edible oils MRP by Rs 8-12 per litre as global prices drop New Delhi The Centre on Friday directed edible oil associations to further reduce the maximum retail price MRP of major edible oils by Rs 8-12 per litre with immediate effect, in line with the global market.

Following are the top stories at 9.30 pm: NATION CAL23 RAIL-OD-LD ACCIDENT **** Coromandel Express derails in Odisha's Balasore, 47 injured Balasore/Howrah: At least 47 people were injured and several were feared dead as four coaches of the Coromandel Express derailed in Odisha's Balasore district on Friday evening, following which it collided head-on with a goods train coming from the opposite direction on the other line, officials said. **** DEL59 LAW-LD SEDITION **** Law Commission backs sedition law, suggests increased jail term; Cong unimpressed New Delhi: The Law Commission has proposed retaining the penal provision for the offence of sedition, saying repealing it altogether can have serious adverse ramifications for the security and integrity of the country, prompting a push back by the Congress amid government assertion that the recommendations were ''persuasive'' and ''not binding''. **** DEL60 LDALL RAHUL-IUML **** Cong, BJP trade barbs over Rahul's 'IUML completely secular' remark New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi's remark that IUML is a ''completely secular party'' triggered a political slugfest on Friday with the BJP alleging that the Kerala-based party is guided by the same mindset which was behind the Muslim League and the Congress reminding the saffron party about its veteran leader L K Advani's praise for Mohammad Ali Jinnah during his 2005 Pakistan visit. **** MDS32 KA-POLL-GUARANTEES-4THLD CM **** Karnataka Cabinet decides to implement all five poll guarantees of Congress, fixes timeline Bengaluru: The Karnataka Cabinet on Friday decided to implement the ruling Congress's five poll guarantees, without any discrimination of caste or religion, and has fixed a timeline to operationalise the schemes within this financial year, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said. **** DEL68 LDALL WRESTLERS **** Farmers' mahapanchayat gives govt week's notice, threatens to bring wrestlers' agitation back to Jantar Mantar Kurukshetra: A “mahapanchayat” here on Friday threatened to step up the agitation for the arrest of BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and bring the protesting wrestlers again to Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, if the government doesn’t act within a week. **** DEL64 AVI-GO FIRST-REVIVAL PLAN **** Go First plans to restart operations with 26 planes, 152 daily flights; submits plan to DGCA Mumbai: Cash-strapped Go First, which is undergoing voluntary insolvency resolution process, plans to restart operations with 26 planes and 152 daily flights, and has submitted the revival plan to aviation regulator DGCA, according to a source. **** DEL66 MEA-GERMANY-LD BABY **** India presses Germany to send back Baby Ariha as early as possible New Delhi: India on Friday urged Germany to send back at the earliest an Indian baby girl who has been living in a foster care in Berlin for over 20 months, asserting it is important for the child to be in her linguistic, religious, cultural and social environment. **** DEL70 MOE-DEEMED UNIVERSITY **** Centre announces new guidelines for granting deemed university status New Delhi: Higher education institutions which are less than 20 years old will now be eligible to apply for deemed university status and private universities will have to create executive councils like central universities, according to the University Grants Commission's revised guidelines. **** BOM13 MH-SHIVAJI CORONATION-LD ANNIVERSARY **** 350th anniversary celebrations of Shivaji Maharaj's coronation begin in Maha Mumbai: Celebrations marking the 350th anniversary of the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj began at the Raigad fort in Maharashtra on Friday in the presence of state Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who said his government was following the Maratha warrior king's ideals and working for the welfare of farmers and women. **** BUSINESS BOM25 BIZ-FOREX RESERVE **** Forex kitty drops USD 4.34 billion to USD 589.14 billion Mumbai: Falling for the second consecutive week, India's forex reserves dropped by USD 4.339 billion to USD 589.138 billion for the week ended May 26, the Reserve Bank said on Friday. **** DEL49 BIZ-EDIBLE OIL-PRICE **** Govt asks industry to cut edible oils MRP by Rs 8-12 per litre as global prices drop New Delhi: The Centre on Friday directed edible oil associations to further reduce the maximum retail price (MRP) of major edible oils by Rs 8-12 per litre with immediate effect, in line with the global market. **** LEGAL LGD11 DL-HC-LD SISODIA-BAIL PLEA-WIFE **** Excise policy scam: Delhi HC allows Sisodia to meet in custody ailing wife at residence on Saturday New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Friday permitted AAP leader Manish Sisodia, under arrest in cases related to alleged irregularities in the city government's excise policy, to meet his ailing wife at his residence on Saturday. **** FOREIGN FGN65 BRICS-JAISHANKAR-UAE **** Jaishankar meets UAE foreign minister at the sidelines of BRICS FM meet Cape Town: Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar on Friday met with the UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the Friends of BRICS gathering and discussed how to take the bilateral strategic partnership forward. **** FGN24 US-GANDHI-LD ELECTIONS **** BJP will be 'decimated' in the next three-four assembly elections: Rahul Gandhi Washington: Rahul Gandhi has said that the BJP will be ''decimated'' in the next three-four assembly elections by the Congress, emphasising that they have the basic requirements that are needed to defeat the ruling party which do not have the support of the vast majority of the Indian population. By Lalit K Jha ****