HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 2130 hrs.

DEL53 BIZ-LDALL RBI RBI cuts interest rates to 9-yr low, expects banks to quickly lower home, auto loan EMIs

Mumbai: Home, auto and other loans may cost less as the Reserve Bank Thursday cut interest rates for the third time this year to their lowest level in nine years and signalled more easing in a bid to support an economy growing at the slowest pace since the BJP first came to power in 2014.

DEL34 LD JAISHANKAR Most Indians recognise country's global stature has risen in last 5 yrs: EAM Jaishankar

New Delhi: Most Indians recognise that India's global stature has risen in the last five years and this played a role in the NDA government retaining power for a second consecutive term, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday.

DEL86 BIZ-PM-LD NITI PM Modi reconstitutes Niti Aayog; Shah ex-officio member

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday approved reconstitution of government think-tank Niti Aayog, dropping Bibek Debroy while retaining other full time members and including Home Minister Amit Shah as an ex-officio member.

DEL68 MEA-LD PAK No bilateral meeting planned between Modi, Imran in Bishkek: MEA

New Delhi: India Thursday said no bilateral meeting has been planned between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek next week.

DEL79 PB-LD RESHUFFLE

Punjab Cabinet rejig: Sidhu divested of crucial local govt dept, gets power portfolio Chandigarh: Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who is at loggerheads with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, was divested of the crucial Local Government department and was given the Power and New and Renewable Energy Sources portfolio in a cabinet reshuffle on Thursday.

BOM5 MH-LD SENA

Shiv Sena wants Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker's post Mumbai: The Shiv Sena Thursday said it has sought the post of Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, but added that making this demand does not mean it is disappointed with the Narendra Modi-led government.

MDS12 KL-2ND LD NIPAH

Nipah: Samples of 6 test negative; Kerala min terms it big relief Kochi: Samples of six people, including three nurses and a nursing assistant, who had attended on a college student infected with Nipah virus, have tested negative and indicated the virus has not spread, Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja said Thursday

DEL43 PB-BLUESTAR-ANNIVERSARY

Some markets shut, pro-Khalistan slogans raised at Golden Temple on Operation Bluestar anniversary Amritsar: Markets around the Golden Temple remained closed for several hours and pro-Khalistan slogans were raised by Sikh hardliners in the complex Thursday, the 35th anniversary of Operation Bluestar.

MDS18 TL-2ND LD CONGRESS

12 Cong MLAs break away, Speaker recognises merger with TRS Hyderabad: In a big jolt to the Congress in Telangana, as many as 12 of its 18 MLAs were recognised as members of the ruling TRS by the Assembly Speaker Thursday

hours after they moved him seeking merger of their group.

BUSINESS

DEL20 BIZ-RBI-GROWTH RBI lowers economic growth forecast to 7 pc for FY20

Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India Thursday lowered the economic growth forecast for the current fiscal to 7 per cent due to slowdown in domestic activities and escalation in global trade war.

DEL23 BIZ-RBI-RTGS CHARGES RBI removes charges on RTGS/NEFT transactions; asks banks to pass on benefits

Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India Thursday said it has done away with charges on fund transfers through RTGS and NEFT routes to boost digital transactions and asked banks to pass on the benefits to customers.

DEL91 BIZ-LDALL WIPRO Azim Premji to retire; son Rishad to take over reins of Wipro

New Delhi: Tech magnate and Wipro Ltd founder Azim Premji, who turned a small maker of vegetable oil into a USD 8.5 billion software behemoth, will retire as the company head by July-end and hand over reins of the firm to his son, Rishad.

DEL21 BIZ-RBI-POLICY-INFLATION RBI raises retail inflation forecast for Apr-Sept FY20 to 3-3.1 pc

Mumbai: The Reserve Bank Thursday raised the retail inflation forecast marginally to 3-3.1 per cent for the first half of the current fiscal, tracking uptick in food prices - mainly vegetables, albeit expectations of a normal monsoon this year.

DEL57 BIZ-2ND LD STOCKS Benchmarks suffer biggest one-day fall in 2019 as RBI rate cut fails to calm NBFC jitters

Mumbai: Benchmark indices posted their biggest one-day drop this year Thursday after the RBI delivered a rate cut on expected lines but failed to assuage investor concerns regarding the NBFC sector.

LEGAL

LGD1 SC-REDDY SC to hear mining baron Janardhana Reddy's plea to travel to Ballari on Friday

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear on Friday a plea by former Karnataka minister and mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy, who has sought permission to travel to Ballari in the state to visit his ailing father-in law.

FOREIGN

FGN10 CHINA-2NDLD 5G China grants commercial licences to 4 telecom companies to launch 5G services amid tensions with US

Beijing: China Thursday granted commercial licences to four state-owned telecom giants to start rolling out 5G services, signalling Beijing's determination to be the global leader in setting up superfast wireless networks amid tensions with the US over technology and trade. By K J M Varma.