HIGHLIGHTS AT 2100 HOURS

These are the top stories at 2100 hrs:

Nation:

DEL87 3RDLDALL UNNAO SC transfers Unnao rape cases to Delhi, BJP expels Sengar

New Delhi/Lucknow: The Supreme Court transferred all cases connected to the 2017 rape of a minor girl in Unnao to a Delhi court on Thursday, a day of mourning and reckoning that saw a funeral and BJP expelling its jailed legislator accused of the sexual assault and killing of the rape survivor’s two aunts.

DEL66 LD JADHAV Evaluating Pak's offer to grant consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav: MEA New Delhi: India on Thursday said it was evaluating Pakistan's offer of granting consular access to Indian death row convict Kulbhushan Jadhav on Friday.

DEL86 CONG-2NLDALL UNNAO

Unnao case: Cong claims BJP 'empowering' criminal, asks why is 'beti bachao, beti padhao gang' silent New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday said the BJP's expulsion of the Unnao rape accused MLA was an acknowledgement of having "empowered" a criminal, and took a dig at the Modi government, asking why the "beti bachao beti padhao gang" was silent on the matter.

DEL73 ED-LD WATALI-ASSETS

Terror funding case: ED attaches Rs 1.73 cr assets of Zahoor Watali New Delhi: The ED on Thursday said it has attached assets worth Rs 1.73 crore of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali in connection with a terror funding and money laundering case.

DEL67 IMD-LD MONSOON

Normal monsoon likely in August, September: IMD New Delhi: The monsoon is expected to be normal in August and September, the India Meteorological Department said on Thursday in its forecast for the second half of the four-month rainfall season.

DEL79 DL-2NDLD KEJRIWAL-POWER

No electricity bills for consumers in Delhi using up to 200 units New Delhi: In a move few months ahead of the Delhi assembly polls, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday announced free electricity for people consuming up to 200 units.

BOM9 MP-ZOMATO-LD POLICE Cops seek undertaking from Zomato customer who cancelled order

Jabalpur: The Jabalpur police in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday sought an undertaking from Zomato customer and local resident Amit Shukla that he would not spread religious hatred.

BOM4 MH-LD GADKARI

Gadkari feels dizzy, has to sit down during national anthem Solapur: In the latest health scare for Nitin Gadkari, the Union minister was on Thursday forced to sit down at a public event here after feeling dizzy, an aide

of the minister said.

CAL10 WB-TRIPLE TALAQ-LD TMC Mamata minister says Triple Talaq law is interference in our personal laws

Kolkata: TMC Minister and president of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind's West Bengal unit, Siddiqullah Chowdhury, Thursday accused the BJP government of interfering in Muslim personal laws and said the minority community of the country will not tolerate the Triple Talaq legislation.

CAL9 FLOOD-LD BIHAR-ASSAM Flood situation shows sign of ease in Bihar, Assam

Patna/Guwahati: Number of casaulties in Bihar floods remained unchanged at 130 for the second consecutive day Thursday, whereas in its neighbourhood Assam deluge condition improved considerably with water level of all the major rivers and its tributaries receding.

Legal:

LGD70 SC-5TH LD UNNAO

Unnao rape: SC transfer of cases to Delhi; orders Rs 25L compensation to victim New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday transferred all five cases registered in connection with the Unnao rape incident from a Lucknow court in Uttar Pradesh to a court in Delhi with directions to hold trial on daily basis and completing it within 45-days.

LGD68 DL-COURT-LD CHIDAMBARAM

Aircel-Maxis matter a saga of motivated probe, P Chidambaram tells court New Delhi: Former Union minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti told a Delhi court on Thursday that Aircel-Maxis matter was "a saga of a motivated investigation" and that the CBI and ED had no ground for their arrest.

LGD63 SC-LD RAPE

SC sends a man to the gallows for raping 10-yr-old girl, killing her & minor brother New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) The Supreme Court sent a man to the gallows on Thursday for "horribly" gang-raping a 10-year-old girl along with a co-accused and killing her and her seven-year-old brother by throwing them in a canal with their hands tied. By Sanjeev Kumar

Foreign:

FGN35 PAK-LD JADHAV

Pakistan to grant consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav on Friday: Foreign Office Islamabad: Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on death row in Pakistan, will be granted consular access on Friday, Foreign Office spokesman said here on Thursday, two weeks after the world court ordered Islamabad to allow Indian officials to meet him. By Sajjad Hussain

FGN26 US-OSAMA-2NDLD SON Al-Qaeda heir Hamza bin Laden killed in air strike: US media

Washington: Slain al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's son Hamza, the potential heir of the global terror group, has been killed in an air strike, US media reported, citing intelligence officials.

FGN28 THAI-JAISHANKAR-2NDLD BILATERALS Jaishankar holds bilateral meetings with 8 counterparts; including from China, Japan

Bangkok: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday held a series of bilateral meetings here with his counterparts from China, Japan, Britain, New Zealand and other countries during which he discussed a host of key issues, including Indo-Pacific and maritime partnership.