HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 1200 hours:

DEL8 SAMJHAUTA-LD ARRIVAL Samjhauta Express arrives in Delhi with 117 passengers on board

New Delhi: The Samjhauta Express which was stopped at the Wagah border by Pakistani authorities on Thursday reached Old Delhi railway station with 117 passengers at 8:05 am on Friday, four-and-a-half hours behind schedule, the railways said.

DEL11 KASHMIR-RESTRICTIONS EASED Restrictions in Kashmir to eased to allow Friday prayers in local mosques

Srinagar: Restrictions will be eased to allow people in the Kashmir Valley to offer Friday prayers in local mosques, officials said.

DEL7 RAHUL-PM-FLOOD Rahul Gandhi speaks to PM over floods in Kerala, seeks assistance for those affected

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the flood situation in Kerala and sought assistance for those affected in the State, including in his constituency Wayanad.

DEL2 PM-MUKHERJEE Bharat Ratna for Mukherjee fitting recognition for his service to nation: PM

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the Bharat Ratna conferred on former president Pranab Mukherjee is a fitting recognition for his service to the nation.

DEL5 CONG-SINGHVI Any delay in selection of new Cong chief not an option:Singhvi

New Delhi: Ahead of the crucial Congress Working Committee meeting, party leader Abhishek Singhvi said on Friday that any further delay in the selection of the new chief is not an option.

DEL10 MEA-PM-BHUTAN PM to travel to Bhutan for two-day visit on Aug 17

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Bhutan on August 17 for a two-day visit during which the two strategic allies will explore ways to further strengthen and diversify bilateral partnership, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.

BOM1 MH-RAINS-NAVY 12 Navy rescue teams sent to flood-hit Sangli district

Mumbai: A dozen rescue teams of the Indian Navy are being deployed in the flood-devastated Sangli district of Western Maharashtra, an official said on Friday.

MDS3 KL-RAINS Kerala rain fury claims 4 more lives, over 22,000 moved to relief camps

Thiruvananthapuram: There was no let-up from heavy rains in Kerala as four members of a family were killed at Edavanna in Malappuram district when their house collapsed on Friday, taking the rain-related death toll in the state to 12, while over 22,000 people have been moved to relief camps.

MDS4 TN-POLL-VELLORE-POSITION AIADMK leads in Vellore, neck and neck race on with DMK

Vellore (TN): The ruling AIADMK is leading over arch rival DMK by a slender margin of 3,162 votes in the election to the Vellore Lok Sabha constituency as per official data of the Election Commission on Friday.

MDS1 KL-AIRPORT Kerala rains: Kochi International airport suspends operations till Sunday

Kochi: The Kochi International airport on Friday suspended all operations till Sunday as the runway area in the airport is water logged due to flood, the airport authorities said.

LEGAL

LGD9 SC-LD AYODHYA

Ayodhya case: Muslim party objects hearing on all days of week, says it can't be 'rushed through' New Delhi: A Muslim party on Friday objected in the Supreme Court five-days-a-week hearing of the politically sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case in Ayodhya, saying it will "not be able to assist" the court if the hearing is "rushed through".

LGD8 SC-IBC

SC upholds amendments to Insolvency Code New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday upheld amendments to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), giving status of financial creditors to homebuyers.

BUSINESS

DEL3 BIZ-STOCKS-OPEN

Sensex rises over 250 pts; Nifty above 11,100 Mumbai: Domestic equity benchmark BSE Sensex jumped over 250 points in early session on Friday led by gains in banking and energy stocks amid reports that the government is likely to roll back higher surcharge on foreign portfolio investors.

FOREIGN

FGN8 CHINA-QURESHI-INDOPAK

Qureshi visiting China to discuss Indo-Pak tensions Islamabad: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday dashed to China to discuss with the Chinese leadership Indo-Pak tensions after India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. By Sajjad Hussain

FGN7 INDOPAK-CULTURAL-TIES

Pak to ban all cultural exchanges with India: Report Islamabad: Pakistan has decided to ban all cultural exchanges with India, including all kinds of joint ventures between the entertainment industry of the two countries after India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, a media report said on Friday. By Sajjad Hussain

FGN2 UN-INDOPAK

UN chief recalls Simla Agreement between India and Pakistan, appeals for maximum restraint United Nations: UN chief Antonio Guterres has recalled the Simla Agreement of 1972, a bilateral agreement between India and Pakistan that rejects third-party mediation in Kashmir after Islamabad asked him to play his "due role" following New Delhi's decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. By Yoshita Singh

FGN1 US-KASHMIR

US says no policy change on Kashmir Washington: The United States on Friday said that there is no change in its policy on Kashmir and called on India and Pakistan to maintain calm and restraint. By Lalit K Jha.