HIGHLIGHTS

Top stories at 2100 hours:

TOP NEWS:

DEL101 BIZ-LDALL FM-BANK MERGER New Delhi: Continuing its firefight against an ever-deepening economic slowdown, the government on Friday unveiled a mega plan to merge 10 public sector banks into four with a view to creating fewer and stronger global-sized lenders with robust balance sheets that can be used to boost credit and spur growth.

DEL112 BIZ-LDALL GDP SLOWDOWN

New Delhi: India's economic growth on Friday slumped for the fifth straight quarter to an over six-year low of 5 per cent in the three months ended June as consumer demand and private investment slowed amid deteriorating global environment.

FGN21 PAK-KARTARPUR-LDALL MEETING Islamabad/Gurdaspur: India and Pakistan on Friday discussed in a "cordial atmosphere" the technical modalities like the level of the roads and the bridge of the proposed Kartarpur Corridor for Sikh pilgrims, the first such meeting after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status leading to fresh tensions between the two neighbours.

NATION: DEL66 PM-2ND LD CONCLAVE

New Delhi/Kochi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he welcomed "constructive criticism" and there should be enough space in public life for "differing streams" to listen to each other's point of view.

CAL16 AS-NRC SITUATION Guwahati: The law and order situation in Assam is normal on the eve of publication of the final NRC and the Centre has rushed additional 51 companies of paramilitary forces to Assam to maintain law and order in the state, Director General of Police Kuladhar Saikia said on Friday.

DEL110 PAK-GIRL-LD-AMARINDER

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday expressed shock over reports of a Sikh girl being kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam in Pakistan and sought immediate intervention of Indian and Pakistani governments in the matter.

DEL85 UP-3RD LD-GIRL FOUND Shahjahanpur/Lucknow: The missing student whose father alleged she was sexually harassed by BJP leader Swami Chinmayanand was found in Rajasthan with a friend on Friday morning, police said.

DEL107 CONG-LD ECONOMY

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday hit out at the government, saying the slump in GDP is a "Modi-made disaster", and demanded that a financial emergency be declared in the country.

CAL15 WB- LD LYNCHING BILL Kolkata: The West Bengal assembly passed on Friday a bill against mob assault and incidents of lynching, with the legislation providing for life imprisonment to those injuring a person and capital punishment for causing death.

MDS11 KA-CHANDRAYAAN-MANOEUVRE

Bengaluru: ISRO on Friday said it has successfully performed the fourth lunar bound orbit manoeuvre for the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft, that is currently in the lunar orbit for its rendezvous with the Moon.

DEL97 LDALL NRIPENDRA New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra has decided to step down from his post after serving as a key aide of Modi for over five years.

DEL29 JK-LD SITUATION

Srinagar: Fresh restrictions were imposed in the city and other parts of the Kashmir Valley as a preventive measure in view of Friday congregational prayers which passed off peacefully, officials said.

LEGAL:

LGD20 DL-COURT-2NDLD CHIDAMBARAM New Delhi: Former finance minister P Chidambaram will be subjected to three more days of custodial interrogation by the CBI in a corruption case arising from the INX Media scam as a Delhi court remanded him in the agency's custody till September 2. By Udayan Kishor and Pawan Kumar Singh

LGD46 SC-6THLD CHINMAYANAND

New Delhi: The Supreme Court said Friday evening that the woman law student, who had gone missing after levelling harassment allegations against former Union minister and BJP leader Swami Chinmayanand and was found in Rajasathan, did not want to go to her home state Uttar Pradesh.

LGD49 SC-AYODHYA New Delhi: The Shia Wakf Board on Friday told the Supreme Court that it was ready to forgo one third of 2.77 acre of disputed land allotted to Muslim bodies by the Allahabad High Court to Hindus for construction of a temple at Ayodhya. By Sanjeev Kumar

FOREIGN:

FGN25 PAK-KASHMIR-2NDLD HOUR Islamabad: Pakistan observed the "Kashmir Hour" on Friday to express "solidarity" with the Kashmiri people as many rallies were held across the country, weeks after India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. By Sajjad Hussain

FGN24 JAISHANKAR-LD EU

Brussels: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday called on President of the European Parliament David Maria Sassoli and discussed the India-EU strategic partnership on regional, global and multilateral issues.

FGN5 US-TRUMP-2NDLD SPACE Washington: President Donald Trump has formally launched the US Space Command, which he said will ensure that America's dominance in space is "never threatened," amidst advances made by countries like Russia and China. By Lalit K Jha

SPORTS:

SPF24 SPO-OPEN-LD IND New York: India's Divij Sharan made a first-round exit from the US Open with partner Hugo Nys after losing in straight sets to Robert Carballes Baena and Federico Delbonis, here.

SPF13 SPO-RAHANE

Kingston (Jamaica): India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane says scoring his 10th Test century after a drought of two years was special and he became "a bit emotional" after reaching the feat in Antigua.