HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 12:50 hrs:

DEL4 DEF-RAJNATH-SKOREA Rajnath holds talks with S Korean counterpart to boost defence ties

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has held talks with his South Korean counterpart Jeong Kyeongdoo to boost bilateral defence ties, particularly in enhancing cooperation between defence firms of the two countries and extending logistical support to each other's navies.

DEL5 CHIDAMBARAM-LD TIHAR Chidambaram starts day at Tihar reading religious scriptures, given porridge for breakfast

New Delhi: Former Union finance minister P Chidambaram on Friday started his day at the Tihar Jail by taking a walk in its courtyard and a light breakfast of tea and porridge, sources said.

LGD10 SC-LD UAPA SC seeks Centre's response on pleas challenging validity of amendments to UAPA

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Centre on petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the amendments made in the UAPA.

LGD11 SC-LD KARTI SC refuses to release for 3 more months Rs 10 crore deposited by Karti for travelling abroad

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to release for three more months the Rs 10 crore deposited by Karti Chidambaram with the apex court's registry for travelling abroad.

LGD4 DL-COURT-CHIDAMBARAM-AIRCEL Delhi Court adjourns Aircel-Maxis case against P Chidambaram sine die

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday adjourned Aircel-Maxis case, involving former Union Minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti, sine die, noting that the CBI and the ED were seeking repeated adjournments.

BUSINESS:

DEL1 BIZ-STOCKS-OPEN

Sensex jumps over 200 pts; TechM rallies 5 pc Mumbai: Domestic equity benchmark BSE Sensex advanced over 200 points in early session on Friday, led by gains in index heavyweights Infosys and RIL, amid positive cues from global markets.

DCM3 BIZ-ACMA-MARUTI

Maruti asks auto component industry to produce electronics, key parts in India to cut imports New Delhi: The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India on Friday asked the components makers to start manufacturing vehicle electronics and certain key parts in India in order to cut imports of such articles.

DCM2 BIZ-ACMA-GST

ACMA seeks uniform 18 pc GST on all components New Delhi: Auto components industry on Friday sought uniform 18 per cent GST in order to help companies with their working capital borrowings which could be used to invest in long-term assets.

FOREIGN:

FGN4 US-CHANDRAYAAN Euphoria grips US scientists ahead of India's Chandrayaan-2 landing

Washington: US space scientists, including those from NASA, are all over the moon as they await with bated breath for India's ambitious lunar mission Chandrayaan-2's historic soft landing on the moon in the early hours of Saturday. By Lalit K Jha.