HIGHLIGHTS AT 1700 HRS

Following are the top stories at 1700 hours:

NATION

DEL16 SC-2NDLD AYODHYA SC sets Oct 18 deadline for completion of Ayodhya hearing, judgement likely in mid-November

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday set an October 18 deadline for conclusion of hearings in the protracted Ram-Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid land title dispute, a move that has raised the possibility of a verdict in the politically sensitive case in the middle of November.

DEL24 CAB-LD E CIGARETTES Govt approves ordinance to ban production, import of e-cigarettes

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved an ordinance for banning production, import, distribution and sale of electronic cigarettes and it proposes a jail term for those violating the provisions, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

DEL11 JK-LD POSTERS Terror groups sealing shops, pasting threatening posters a regular feature in Kashmir

Srinagar: Armed militants are trying to spread fear among residents and defy the administration by forcibly shutting shops, sometimes by walking into the premises and intimidating owners, through threats made in posters that appear on walls overnight or by sealing shutters with tape, officials here say. By Sumir Kaul

DEL17 CAB-RAILWAYS Govt approves 78-day wages as productivity bonus to railway employees: Javadekar

New Delhi: The Cabinet on Wednesday approved 78-day wages as productivity bonus to railway employees, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said.

JH-LD SHAH Modi showed Pak its place by abrogating Art 370, 35A: Shah

Jamtara (Jharkhand): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed Pakistan its place by abrogating Article 370 and 35A and established that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India.

DEL19 CHIDAMBARAM-HINDI Idea that Hindi can alone unite India dangerous: Chidambaram

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who is lodged in Tihar Jail, on Wednesday said the idea that Hindi alone can unite the people of the country is a dangerous trend.

MDS1 KA-CHANDRAYAAN-ISRO ISRO thanks all Indians for support after it lost contact with lander

Bengaluru: ISRO has expressed gratitude to Indians in the country and abroad for the support it received after the space agency lost contact with the lander of Chandrayaan-2, minutes before touchdown on the Moon recently.

LEGAL

LGD24 DL-COURT-SHIVAKUMAR Delhi court defers till Thursday hearing on Shivakumar's bail plea

New Delhi: A Delhi court deferred till Thursday the hearing on the bail plea of Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar, arrested in a money laundering case by the ED.

LGD21 DL-COURT-LD JNU JNU case: Court asks Delhi govt to decide within a month on sanction to prosecute Kanhaiya, others

New Delhi: A court here has asked the Delhi government to decide within one month on the sanction to prosecute former JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and others in a sedition case.

FOREIGN

FGN26 EU-KASHMIR European parliamentarians back India on Kashmir, slam Pakistan for harbouring terrorists

Brussels: European parliamentarians Ryszard Czarnecki and Fulvio Martusciello have backed India on the Kashmir issue during a special debate of the plenary of the European Parliament by describing it a great democracy and slammed Pakistan for harbouring terrorists.

FGN19 PAK-JAISHANKAR-REAX Pakistan urges international community to take note of India's aggressive posturing to retake PoK

Islamabad: Pakistan has urged the international community to take note of India's aggressive posturing about taking "physical jurisdiction" of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, warning that such "belligerent" statements have the potential to further escalate tensions and seriously jeopardise peace in the region. By Sajjad Hussain

FGN29 ISRAEL-2NDLD POLLS Israel election: Netanyahu, rival tied as majority votes counted

By Harinder Mishra Jerusalem, Sep 18 (PTI) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and its main rival Blue and White tied at 32 seats each Wednesday after an unprecedented repeat election, putting the country's longest serving premier on a shaky ground and raising the possibility of a unity government.