HIGHLIGHTS AT 1715 HRS

Following are the top stories at 1715 hours

NATION

DEL36 UP-STUDENT-5THLEAD-ARREST Shahjahanpur student arrested on extortion charge, bail plea rejected

Shahjahanpur: The law student who has accused BJP leader Swami Chinmayanand of rape was arrested on Wednesday on charges of extortion and sent to 14-day judicial custody, police said.

DEL40 UP-CHINMAYANAND-BJP Swami Chinmayanand not a party member: BJP

Lucknow: The BJP on Wednesday said former Union minister Swami Chinmayanand, accused of rape by a law student of his college, is no longer a member of the party.

BOM12 MH-LD PAWAR Won't bow down before Delhi "throne": Pawar on ED action

Mumbai: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said he will visit the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office on September 27 in connection with a money laundering case filed against him by the agency.

BOM5 DEF-MIG-3RD LD CRASH IAF MiG trainer aircraft crashes in MP, pilots eject safely

Bhind/Gwalior: A MiG-21 trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district after taking off from the Gwalior airbase on Wednesday, officials said.

DEL21 PB-DRONE GPS-fitted drones from Pak airdropped weapons into Indian territory

Chandigarh: GPS-fitted drones capable of lifting up to 10 kg flew in from Pakistan seven to eight times to airdrop the cache of arms, ammunition and fake currency seized in Punjab's Tarn Taran district, a police probe revealed on Wednesday.

BOM10 MP-CHILDREN-MURDER MP:2 Dalit kids beaten to death for defecating in open; 2 held

Shivpuri: Two Dalit children were allegedly beaten to death by two persons for defecating on a street in front of a panchayat building in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district on Wednesday, police said.

DEL31 BIZ-RBI-BANK RUMOURS RBI rebuts social media rumours on closure of 9 banks

Mumbai: Rebutting social media rumours swiftly, the Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday said no commercial banks are going to be shut.

DEL38 MHA-JK-REORGANISATION Top officials of J-K, MHA meet to discuss J-K Reorganisation Act

New Delhi: Top officials of the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday discussed with Home Ministry officials on various aspects of the state Reorganisation Act and its implementation when the two union territories will come into existence on October 31, officials said.

DEL35 UP-YOGI-TRIPLE TALAQ Yogi govt announces Rs 6,000 annual aid for triple talaq victims

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday announced an annual support of Rs 6,000 to the victims of triple talaq till their rehabilitation and said they will get free legal aid.

MDS8 TN-RAJNATH-LD SHIP ICGS 'Varaha' commissioned by Rajnath Singh

Chennai: Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday formally commissioned the Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel 'Varaha' at the Chennai Port Trust here.

MDS2 TN-BALAKOT-RAJNATH Security forces fully prepared: Rajnath Singh on reactivation of Pak terror camps

Chennai: Two days after the Army Chief said that terror camps in Pakistan were being reactivated, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said Indian security forces were fully prepared to meet the situation.

DEL6 PHALKE-LD BACHCHAN-REAX (RPT) Humbled by generosity: Amitabh Bachchan on Dadasaheb Phalke honour

Mumbai: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Wednesday said he was short of words to express his gratitude after he was named Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipient for 2018.

FOREIGN

FGN28 TRUMP-MODI-LD WH Trump 'encourages' Modi to improve relations with Pakistan: WH

United Nations: US President Donald Trump "encouraged" Prime Minister Narendra Modi to improve relations with Pakistan and fulfil his promise to better the lives of the Kashmiri people, according to a readout issued by the White House of the bilateral meeting between the two leaders. By Yoshita Singh

FGN23 PAK-KASHMIR-UN-QURESHI Qureshi writes to UN Sec Gen, UNSC Prez outlining Pak's legal case on Kashmir

Islamabad: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has written to the UN Secretary General and President of the UN Security Council highlighting Pakistan's legal case on the Jammu and Kashmir issue. By Sajjad Hussain

FGN9 JAISHANKAR-INDOPAK No problem talking to Pakistan but cannot talk to 'Terroristan': Jaishankar

New York: India has no problem talking to Pakistan but it has a problem talking to “Terroristan”, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said here, asserting that Islamabad has created an entire industry of terrorism to deal with the Kashmir issue. By Yoshita Singh

FGN35 PM-3RDLD PACIFIC PM Modi announces USD 150 mn line of credit to group of Pacific island nations

New York: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a USD 150 million line of credit to the group of Pacific island nations for undertaking solar, renewable energy and climate related projects based on their requirement. By Yoshita Singh

FGN15 PM-3RDLD AWARD PM receives 'Global Goalkeeper' award for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, says it helped achieve UN goals

New York: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was honoured with the prestigious "Global Goalkeeper" award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for his Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, has said that the cleanliness campaign played a critical role in helping achieve the United Nations' goals and targets. By Yoshita Singh

LEGAL

LGC2 WB-HC-KUMAR In-camera proceedings in Calcutta HC for Rajeev Kumar's pre-arrest bail plea

Kolkata: Former Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar's anticipatory bail prayer in the Saradha chit fund scam case was heard 'in-camera' by the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday, on a plea by his counsel.