HIGHLIGHTS AT 9 PM:

Following are the top stories at 9 pm:

NATION

FGN55 PM-2NDLD UNGA At UNGA, PM Modi asks int'l community to stand united against terrorism

United Nations: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday exhorted the international community to stand united against terrorism, which he described as one of the biggest challenges not for any single country, but for the entire world. By Yoshita Singh

DEL57 DEF-ARMY-2NDLD CHOPPER Indian, Bhutanese pilots killed as Army helicopter crashes in eastern Bhutan

New Delhi: A Cheetah helicopter of the Indian Army crashed in eastern Bhutan on Friday, killing both the pilots including a Bhutanese Army Captain.

FGN43 UN-MODI-UNGA-PLASTIC

India initiating a very large campaign to become plastic free nation: Modi at UNGA United Nations: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday told the world that India was initiating a very large campaign to make the country a plastic-free nation. Addressing the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly here, Modi called for the United Nations to be free of single use plastic. By Yoshita Singh

DEL59 EC-KAR-BYPOLLS

Bypolls to 15 Karnataka assembly seats now on Dec 5: EC New Delhi: The bypolls to 15 Karnataka seats, which the Election Commission had decided to defer, will now be held on December 5, according to a new notification issued on Friday.

FGN53 UN-PM-LD SCHEMES

India's welfare schemes give world a 'new hope' for better future, says PM Modi at UNGA United Nations: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the various welfare schemes initiated by his government gave "the world a new hope" for a better tomorrow as he exuded confidence that the experience from these projects could be beneficial to those nations, who like India, are striving for development. By Yoshita Singh

DEL53 UP-RAIN-LD DEATHS

44 killed in rain-related incidents in UP Lucknow: Forty-four people were killed in rain-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh in the past 24 hours, officials said on Friday as heavy rains continued to lash different parts of the state disrupting normal life.

DEL55 IIT-LD EXIT OPTION

Weak IIT students to have 3-year exit option, IITs to work out modalities New Delhi: Academically weak students in IITs will now get a choice to opt for a three-year B.Sc degree instead of B.Tech without dropping out of the prestigious institutions midway, according to HRD Ministry.

MDS11 KA-RIJIJU CHINA

No problem, absolute peace on Indo-China border: Kiren Rijiju Bengaluru: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju insisted on Friday that there was absolute peace on the Indo-China border along his home state of Arunachal Pradesh.

BES24 MH-PAWAR-ED-POLICE

With Pawar canceling ED visit, cops heave sigh of relief Mumbai: With the Nationalist Congress party chief Sharad Pawar canceling his visit to the office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) here, party workers called off protests and the situation was normal, the police said.

LEGAL

LGD22 UP-LD BABRI-KALYAN

Babri Masjid demolition case: Ex-Raj guv Kalyan Singh appears in court, put on trial Lucknow: Former Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh was on Friday put on trial by a special CBI court here in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case after he appeared before it responding to summons.

LGD17 RJ-COURT-2NDLD SALMAN Salman Khan skips court hearing in blackbuck poaching case

Jodhpur, Sep 27 (PTI) Bollywood actor Salman Khan on Friday skipped a hearing in a local court here in connection with the blackbuck poaching case that goes back two decades.

LGD32 DL-HC-RIOTS 1984 riots: HC seeks Centre's reply on plea by convict challenging legality of SIT

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has sought the Centre's response on a plea by one of the convicts in 1984 anti-Sikh riots challenging the legality of the Home Ministry's order for setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to reprobe the cases.

LGD31 DL-HC-LD CHIDAMBARAM INX Media case: CBI opposes Chidambaram's bail plea in HC, calls him flight risk

New Delhi: The CBI Friday opposed the bail plea of former finance minister P Chidambaram, arrested in the INX Media corruption case, contending that he is a flight risk as he is accused of a serious offence and knows that his conviction is likely.

FOREIGN

FGN60 CHINA-WAR Didn't fight 'single war' nor 'invaded a single square' of foreign land, says China

Beijing: China on Friday said it has not provoked a "single war or conflict" or "invaded a single square" of foreign land, skirting any reference to the 1962 war with India. By K J M Varma

FGN58 SAUDI-TOURISM-LD VISAS Saudi Arabia offers tourist visas for first time

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia said Friday it was offering tourist visas for the first time, opening up the ultra-conservative Islamic kingdom to holidaymakers as part of a push to diversify its economy away from oil.

FES71 ISRAEL-GOVERNMENT Israel PM's rival rejects conditions for forming government

Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main rival party says it has rejected his demands to form a unity government under his leadership and include his right-wing and ultra-Orthodox allies.

FES60 RUSSIA-US-UKRAINE Kremlin says it hopes US wouldn't release Trump-Putin calls

Moscow: Russia voiced hope Friday that the US administration wouldn't publish private conversations between the two nations' presidents, like it did with Ukraine. RHL