HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 9 PM:

NATION:

DEL69 LD NRC NRC process to be carried out across entire country:Shah; Not in WB, says Mamata

New Delhi/Kolkata: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process will be carried out across the country, and made it clear there would be no discrimination on the basis of religion.

DEL104 MAHA-CONG-NCP LD MEET

Will form stable government in Maharashtra: Prithviraj Chavan after Cong-NCP meeting New Delhi: In a clear indication of joining hands with the Shiv Sena, leaders of the Congress and the NCP on Wednesday expressed confidence of forming a "stable" government in Maharashtra in the coming days.

DEL93 JK-SHELLING

Pakistan violates ceasefire along LoC in J-K's Poonch Jammu: The Pakistan army violated the ceasefire on Wednesday by resorting to small arms fire and shelling with mortars on forward posts and villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch, a defence spokesman said.

DEL106 DEF-LD RAFALE

Three Rafale jets handed over to IAF by France: Govt New Delhi: Three Rafale fighter jets have been handed over to the Indian Air Force and are being used to train IAF pilots and technicians in France, the government said on Wednesday.

DEL89 LDALL JNU

HRD panel to visit JNU on Friday for resolution of issues; visually-challenged students stage stir New Delhi: The HRD Ministry-appointed committee met JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) members on Wednesday with an assurance to visit the campus on Friday, even as visually-challenged students of the university staged a protest outside the police headquarters here against the alleged lathicharge by the force on those protesting against a recent hostel fee hike.

DEL87 IFFI-OPENING

Amitabh Bachchan-Rajinikanth camaraderie on show at 50th IFFI opening Panaji, Nov 20 (PTI) The golden jubilee edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2019, got off to a dazzling start on Wednesday as megastar Amitabh Bachchan and superstar Rajinikanth came together for the inaugural ceremony, steeped in nostalgia, music and entertainment. By Shubha Dubey and Asim Kamal

DEL54 WHATSAPP-LD ATTACK-ADVISORY

WhatsApp vulnerability: CERT-In issues advisory; company says users unaffected New Delhi: An Indian cyber security agency has warned WhatsApp users against a "vulnerability" that can compromise their individual account without seeking permissions even as the popular social messaging app said users have not been impacted.

DEL96 RJ-LD-FIROZE-FAMILY

BHU row: Muslim prof's father sings bhajans, offers namaz; nobody protests Jaipur: The father of a Muslim professor whose appointment at the Banaras Hindu University’s Sanskrit department has triggered a row himself sings bhajans at temples and serves at a cow shelter.

MDS14 KA-WOMEN-LD NIGHTSHIFT

Women allowed to work in night shifts in all factories in KTKA Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Wednesday issued a notification allowing women to work in night shifts (7 pm to 6 am) in all factories registered under the factories act.

LEGAL:

LGD9 SC-2ND LD CHIDAMBARAM

SC seeks ED reply on Chidambaram's bail plea in INX Media money laundering case New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday asked the Enforcement Directorate to reply to a plea filed by senior Congress leader P Chidambaram challenging the Delhi High Court verdict which denied him bail in the INX Media money laundering case.

LGD16 GREEN-AIR POLLUTION

Install assessed air quality monitoring stations within a year: NGT New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday directed all state pollution control boards to install assessed air quality monitoring stations within a year and submit quarterly progress reports to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

BUSINESS

DEL105 BIZ-LD SEBI

Sebi tightens loan default disclosure norms, reduces time for rights issue Mumbai: In significant steps to bolster capital markets, Sebi on Wednesday decided to put in place stricter disclosure norms for loan defaults, ease time taken for rights issue to 31 days and hike minimum investment limit under portfolio management scheme to Rs 50 lakh.

DEL49 BIZ-LD STOCKS

Sensex perches near all-time high, Nifty ends just shy of 12k-mark Mumbai: The BSE Sensex darted up 182 points to close just shy of its lifetime high on Wednesday, propelled by index heavyweight Reliance Industries, Sun Pharma and IndusInd Bank.

FOREIGN:

FGN9 UN-INDIA-TERRORISM

India calls for zero-tolerance without 'double standards' to combat terror-crime nexus United Nations: India has called for a zero-tolerance approach, without any "double standards", to combat the existential global threat of the terror-crime nexus, under which UN-sanctioned terror groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed continue to "destabilise regions through their cross-border financing" and propaganda. By Yoshita Singh

FGN28 2NDLD LANKA

Lankan Prez names elder brother Mahinda as PM after Wickremesinghe resigns Colombo: Sri Lankan President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday named his elder brother and former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa as the new prime minister after incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe announced his resignation from the post following the election debacle.