HIGHLIGHTS AT 1300 HRS

Following are the top stories at 1 pm:

MDS5 TL-2NDLD VET ENCOUNTER 4 accused in Hyderabad rape-murder case shot dead: Police

Hyderabad: All four accused in the rape-and-murder case of a 25-year-old woman veterinarian near here last month were killed in an exchange of fire with police on Friday morning, police said.

NATION

DEL17 DL-NIRBHAYA-2NDLD VET Nirbhaya's parents welcome H'bad encounter; Tharoor cautions against extra-judicial killings

New Delhi: The father of Nirbhaya, the 23-year-old paramedic student who died days after being gangraped in Delhi in December 2012, welcomed the news of the death of the accused in the Hyderabad gangrape-and-murder case in a police encounter on Friday and said the family's wait for justice ended early.

MDS10 VET-TL-LD ENCOUNTER-LOCAL PEOPLE Public hail encounter death of rape accused in T'gana

Chatanpalli/Hyderabad, Dec 6 (PTI) A large number of people in the city on Friday expressed happiness over the encounter killing of the four accused arrested in the rape and murder of a woman veterinarian near here and said the Telangana police did the "right job."

DEL24 ENCOUNTER-ACTIVISTS Cops can't act like lynch mob, attempt to distract people: rights activists on Hyderabad encounter

New Delhi: The police cannot act like a lynch mob under any circumstance, several rights activists said after four people accused in the rape and murder of a woman veterinarian were killed near Hyderabad in the early hours of Friday.

DEL21 PM-LD SUMMIT Indian citizenship to those facing persecution at home will assure them of better lives: PM

New Delhi: Indian citizenship to those facing persecution in their home countries will ensure that they get a better tomorrow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, in his first remarks on the issue after the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was cleared by the Union cabinet recently.

DEL2 PM-AMBEDKAR PM pays tributes to Ambedkar on his death anniversary

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday pad tributes to B R Ambedkar on his 63rd death anniversary, saying he gave the country a "unique gift" in the form of the Constitution.

DEL27 UP-AYODHYA-SCENE Ayodhya remains calm on Babri anniversary; tight security measures in place

Ayodhya (UP): The 27th anniversary on Friday of the Babri Masjid's demolition here is likely to be a low key affair with both Hindu and Muslim religious leaders downplaying the occasion and tight security measures being in place, less than a month after the Supreme Court's contentious verdict in the land dispute case. By Arunav Sinha

DEL16 DL-UNNAO-SURVIVOR CONDITION Day after being set afire, Unnao rape survivor critical and on ventilator

New Delhi: The rape survivor from Unnao, who was airlifted to Delhi and admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital here, is extremely critical and on ventilator, doctors attending to her said on Friday.

BOM3 MH-ACB-LD AJIT ACB exonerates Ajit Pawar in Vidarbha irrigation scam

Nagpur: Maharashtra's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has given a clean chit to NCP leader and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in the multi-crore Vidarbha irrigation scam.

CAL3 WB-GOVERNOR Ready to discuss all issues with CM: Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar

Kolkata: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said he is ready to sit for talks with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to solve the ongoing tussle between the government and Raj Bhawan.

LEGAL

LGD6 SC-LD DMK SC puts on hold local body polls in 9 new TN districts, legal formalities to be finished in 4 months

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday decided to put on hold the elections for the local bodies in nine new districts, carved out of four existing ones, in Tamil Nadu for complying with legal formalities such as delimitation and reservation in four months.

FOREIGN

FGN5 US-TRUMP-LD UNSC Trump urges UNSC to address shared security threat, promote religious liberty

Washington: US President Donald Trump on Thursday urged United Nations Security Council members to address shared security threats and promote religious liberty across the globe.

FGN3 US-BIDEN-KERRY John Kerry endorses Biden for president

Washington: Former Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday endorsed Joe Biden for the 2020 presidential run, a move that sends a strong signal that the top Democratic leadership is rallying behind the former vice president to defeat incumbent Donald Trump next November. By Lalit K Jha

BUSINESS

DEL22 BIZ-VODAFONEIDEA-BIRLA Vodafone Idea will shut in absence of govt relief: Birla

New Delhi: Vodafone Idea will have to be closed down if the government doesn't provide relief that the company has sought, its chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla said on Friday.

SPORTS

SPF11 SPO-CRI-AUS-DAYNIGHT-IND Australia eyes more than one Day/Night Test against India in 2021 series

Melbourne: Cricket Australia (CA) is set to request the BCCI to agree for more than one Day/Night Test during India's 2021 tour Down Under, when officials of the two boards meet on the sidelines of a three-match ODI series in January next year.