HIGHLIGHTS AT 9 PM

Following are the top stories at 9 pm:

NATION

LGD21 SC-2ND LD CAA Country going through difficult times, says SC refusing to entertain plea on CAA; calls for peace

New Delhi: The country is going through difficult times and there is so much violence that endeavour should be for peace, the Supreme Court observed on Thursday while refusing to entertain a plea seeking the Citizenship Amendment Act be declared constitutional.

DEL126 JK-3RDLD ENVOYS Envoys in JK get briefing from army, meet civil society members; LG hosts dinner

Srinagar: In the first such trip by foreign diplomats post August 5, envoys of 15 countries including the US visited the Kashmir valley on Thursday where they interacted with select political representatives, civil society members as well as military top brass with the government rejecting criticism that it was a "guided tour".

DEL112 MEA-LD ENVOYS Objective of visit by envoys to Kashmir is to display measures taken to bring back normalcy: MEA

New Delhi: The government on Thursday said the objective of taking envoys of 15 countries to Kashmir was to help them see the efforts to bring back normalcy in the Valley after abrogation of Article 370 and rejected criticism that the visit is like a guided tour.

DEL124 BIZ-PM-2NDLDALL NITI PM Modi says fundamentals of Indian economy strong, has capacity to bounce back

New Delhi: Unfazed by projections of GDP growth slowing to an 11-year low in the current fiscal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said fundamentals of the Indian economy are strong and it has the capacity to bounce back.

CAL22 WB-MAMATA-2NDLD SONIA 'Ekla cholo re', says Mamata on CAA, NRC; leaves opposition a divided house

Kolkata/New Delhi: "If needed, I will fight alone," a livid Mamata Banerjee declared in the West Bengal Assembly on Thursday and said she will boycott a meeting called by Congress's interim president Sonia Gandhi on January 13 over campus violence and the CAA, exposing the opposition faultlines on the issues.

DEL121 DEF-INDOUS-RAJNATH Rajnath holds telephonic conversation with US Defence Secretary Esper

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday held a telephonic conversation with US Secretary of Defence Mark T Esper during which they discussed the evolving security situation in the Gulf region.

DEL129 HRD-LDALL JNU HRD rules out JNU VC's removal, says sacking not a solution; calls another meeting with him

New Delhi: The HRD Ministry on Thursday ruled out the removal of JNU Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar amid demands from students and a section of teachers saying sacking him is not the solution and the government's focus is to address the main issues that have cropped up on campus.

DEL119 JOSHI-JNU-VC Murli Manohar Joshi seeks JNU VC's ouster

New Delhi: Former HRD minister and senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi on Thursday called for the removal of JNU Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar, saying it is "shocking" that he is adamant on not implementing a government proposal to resolve fee-hike crisis in the university.

DEL127 UP-LD SUSPENSION SSP Noida who alleged corruption in police force suspended

Lucknow/Noida: Noida police chief Vaibhav Krishna was suspended by the Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday, days after alleging involvement of senior police officers and journalists in a transfer racket and purportedly figuring in a sleaze video.

BOM31 MH-GANGSTER-2ND LD ARREST Lakdawala, former Dawood aide, nabbed after 21 yrs on the run

Mumbai: Gangster Ejaz Lakdawala, wanted in several cases of extortion and attempt to murder, has been arrested by the Mumbai police's Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) after being on the run for two decades, a top official said on Thursday.

LGD38 SC-JUVENILE 2016 Mercedes hit-and-run case: Accused to be tried as juvenile, says SC

New Delhi: An accused who allegedly ran over a 32-year-old marketing executive while driving Mercedes in 2016 will be tried as a juvenile as the crime does not fall under the category of 'heinous' offence under the Juvenile Justice Act, the Supreme Court held on Thursday.

FOREIGN

FGN46 PAK-IMRAN-IRAN-LD QURESHI Khan directs Qureshi to visit Iran, Saudi, US as part of Pak's efforts to defuse tensions in Gulf

Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to visit Iran, Saudi Arabia and the US as part of Pakistan's efforts to defuse the tensions in the Gulf region following the killing of a top Iranian general in a US drone strike. By Sajjad Hussain

FGN32 PAK-CONVERSION Pak's Council of Islamic Ideology terms forced conversion 'un-Islamic'

Islamabad: Amidst increasing reports of forcible conversion of minorities in Pakistan, including that of Hindus and Sikhs, a constitutional body tasked with giving legal advice on Islamic issues to the lawmakers has said that such a practice was "un-Islamic and unconstitutional." PTI SNE SNE