HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 2100 hours:

NATION:

DEL80 LDALL NIRBHAYA Nirbhaya case: Mukesh files mercy plea before President after SC refuses stay on execution

New Delhi: One of the four death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case who are to be hanged on January 22 filed a mercy plea before the President on Tuesday shortly after the Supreme Court refused to stay the execution of two of them including him.

DEL82 TRUMP-INDIA-VISIT India, US in talks to finalise dates for possible visit by Trump to India

New Delhi: Indian and US officials were engaged in talks to finalise dates for a possible visit by US President Donald Trump to India, government sources said on Tuesday.

MDS17 TN-PM-MAGAZINE India developing at rapid pace, vested interests causing unrest: PM Modi

Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India was developing at a rapid pace and things that were seen as impossible were becoming a reality, but vested interests were trying to mislead the nation and cause unrest.

DEL63 JK-DYSP-PROBE Suspended DySP had taken militants to Jammu last year also for 'rest, recuperation': Interrogators

Srinagar: Suspended Deputy Superintendent of J&K Police Devinder Singh had ferried Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Naveed Babu to Jammu last year also and facilitated his return to Shopian after "rest and recuperation", officials interrogating him said here Tuesday.

DEL72 DRONES-CENSUS Security concerns to vital installations prompted govt to order drone census: Officials

New Delhi: Concerns over incidents of Pakistan-origin drones dropping weapons into Punjab, disruption in services at Gatwick airport after UAVs were sighted and the killing of a top Iranian commander in a drone-launched attack prompted the government to order the registration of all civilian drones, officials said on Tuesday.

DEL77 DL-CEO-INTERVIEW With greater tech use and mega campaigns, hopeful voter turnout will rise: Delhi CEO

New Delhi: The Delhi polls will see more thrust on use of technology complemented with massive campaigns in the run-up, Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh said on Tuesday and hoped the twin-edged strategy will lead to a greater turnout than in 2015.

DEL62 ED-AMRAPALI-PROBE ED detects multiple FEMA violations in Amrapali case; Rs 55 cr laundered abroad

New Delhi: The ED has detected over half-a-dozen alleged forex law violations by the Amrapali Group and found that homebuyers' funds worth over Rs 55 crore were laundered and sent abroad using shell firms, official sources said on Tuesday.

DEL53 DL-POLL-BAAZIGAR Who is Delhi's 'Baazigar'? BJP, Cong, AAP slug it out on social media

New Delhi: The "Baazigar" takes it all, or so the Aam Aadmi Party sought to project when it put out a meme from the 1993 Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol blockbuster film. But it did not bargain for quick-witted rivals in the BJP and the Congress who may possibly know more about Bollywood than Delhi's ruling party.

DEL74 LD WEATHER Mercury dips across north India

New Delhi: The mercury took a dip across north India on Tuesday and rainfall lashed many areas of the region, with the weather office predicting more downpour in the next two days due to a fresh Western Disturbance.

CAL21 BH-DELHI-TEJASHWI RJD looking forward to contesting Delhi polls in alliance with Cong: Tejashwi

Patna: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday said his party was looking forward to contesting the upcoming Delhi assembly polls in alliance with the Congress, with which it has shared a long partnership in Bihar and on the national level.

BUSINESS:

DEL54 BIZ-LD PASWAN-ONIONS States shun imported onions; Centre fears stock may rot

New Delhi: Forced to import onions to check spike in prices, the Union Government now fears that the key kitchen staple may rot in godowns as states have shown little interest in buying them despite its offer to bear transportation cost.

LEGAL:

LGD40 SC-RAJIV GANDHI Rajiv Gandhi assassination: SC expresses unhappiness over status report of MDMA

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Tuesday expressed its displeasure over the latest status report filed by the CBI-led Multi Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) on its probe into unravelling a larger conspiracy behind the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

FOREIGN:

FGN29 PAK-LD SAEED JuD chief Hafiz Saeed pleads not guilty in terror financing cases: court official

Lahore: Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed on Tuesday pleaded "not guilty" in two terror financing cases against him as the Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief recorded his statement in a Pakistani anti-terrorism court here, amidst mounting international pressure on Islamabad to rein in militant groups.

FGN34 UK-HARRY-MEGHAN Prince Harry set to join Meghan in Canada after crisis talks

London: Prince Harry is expected to join wife Meghan Markle and their eight-month-old son Archie in Canada by the end of this week after crisis talks with his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II concluded "constructively".

SPORTS:

SPD29 SPO-CRI-LD IND India get 10-wicket hiding from Australia in series opener

Mumbai: Australia gave India a harsh reality check with a 10-wicket hiding in the ODI series opener here on Tuesday, exposing the home team's middle-order frailty and putting to sword its bowling.