HIGHLIGHTS AT 5 PM

Following are the top stories at 5 pm:

NATION

DEL24 PREZ-2NDLD NIRBHAYA Prez rejects mercy plea of Nirbhaya gangrape convict Mukesh Singh

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday rejected the mercy plea of Mukesh Singh, one of the four men facing the gallows in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case, sources said.

DEL34 PB-CAA-2NDLD RESOLUTION Punjab Assembly passes resolution against CAA by voice vote

Chandigarh: The Punjab Assembly on Friday passed a resolution by voice vote against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, the second state in the country to do so.

MDS5 KA-3RDLD SATELLITE ISRO's GSAT-30 satellite successfully launched by Ariane rocket

Bengaluru: India's "high power" communication satellite GSAT-30, aimed at providing high- quality television, telecommunications and broadcasting services, was successfully launched onboard Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana in the early hours of Friday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said here.

BOM5 GJ-RAIL-LD TEJAS

Ahmedabad-Mumbai Tejas Express flagged off Ahmedabad: Amid fanfare the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Tejas Express, the second premium train to be run by Railway subsidiary IRCTC, was flagged off by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani here on Friday morning.

DEL14 RUSSIA-LD INDIA

Russian envoy says no doubts on India's Kashmir approach, S-400 missiles to be delivered to India by 2025 New Delhi: Russia has no doubts about India's approach on Kashmir, which is a strictly bilateral matter between India and Pakistan, Moscow's envoy to New Delhi Nikolay Kudashev said on Friday.

DEL54 UP-BLAST-CONVICT

Missing Mumbai blasts convict arrested by UP Police Lucknow/Mumbai: Mumbai serial blasts convict, who went missing while on parole, was on Friday arrested in Kanpur by the Uttar Pradesh special task force, state DGP O P Singh said.

DEL55 DL-BJP-CANDIDATES

BJP releases first list of 57 candidates for Delhi polls New Delhi: The BJP on Friday released its first list of 57 candidates for the February 8 polls to the 70-member Delhi Assembly, fielding sitting MLA Vijender Gupta and former mayors Ravinder Gupta and Yogender Chandolia.

DEL45 PB-CAT-LD DGP

CAT sets aside appointment of Punjab DGP Chandigarh: In a big blow to Punjab government, the Central Administrative Tribunal on Friday set aside the appointment of Dinkar Gupta as the state police chief.

MDS14 KL-BEEF-LD MINISTER

Beef delicacy tweet kicks up row; Ker govt says no aim to hurt anyone's religious beliefs Thiruvananthapuram: After a storm erupted over a "beef fry" tweet by Kerala Tourism on Makarasankranti day, the CPI(M)-led LDF government on Friday clarified its aim was not to hurt anyone's religious beliefs.

CAL1 WB-DHANKHAR-MAMATA

Mamata not to attend governor's meeting citing preoccupations Kolkata: Citing "preoccupations" West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will not attend an all-party meeting called by Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday, to discuss issues pertaining to two bills, a Raj Bhavan official said here.

BOM4 GA-MINING-LD STATEMENT Union Minister welcomes SC 'verdict' when order reserved

Panaji: Union minister Shripad Naik issued a statement on his official letter head, welcoming a Supreme Court "judgement" that was never delivered, but withdrew it on realising the gaffe.

LEGAL

LGD15 SC-MAHATMA SC declines PIL seeking Bharat Ratna for Mahatma Gandhi; says he is beyond formal recognition

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday refused to entertain a PIL seeking conferment of 'Bharat Ratna' on Mahatma Gandhi saying that people hold the father of the nation in "high esteem", beyond any formal recognition.

LGD11 DL-HC-LD UNNAO Unnao: HC seeks CBI's response on Sengar's appeal challenging conviction, life term

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday sought response of the CBI on expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar's appeal challenging his conviction and life term for raping a minor girl in UP's Unnao in 2017.

FOREIGN

FGN15 CHINA-2NDLD GDP

China's economy slumps to 6.1 per cent in 2019; lowest in 29 years: NBS data Beijing: China's economy grew by 6.1 per cent last year, the lowest annual growth rate in 29 years, National Bureau of Statistics said on Friday, as weak domestic demand and the bruising 18-month-long trade war with the US took their toll on the world's second-largest economic giant. By K J M Varma

FGN28 IRAN-KHAMENEI-LD US Iran's top leader: Trump is 'clown' who will betray Iranians

Tehran: Iran's supreme leader said President Donald Trump is a "clown" who only pretends to support the Iranian people, as he addressed Friday prayers In Tehran for the first time since 2012.

FGN26 UKRAINE-PM-2NDLD RESIGN Ukraine PM offers resignation after leaked recording

Kiev: Ukraine's prime minister offered his resignation on Friday after audio was leaked of him reportedly criticising President Volodomyr Zelensky's understanding of the economy.

PTI SMN SMN