HIGHLIGHTS

These are the top stories at 5 pm:

NATION

DEL32 NITHYANANDA-LD INTERPOL Interpol issues Blue Corner Notice against Nithyananda

Ahmedabad/New Delhi: Interpol has issued a Blue Corner Notice seeking information about controversial self-styled godman Nithyananda, who fled the country amid allegations of wrongful confinement of children, officials said on Wednesday.

DEL30 JK-ENCOUNTER LD DGP Militant killed in encounter in Kashmir's Pulwama

Srinagar: A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir as the operation to flush out ultras in Khrew area entered the second day on Wednesday, police said.

DEL10 RAJNATH-JK-KIDS J&K kids nationalists, sometimes they're motivated in wrong direction: Rajnath

New Delhi: The children of Jammu and Kashmir are nationalists, but they are sometimes being motivated in the wrong direction, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday.

MDS7 KA-BOMB-LD SURRENDER Suspect in Mangaluru airport bomb case surrenders before police

Bengaluru, Jan 22 (PTI) A 36-year-old man, who is suspected to have planted the explosive at the Mangaluru international airport, surrendered before the police here on Wednesday, officials said.

DEL28 BIZ-DEMOCRACY INDEX-INDIA

India falls to 51st position in EIU's Democracy Index New Delhi: India slipped 10 places to 51st position in the 2019 Democracy Index's global ranking, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit, which cited "erosion of civil liberties" in the country as the primary cause for the downtrend.

CAL10 WB-MAMATA-LD RALLY

Will a person be declared foreigner, then allowed to apply for citizenship, asks Mamata in anti-CAA jab Darjeeling (WB): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who took her fight against the CAA and the proposed NRC to the Darjeeling hills on Wednesday, sought clarifications from Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the clauses of the new law, even as she accused the Centre of spreading lies on the issue.

DEL29 JAVADEKAR-ECO

Budget will have plan of action on economy: Javadekar New Delhi: The government will unveil its "plan of action" to boost the economy in the Union Budget to be presented on February 1, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Wednesday, asserting that economic fundamentals remain very strong.

MDS10 KA-GAGANYAAN-ROBOT

ISRO to send lady robot 'Vyomamitra' in unmanned Gaganyaan spacecraft ahead of human spaceflight

Bengaluru: Even before orbiting astronauts on India's first manned mission to the space in December 2021, the Indian Space Research Organisation will send 'Vyomamitra', a 'lady robot', in unmanned Gaganyaan spacecraft.

LEGAL

LGD17 SC-6THLD CAA

CAA pleas: SC says no stay without hearing Centre, gives govt 4 weeks to respond New Delhi, Jan 22 (PTI) Making clear it will not stay the Citizenship (Amendment) Act without hearing the Centre, the Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the government four weeks to respond to petitions challenging the CAA and said a five-judge Constitution bench will hear the matter.

LGD19 DL-COURT-JAMIA

Delhi court directs police to file action taken report against police action on Jamia students New Delhi: A Delhi court Wednesday directed the police to file an action taken report on the plea of Jamia Millia Islamia University seeking registration of FIR against police action on students at the varsity last month.

LGB1 MH-HC-CAA-PIL

Bombay HC refuses to hear PIL against CAA Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Wednesday refused to hear a PIL challenging constitutional validity of the Citizenship Amendment Act, saying the Supreme Court is already hearing petitions pertaining to the issue.

FOREIGN

FGN17 PAK-CPEC-US

US criticises CPEC, says no transparency in projects undertaken by China Islamabad: Senior US diplomat Alice Wells has renewed the criticism of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), emphasising that there is no transparency in the projects and it will increase cash-strapped Pakistan's debt burden. By Sajjad Hussain

FGN12 US-CRS-PAK-KASHMIR

Pak has 'limited options' to respond to India's decision on Jammu and Kashmir: CRS report Washington: Pakistan's leadership has "limited options" to respond to India's decision on Jammu and Kashmir as many analysts view that Islamabad has "little credibility" on the issue given its long history of covertly supporting militant groups there, according to a US Congressional report. By Lalit K Jha

FGN9 TRUMP-IMRAN-LD WEF

Trump again offers to 'help' resolve Kashmir issue, meets Pak PM Imran in Davos Davos: President Donald Trump has said that the US is watching the developments between India and Pakistan over Kashmir "very closely" and repeated his offer to "help" resolve the longstanding dispute between the two neighbours as he met Prime Minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum here in the Swiss ski resort.

FGN10 NEPAL-INDIANS-BODIES

Bodies of eight Indian tourists under postmortem in Nepal; to be flown back on Thursday Kathmandu: The bodies of the eight Indian tourists, including four minors, who died due to possible asphyxiation in their room at a mountainous resort in Nepal are undergoing postmortem here on Wednesday and would be flown back home on Thursday, according to a senior Indian official.