HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 1 pm:

DEL1 UP-2NDLDALL HOSTAGE UP hostage crisis: All children rescued, accused killed

Farrukhabad (UP): Over 20 children, aged between six months and 15 years, were rescued after an armed man, a murder accused who took them hostage after inviting them for a birthday party at his house in a village here, was killed on Thursday night, police said.

DEL40 JK-4THLD MILITANTS Three terrorists killed in encounter in Jammu, cop injured

Bann Toll Plaza (Jammu): Three terrorists were killed in a gunbattle that broke out after a group of militants, travelling in a truck, opened fire at a police team at a toll plaza on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway here on Friday, officials said.

PAR16 PREZ-LD ADDRESS President Kovind terms CAA 'historic', oppn members protest

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday hailed the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act as "historic" in his address to the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament, prompting protests by some opposition members.

DEL41 AVI-2NDLD CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus outbreak: With 5 doctors on board, Air India's B747 plane to depart from Del to Wuhan

New Delhi: Air India's 423-seater jumbo B747 plane will depart from the Delhi airport for Wuhan at 12.30 pm on Friday to evacuate Indian nationals as China deals with the Novel Coronavirus outbreak, officials said.

DEL47 PAR-LD PM Hope there are good debates in Parl over economic issues: PM ahead of Budget Session

New Delhi: Ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said both the Houses should concentrate on debating economic issues and focus on how the global financial scenario can best benefit India.

DEL35 JAMIA FIRING-RAHUL 'Who paid Jamia shooter?' asks Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday questioned who "paid" the Jamia shooter, a day after a man opened fire at a group of anti-CAA protesters in the area.

DEL39 CONG-LD PROTEST Cong leaders protest in Parliament complex

New Delhi: Top Congress leaders led by Sonia Gandhi on Friday staged a protest near Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament complex to save the Constitution and express solidarity with those protesting against the Citizenship Act, NRC and NPR.

DEL38 SAD-CAA SAD maintains stand that all religions should be included in CAA

New Delhi: The Shiromani Akali Dal on Friday reiterated its stand that the Citizenship Amendment Act should not specify any particular religion, but should be for all religious communities.

DEL25 PRIYANKA-JAMIA FIRING When Union Mins incite people to shoot, such incidents are possible: Priyanka Gandhi on Jamia firing

New Delhi: Slamming the BJP over the Jamia firing incident, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday said such incidents were possible with the ruling party's leaders inciting people to shoot, and asked Prime minister Narendra Modi to answer whether he stands with violence or non-violence.

LEGAL

LGD5 SC-CAA-UP Anti-CAA protests: SC notice to UP govt on plea for quashing of notices for recovering damages

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday sought response of the Uttar Pradesh government on a plea seeking quashing of notices sent to alleged protestors by district administration for recovering losses caused by damage to public properties during agitations against CAA in the state.

LGD15 DL-COURT-LD NIRBHAYA Nirbhaya case: Tihar challenges before Delhi court maintainability of plea for stay of execution

New Delhi: Saying only one convict's plea is pending and the others can be hanged, Tihar Jail authorities on Friday challenged before a Delhi court the application of three condemned prisoners in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case seeking a stay on their execution on February 1.

LGD14 SC-LD NIRBHAYA

Nirbhaya case: Convict Pawan moves SC, seeks review of order dismissing juvenility claim New Delhi: One of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case, Pawan Gupta, on Friday approached the Supreme Court seeking review of its verdict which dismissed his plea claiming to be a juvenile at the time of commission of the offence.

LGD12 SC-DEATH PENALTY

SC agrees to examine Centre's plea for victim,society-centric guidelines in death penalty cases New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to examine the Centre's plea for laying down victim and society-centric guidelines in cases of death penalty.

BUSINESS

DEL44 BIZ-WIPRO-LD CEO

Wipro CEO Abidali Z Neemuchwala to step down, board scouts for successor New Delhi: IT services major Wipro on Friday said its CEO Abidali Z Neemuchwala has decided to step down, and the company's board has started scouting for his successor.

DEL32 BIZ-BANK-STRIKE

Two-day PSU bank strike impacts services New Delhi: Services of public sector banks were impacted as employee unions went on a two-day nationwide strike from Friday to press for wage revision.

FOREIGN

FGN3 CHINA-VIRUS-LD TOLL

Death toll in China's coronavirus soars to 213, confirmed cases reach 9692 Beijing: The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak has climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totalling to 9,692, China's national authorities announced on Friday. By K J M Varma CK