HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 1 pm:

DEL6 LSQ-NRC No decision yet to "prepare" NRC at national level: MoS Home

New Delhi: The Centre has, till now, not taken any decision to "prepare" a National Register of Indian Citizens at the national level, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

DEL8 PM-BJP Attempts made to mislead people on Union Budget: Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said attempts were made to mislead people on the Union Budget, however, even critics now accept that it is the best budget under the prevailing global economic scenario.

DEL9 CPIM-HATE SPEECH 9-yr-old's play sent mother to jail for sedition but PM 'maun' on hate speeches: CPI(M)

New Delhi: The CPI(M) on Tuesday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" on hate speeches by his party members and slammed his government over the sedition case slapped against a parent and a teacher in Karnataka for allegedly staging a play on the new citizenship law.

DEL11 CORONAVIRUS-AIR INDIA Coronavirus outbreak: Air India to suspend Delhi-Hong Kong flights from Feb 8

New Delhi: Air India on Tuesday said it is suspending its Delhi-Hong Kong flight from February 8, hours after the authorities there confirmed the death of a patient with the new coronavirus.

BOM2 MH-CORONAVIRUS-TESTING Coronavirus testing facility likely at Mumbai hospital

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government is mulling to set up a coronavirus testing facility at Kasturba Hospital here to reduce the burden on Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) which is currently handling such samples from across the country, an official said on Tuesday.

BOM1 MH-THACKERAY-BULLET TRAIN

Thackeray compares bullet train project to 'white elephant' Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday likened the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project to a "white elephant", saying a decision on it will be taken after he is convinced it will boost industrial development of the state.

CAL4 WB-LD PRESIDENCY

Students' protest: Presidency VC leaves campus after 16 hours Kolkata: Presidency University Vice Chancellor Anuradha Lohia left the campus on Tuesday morning after being confined within her chamber for over 16 hours due

to a demonstration by students.

CAL7 WB-GOVERNOR-CHOPPER WB govt decides to provide chopper to Dhankhar

Kolkata: In what can be seen as a sign of reconciliation between the state administration and the Raj Bhavan, the Mamata Banerjee government has decided to provide Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar with a helicopter for his travel to Santiniketan on Thursday.

LEGAL

LGD9 SC-LD GUJARAT RIOTS

Guj riots: SC fixes Apr 14 for hearing Zakia Jafri's plea against SIT's clean chit to Modi New Delhi: Saying the matter had been adjourned many times and will have to heard someday, the Supreme Court on Tuesday fixed April 14 for hearing a plea by Zakia Jafri, wife of slain MP Ehsan Jafri, challenging the SIT's clean chit to then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 riots.

LGD7 SC-LD SHAHEEN BAGH

BJP leader seeks urgent SC hearing for removal of Shaheen Bagh protestors New Delhi: The Supreme Court asked a Delhi BJP leader on Tuesday to approach its mentioning officer to get an early date for hearing of his plea seeking the removal of hundreds of anti-citizenship law protestors occupying a road-stretch in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh area.

LGD2 DL-HC-CITIZENSHIP-JAMIA

Investigation into Jamia violence at crucial stage, Centre tells Delhi HC New Delhi: The investigation into the incident of violence at Jamia Millia Islamia during an anti-citizenship law protest was at a crucial stage, the Centre told the Delhi High Court on Tuesday.

BUSINESS

DEL2 BIZ-STOCKS-OPEN

Sensex rallies over 400 pts; Nifty above 11,800 Mumbai: Market benchmark Sensex surged over 400 points in morning session on Tuesday led by gains in index-heavyweights Reliance Industries, HDFC twins and ITC amid firm global cues.

DEL7 BIZ-LIC-STRIKE

LIC staff union to hold walk-out strike to protest against IPO Mumbai: The employees' union of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) will stage an hour-long walk-out strike on Tuesday to protest against the government's move to sell its stake in the state-run insurer through an initial public offering.

FOREIGN

FGN22 UN-INDIA-CANCER One in 10 Indians will develop cancer during their lifetime: WHO

United Nations: India had an estimated 1.16 million new cancer cases in 2018, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), which said that one in 10 Indians will develop cancer during their lifetime and one in 15 will die of the disease. By Yoshita Singh

FGN6 CHINA-VIRUS-2NDLD TOLL Death toll in China's coronavirus jumps to 425, confirmed cases soar to over 20,000

Beijing: The death toll in China's coronavirus rose sharply to 425 with 64 deaths on Monday alone while 3,235 new confirmed cases were reported, taking the number of those infected with the deadly disease to 20,438, Chinese health authorities said on Tuesday. By K J M Varma.

ENTERTAINMENT

ENT8 ZAIRA-KASHMIR False and uneasy semblance of calm in Kashmir: Zaira Wasim

Mumbai: There's a "false and uneasy semblance" of calm in Kashmir, which is a place of escalating despair and sorrow, former actor Zaira Wasim said on Tuesday.