HIGHLIGHTS NORTH 8.30 PM

These are the top stories fro the northern region at 8.30 pm.

DEL60 PB-ARMS-SEIZURE Punjab Police seizes 48 foreign-made pistols; arrests arms smuggler Chandigarh: Punjab Police on Friday said it seized a cache of 48 foreign-made pistols and arrested an arms smuggler allegedly having links with Pakistan-based terrorist outfits and pro-Khalistani elements based in the US, the UK and Canada.

DES34 PB-CONG-JAKHAR If removing me as PCC chief strengthens Congress, it should be done: Jakhar Chandigarh: If removing him as the Punjab Congress chief strengthens the party, then it should be done, said Sunil Jakhar on Friday responding to speculations that he may be replaced.

DES7 PB-HR-CONG-PROTEST Congress holds protests across Punjab, Haryana against rise in fuel prices Chandigarh: The Congress held symbolic protests at petrol pumps across Punjab and Haryana on Friday against the rise in fuel prices, and demanded an immediate rollback of the hikes.

DEL54 RJ-2NDLD NEUROLOGIST Padma Shri recipient Dr Ashok Panagariya dies of post-Covid complications Jaipur: Prominent neurologist and Padma Shri recipient Dr Ashok Panagariya died of post-Covid complications here on Friday. He was 71.

DES4 RJ-PILOT Pilot refutes Rita Bahuguna Joshi's claim of him joining BJP Jaipur: Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Friday refuted claims made by BJP leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi that she had spoken to him about joining the saffron camp.

DES41 RJ-VIRUS-CASES No. of active COVID-19 cases falls below 10K in Rajasthan with recovery of 1,475 patients Jaipur: The number of active coronavirus cases has fallen below the 10,000-mark in Rajasthan with the recovery of 1,475 patients in the last 24 hours, an official report said on Friday.

DES22 UP-WOMEN-PANEL-MEMBER Mobile-for-girls remarks: UP women's panel chief says considering show-cause notice to member Lucknow: UP State Women's Commission chairperson Vimla Batham on Friday said she is contemplating to give a show-cause notice to a panel member, who had suggested that girls should be kept off mobile phones by families who don't want them ''running away'' with boys.

DES44 UP-VIRUS-CASES Covid: 74 deaths, 619 fresh cases in UP Lucknow: Seventy-four more people died from coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh on Friday while 619 fresh cases were reported, taking the state's total infection tally to 17,01,668, according to a health department bulletin. DES35 UP-CONG-LD PROTEST Protest against fuel prices: UP Congress chief, party workers detained in Lucknow Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu and other party workers were detained by police ahead of their protest against the hike in fuel prices on Friday.

DES33 HP-VIRUS-VIRBHADRA EX-Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh again tests COVID-19 positive Shimla: Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh has tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time in two months, a health official said on Friday.

DES28 HP-CURFEW Curfew in Himachal extended with more relaxations Shimla: The Covid curfew in Himachal Pradesh has been extended with several more relaxations till further orders, an official spokesperson said here on Friday.

DES42 HP-VIRUS-CASES HP: Nine more die from Covid as 505 new cases surface Shimla: Nine more people died from COVID-19 in Himachal Pradesh on Friday, taking the death toll to 3,351, while 505 fresh cases pushed the state's infection count to 1,97,943, an official said.

DES32 UKD-BOARD-PROTEST Uttarakhand temple priests demand abolition of Devasthanam board Uttarkashi: The priests of Gangotri and Yamunotri temples on Friday staged a symbolic protest, demanding the disestablishment of Devasthanam Board, with black bands tied on their arms.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)