HIGHLIGHTS

By Lalit K Jha FGN5 US-INDIA-TIBET-XI Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting Tibet is a threat to India, says senior US Congressman Washington Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting Tibet last week is a threat to India, an influential US lawmaker has said, accusing the Joe Biden-led administration of not doing enough to stop the Chinese march.

Following are the top stories at 9.20 PM: NATION: DEL85 OPPOSITION-LD PREZ Seven oppn parties write to Prez; Urge him to instruct govt to discuss farmers' issues, Pegasus in Parliament New Delhi: Seven opposition parties have written to President Ram Nath Kovind seeking his intervention to direct the government to discuss farmers' issues and Pegasus spyware report in the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament as they apprised him of these ''two disturbing developments''.

DEL14 VIRUS-LD CASES India records less than 30,000 fresh COVID-19 cases in over three months New Delhi: India recorded less than 30,000 fresh COVID-19 cases after 132 days while its active caseload fell below 4,00,000 after 124 days on Tuesday, according to Union health ministry data.

CAL21 LDALL AS-MZ CLASHES Day after bloody clashes Centre summons top Assam, Mizo officials, border calm Silchar/Aizawl/New Delhi: The Centre has summoned to New Delhi the chief secretaries and DGPs of Assam and Mizoram for a meeting on Wednesday while the restive inter-state border was calm, a day after armed clashes left six dead and over 50 injured, officials said.

PAR35 LS-LDALL ADJOURN Lok Sabha witnesses repeated adjournments amid opposition protests over snooping row, farm laws New Delhi: Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed a series of brief adjournments amid uproar created by opposition members over various issues, including the Pegasus spying controversy and the three contentious agri laws.

PAR32 RS-LDALL ADJOURN Oppn disrupts Rajya Sabha proceedings again over Pegasus row, farm laws New Delhi: Protests by unrelenting opposition members over Pegasus snooping allegations and farm laws again disrupted proceedings in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, as they demanded that discussions be taken up on the issues in the House. DEL95 POL-LD MAMATA Unity of opposition parties will take shape on its own, says Mamata New Delhi: Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the unity of opposition parties will take shape on its own, sidestepping questions of her taking on the leadership role.

DEL86 INDOUS-BLINKEN-ARRIVE US Secretary of State Blinken arrives; to hold talks with Indian leaders Wednesday New Delhi: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in India on Tuesday on a two-day visit aimed at further boosting bilateral ties and deliberate on the rapidly evolving security situation in Afghanistan as well as to expand cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region under the framework of Quad.

MDS18 KA-BOMMAI Basavaraj Bommai elected as Karnataka BJP legislature party leader, to be new CM Bengaluru: The Karnataka BJP legislature party on Tuesday elected Basavaraj Bommai as its new leader and he will succeed outgoing Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.

DEL39 JK-LD KOVIND Democracy has capacity to reconcile differences, bring out best of citizens' potential: President Srinagar: President Ram Nath Kovind asserted on Tuesday that democracy has the capacity to reconcile all differences and bring out the best of the citizens' potential, saying Kashmir is ''happily'' realising this vision.

DEL67 DL-KEJRIWAL-2NDLD AWARDS Delhi govt to recommend names of doctors, health workers for Padma awards New Delhi: The Delhi government will recommend the names of doctors and health workers, who fought against the Covid pandemic, to the Centre for the Padma awards this year, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday.

LEGAL: LGD15 SC-LD PEGASUS Pegasus spyware: Senior journalists move SC seeking independent enquiry into govt snooping allegations New Delhi: Veteran journalists N Ram and Sashi Kumar have moved the Supreme Court seeking an independent probe by its sitting or retired judge into reports of government agencies using Israeli spyware Pegasus to allegedly snoop on eminent citizens, politicians and scribes.

LGD27 SC-VIRUS-2NDLD BEGGING Won't take elitist view of banning beggars from streets, says SC on plea for their rehab amid COVID New Delhi: The Supreme Court Tuesday made clear it will not take an ''elitist view'' that no beggars be allowed on the streets and asked the Centre and Delhi government to respond to a plea seeking vaccination and rehabilitation of beggars and vagabonds in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BUSINESS: DEL63 BIZ-LD STOCKS Sensex tumbles for 2nd day as Asian sell-off deepens on China crackdown; Dr Reddy's tanks 10 pc post earnings Mumbai: Domestic markets surrendered early gains to close in the red for the second straight session on Tuesday as sentiment remained risk-averse amid lacklustre corporate earnings and a deepening sell-off in Asian markets post China's regulatory crackdown on tech companies. FOREIGN: FGN43 IMF-INDIA-GROWTH IMF cuts India's GDP growth forecast to 9.5 pc for FY22 Washington: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday cut its economic growth forecast for India to 9.5 per cent for the fiscal year to March 31, 2022 as the onset of a severe second COVID-19 wave cut into recovery momentum. By Lalit K Jha FGN5 US-INDIA-TIBET-XI Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting Tibet is a threat to India, says senior US Congressman Washington: Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting Tibet last week is a threat to India, an influential US lawmaker has said, accusing the Joe Biden-led administration of not doing enough to stop the Chinese ''march''. By Lalit K Jha.