HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 9.30 pm: NATION: DEL70 PM-VIRUS-MEETING PM chairs high-level meeting on Covid situation New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday chaired a high-level meeting on the Covid situation and vaccination as the government noted high caseloads in states like Kerala and Maharashtra to say that there can be no room for complacency. DEL53 INDIA-AUSTRALIA-2NDLD TALKS Rise of Taliban raises serious security concerns for India, region: Rajnath at talks with Australian counterpart New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday conveyed to his Australian counterpart Peter Dutton that the rise of Taliban raises serious security concerns for India and the region as the terror groups having bases in Afghanistan could get further support to expand their activities, official sources said.

DEL51 JK-RAHUL-KASHMIRI PANDITS Will provide all help to Kashmiri Pandits: Rahul Gandhi Jammu: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday reached out to displaced Kashmiri Pandits, saying he and his family belong to this community, and promised them all help.

DEL45 ITX-LD NEWS PORTALS-SURVEY IT dept 'surveys' Newsclick, Newslaundry in tax case New Delhi: The Income Tax department on Friday conducted separate ''survey operations'' at the premises of online news portals Newsclick and Newslaundry here, officials said.

DEL8 VIRUS-LD CASES COVID-19: Active cases decline to 3,90,646 New Delhi: India logged 34,973 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,31,74,954, while the active cases declined to 3,90,646, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

DEL50 UP-OWAISI-2ND LD FIR Owaisi booked in UP for 'vitiating' communal harmony, insulting national flag Lucknow/Barabanki: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has been booked for allegedly vitiating communal harmony, making objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and disrespecting the national flag, police said on Friday.

DEL49 PM-SANSAD TV PM Modi to launch Sansad TV on September 15, say sources New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to launch Sansad TV, a new channel formed by merging the Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV, on September 15, sources said on Friday.

DEL16 UP-CONG-PRIYANKA Cong to take out yatra across Uttar Pradesh ahead of 2022 assembly polls Lucknow: The Congress under the leadership of its national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday decided to take out a 12,000 km-long yatra through villages and towns of Uttar Pradesh ahead of the assembly polls next year.

CAL7 WB-LD BYPOLL-MAMATA-TIBREWAL BJP fields ''fearless'' Tibrewal to take on Mamata in her den Kolkata: BJP leader Priyanka Tibrewal, whom the party has nominated to contest against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the September 30 by-poll to the Bhabanipur seat, said on Friday highlighting the ''torture and violence'' unleashed by the TMC after the assembly polls will be a key issue in the election.

MDS11KL-VIRUS-CASES Kerala logs 25,010 new COVID-19 cases, 177 deaths Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala on Friday logged 25,010 new COVID-19 cases and 177 deaths, taking the caseload to 43,34,704 and the death toll to 22,303.

LEGAL LGD2 DL-COURT-SALAAM Delhi riots: I will stop saying 'Salaam' if illegal, Khalid Saifi tells court on police remarks New Delhi: Alluding to Delhi Police's remarks on ''As-salamu alaykum'' salutation, Delhi riots conspiracy case accused and activist Khalid Saifi on Friday said he would have to stop saying it in case it is illegal.

FOREIGN FGN41 UN-INDIA-9/11 United Nations: Marking the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks in the US, the members of the UN Security Council has said that they are as united today as they were two decades ago in their commitment to prevent and counter terrorism in all its forms, as India underlined that the 9/11 Memorial should remind nations of the collective resolve to fight terrorism and to refute all attempts to justify it.

FGN38: US-LDALL CHINA Washington/Beijing US President Joe Biden spoke with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and discussed topics where the interests of the two countries ''converge'' and areas where their interests, values, and perspectives ''diverge'', the White House said, amid deepening ''competition'' between the world's two largest economies.

FGN37 SAFRICA-BRICS-TALIBAN Johannesburg: The BRICS countries have agreed not to recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan until they receive assurances that it will comply with the prescripts of international law, South African foreign minister Naledi Pandor said on Friday.

SPORTS SPF30 SPO-CRI-IND-ENG-2NDLDALL CANCELLED Fifth Test cancelled after India ''unable to field team''; No clarity on series result amid talk of rescheduling Manchester: A COVID-19 outbreak that triggered ''anxiety'' among Indian players forced the cancellation of their fifth and final Test against England in a chaotic and unprecedented turn of events on Friday, leaving the status of the series unclear after the host board claimed a forfeiture by the tourists only to withdraw the statement.