HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 9 PM: NATION PAR22 LS-JAISHANKAR-CHINA EAM Jaishankar takes on Rahul Gandhi; objects to use of term 'pitai' for jawans New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday strongly objected to the use of the term ''pitai'' (beating) by former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi while referring to the India-China clash in Tawang, and asserted that our soldiers have stood their ground in Yangtse in Arunachal Pradesh and should be ''appreciated and honoured''.

DEL53 INDIA-INDONESIA-CONNECTIVITY India, Indonesia discuss development of connectivity between Andaman and Aceh province New Delhi: India and Indonesia on Monday discussed the proposed development of connectivity between Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Aceh province as well as ways to promote trade and tourism between the two regions.

DEL54 RJ-CONG-RALLY-2NDLD RAHUL In market of hate, open up shops to spread love like me: Rahul Gandhi's message to BJP leaders criticising him Alwar (Rajasthan): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said he was ''opening a shop of love in the market of hate'' through the Bharat Jodo Yatra and urged BJP leaders questioning his cross-country foot march to do the same.

DEL42 PREZ-GOOGLE-CEO Prez Murmu says Google CEO Sundar Pichai symbol of Indian talent, wisdom; urges him to work for universal digital literacy in India New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Monday described the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Google and Alphabet, Sundar Pichai as a symbol of Indian talent and wisdom, and asked him to work for universal digital literacy in India.

DEL38 DL-2NDLD FARMERS RALLY RSS' farmer body holds rally in Delhi, warns govt of trouble if demands not met New Delhi: Thousands of farmers held a rally here on Monday under the banner of RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) to press for a rollback of GST on agricultural goods and other demands and threatened to intensify their protest if these are not met.

PAR23 RS-AAP FREEBIES AAP accuses BJP of hypocrisy over 'revadi' barb, demands debate on freebies in Rajya Sabha New Delhi: Demanding a debate on what falls in the category of freebies, AAP leader Raghav Chadha on Monday attacked the BJP in Rajya Sabha for deriding as 'revadi' the assistance provided to people by his party and wondered how the subsidies given by the Centre are any different.

BOM18 GJ-U20-CM G20 programmes: Ahmedabad to chair Urban 20 cycle beginning in Feb 2023; Guj CM unveils logo, website Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Monday unveiled the logo, website and social media handles of Urban-20 or U20 in Gandhinagar as part of G20 programmes to be held in the state next year.

DEL46 BSF-1971 WAR-VETERAN-3RDLD DEAD 1971 India-Pakistan war: Hero of Longewala passes away in Jodhpur Jodhpur/New Delhi: Bhairon Singh Rathore, a BSF veteran of the 1971 India-Pakistan war whose bravery at Rajasthan's Longewala post was portrayed by actor Suniel Shetty in the Bollywood movie 'Border', died in Jodhpur on Monday.

CAL20 JH-ASSEMBLY-WOMAN-MURDER Tribal woman’s murder rocks Jharkhand assembly Ranchi: The murder of a 22-year-old tribal woman who was chopped into pieces allegedly by her husband rocked the first day of the Jharkhand Assembly’s winter session on Monday, with the BJP demanding immediate steps to check such heinous crimes.

BUSINESS DEL47 BIZ-LDALL GOOGLE Google to spend USD 75 mn on women-led India startups; India to be big export economy: Sundar Pichai New Delhi: Google is building voice and text search for over 100 Indian languages and will spend USD 75 million to support women-led startups in the country, said its CEO Sundar Pichai at the start of his visit to India - a nation that he saw as a big export economy.

LEGAL LGD11 DL-HC-LD SENGAR Unnao rape case: HC judge recuses from hearing interim bail plea of convicted leader Kuldeep Sengar New Delhi: Delhi High Court judge Justice Talwant Singh on Monday recused himself from hearing the interim bail plea of expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in a case in which he is serving life imprisonment for raping a minor girl in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao in 2017.

LGD15 DL-COURT-EXCISE Delhi excise policy case: ED to file supplementary charge sheet by Jan 6, Delhi court told New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday told a Delhi court that it will file a supplementary charge sheet by January 6 against all the accused arrested in a money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy scam case in which Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is also an accused.

FOREIGN FGN57 UK-SUNAK-UKRAINE PM Rishi Sunak reaffirms UK defensive support to Ukraine for new year London: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak used a European summit in the Latvian capital of Riga to reaffirm the UK's support for Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia and announced a fresh defensive aid package for the new year as part of a GBP 250-million contract. By Aditi Khanna FGN61 PAK-ATTACK-3RDLD HOSTAGES Hostage crisis: No breakthrough in talks between govt and Taliban militants Peshawar: No breakthrough was achieved on Monday in talks between the government and the Taliban militants, who seized a counter-terrorism centre and took some people as hostages in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province a day earlier, even as negotiation was underway to secure the safe release of hostages. PTI NB NB