HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 9 PM NATION: BOM14 GJ-PM-5THLD MOTHER Gujarat: PM Modi's mother Hiraben passes away Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother Hiraben passed away at a hospital in Ahmedabad on Friday at the age of 99.

DEL54 PM-MOTHER-2ND LD REAX Prez, VP, leaders condole death of PM's mother, recall her simplicity, high values New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, senior Union ministers and leaders cutting across the political spectrum on Friday condoled the death of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother Hiraben, recalling her simple and compassionate life that was an inspiration for all.

DEL65 LD ALL PANT Cricketer Rishabh Pant injured in car crash in Haridwar, stable New Delhi/Dehradun: India's star cricketer Rishabh Pant had a miraculous escape when his luxury car crashed into a road divider and caught fire after he dozed off at the wheel on the Delhi-Dehradun highway in the early hours of Friday.

MDS22 KA-LD SHAH Shah seeks support for BJP in Old Mysuru region, calls Congress & JD(S) corrupt Mandya (K'taka): Hitting the ground running in poll-bound Karnataka, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday called Congress and JD(S) ''parivaarvadi'' (dynastic politics) and ''corrupt'', and urged the people of Mandya and Old Mysuru region to support the BJP in forming a government with majority in the state.

MDS15 TN-STALIN-INTERVIEW BJP can't win a single seat on its own in Tamil Nadu, asserts Stalin Chennai, Dec 30 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin has accused the BJP-led Union Government of trying to usurp the rights guaranteed to state governments and also assume the subjects in the Concurrent list to be their own. By V Premshanker CAL33 VANDE BHARAT-4THLD PM Centre transforming railway infrastructure by making record investment: PM Modi Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after flagging off the Vande Bharat Express from Howrah to New Jalpaiguri virtually on Friday, asserted that the Union government is transforming the country's railway infrastructure by making record investments.

CAL36 WB-MAMATA-2NDLD HOWRAH-SLOGANS Sloganeering snowballs into major controversy as Mamata refuses to sit on dais at Railway function Kolkata: Sloganeering at Howrah Station on Friday snowballed into a major controversy as a visibly annoyed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee refused to get up on the dais from where the Vande Bharat express to New Jalpaiguri was flagged off.

CAL38 WB-PM-LD METRO PM Modi virtually launches Joka-Taratala metro services in Kolkata Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday virtually flagged off metro services on the Joka-Taratala route in the western part of Kolkata.

DEL78 PANT-LD PM PM Modi wishes good health to cricketer Rishabh Pant New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday prayed for the good health of star cricketer Rishabh Pant, who has been injured in a road accident.

DEL63 PM-PELE-TRIBUTES Pele's death leaves irreplaceable void in world of sports: PM Modi New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday condoled the demise of soccer king Pele, saying his outstanding sporting performances and success will keep inspiring the coming generations.

DEL72 CONG-RAHUL-KAMAL NATH Rahul Gandhi to be Oppn's prime ministerial face in 2024 polls: Kamal Nath New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath on Friday said Rahul Gandhi will be the opposition's prime minister candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. By Anwarul Haq DEL39 VIRUS-LD INTERNATIONAL TRAVELLERS MoCA asks airlines to modify check-in systems ahead of new Covid norms for travellers from China, 5 other countries New Delhi: The civil aviation ministry on Friday asked airlines to modify their check-in systems for international passengers coming into India as part of the revised Covid guidelines, which makes a negative Covid test report a must for travellers coming from China and five other countries from Sunday.

LEGAL: LGD1 DL-COURT-ACQUITTAL-LOCKDOWN Delhi court acquits man found 'roaming around' during lockdown of criminal charge New Delhi: A court here has acquitted a man, who was allegedly roaming around during the lockdown in May 2021, from the criminal charge of disobeying the order of a public servant, saying the charge was not proved beyond a reasonable doubt.

LGD7 DL-HC- ADVERTISEMENT Advertiser ought to have freedom to do generic comparison with other products: HC New Delhi: An advertiser needs to have the freedom to make advertisements containing “generic comparison” with other related products to highlight its own product and mere allusions are not sufficient to make out a case of disparagement, the Delhi High Court has said. BUSINESS: DEL75 BIZ-LD NDTV-ADANI Adani takes control of NDTV, buys promoters at 17 pc premium to open offer price New Delhi: Adani group on Friday gained full control of news broadcaster NDTV after it acquired most of founders -- Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy -- stake at a premium of almost 17 per cent over the rate it paid to minority shareholders of the firm.

DEL69 BIZ-RBI-FOREX India's forex reserves down USD 691 mn to USD 562.81 bn in 2nd consecutive week of decline Mumbai: India's forex reserves dropped by USD 691 million to USD 562.808 billion as of December 23, making it the second consecutive week of decline in the kitty, according to the RBI data.