HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 12 noon:

NATION

DEL11 INDOLANKA-GOTABAYA Want to take ties with India to very high level: Lankan Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa

New Delhi: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday said he would strive to take his country's relationship with India to a "very high level".

PAR2 LS-PRAGYA

Speaker indicates Pragya Thakur to be called to LS New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday indicated that he would call BJP member Pragya Thakur, who is facing opposition fire for her remarks on Nathuram Godse, to the House after the Question Hour.

DEL7 INDOLANKA-GOTABAYA-EAM

EAM meets Sri Lankan Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met newly-elected Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa during which a range of bilateral and regional issues were discussed, officials said.

BOM2 MH-MODI-SENA

Modi must co-operate with "younger brother" Uddhav: Shiv Sena Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray share brotherly ties and that it is the responsibility of the former to co-operate with his "younger brother" who has taken charge of the state.

BOM5 CG-NAXALS-ARREST

Woman among 3 naxals arrested in Chhattisgarh after gunfight Dantewada: Three naxals, including a woman, with cash rewards on their heads, were arrested following an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, police said on Friday.

BOM4 MH-EXPRESSWAY-LD MISHAP

Four killed, two injured in car-tanker crash on expressway Mumbai: At least four persons, three of them members of a family, were killed and two others injured when their speeding car rammed into a tanker on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in the early hours of Friday, police said.

CAL1 JH-GANGRAPE

Law student 'gangraped' in Ranchi, 12 arrested Ranchi: A 25-year-old law student has been allegedly gangraped by a group of armed men, following which all the 12 accused have been arrested, police said on Friday.

LEGAL

LGD10 SC-CHIT FUND

SC notice to IPS officer Rajeev Kumar on CBI's appeal challenging his anticipatory bail New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday sought response from West Bengal cadre IPS officer Rajeev Kumar on CBI's appeal challenging the anticipatory bail granted to him in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam case.

LGD12 DL-COURT-LD INX MEDIA

INX Media case: Delhi court grants interim bail to ex NITI Aayog CEO Sindhushree Khullar, others New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday granted interim bail to former NITI Aayog CEO Sindhushree Khullar and others in the INX Media corruption case.

BUSINESS

DEL6 BIZ-CEA-CORPORATE TAX

Cut in corporate tax rate important for investments: CEA Subramanian New Delhi: Chief Economic Adviser KV Subramanian on Friday said that the government recognised the need to cut the corporate tax to boost investments.

DEL3 BIZ-STOCKS-OPEN

Sensex falls over 100 points ahead of GDP data Mumbai: Market benchmark BSE Sensex dropped over 100 points in early trade on Friday tracking losses in in index-heavyweights RIL and ICICI Bank ahead of quarterly GDP growth data release.

DEL4 BIZ-RUPEE-OPEN

Rupee slips 11 paise to 71.73 against US dollar ahead of GDP data Mumbai: The Indian rupee opened on a weak note and fell 11 paise to 71.73 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday, as investors traded the cautious path ahead of the release of GDP data.

FOREIGN

FGN2 TRUMP-AFGHAN-LD VISIT

Trump makes surprise trip to Afghanistan on Thanksgiving, eats turkey with troops Washington: US President Donald Trump made his first trip to Afghanistan when he made a surprise visit to an air base near Kabul to thank American troops serving in the war zone and joined 500 of them in having turkey on the occasion of Thanksgiving. By Lalit K Jha

FGN4 IRAQ-PROTESTS

Iraq crackdown kills nearly 40 after Iran mission torched Nasiriyah (Iraq): Iraq's protest-hit cities saw one of their bloodiest days yet as a government crackdown killed nearly 40 demonstrators following the dramatic torching of an Iranian consulate. (AFP)

FGN3 TRUMP-TALIBAN

Afghan peace talks with Taliban has resumed: Trump Washington: US President Donald Trump has confirmed that his administration had resumed talks with the Taliban with the purpose of bringing peace in Afghanistan, but refused to give a timeline for drawdown of his troops. By Lalit K Jha.