HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 5 pm:

NATION

DEL13 INDOLANKA-LD GOTABAYA I want to take ties with India to very high level: Lankan Prez

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

DEL30 LD INDOLANKA PM announces USD 450 million line of credit to Sri Lanka after talks with Gotabaya Rajapaksa

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday a financial assistance of USD 450 million to Sri Lanka including USD 50 million to fight terrorism after he held "fruitful" talks with the island nation's newly elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

DEL16 INDOJAPAN-LD TALKS Boosting maritime ties to be focus of 2+2 dialogue between India and Japan

New Delhi: Ramping up maritime security cooperation in strategic waters, including in the Indo-Pacific region, will be a key focus area of the first two-plus-two dialogue between India and Japan here on Saturday, officials said.

DEL41 LS-PRAGYA- 2NDLD APOLOGY Pragya Thakur apologises again for remarks on Godse

New Delhi: Amid opposition ruckus, BJP member Pragya Thakur on Friday made a fresh statement in Lok Sabha, apologising for her remarks on Nathuram Godse, even as she asserted that she never described Mahatma Gandhi's assassin as a patriot.

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.

BOM14 MP-PRAGYA-MLA Congress MLA threatens to burn alive Pragya; apologises

Bhopal: An MLA of ruling Congress in Madhya Pradesh has threatened to burn alive BJP Lok Sabha MP Pragya Singh Thakur, facing flak for her remarks on Mahatma Gandhis assassin Nathuram Godse, if she entered his constituency.

BOM17 MH-SHIV SENA-GOA

After Maha, Raut for anti-BJP front in Goa, speaks to MGP, GFP Mumbai: A day after a Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government took over in Maharashtra, Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said there will soon be a "big movement" in the BJP-ruled Goa.

BOM16 MP-MAHASABHA-ARREST

4 Hindu Mahasabha members held for 'objectionable' pamphlets Gwalior: Police have arrested four Hindu Mahasabha activists for allegedly distributing pamphlets containing "objectionable" words about Mahatma Gandhi here in Madhya Pradesh, an official said on Friday.

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

LGD13 SC-LD 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. LGD20 SC-LD SALMAN

'Loveyatri' row: No coercive action against Salman Khan, says SC New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday said no coercive action will be taken against Bollywood actor Salman Khan on a complaint filed against him for allegedly hurting religious sentiment by producing the 'Loveyatri' movie.

LGD19 SC-MAHA

SC dismisses plea challenging post-poll alliance Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress in Maha New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea challenging the post-poll alliance of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress to form government in Maharashtra.

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

DEL34 BIZ-CEA LD CORPORATE TAX

Cut in corporate tax rate was needed to spur investments, boost growth: CEA Subramanian New Delhi: Chief Economic Adviser K V Subramanian on Friday said the cut in corporate tax rate was required to boost investments as the virtual cycle that spurs growth in the economy has not been functioning as expected for the last few quarters.

DEL36 BIZ-STOCKS-CLOSE

Sensex tumbles 336 pts ahead of GDP data Mumbai: Snapping its two-day record-setting streak, market benchmark BSE Sensex tumbled 336 points on Friday as investors turned jittery ahead of GDP data release.

FOREIGN

FGN18 AFGHAN-US-2NDLD TALKS

Taliban say 'way too early' to speak of resuming talks with US Kabul: The Taliban said Friday it was "way too early" to speak of resuming direct talks with Washington, a day after President Donald Trump suggested negotiations to end America's longest war were back on track during a surprise visit to Afghanistan. (AFP)

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.