HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 12:15 pm

CAL10 JH-3RDLD-TRENDS Opposition alliance in Jharkhand ahead in 42 seats, BJP in 28

Ranchi: The JMM-Congress-RJD opposition alliance in Jharkhand is leading in 42 out of the 81 seats of state Assembly till 12 noon on Monday, while the ruling BJP is ahead in 28 seats.

DEL1 NIGERIA-INDIANS

18 Indians kidnapped by pirates near Nigerian coast released New Delhi: Eighteen Indians, kidnapped by pirates from a commercial vessel near the Nigerian coast on December 3, have been released, the Indian mission in Nigeria said on Sunday.

DEL9 DL-2NDLD FIRE

Six-month-old among 9 killed in fire in Delhi's Kirari: Officials New Delhi: A massive fire ripped through a three-storey residential-cum-commercial building in outer Delhi's Kirari area, killing at least nine people, including three children, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said on Monday.

DEL11 RAHUL-PROTEST

Rahul Gandhi appeals to youths to join him at Rajghat protest New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday urged students and youths to join him at Rajghat to protest against the "hate and violence unleashed by Modi-Shah" and show that they will not allow India to be "destroyed by hatred".

DEL12 VP-JK-STUDENTS

One of India's neighbours deliberately wants to create trouble in country: VP Naidu New Delhi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said one of India's neighbours deliberately wants to create more trouble in the country, especially in Jammu and Kashmir.

DEL13 CONG-JH-CELEBRATIONS

Cong workers burst crackers, distribute sweets as Jharkhand trends come in New Delhi: Christmas seemed to have come early at the Congress headquarters on Monday with party workers bursting crackers and distributing sweets as trends for the Jharkhand assembly elections showed the Congress-JMM alliance ahead of the ruling BJP.

DEL10 PM-CHARAN SINGH

Modi pays tributes to former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid tributes to former prime minister and farmer leader Chaudhary Charan Singh on his birth anniversary and recalled his contribution for empowering the marginalised.

DES2 UP-CITIZENSHIP-PROTEST- PROBE

Anti-CAA protest: Muzaffarnagar admin forms special cell to probe cases of violence Muzaffarnagar: The district administration has constituted a special investigation cell to probe cases of violence during the protests against the amended citizenship law here, police said on Monday.

DES4 DL-CITIZENSHIP-STUDENTS-DETAIN Students protesting outside UP Bhawan detained

New Delhi: Some students were detained outside the Uttar Pradesh Bhawan here on Monday when they were protesting against the police's action during anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act demonstrations in the state

DES5 UP-SUICIDE UP BJP MLA's relative commits suicide

Banda: An Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA's relative allegedly committed suicide after consuming a poisonous substance at his house here, police claimed on Monday.

MDS1 TN-CITIZENSHIP-DMK RALLY DMK, allies take out rally against CAA in Chennai

Chennai: DMK and its allies on Monday took out a protest rally here against the amendment to the Citizehsip Act and seeking its withdrawal

BOM2 MH-CITIZENSHIP-RAUT Raut quotes Martin Luther King to hit out at BJP over CAA

Mumbai: In the backdrop of protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Monday launched a veiled attack on the BJP by quoting words of late American leader Martin Luther King.

BOM1 MH-SENA-BJP

Why BJP didn't grant full farm loan waiver when in power? Sena Mumbai: Hailing the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government for declaring loan waiver of up to Rs two lakh for farmers, the Shiv Sena on Monday hit out at the BJP for seeking to write off debts fully and asked why it did not address the issue when it was in power.

BUSINESS

DEL7 BIZ-STOCKS-OPEN

Sensex turns volatile after constituent rejig; Nifty holds 12,200 Mumbai: Equity benchmark BSE Sensex turned volatile on Monday, dropping over 150 points in opening session amid stock-specific action after a rejig of its constituents.

DEL8 BIZ-RUPEE-OPEN

Rupee slips 5 paise to 71.17 against USD in early trade Mumbai: The Indian rupee opened on a flat note and fell 5 paise to 71.17 against the US dollar in early trade on Monday tracking muted opening in domestic equities

FOREIGN

FGN7 CHINA-LD TARIFF

China to lower import tariffs from January Beijing: Beijing will lower import tariffs on more than 850 products including frozen pork from next month, the finance ministry said Monday, as authorities battle a severe shortage of the meat staple. (AFP)

FES7 US-CAA-PROTEST

Indian-Americans protest against CAA, NRC in front of Gandhi statue in Washington Washington: A large number of Indian-Americans gathered around the statue of Mahatma Gandhi installed in front of the Indian Embassy here and held a peaceful demonstration against the amended Citizenship Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). By Lalit K Jha

FES8 US-INDIANS-JFK

16 Indian-Americans briefly stranded at JFK airport for not carrying old cancelled passports Washington: At least 16 Indian-Americans with valid OCI cards headed to New Delhi from the US experienced some anxious moments at the John F Kennedy airport on Sunday as the national carrier Air India was unable to process their boarding passes since they were not carrying their old cancelled passports, officials said. By Lalit K Jha.