HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 12:30 pm: NATION DEL14 PM-LD MPs Peace, unity and harmony prerequisites for development: PM at BJP MPs' meet New Delhi: Asserting that peace, harmony and unity are prerequisites for the country's development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked BJP MPs to take lead in ensuring amity in society. DEL13 IRAN-INDIA India summons Iranian envoy over comments by Iran's foreign minister on Delhi violence New Delhi, Mar 3 (PTI) India on Tuesday summoned Iranian Ambassador Ali Chegeni and lodged a strong protest with him over the comments made by Iran's foreign minister Javad Zarif over violence in Delhi. DEL10 PM-KEJRIWAL Kejriwal calls on PM New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, their first meeting after the Aam Aadmi Party returned to power in the national capital for a third consecutive term.

DEL11 PARL-OM BIRLA LS speaker asks floor leaders of parties to resolve issues that led to scuffle between Cong, BJP MPs New Delhi: Speaker Om Birla has asked floor leaders of all parties to resolve the issues that led to a scuffle between Congress and BJP MPs in Lok Sabha and warned that a repeat of what happened on Monday could lead to serious consequences. DEL1 KA-CORONA-VIRUS Medical team monitoring people who came in contact with coronavirus-hit techie: Karnataka Health Minister Bengaluru: Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu has said that a medical team is monitoring the health condition of all those people who had stayed with the coronavirus-hit techie who is admitted to a hospital in Hyderabad.

BOM2 MH-CORONAVIRUS-SULE COVID-19: Sule seeks MEA help for 34 Indians stuck in Iran Mumbai: NCP leader Supriya Sule has said 34 people from Maharashtra's Kolhapur are stranded in Iran amid the coronavirus scare, and demanded that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar ensure their safe return. CAL1 WB-SLOGAN-ARREST Kolkata Police arrests one more for 'goli maro...' slogan Kolkata: A fourth person, alleged to be a BJP supporter, has been arrested for raising provocative slogan -- "desh ke gaddaro ko, goli maro ..." (shoot the traitors) -- while heading for Union Home Minister Amit Shah's rally in the city, police said on Tuesday.

PAR7 LS-SPEAKER Members who cross over to other side will face suspension: LS Speaker New Delhi: Sending out a stern message, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday said members from Opposition and Treasury sides who cross over to the other side during the time of uproar in the House will be suspended for the session. BOM1 MH-NCP-PM-SOCIALMEDIA Country will turn peaceful if Modi ''bhakts'' quit social media: NCP Mumbai: The country will turn "peaceful" if Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "bhakts" follow him in quitting the social media, the NCP said on Tuesday, taking a dig at the PM over his tweet that was thinking of giving up his social media accounts.

MDS1 KA-CORONAVIRUS-MEETING Karnataka health min calls meeting of officials over corona virus case Bengaluru: Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu has called a meeting of top officials of his department on Tuesday following information that the man, who tested postive for novel coronavirus in Telangana had travelled from the city. MDS2 TL-CORONAVIRUS-MEETING T''gana govt reviews measures to prevent spread of coronavirus Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Tuesday reviewed preparedness and measures to check the spread of novel Coronavirus (COVID 19) in the wake of a man from the state testing positive for the virus.

BUSINESS DEL6 BIZ-RUPEE-OPEN Rupee rises 33 paise to 72.43 against US dollar in early trade Mumbai: The Indian rupee appreciated by 33 paise to 72.43 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday tracking positive opening in domestic equities. DEL4 BIZ-STOCKS-OPEN Sensex rallies over 500 pts; Nifty tests 11,300 Mumbai: Market benchmark Sensex surged over 500 points in opening session on Tuesday tracking firm gains in global stocks amid hopes that policymakers across the world would take measures to ease the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak.

FOREIGN FGN17 ISRAEL-VOTE-2NDLD NETANYAHU Shy of two seats, Netanyahu gains majority in general elections: Exit polls Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to gain majority in the unprecedented third parliamentary elections in the country with the exit polls projecting him to win 59 seats, just two short of the majority in the 120-member Parliament, according to media reports on Tuesday. FGN13 US-VIRUS-LD TOLL Six coronavirus deaths in US, 91 confirmed cases: Pence Washington: The number of deaths in the US from the deadly coronavirus rose to six on Monday while the total number of confirmed cases in the country crossed 90, Vice President Mike Pence has said, as the novel virus continues to spread around the world despite travel restrictions. By Lalit K Jha FGN15 CHINA-VIRUS Coronavirus death toll climbs to 2,943 in China, infected cases witness surge globally Beijing: The coronavirus death toll in China climbed to 2,943 with 31 more deaths, while 125 confirmed cases were reported, the lowest since the virus outbreak in the country, Chinese health officials said on Tuesday even as the deadly disease wrecked havoc globally with the total number of deaths crossing 3,000 and infections surging past 89,000. By K J M Varma..