HIGHLIGHTS AT 5 PM

New Delhi, Mar 15 (PTI) Following are the top stories at 5 pm:

     NATION

     DEL17 PB-LD TEMPLE-EXPLOSION
     *Punjab: Explosion outside temple in Amritsar, opposition slams AAP govt
     Amritsar: A blast occurred outside a temple in Amritsar around midnight when a motorcycle-borne person threw an explosive device towards it, damaging a portion of its wall and shattering window panes, officials said on Saturday.
    
     CAL22 MZ-SHAH
     Along with development, PM ensured unprecedented peace in Northeast: Shah
     Aizawl: Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that along with the development of Northeast, PM Narendra Modi has ensured unprecedented peace in the region.

     DEL9 BJP-RAHUL
     BJP slams quota for Muslim contractors in Karnataka, questions Rahul's visits to Vietnam
     New Delhi: The BJP on Saturday slammed the Karnataka government's decision to reserve four per cent of government contracts for Muslims as unconstitutional, alleging that it is part of the Congress' appeasement politics and will weaken the national unity.
    
     DEL2 CONG-GST-DONUTS
     After popcorn, now turn of donuts to get afflicted by 'GSTitis': Congress
     New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday took a swipe at the government over its implementation of differential GST rates, saying that after popcorn, it is now the turn of donuts to get afflicted by "GSTitis".

     DEL8 KARAT-INTERVIEW-INDIA BLOC
     INDIA bloc formed for Lok Sabha polls, need broader platform of secular opposition parties: Karat
     New Delhi: The opposition INDIA bloc was formed for the Lok Sabha elections and not state polls, senior CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat has said and called for a broader platform of secular opposition parties. By Anjali Ojha

     MDS12 TL-TUNNEL-SEARCH OPS
     Telangana tunnel collapse: Search ops pick up pace to locate seven missing persons
     Nagarkurnool (Telangana): The search operation to locate seven people trapped inside the partially collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel since February 22 picked up pace with the deployment of an 'autonomous hydraulic-powered robot' equipped with special machinery on Saturday.

     LEGAL
    
     LGD2 SC-CAG APPOINTMENT
     SC to hear on Monday PIL for declaring present process of appointment of CAG unconstitutional
     New Delhi: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on March 17 an NGO's plea seeking that the current practice of appointment of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India solely by the executive and the prime minister be declared violative of the Constitution.

     FOREIGN
    
     FGN30 LANKA-MODI-VISIT
     PM Modi to visit Sri Lanka next month
     Colombo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Sri Lanka early next month to finalise agreements reached during President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's visit to Delhi last year, a minister said on Saturday.
    
     FGN19 UN-TRADE-INDIA
     India, China saw stronger trade momentum in Q4 2024: UN report
     United Nations: Developing nations, particularly India and China, saw better than average trade expansion in the fourth quarter of 2024, a UN report has said but warned of a “potential for an economic slowdown” globally in the upcoming quarters. By Yoshita Singh

     FGN18 US-TRUMP-CAPITAL-CLEANUP
     Did not want PM Modi, other world leaders to see tents, graffiti, potholes in Washington DC: President Trump
     New York/Washington: US President Donald Trump said he did not want Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other world leaders who visited him to see the tents and graffiti near federal buildings in Washington DC and has ordered the cleaning up of the American capital. By Yoshita Singh*
    
    

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)