HIGHLIGHTS

New Delhi, Jul 1 (PTI) Following are the top stories by 9 pm:
    
    NATION
    
    DEL75 HP-LD CLOUDBURST
    * Monsoon havoc in Himachal's Mandi: Cloudbursts, flash floods claim 5 lives; 16 missing
    Shimla: Cloudbursts and flash floods triggered by heavy overnight rains battered Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district, leaving five people dead, five injured and 16 missing, officials said on Tuesday. *
    
    CAL28 WB-GANG RAPE-2LD LD COLLEGE ACTION
    * Gang rape fallout: South Calcutta Law College expels three accused, vows campus clean-up
    Kolkata: The South Calcutta Law College on Tuesday terminated the services of the prime accused and expelled two other students arrested in connection with the alleged gang rape of a 24-year-old first-year student on the campus, officials said. *
    
    DEL79 CRIMINAL-LAWS-LD SHAH
    * New criminal laws biggest reform in independent India; justice process made simpler, transparent: Amit Shah
    New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday termed the enactment of three new criminal laws as the biggest reform in independent India and said they will make the judicial process process not only affordable and accessible but also simpler, time-bound and transparent. *
    
    DEL69 MEA-INDOPAK-PRISONERS
    * India asks Pakistan to expedite release of Indian prisoners in its custody
    New Delhi: India on Tuesday urged Pakistan to expedite the release and repatriation of 159 Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners in view of completion of their jail terms. *
    
    MDS41 TN-LD CRACKER-BLAST(R)
    * Eight killed in crackers factory blast in TN’s Sivakasi, CM announces solatium
    Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu): At least eight workers, including two women, were killed in a sudden blast at a firecracker manufacturing factory in Sivakasi in the district on Tuesday, police said. *
    
    MDS50 KA-2NDLD SHIVAKUMAR
    * Shivakumar says no talks on leadership change in Karnataka, asks party leaders not to speak to media
    Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said there is no discussion on leadership change and stressed on strengthening the hands of CM Siddaramaiah and the party's government in the state. *
    
    DEL63 PM-SPORTS POLICY
    * A landmark day: PM Modi after Cabinet's nod to Khelo Bharat Niti
    New Delhi: It is a landmark day for India's efforts to encourage sporting talent and become a hub for sports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday following his government's approval of the 'Khelo Bharat Niti', a national sports policy. *
    
    DEL36 CONG LD PM-DIGITAL INDIA
    * Unfulfilled promises, digital exclusion of marginalised: Cong on Digital India completing 10 years
    New Delhi: With the Modi government hailing Digital India as a people's movement that democratised technology in 10 years, the Congress on Tuesday claimed the fine print of its "lofty claims" is marred by unfulfilled promises, digital exclusion of the marginalised, hurting privacy and weakening transparency. *
    
    MDS43 TN-3RDLD-CUSTODIAL DEATH
    * Oppn mounts pressure on ruling DMK over custodial death, CM dials victim''s family, says ''sorry''
    Chennai/Sivaganga: The opposition in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday mounted pressure on the ruling DMK over the custodial death of a temple security guard in the state's Sivaganga district, demanding a CBI probe into the matter, even as the state government initiated action against policemen, including putting the district police chief on "compulsory wait". Also, a DSP was placed under suspension. *
    
    DEL77 CAB-LD RESEARCH
    * Cabinet nod for Rs one lakh crore scheme to spur private investments in R&D
    New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Research Development and Innovation Scheme with a corpus of Rs one lakh crore to spur private sector investment in research. *
    
    MDS42 KA-STAMPEDE-CAT-2NDLD OFFICER
    * Bengaluru stampede: CAT quashes IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash’s suspension order
    Bengaluru: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on Tuesday observed that the police are neither "God" nor "Magician" to manage massive crowds at short notice, while holding Royal Challengers Bengaluru "prima facie responsible" for the stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4. *
    
    DEL52 IMD-RAINFALL-WARNING
    * Expect heavy rain over next 6-7 days across India: IMD
    New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said very heavy rainfall is expected in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan over some of the next six to seven days. *
    
    BOM10 MH-ASSEMBLY-LD PATOLE-SUSPENSION
    * Cong MLA Patole climbs speaker's podium, suspended from assembly for a day
    Mumbai: Congress MLA Nana Patole was suspended from the Maharashtra assembly for a day on Tuesday after he climbed the speaker's podium, demanding action against BJP MLA Babanrao Lonikar and Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate for allegedly "insulting" farmers. *
    
    LEGAL
    
    LGD6 SC-RESERVATION-STAFF
    * SC introduces reservation for apex court staff
    New Delhi: In a first, the Supreme Court has introduced a formal reservation policy for the direct appointment and promotion of its staffers belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. *
    
    LGD14 DL-HC-MATTOO-LD CONVICT
    * Priyadarshini Mattoo case: HC asks panel to examine afresh convict's plea for early release
    New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday set aside the decision refusing the premature release of the convict serving life term for the rape and murder of law student Priyadarshini Mattoo in 1996. *
    
    LGD10 DL-HC-AMAZON DAMAGE
    * Delhi HC stays order directing Amazon to pay Rs 340 cr for infringing trademark
    New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed an order directing Amazon Technologies Inc to pay around Rs 340 crore as damages and costs for trademark infringement of the luxury lifestyle brand, Beverly Hills Polo Club. *
    
    FOREIGN
    
    FGN72 QUAD-JAISHANKAR-TERRORISM
    * World must display zero tolerance towards terrorism: Jaishankar in US
    Washington: The victims and perpetrators of terrorism must never be equated and India has every right to defend its people against terror strikes, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday. *
    
    FGN38 PAK-INDIA-PRISONERS
    * Pakistan, India exchange lists of prisoners in each other's custody
    Islamabad: Pakistan and India on Tuesday exchanged the lists of prisoners in each other's custody, with Islamabad submitting names of 246 Indian or believed-to-be-Indian detainees, including 53 civilians and 193 fishermen. By Sajjad Hussain *
    
    FGN74 PAK-MILITANTS-2NDLD ATTACK
    * Militants attack govt offices in Balochistan; 2 terrorists, teenager among dead
    Karachi: Heavily-armed militants attacked government offices and a bank in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province on Tuesday, killing a boy and wounding eight civilians, officials said. *

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