HIGHLIGHTS

New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) Following are the top stories at 5 pm:
    
    NATION    
    
    DEL19 CONG-LD DEBT
    * 'Debt of €˜Achche Din': Cong slams govt over rise in per capita debt of individual borrowers
    New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday slammed the Centre over the rise in the per capita debt of individual borrowers and said the government is constantly trying to hide the real shortcomings by taking the help of statistics and experts, but the debt burden on the country is at its peak under "Modi Raj". *    
    
    MDS12 KA-LD SIDDARAMAIAH
    * Siddaramaiah says he will be Karnataka CM for 5 years
    Chikkaballapura: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday asserted that he will be in office for a full five-year term. *

    MDS14 KA-LD SHIVAKUMAR
    * What option I have? Have to stand by him, says Shivakumar on Siddaramaiah's 5 years as CM statement
    Bengaluru/Chikkaballapura: With Siddaramaiah asserting that he will be the Chief Minister of Karnataka for a full five-year term, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said he has no objection and that he will standby and support the former. *

    DEL28 CHAVAN-THACKERAYS
    * Cong will negotiate only with Uddhav, Sharad Pawar: Prithviraj Chavan on Maharashtra merger buzz
    New Delhi: The Congress will discuss alliance matters only with Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP)'s Sharad Pawar, and leave the decision on a "sub-alliance" to them, former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has said amid speculation that the Thackeray cousins and the NCP factions may join hands. *
    
    DEL14 CHIDAMBARAM-CRIMINAL LAWS
    * Enactment of new criminal laws only created confusion in administration of justice: Chidambaram
    New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and former home minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said the exercise of enactment of the three new criminal laws was a "waste" and has only created confusion in the administration of justice among judges, lawyers and the police. *
    
    DEL15 BJP-CONG-JAMAAT
    * Cong bringing Jamaat-e-Islami into political mainstream due to its desperate politics: BJP
    New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday accused the Congress of practising "shameless" and opportunistic politics, saying on the one hand it speaks about protecting the Constitution and secularism but on the other seeks support from an organisation like Jamaat-e-Islami which seeks Islamic governance. *
    
    DEL12 HEALTH-COVID-HEART ATTACKS
    * No linkages between Covid vaccine and heart-related deaths: Govt
    New Delhi: In the wake of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah linking heart-related deaths in Hassan district to Covid vaccine, the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday said extensive studies by ICMR and AIIMS have conclusively established no linkages between coronavirus vaccines and sudden deaths. *

    DEL20 BIZ-LD CAB-SURGE PRICING
    * Govt allows cab aggregators to charge up to 2-times of base fare during peak-hours
    New Delhi: The road transport ministry has allowed cab aggregators such as Uber, Ola and Rapido to charge up to two times the base fare during peak hours, as against 1.5 times earlier, while for non-peak hours the fare has to be a minimum of 50 per cent of the base fare. *

    DEL22 HP-LD DALAI LAMA
    * Dalai Lama says his institution will continue; Gaden Phodrang Trust to identify future reincarnation
    Dharamshala (HP): Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Wednesday said that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue and only the Gaden Phodrang Trust will have the authority to recognise the future reincarnation, putting to rest uncertainty on whether he will have a successor or not after his death. *
    
    DES13 HP-CLOUDBURST-TOLL
    * Toll in Mandi cloudbursts rises to 10; 5 bodies recovered
    Shimla: The death toll from cloudbursts and flash flood-related incidents in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh has risen to 10 with the recovery of five additional bodies. The search for 34 missing people is underway, officials said on Wednesday. *
    
    DEL32 RIVERS-FLOOD WARNING LEVELS
    * 11 river sites across India breach flood warning levels, says govt water body
    New Delhi: Water levels at 11 river monitoring stations across India have breached the warning level, but none have reached the danger or extreme flood thresholds, the Central Water Commission (CWC) said on Wednesday. *

    DES21 RJ-TIGER POACHING-RACKET
    * Concerns over poaching in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve grow after bones of three tigers found
    Jaipur: Concerns over poaching in Rajasthan's Ranthambore Tiger Reserve have intensified after it was found that three tigers killed by an interstate gang of poachers were likely from RTR. *

    DES20 NHRC-ODISHA-ATROCITY
    * NHRC issues notice to Odisha govt, DGP over two persons beaten up, forced to drink drain water
    New Delhi: The NHRC on Wednesday said it has issued notices to the Odisha government and the state's police chief over reports that two people belonging to the Scheduled Caste were allegedly beaten up, forced to eat grass, and drink drain water, on suspicion of illegal cattle smuggling in Ganjam district. *


    BUSINESS
    
    DEL31 BIZ-SBI-RCOM-LD FRAUD
    * SBI to classify RCom loan account as "fraud", name Anil Ambani in report to RBI
    New Delhi: State Bank of India has decided to classify the loan account of beleaguered telecom firm Reliance Communications as "fraud" and to report the name of its erstwhile director -- Anil Ambani to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), according to a regulatory filing. *
    
    
    LEGAL
    
    LGD9 PB-COURT-MAJITHIA
    * Punjab: Mohali court extends SAD leader Majithia'€™s remand by four days
    Chandigarh: A Mohali court on Wednesday extended by four days the vigilance custody remand of Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia, who was arrested in a disproportionate assets (DA) case. *
    
    LGD10 DL-HC-MAINTENANCE-DIGNITY
    * Delaying financial support to spouse, kid akin to denying dignity: Delhi HC
    New Delhi: Saying the delay in extending financial support to an estranged spouse and child was akin to denying dignity, the Delhi High Court has ordered a man to pay interim maintenance in a matrimonial case. *
    
    LGD7 SC-SHIV SENA-SYMBOL
    * Symbol row: SC to hear Shiv Sena (UBT) plea on July 14
    New Delhi: The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing on its plea over the contentious Shiv Sena symbol in wake of the upcoming local body elections in Maharashtra. *    
    
    
    FOREIGN
    
    FGN22 US-JAISHANKAR-BILATERALS
    * EAM Jaishankar, US Energy Secretary discuss opportunities for India-US energy partnership
    Washington: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has met US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and discussed opportunities for a deeper bilateral energy partnership. *
    
    FGN17 US-HEGSETH-INDIA
    * Hope US can complete major pending defence sales to India: Defence Secretary Hegseth
    New York/Washington: The US has expressed hope that it can complete several major pending American defence sales to India, as it stressed that Washington and Delhi are “mutually aware” of the security concerns in the Indo-Pacific region. By Yoshita Singh *
    
    FGN16 QUAD-LD TERRORISM
    * Quad calls for punishing perpetrators of Pahalgam attack without any delay
    Washington: The Quad grouping has called for bringing the perpetrators, organisers and financiers of the Pahalgam terror attack to justice without any delay and urged UN member nations to extend cooperation for it. *
    
    

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