New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Following are the top stories at 9.30 PM NATION DEL57 MEA-BANGLADESH-ENVOY-LD SUMMON (5.52 PM)

India summons Bangladesh envoy; demands adequate security to its mission in Dhaka New Delhi: India on Wednesday summoned Bangladesh envoy Riaz Hamidullah and lodged its protest over plans by certain extremist elements to create a security situation around the Indian mission in Dhaka.

DEL66 LD CONG-NATIONAL HERALD PROTESTS (7.05 PM)

Cong protests outside BJP offices after National Herald order; says PM, Shah should apologise or resign New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday held protests across the country against what it alleged was the Modi government's "misuse" of probe agencies for vendetta politics and vowed to keep up the fight in Parliament and outside, a day after a Delhi court refused to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's money laundering charge against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.

PAR28 LS-2NDLD NUCLEAR (8.32 PM)

LS nod to bill to open up nuclear sector for private players New Delhi: The tough provisions of India's nuclear liability laws led to "silent phobia" among industry, prompting the government to bring a new comprehensive bill to address their concerns and open up the atomic energy sector for private participation, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.

DEL85 RAHUL-LD BMW (9.08 PM)

Manufacturing declining in India, says Rahul after BMW plant tour; BJP dubs remarks anti-India New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said manufacturing is declining in India and the country needs to build meaningful manufacturing ecosystems for accelerating growth, remarks that evoked a strong response from the ruling BJP that termed his comments "anti-India".

DEL80 DELHI-LD POLLUTION (RPT) (9.01 PM)

Delhi readies for 'No PUCC, No fuel', ban on non-city vehicles below BS VI from Dec 18 New Delhi: The Delhi government's stringent "no PUCC, no fuel" rule and a ban on the entry of all private non-Delhi vehicles below BS VI standards will come into effect from Thursday, with 126 checkpoints identified and over 537 police personnel deployed at fuel pumps across the national capital.

PAR20 RS-LD-INSURANCE-BILL-OPPOSITION (8.48 PM)

Opposition MPs demand 100 pc FDI insurance bill be sent to Par panel for more scrutiny New Delhi: Several non-NDA members in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday opposed the bill to raise FDI in the insurance sector to 100 per cent and demanded that the proposed legislation be sent to a Parliamentary panel for further scrutiny.

BOM39 GA-COURT-2ND LD LUTHRAS (6.59 PM)

Nightclub fire: Goa court remands Luthra brothers in police custody for five days Panaji: A court in North Goa on Wednesday remanded Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub, in police custody for five days.

DEL79 LEFT-GRAMG-PROTEST (8.21 PM)

Left parties demand withdrawal of VB-G RAM G Bill, announce protest New Delhi: Left parties on Wednesday demanded the government to withdraw the rural employment Bill that seeks to replace the existing law MGNREGA, and gave a call for a joint protest against it on December 22.

DEL76 PAR-PANEL-INDIGO (8.15 PM)

IndiGo COO, aviation officials appear before Par panel; replies 'evasive, unconvincing' New Delhi: A parliamentary panel examining the recent air traffic disruptions tried to fix responsibility for Indigo's mass cancellation of flights as senior aviation officials and IndiGo COO Isidro Porqueras appeared before it on Wednesday, but found the replies of the airline and DGCA "evasive and unconvincing", according to sources.

PAR16 RS-LD TOLLS (6.07 PM)

Satellite-based toll collection to be implemented across country by 2026-end: Gadkari New Delhi: The satellite-based toll collection system will be operational across the country by 2026-end, which will eliminate the waiting time at toll plazas for commuters and bring more revenue for the government, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

DEL62 UP-MATHURA-MISHAP-IDENTIFICATION (6.36 PM)

Yamuna Expressway crash: Death toll may rise as identification of burnt bodies begin, say officials Mathura (UP): The death toll in the multi-vehicle pile-up that has killed 13 people on the Yamuna Expressway in Mathura may rise further as several severely burnt human remains are yet to be identified, officials said on Wednesday.

CAL35 WB-MESSI-FIASCO-LD ABHISHEK (8.12 PM)

Action to be taken against guilty; WB govt acted promptly after Messi event chaos: Abhishek Kolkata: Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday said the West Bengal government acted promptly after chaos marred a football event featuring Argentine star Lionel Messi, asserting that accountability has already been fixed at multiple levels and further action will follow against all those found guilty.

DEL69 CULTURE-NEHRU-PAPERS (7.16 PM)

Nehru papers: Govt slams Sonia Gandhi, says such records belong in public archives, not behind closed doors New Delhi: The government on Wednesday slammed Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for keeping "51 cartons of Jawaharlal Nehru papers" and sought their return to Prime Ministers' Museum and Library (PMML) so that scholars and Parliament can access the crucial historical records of 'Nehruvian' times, asserting that these documents "belong in public archives, not behind closed doors".

DEL70 DEF-INDIA-UAE-EXERCISE (7.24 PM)

India, UAE troops to take part in joint military exercise in Abu Dhabi from Dec 18-30 New Delhi: Militaries of India and the UAE are scheduled to take part in a joint exercise from December 18-30 that seeks to enhance interoperability and foster defence cooperation between the two sides, officials said on Wednesday.

BOM44 CG-LIQUOR SCAM-LD ARREST (9.18 PM)

Chhattisgarh liquor scam: Ex-CMO deputy secretary Chaurasia arrested; in 2-day ED custody (Eds: Adds details) Raipur, Dec 17 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Soumya Chaurasia, a suspended state administrative service officer who was deputy secretary in the CMO during the previous Congress government, in connection with an alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh.

MDS23 TL-GRAM PANCHAYAT-2NDLD ELECTIONS (8.01 PM)

Telangana: Over 85 pc turnout in final phase of gram panchayat polls Hyderabad: More than 85 per cent of eligible voters exercised their franchise in the final phase of gram panchayat elections in Telangana on Wednesday, the SEC said.

BUSINESS DEL71 BIZ-2NDLD-INDIA-OMAN TRADE (7.31 PM)

India, Oman to sign free trade pact on Thursday to boost economic ties New Delhi: India and Oman will sign a free trade agreement on Thursday in Muscat, opening greater opportunities for sectors such as textiles, food processing, automobiles, auto components, and gems and jewellery.

LEGAL LGD34 SC-LD AIR POLLUTION (7.38 PM)

Air pollution: SC asks NHAI, MCD to consider shifting or closing 9 toll plazas at Delhi borders New Delhi: Taking a serious note of the severe air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a slew of directions and asked the NHAI and the MCD to consider either temporary closing or relocating the nine toll plazas of the civic body at borders of the national capital to ease usual massive traffic congestion.

LGD29 SC-AIR POLLUTION-VEHICLES (06.55 PM)

The Supreme Court permitted the Delhi government authorities to take coercive action against old vehicles that do not meet Bharat Stage-IV (BS-IV) emission standards.

LGD7 SC-CJI-SHOE HURL (12.42 PM)

The Supreme Court asked the Centre and the Supreme Court Bar Association to suggest measures to prevent recurrence of incidents like the shoe hurling attempt targeting former CJI B R Gavai in the courtroom.

LGD6 SC-RG KAR-LD TRANSFER (12.20 PM)

The Supreme Court transferred the R G Kar Medical College trainee doctor rape and murder case to the Calcutta High Court to monitor the implementation of its orders.

LGD24 DL-HC-LD INDIGO PIL (04:15 PM)

Delhi HC refused to entertain a PIL seeking direction to the Centre and IndiGo airline to pay a compensation of four times the full ticket price to all passengers whose tickets were cancelled in November and December after the roll out of the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL).

FOREIGN FGN54 PM-LD OMAN (8.17 PM)

PM Modi arrives in Oman on final leg of three-nation visit Muscat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday arrived in Oman on a two-day visit during which he will hold talks with the Gulf country's top leadership and is expected to sign an ambitious trade deal.

FGN51 PM-ETHIOPIA-LD OUTCOMES (7.26 PM)

Significant steps in 'people-centric' India-Ethiopia partnership: PM Modi highlights outcomes of visit Addis Ababa: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday underscored the outcomes of his Ethiopia visit, calling the signing of multiple agreements a “significant” step in strengthening a bilateral partnership focused on "growth and people-centric development".

FGN52 BANGLA-INDIA-LD PROTEST (7.48 PM)

Protesters march towards Indian mission in B'desh capital, police block their march Dhaka: A large group of protesters, marching towards the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, was stopped by police on Wednesday, even as India expressed strong concern about the security situation around its mission in the Bangladeshi capital.

PTI OZ OZ

Enforcement Directorate actions: court refused cognisance in National Herald, ED arrests in liquor scam reported. A Delhi court refused to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's money laundering charge in the National Herald case, while the ED arrested a suspended state administrative officer in an alleged Chhattisgarh liquor scam; the Supreme Court directed consideration of closing or relocating nine toll plazas to address Delhi NCR air pollution and authorised coercive action against vehicles not meeting BS IV emission standards.