New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) Following are the top stories at 9 pm: NATION DEL42 LD ALL SC-DELHI RIOTS (7.28 PM)

Delhi riots: SC denies bail to Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam; Umar says this is his life now New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case but granted it to five others, citing "hierarchy of participation" and putting the two on a “qualitatively different footing”.

DEL39 OPPN-UMAR-LD SHARJEEL (6.54 PM)

Oppn questions denial of bail to Umar, Sharjeel; flags Gurmeet Ram Rahim's 15th parole New Delhi: Opposition leaders on Monday raised questions over the Supreme Court denying bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case, while pointing out that rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been repeatedly granted parole.

DEL47 MEA-INDIA-IRAN-ADVISORY (8.17 PM)

India urges citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Iran New Delhi: India on Monday urged its nationals to avoid non-essential travel to Iran as the country has been rocked by a wave of protests over inflation and currency devaluation.

DEL45 VENEZUELA-CONG (7.36 PM)

US' unilateral actions in Venezuela transgressed settled principles of international law: Cong New Delhi: The Congress expressed grave concern on Monday over the US' unilateral actions in Venezuela, saying those transgressed settled principles of international law.

DEL43 BJP-LD DELHI RIOTS (7.31 PM)

Cong must apologise for supporting 'tukde-tukde gang': BJP on SC's denial of bail to Umar, Sharjeel New Delhi: The BJP on Monday said that the Supreme Court order denying bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case is a "big slap" on the Congress' face and demanded that the opposition party apologise for supporting the "tukde-tukde gang".

CAL37 WB-MAMATA-4TH LD RALLY (8.29 PM)

Mamata to move court on Jan 6 against 'arbitrary' SIR, flags human suffering; BJP hits back Gangasagar: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she would move court against the EC's SIR of electoral rolls in West Bengal, alleging fear, harassment and administrative arbitrariness that she claimed had led to deaths and hospitalisations, as she sharpened her confrontation with the poll body ahead of the assembly polls.

DEL46 DEF-ARMYCHIEF (7.58 PM)

Army Chief Gen Dwivedi holds talks with UAE's top commander New Delhi: Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Monday held wide-ranging talks with Commander of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Land Forces, Major General Yousef Maayouf Saeed Al Hallami, with a focus on expanding bilateral military cooperation.

CAL39 AS-2ND LD QUAKE (8.43 PM)

Three injured as 5.1-magnitude quake hits Assam Guwahati/Morigaon: At least three people were injured in an earthquake of 5.1 magnitude, which jolted central Assam in the early hours of Monday, officials said.

Minor damage was also caused to some houses in Morigaon district, they said.

MDS24 AP-2NDLD GAS LEAK (7.39 PM)

Gas leak at ONGC well in Andhra sparks inferno, four-km radius evacuated Mori (Andhra Pradesh): A gas leak at an ONGC well here in Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district operated by its production contractor sparked an inferno on Monday, leading to the evacuation of two villages within a four-km radius.

MDS22 ISRO-DEX-DUST (7.30 PM)

ISRO''s DEX detects interplanetary dust particles ''bombardment'' on earth Bengaluru: ISRO's maiden home-made dust detector instrument has detected interplanetary dust particles (IDP), which are "a cosmic invader striking every thousand seconds" on earth, the space agency said on Monday.

LEGAL LGD39 SC- 3RD LD DELHI RIOTS (8.30 PM)

Delhi riots case: SC says allegations against Umar, Sharjeel prima facie true, refuses bail; 5 others get relief New Delhi: Observing that reasonable grounds exist for believing that allegations against Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam are prima facie true, the Supreme Court on Monday refused bail to them in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case but granted it to five others, saying all the accused do not stand on the same footing.

LGD 26 SC -DELHI RIOTS LD INVOLVEMENT (6.17 PM)

The Supreme Court on Monday said prosecution material suggests that activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam were involved in "planning, mobilisation and strategic direction" of the 2020 Delhi riots, as it denied them bail in the conspiracy case.

LGD35 SC-CUSTOMS DUTY (8.00 PM)

SC allows Adani Power's appeal, sets aside Gujarat HC order over levy of customs duty New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday set aside the Gujarat High Court's 2019 verdict which had declined to grant relief to Adani Power Limited over levy of customs duty on electrical energy generated in its power plant located in an SEZ and supplied to the domestic tariff area (DTA).

BUSINESS DEL33 BIZ-AIR INDIA-CEO (5.57 PM)

Tata Group looking for new chiefs for Air India, Air India Express Mumbai: The Tata Group has begun scouting for a suitable candidate to head Air India, as the tenure of the incumbent, Campbell Wilson, will end next year, sources have said.

DEL37 BIZ-TRAI-PESKYCALL (6.40 PM)

Trai imposes penalty worth Rs 150 cr on telecom operators for failure to curb spam calls, messages New Delhi: The telecom regulator Trai has imposed a penalty of Rs 150 crore on telecom operators for their failure to curb spam calls and messages, according to an official source.

FOREIGN FGN32 US-TRUMP-LD MODI (7.22 PM)

'Modi knew I wasn't happy': Trump on India's Russian oil purchases New York/Washington: US President Donald Trump has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi knew "I was not happy" with India's purchases of Russian oil and that Washington could raise tariffs on New Delhi "very quickly." By Yoshita Singh

FGN27 CHINA-INDIA-VISA (6.18 PM)

India introduces new e-Business visa to facilitate easy travel for Chinese nationals Beijing: India has introduced an e-Production Investment Business Visa called e-B-4 Visa that Chinese businessmen can apply for to travel to India for specific business activities, including installation and commissioning of equipment. By K J M Varma

PTI SHS SHS SHS

Delhi riots bail applications and customs duty on SEZ-generated power addressed, court distinguished participation and revisited duty liability. The Supreme Court distinguished levels of alleged involvement in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy, describing a hierarchy of participation and finding prosecution material indicating planning, mobilisation and strategic direction by certain activists. Separately, the Court revisited the legal characterisation of customs duty on electrical energy generated in a special economic zone and supplied to the domestic tariff area, departing from prior high court analysis and affecting the approach to customs liability for such SEZ-DTA supplies.