New Delhi, Jan 17 (PTI) Following are the top stories at 9:25 PM:

NATION

Also Read | 'No Contradiction in Position': MEA After Indian Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi's 'Degree' of Standoff Exists Between Indian and Chinese Remarks.

DEL45 PAR-SESSION

Also Read | Delhi Assembly Election 2025: Central Government Offices in City To Remain Closed on February 5 for Poll.

**** Budget session likely between January 31 and April 4

New Delhi: The first part of Parliament's Budget Session is likely to be held between January 31 and February 13, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman set to table her eighth straight budget on February 1. ****

DEL65 PM-STEEL-PLANT-EQUITY

**** Rs 10k crore support to steel plant due to sector's importance in building Aatmanirbhar Bharat: PM

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday that the equity support of more than Rs 10,000 crore for the Visakhapatnam steel plant has been given due to the importance of the steel sector in building an "Aatmanirbhar Bharat". ****

DEL71 MEA-INDIA-OIL-SANCTIONS

**** In touch with Washington: MEA on latest US sanctions on Russian oil industry

New Delhi: India on Friday said it is in touch with Washington to clarify issues pertaining to the possible impact that the latest US sanctions on Russia's energy sector could have on Indian companies. ****

DEL73 CONG-NEET

**** Cong raises questions over lowering of cut-off percentile for admission to PG medical courses

New Delhi: The Congress asked on Friday whether the lowering of the cut-off percentile for admission to post-graduate medical courses through the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) was done to benefit private medical colleges. ****

DEL75 LD COLD

**** Severe cold persists in north India, many parts record drop in temp; spell of snowfall in Himachal

New Delhi: Temperatures dipped in many parts of north India, with parts of Himachal Pradesh witnessing cold wave conditions as a layer of dense fog was seen in most states early morning. ****

DEL74 MEA-INDIA-SINGAPORE

**** India, Singapore working on green energy corridor

New Delhi: India and Singapore are working on establishing a green energy corridor and looking at boosting cooperation in areas like green hydrogen, green shipping, semiconductor and manufacturing, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday. ****

DEL67 MEA-INDIANS-LD RUSSIA

**** 16 Indians serving with Russian military 'missing': MEA

New Delhi: India on Friday said 12 Indian nationals have been killed while serving with the Russian military and another 16 listed by Russia as missing. ****

DEL64 MEA-SINO-INDIA-LADAKH

**** No contradiction in position: MEA on Army Chief's 'standoff' remarks

New Delhi: There is no contradiction of position on the situation along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) asserted on Friday, days after Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi said a "degree" of standoff exists between Indian and Chinese militaries in the region. ****

DEL63 MANIPUR-KUKI-MEET

**** Kuki-Zo apex body seeks separate administration in Manipur's hill areas

New Delhi: A four-member team of the apex body and political platform for all Kuki-Zo people in Manipur on Friday placed its demand before the Centre for a separate administration for the community and the initiation of a political dialogue to resolve its issues. ****

DEL60 ED-MUDA-LD ATTACH

**** ED attaches Rs 300-cr worth assets in MUDA-linked money laundering case

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has attached more than 140 units of immovable assets worth about Rs 300 crore in a MUDA-linked money laundering case involving Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others. ****

DEL59 CIC-HOSPITALS

**** Private bodies providing essential public services have to be under RTI Act, says CIC

New Delhi: Advising the Delhi government to stop ex post facto renewal of licences od private hospitals, the CIC has said private entities providing essential public services have to be brought under RTI Act in a state-specific amendment of the transparency law. ****

DEL55 DL-POLLUTION-GRAP

**** GRAP 3 curbs revoked in Delhi-NCR amid dip in pollution

New Delhi: The Centre's panel on Delhi-NCR's air quality on Friday revoked curbs under stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) amid a dip in pollution due to favourable meteorological conditions, according to an official order. ****

DEL48 MHA-FUGITIVES-SHAH

**** In national security cases, trial in absentia should be initiated against fugitives: Amit Shah

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that in cases related to national security, trial in absentia should be initiated against fugitives who have been running away from the country for a long time. ****

BOM38 MH-SAIF-FADNAVIS

**** Police have got several clues in Saif Ali Khan attack case: CM Fadnavis

Nagpur: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said the police have got several clues in the Saif Ali Khan attack case, and will arrest the culprit soon. ****

BOM34 CG-LD NAXALS

**** Naxalites killed in Bijapur belonged to Maoists' strongest unit in Bastar, say police

Bijapur: The twelve Naxalites killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Thursday were from the Maoists' "strongest" unit in the Bastar region, a senior official said. ****

BOM33 MP-CARBIDE WASTE-OFFICIAL

**** Burning of Carbide waste in Dhar won't release toxic gases, assures govt official

Indore: The incineration of 337 tonnes of Union Carbide factory waste at a disposal unit in Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district will not release any toxic gas that can harm life, property or the environment, a senior government official assured on Friday. ****

DEL70 PERSONNEL-POLLS-HOLIDAY

**** Central govt offices in Delhi to remain closed on Feb 5 for assembly poll

New Delhi: All central government offices and industrial establishments in Delhi will remain closed for assembly poll February 5, according to a Personnel Ministry order issued on Friday. ****

BUSINESS

DEL69 BIZ-LD RUPEE

**** Rupee rises 1 paisa to close at 86.60 against US dollar

Mumbai: The rupee traded in a tight range and settled just 1 paisa higher at 86.60 against the US dollar on Friday, as massive outflow of foreign funds and falling domestic equity markets dented investors' sentiment. ****

DEL66 BIZ-RBI-LD ECONOMY

**** Time apposite to rekindle animal spirits through consumption boost, says RBI Bulletin

Mumbai: Weeks before the presentation of the Union Budget, the Reserve Bank Bulletin made a strong case for providing consumption boost as the time is apposite to rekindle the animal spirits, create mass consumer demand and trigger a boom in investment. ****

DEL51 BIZ-GOLD-PRICE

**** Gold jumps Rs 700 to Rs 82K per 10 gms; nears record high

New Delhi: Rising for the third consecutive day, gold prices on Friday surged Rs 700 to trade near a record high at Rs 82,000 per 10 grams in the national capital due to persistent buying in the local markets, according to the All India Sarafa Association. ****

DEL44 BIZ-FOREX

**** India's forex reserves drop by USD 8.714 bln to USD 625.871 bln

Mumbai: India's forex reserves dropped by USD 8.714 billion to USD 625.871 billion in the week ended January 10, the RBI said on Friday. ****

LEGAL

LGD27 DL-COURT-LALU

**** Land-for-jobs case against Lalu: Court issues production warrant against accused

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday issued a production warrant against former railway minister Lalu Prasad's close aide Amit Katyal in a money laundering case related to the purported land-for-jobs scam. ****

LGD26 DL-HC-DOWRY DEATH

**** Dowry deaths: Mindset that women endure suffering emboldens perpetrators, says HC

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has lamented the killing of women due to dowry demands even decades after its criminalisation and said the mindset that a woman "endures" sufferings in her matrimonial home emboldens the perpetrators. ****

LGD24 SC-YEDIYURAPPA-CORRUPTION

**** Graft case against ex-Karnataka CM Yediyurappa: SC to hear pleas on Feb 28

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday set February 28 to hear pleas in corruption cases against former Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa accused of de-notifying land to benefit private parties. ****

LGD20 SC-UP-WATER BODIES

**** UP needs to restore lakes that vanished due to encroachments: SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday pulled up the UP government for not following its order on preserving ponds and lakes, and said the state was duty bound to restore such water bodies that disappeared due to encroachment. ****

LGD16 SC-DELHI-LD PM-ABHIM

**** SC stays HC order asking Delhi govt to sign MoU over Centre's health scheme

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed an order asking the Delhi government to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Central health ministry by January 5 to implement the PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM). ****

LGD14 DL-HC-SENGAR

**** Surrender on Jan 20 as directed: Delhi HC to Kuldeep Sengar in Unnao rape case

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to extend the interim bail granted to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar on medical grounds in the 2017 Unnao rape case and asked him to surrender. ****

FOREIGN

FGN72 CHINA-PAK-LD SATELLITE

**** China launches Pakistani satellite into space

Beijing/Islamabad: China successfully launched a Pakistani satellite into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Friday. ****

FGN62 CHINA-LANKA-DISSANAYAKE

**** Sri Lankan President Dissanayake wraps up four-day visit to China

Beijing: China on Friday said the visit of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake here has deepened the strategic ties between the two countries as he wrapped up his four-day visit with a tour of Sichuan province. ****

FGN59 BIZ-IMF-INDIA

**** Growth in India slowed more than expected: IMF

Washington: Led by a sharper-than-expected deceleration in industrial activity, economic growth in India slowed more than anticipated and is projected to remain at 6.5 per cent till 2026, the International Monetary Fund said on Friday. ****

FGN58 CHINA-XI-TRUMP-TALKS

**** Xi, Trump hold telephone talks

Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping held a telephone conversation with US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, official media here reported. ****

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)