HIGHLIGHTS

New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) Following are the top stories at 1.00 PM: TOP STORIES FGN16 PM-AUSTRALIA-LD-TRADE (10.55 AM) **** PM Modi invites Australian businesses to tap into India's 'unmatched' growth opportunities Melbourne: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pitched for early finalisation of the proposed India-Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), saying it will propel bilateral economic ties to a "new level". **** FGN32 PM-INDIA-AUSTRALIA (11.54 AM) **** India and Australia deepen ties across nuclear, maritime and mineral sectors Melbourne: India and Australia on Thursday firmed up a raft of agreements to bolster cooperation in several key sectors such as civil nuclear energy, maritime security, and critical minerals, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese decided to impart a new momentum in the bilateral ties. **** NATION DEL8 CONG-NEET UGC (12.08 PM) **** Mantri Pradhan must resign, NTA should be disbanded: Congress New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday attacked the Modi government over the alleged irregularities in the UGC-NET exam, demanding that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must resign and the NTA disbanded. **** DEL6 CONG-ENV MINISTRY (10.55 AM) **** 'Gigantic scandal led to dismissals': Cong on removal of Bhupender Yadav's aides New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday stepped up its attack on the government over the "sudden sacking" of four close aides of Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav, alleging that there has been a "gigantic scandal" that has led to the dismissals. **** MDS5 KL-LANDSLIDE-LD TOLL (11.34 AM) **** Wayanad landslide death toll rises to 5 Wayanad(Kerala): The death toll following the Wayanad landslide rose to five on Thursday with recovery of two more bodies from the disaster site, Kerala Ministers A P Anil Kumar and T Siddique said. **** BOM10 MH-BUILDING-COLLAPSE-LD RESCUE (11.34 AM) **** NDRF recovers body from debris at building collapse site near Pune Pune: A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Thursday recovered a body from the debris of a building that collapsed at a waste management plant in Pimpri Chinchwad near Pune, officials said. **** DEL9 CJP-PARLIAMENT MARCH (12.24 PM) **** CJP to march to Parliament on July 20 New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party announced on Thursday that it would march to Parliament on July 20, the first day of the Monsoon session, as its Jantar Mantar sit-in to demand Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over alleged examination irregularities entered the 20th day. **** BOM13 MH-UCC-FADNAVIS (12.56 PM) **** Maharashtra sets up 7-member panel, headed by Justice Desai, to prepare UCC draft Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday announced the formation of a seven-member committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai to prepare a draft for the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state. **** CAL8 OD-VP-FISHERIES (12.25 PM) **** Vice President launches Letter of Authorisation for sustainable harnessing of fisheries in high seas Bhubaneswar: Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Thursday launched the Letter of Authorisation (LoA) for sustainable harnessing of fisheries in the high seas, and the Odisha Deep Sea Fishing Mission document. **** LEGAL LGD2 SC-SONAM RAGHUVANSHI (12.28 PM) **** SC mulls larger bench reference in Meghalaya honeymoon murder case New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday said it might refer to a larger bench the legal question whether the mere mention of a wrong statutory section in an arrest memo, specifically a typographical error, was sufficient to invalidate an arrest and grant bail to Sonam Raghuvanshi in the murder case of her husband. **** FOREIGN FGN12 USTR PROBE-INDIA **** India says US approach to forced labour tariffs inconsistent; exempts 1,600 items it needs Washington: India has flagged inconsistencies in the US approach to tariffs at a public hearing on the US Trade Representative's (USTR) proposal to impose levies on goods linked to forced labour. By Sagar Kulkarni **** PTI SMV PRK