HIGHLIGHTS

New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) Following are the top stories at 1.00 PM: TOP STORIES FGN12 PM-AUSTRALIA-LD LOP (07.38 AM) **** PM Modi meets Australia's Opposition leader, discusses bilateral ties Melbourne: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day visit to Australia, met the country's Leader of Opposition Angus Taylor on Friday and discussed bilateral ties, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. **** FGN18 PM-AUSTRALIA-DEPARTURE (11.15 AM) **** PM Modi leaves for New Zealand after concluding Australia visit Melbourne: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday left for New Zealand after concluding a three-day visit to Australia, during which the two countries signed a raft of landmark pacts spanning civil nuclear energy, maritime security and critical minerals sectors. **** NATION DEL10 CONG-BJP-AUS-NUCLEAR (10.38 AM) **** Not a Modi breakthrough, Australia's ruling party approved uranium sales to India in 2011: Cong New Delhi: The Congress on Friday slammed the BJP for projecting that Australia's uranium sales to India are Prime Minister Narendra Modi's breakthrough and pointed out that in December 2011, then Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard got the approval of her party to sell uranium to India following the Indo-US Nuclear pact. **** DEL13 DEREK-ED (12.23 PM) **** 'When will ED freeze temple funds': Derek O'Brien questions TMC accounts freeze New Delhi: Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien on Friday questioned the Enforcement Directorate freezing three bank accounts of the party, asking when it would freeze "temple funds", in an apparent reference to the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. **** MDS5 TN-CM-LD KARUR VISIT (11.15 AM) **** TN CM to visit Karur, hand over job letters to stampede victims' families Karur (Tamil Nadu): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Friday will hand over appointment orders to the members of 32 families affected by the tragic stampede here, amidst tight security arrangements. **** MDS6 KL-LANDSLIDE-LD TOLL (12.35 PM) **** Wayanad landslide: one more body found; toll rises to 7, one person still missing Wayanad (Kerala): One more body was retrieved from the Wayanad landslide site on Friday, taking the total number of persons killed in the disaster to seven, district officials said. **** BOM6 MH-ATS-GANGSTER-BHATTI (12.42 PM) **** Maharashtra ATS questions 112 persons over ‘links’ with Pak-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti Mumbai: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Friday launched a statewide operation during which it questioned 112 persons allegedly linked to Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti, officials said. **** CAL9 OD-SEC-RURAL-CIVIC-POLLS (12.05 PM) **** Odisha state poll panel convenes meeting on July 21 to discuss panchayat, civic elections Bhubaneswar: The Odisha State Election Commission (SEC) has convened a meeting on July 21 to discuss the preparations for the panchayat and civic polls due next year, an official said on Friday. **** CAL11 AS-BUDGET-CM (12.22 PM) **** Three-fold rise in Assam Budget; aim to power growth, uplift people: CM Sarma Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the state's budget has seen a three-fold rise to Rs 2,00,782 crore and fund utilisation stands at 85 per cent. **** BOM3 MH-DOCTORS-ASSAULT-MOTHER (10.58 AM) **** Mother of doctor assaulted by Shiv Sena corporator demands protection for medical professionals Thane: The mother of Dr Srishti Baviskar, who was among the two doctors assaulted by Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre at a civic-run hospital in Thane district, has demanded a guarantee of state protection for medical professionals. **** DEL9 ED-FEMA PROBE (09.58 AM) **** ED initiates FEMA investigation against Mumbai-based film producer New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has initiated a FEMA investigation and conducted searches against a Mumbai-based film producer and his company on charges of holding undisclosed foreign assets and other alleged irregularities, officials said on Friday. **** LEGAL LGM1 KL-HC-LANDSLIDE **** Wayanad landslide: Ensure ex-gratia to deceased, injured disbursed on time, says Kerala HC Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday directed the state government to ensure the ex-gratia amounts are paid on time to the next of kin of those who died in the Wayanad landslide and the persons injured in the incident. **** FOERIGN FGN14 US-INDIAN-ASTRONAUT (8.35 AM) **** NASA astronaut Anil Menon set to travel to International Space Station on July 14 Washington: Anil Menon, a NASA astronaut of Indian descent, is set to embark on an eight-month mission to the International Space Station on July 14 from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. By Sagar Kulkarni **** PTI SMV PRK