HIGHLIGHTS

New Delhi, Jul 14 (PTI) Following are the top stories at 5 PM NATION DEL9 MEA-INDIA-PALESTINE (11.39 AM) **** India supports UN membership for Palestine: MEA New Delhi: India has backed Palestine's bid for United Nations membership and reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution to the festering conflict between the Palestinian people and Israel. **** DEL8 JK-NIA-SAEED (10.24 AM) **** Jammu: NIA court issues non-bailable warrant against LeT founder Hafiz Saeed Jammu: A special NIA court has issued a non-bailable warrant against Hafiz Saeed, the Pakistan-based chief of the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, in connection with a case pertaining to the ongoing probe into the Pahalgam terror attack. **** DEL35 MEA-WASIA-LD VESSELS (4.06 PM) **** 1 Indian killed, 10 injured in Iranian attacks on 2 ships in Strait of Hormuz; New Delhi summons Iranian DCM New Delhi: An Indian national was killed and 10 others were injured in Iranian attacks on two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting New Delhi to summon the deputy chief of the Iranian embassy and lodge a strong protest over the strikes. **** DEL39 CONG-PAK-US (4.22 PM) **** Pak influence in West Asia setback to India, question mark on Vishwaguru's style: Congress New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday said the bonhomie between the US and Pakistan and Islamabad's influence in West Asia is a "severe setback" to India, and poses a question mark on the "self-proclaimed Vishwaguru's" style and substance. **** DEL19 CJP-PROTEST-DAY 25 (1.52 PM) **** CJP protest day 25: Wangchuk in 'immense pain', refuses to end fast without dialogue New Delhi: Activist Sonam Wangchuk has refused to end his indefinite hunger strike despite suffering muscle loss and "immense pain", insisting that the government should initiate dialogue, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) said on Tuesday as his fast entered the 17th day and the outfit's agitation completed 25 days. **** CAL23 WB-TASLIMA NASRIN-EVENT (4.22 PM) **** Taslima Nasrin to return to Kolkata after 19 years for anti-fundamentalism event Kolkata: Nearly two decades after she was forced to leave Kolkata amid violent protests over her writings, exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin is set to return to the city next month to attend an event, in a politically symbolic moment that the BJP government in West Bengal is projecting as the reversal of what it calls a long-standing capitulation to religious fundamentalism. **** MDS13 TN-HEALTH-PORTAL-CM (2.19) **** CM Vijay launches Nalam TN AI Whatsapp chatbot for OP registration in GH Chennai: In a major thrust towards making healthcare services more accessible, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday launched Nalam TN - an integrated digital platform - to facilitate quick and remote OP registration and appointments at the government medical facilities across the state. **** LEGAL LGD24 SC-CBSE-LANGUAGE (3.36 PM) **** SC seeks Centre, NCERT's responses on pleas against CBSE's 3-language rule for Class 9 students New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought responses from the Centre, NCERT and the CBSE on two fresh pleas challenging the education board’s policy mandating the study of three languages, including two native Indian languages, for Class 9 students. **** LGD17 SC-LD BHOJSHALA (2.16 PM) **** SC directs separate open space for Muslims adjacent to disputed Bhojshala for Friday prayers New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed that Muslims be provided separate open space adjacent to the disputed Bhojshala site for offering namaz on Fridays between 1 and 3 pm. **** BUSINESS DEL27 BIZ-TAX-COLLECTION (3.19 PM) **** Direct tax mop-up grows 16 pc to over Rs 6.51 lakh cr so far in FY27 New Delhi: Net direct tax collection grew 16.40 per cent to over Rs 6.51 lakh crore till July 13 this fiscal, driven by higher corporate tax mop-up, government data showed on Tuesday. **** DEL38 BIZ-INFLATION-LD WPI (4.13 PM) **** WPI inflation rises to 9.87 pc in June; minerals, food items see price spike New Delhi: Wholesale price inflation rose to 9.87 per cent in June, from 9.68 per cent in May, led by a sharp spike in prices of non-food and food products. **** DEL40 BIZ-SERVICES INDEX (4.48 PM) **** Govt releases maiden services index; 14 sub-sectors record double-digit growth in April New Delhi: The government on Tuesday released the first sub-sectoral trial Index of Services Production, which showed 14 out of the 19 sub-sectors of formal services recorded double-digit growth in April 2026. **** FOREIGN FGN32 UK-GROOMING GANG-DEPORT (3.22 PM) **** UK enacts law change to deport grooming gang leader to Pakistan London: Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has set a law change in motion in the UK Parliament that will remove the legal hurdle blocking the deportation of a grooming gang ringleader to Pakistan. **** FGN29 CHINA-CPC-LD EXPULSION (1.27 PM) **** China expels senior Communist Party leader in anti-corruption crackdown Beijing: The ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) on Tuesday expelled its former chief of Xinjiang province, Ma Xingrui, from the party and dismissed him from public service for corruption and violating party discipline. **** PTI APL APL