HIGHLIGHTS

New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Following are the top stories at 1 pm:

    NATION
    
    DEL9 OPPN-AMBEDKAR-PROTEST
    * INDIA bloc MPs protest in Parliament premises, demand Amit Shah's apology for Ambedkar remarks
    New Delhi: Several MPs of the INDIA bloc, including Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, staged a protest in Parliament premises on Wednesday demanding Home Minister Amit Shah's apology for his remarks which they claimed were an insult to B R Ambedkar. *
    
    DEL15 POL-RIJIJU-CONG
    * Congress distorting Shah's remarks on Ambedkar: Rijiju
    New Delhi: Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday hit out at the Congress for disrupting House proceedings over Amit Shah's remarks on B R Ambedkar and said the opposition was distorting the Home minister's comments. *
    
    DEL12 CONG-SHAH-AMBEDKAR
    * Cong demands resignation of Amit Shah over Ambedkar remarks
    New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday demanded the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks in the Rajya Sabha which it claimed were an insult to B R Ambedkar. *


    PAR5 LS-LD ADJOURN
    * LS proceedings adjourned till 2 pm amid Cong uproar over Amit Shah's Ambedkar remarks
    New Delhi: Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Wednesday as Congress members sought an apology from Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks which they claimed were an insult to B R Ambedkar. *

    PAR4 RS-ADJOURN
    * RS proceedings adjourned till 2 pm amid opposition protest
    New Delhi: Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Wednesday after opposition MPs protested against Union Home Minister Amit Shah's alleged insult of B R Ambedkar. *

    DEL13 PM-SHARAD PAWAR
    * Sharad Pawar meets PM Modi along with two farmers from Maharashtra
    New Delhi: NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, weeks after the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was trounced in the assembly elections in Maharashtra by the BJP-led MahaYuti. *

    DEL7 RAHUL-TRADE-GOVT
    * Rahul slams govt over trade deficit touching all-time high
    New Delhi: Slamming the Modi government, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said prioritising crony businesses over play-fair ones leads to weakened manufacturing sector, depreciating currency, record high trade deficits, high interest rates, falling consumption and soaring inflation. *

    BOM2     MH-OPPOSITION-PROTEST
    * Opposition stages protest at Vidhan Bhawan steps over farmers' issues
    Nagpur: Opposition members staged a protest for the third consecutive day at the Vidhan Bhawan steps here on Wednesday, accusing the government of apathy towards farmers and not providing them adequate price for crop production. *

    CAL2 MN-STARLINK-ELON MUSK
    * 'Satellite beams turned off over India': Elon Musk rejects claim Starlink being used in Manipur
    Imphal: SpaceX founder Elon Musk said Starlink satellite beams were turned off over India, reacting to claims that its device was being used in restive Manipur. *

    
     LEGAL

    LGD4 SC-JUDGES-PENSION
    * Pitiable: SC on pension of retired high court judges
    New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it was "pitiable" that some retired high court judges were getting a pension ranging between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000. *

    LGD2 SC-HOOCH TRAGEDY-CBI
    * Kallakurichi hooch tragedy: SC junks Tamil Nadu's plea against CBI probe
    New Delhi: The Supreme Court has dismissed the Tamil Nadu government's plea challenging a Madras High Court order transferring to CBI the investigation into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy in which 67 people died after consuming illicit liquor. *


    FOREIGN

    FGN17 CHINA-INDIA-LD TALKS
    * Doval holds talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on peace at borders, restoration of ties
    Beijing: India, China Special Representatives for the border mechanism, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met here on Wednesday to discuss a range of issues, including management of peace and tranquillity along LAC and restoration of bilateral ties frozen for over four years due to the military standoff in eastern Ladakh. *


    FGN22 US-TRUMP-LD TARIFF
    * Trump says India charges lot of tariff, threatens to impose reciprocal tax
    Washington: US President-elect Donald Trump has reiterated his intention to impose reciprocal tariffs in retaliation for the high tariff imposed by India on import of certain American products. *

    FGN11 US-INDIA-SPACE
    * US to update its MTCR export control policies for India
    Washington: The outgoing Biden administration is in the process of finalising a national security memorandum that will update America’s export control policies under the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), a move that is likely to facilitate more cooperation between India and US companies in the space sector, the White House said Tuesday. *


    FGN18 US-LD H1B
    * Biden admin makes it easier for US companies to hire foreign workers with H-1B visas
    Washington: The outgoing Biden administration has relaxed rules for H-1B visas that will make it easier for American companies to hire foreign workers with special skills and facilitate a smoother transition from F-1 student visas to H-1B visas, a move that is likely to benefit thousands of Indian tech professionals. *

    FGN10 US-INDICTMENTS-BIDEN ADMIN
    * Confident of weathering challenges to India-US ties arising from indictments: Biden admin
    Washington: The outgoing Biden administration on Tuesday exuded confidence that India and the US will be able to “weather” the challenges to their relationship that arose after two recent indictments -- one related to a Sikh separatist and the other to an Indian billionaire. *

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)