PTI highlights at 8 pm.

The following are PTI's top stories at 8 pm:
STORIES ON WIRE
NATION:
DEL31 POL-PAR-NDA
NDA to take on opposition in Parl over its attack on Modi
New Delhi: Unfazed over the opposition parties' protests causing adjournment of the Rajya Sabha today, the NDA made it clear that it would take on them over their attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who asked the ruling alliance to strongly push the government's agenda in Parliament.

DEL32 CAB-LD TRIPLE TALAQ
Bill to make instant triple talaq punishable offence gets cabinet nod
New Delhi: A draft law which seeks to make the practice of instant triple talaq "illegal and void" and provides for a jail term for the husband was today cleared by the Union cabinet.

BOM5 MH-AJINKYA RAHANE-FATHER BOOKED
Ajinkya Rahane's father mows down elderly woman; booked
Mumbai: India Test vice captain Ajinkya Rahane's father allegedly mowed down a 67-year-old woman in Maharashtra's Kolhapur district following which he was booked by the police.
DEL33 BIZ-TRADE
Exports jump 30.55% to $26.19 bn in Nov; trade deficit widens
New Delhi: India's exports rose 30.55 per cent to USD 26.19 billion in November, reversing the decline witnessed in October, helped by robust growth in shipments of gems and jewellery and engineering goods.
DEL37 CAB-LEATHER-LD PACKAGE
Govt okays Rs 2,600 cr package for leather, footwear industry
New Delhi: The government today approved a Rs 2,600 crore special package for employment generation in the leather and footwear sectors, which has the potential to generate 3.24 lakh new jobs in three years and assist in the formalisation of two lakh jobs.

DEL28 CAB-MDR-CHARGES
Govt to reimburse MDR on transactions up to Rs 2,000
New Delhi: The government will bear the MDR charges on transactions up to Rs 2,000 made through debit cards, BHIM UPI or Aadhaar-enabled payment systems to promote digital transactions, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today.
DEL29 BIZ-LD CUSTOMS DUTY
Govt raises import duty on some items, including smartphones, TVs
New Delhi: The government today hiked the import duty on smartphones, television sets, microwave, LED lamps and some other electronic items in a bid to protect domestic manufacturers.
BOM11 MP-ASSAULT
MP: Catholic priests allegedly beaten up outside police station

Bhopal: Suspected Bajrang Dal activists were claimed to have beaten up some Christians, including 10 priests, and torched their car outside a police station in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh last night over alleged conversion of Hindus to Christianity.
MDS3 TN-LANKA-FISHERMEN
Lanka releases 16 TN fishermen from prison
Rameswaram: Sixteen fishermen from this coastal town, arrested by Sri Lankan Navy in October, were released by the island nation today.
LEGAL
LGD34 SC-LD AADHAAR
SC extends deadline for linking Aadhaar with various services
New Delhi: The Supreme Court today extended till March 31 the deadline for mandatory linking of Aadhaar with various services and welfare schemes of all ministries and departments of the Centre, states and union territories.

LGD29 SC-VVPAT-GUJARAT
SC refuses Cong plea for counting of VVPAT slips in Guj
New Delhi: The Supreme Court today refused to entertain a plea of the Gujarat Congress seeking counting of at least 20 per cent of the paper trail slips manually along with votes cast in the EVMs in each constituency of the state.
LGM4 TN-HC-RESERVATION
HC wants TN govt to consider reservation for forward community
Chennai: The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to explore the possibility of extending reservation in higher education and public employment for persons from forward communities based on their economic status.

FOREIGN
FGN12 PAK-INDIA LD FISHERMEN
43 Indian fishermen arrested by Pak authorities: official
Karachi/Ahmedabad: Forty-three Indian fishermen have been arrested and seven of their boats seized by Pakistani authorities for allegedly fishing illegally in the country's territorial waters in the Arabian Sea, officials said today.
FGN17 UK-HARRY-LD WEDDING
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle set May 19 as wedding date
London: Britain's Prince Harry will marry his American actress fiancee Meghan Markle on May 19 next year, Kensington Palace announced here today.