HIGHLIGHTS AT 9 PM

These are the top stories at 9 pm: NATION DEL45 LD VACCINE Vaccine drive accelerates, doses reach far corners of India New Delhi: India’s drive against COVID-19 gathered momentum on Wednesday with planes carrying vaccines flying into airports across the country from where the precious cargo was dispatched to small cities and towns in readiness for the inoculation exercise beginning January 16.

DEL48 DEF-TEJAS CCS approves Tejas deal worth Rs 48,000 crore New Delhi: In a major decision, the government on Wednesday approved the procurement of 83 indigenously-developed light combat aircraft Tejas for the Indian Air Force (IAF) at a cost of Rs 48,000 crore.

DEL57 LD-BIRD FLU Sale of poultry products banned in Delhi; bird flu cases reported in UP New Delhi: Fresh bird deaths and avian influenza cases were reported in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, while in neighbouring Delhi, civic bodies banned the sale of poultry products, even as the city government asked people not to panic and eat completely cooked eggs and chicken.

DEL37 JK-LD TUNNEL 150-m cross-border tunnel detected by BSF along IB in JK Jammu: A 150-metre tunnel constructed along the International Border (IB) to facilitate infiltration of terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan was detected by Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district on Wednesday, officials said.

DEL50 DL-FARMERS-COPIES-BURN Protesting farmers burn copies of agri laws on Lohri New Delhi: Agitating farmers Wednesday burnt copies of the contentious farm laws to mark the festival of Lohri.

DEL47 DL-SCHOOLS-LD REOPEN Delhi govt allows schools to reopen for Classes 10, 12 from Jan 18 New Delhi: The Delhi government has allowed all schools outside COVID-19 containment zones here to reopen for Classes 10 and 12 from January 18 in view of board exams, officials of the Directorate of Education said on Wednesday.

DEL46 ED-KD SINGH-2NDLD ARREST ED arrests former TMC MP K D Singh on money laundering charges New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has arrested former TMC MP and businessman Kanwar Deep Singh in a money laundering case linked to an alleged Rs 1,900-crore ponzi scheme fraud, official sources said on Wednesday.

DEL61 CONG-FARMERS Govt misleading country, Supreme Court on farms laws: Cong New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday accused the government of misleading the country and the Supreme Court by claiming that pre-legislative consultations were held prior to the passage of the three farm laws and claimed this amounted to contempt of court.

MDS21 KA-2ND LD CABINET K'taka CM expands cabinet, 7 Ministers sworn-in Bengaluru: Ending a long wait, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa expanded his 17-month old cabinet on Wednesday, inducting seven ministers as he also dropped Excise Minister H Nagesh from the ministry.

LEGAL LGD29 SC-LD YAMUNA Contamination of rivers: Pollution free water fundamental right, state bound to ensure it, says SC New Delhi: Taking cognisance of contamination of rivers by effluent, the Supreme Court Wednesday said pollution-free water is a fundamental right which a welfare state is “bound to ensure”, and issued notices to the Centre, CPCB and five states, including Delhi and Haryana, on the issue.

LGD28 SC-ADULTERY-3RDLD ARMED FORCES 2018 verdict on decriminalising adultery be not made applicable on armed forces: Centre to SC New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court that its 2018 verdict decriminalising colonial era offence of adultery under the Indian Penal Code be not made applicable to armed forces.

LGD32 UP-HC-LD MARRIAGE Mandate of 30 days' notice under Special Marriage Act optional: Allahabad HC Lucknow: In a judgement that is likely to bring relief to inter faith couples, the Allahabad High Court Wednesday declared as optional the mandatory publication of notice of intended marriages under the Special Marriage Act, saying it violated the Right To Privacy.

FOREIGN FGN34 PAK-JUD Pak court sentences Hafiz Saeed's two close aides to over 15 years in jail in terror financing case Lahore: An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has handed down more than 15 years jail term each to two close aides of Mumbai terror attack mastermind and banned Jamat-ud Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, including the outfit's media face Yahya Mujahid, in a terror financing case.

FGN25 US-HOUSE-TRUMP-2NDLD IMPEACHMENT US House passes resolution asking Pence to invoke 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office Washington: The Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives, which is rushing ahead towards impeaching Donald Trump over the unprecedented Capitol Hill attack, has passed a resolution urging Vice President Mike Pence to invoke 25th Amendment to remove the president from office. PTI SNESNE