Highlights

Following are the top stories at 9 pm: NATION DEL22 VIRUS-VACCINE-COST COVID-19 vaccine: Private hospitals can charge up to Rs 250 per dose New Delhi: Private hospitals can charge up to Rs 250 per dose of COVID-19 vaccine, official sources said on Saturday as India prepares to vaccinate people aged above 60 years and those over 45 with comorbidities from March 1. DEL6 VIRUS-LD CASES India records 16,488 new COVID-19 cases, 113 deaths New Delhi: India registered a single-day spike of over 16,000 COVID-19 cases for the third day in a row on Saturday, pushing the infection tally to 1,10,79,979, while the recoveries surged to 1,07,63,451, according to Union Health Ministry data.

DEL18 BIZ-LD PM-TOY FAIR PM Modi asks toy manufacturers to use less plastic, more eco-friendly material New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday exhorted toy manufacturers to use less plastic and more eco-friendly and recyclable material in a bid to increase the share of the domestic industry in the global market. MDS11 TN-LD RAHUL Rahul attacks Modi over Sino-India standoff; says Chinese know PM is 'scared' Tuticorin: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Sino-India border standoff, charging him with being 'scared' of the eastern neighbour and took a swipe at him for being only ''useful to two people.'' DEL19 BANGLA-SECURITY-TALKS India-Bangladesh hold HS-level talks to discuss security issues New Delhi: India and Bangladesh discussed ''early completion'' of the pending fencing work along the international border they share as they reiterated their commitment to address issues related to terrorism and extremism during the home secretary-level talks held on Saturday, an official statement said. DEL33 I&B-NEW-MEDIA-RULES Rule on blocking contents not new, been around since 2009: Govt defends digital media guidelines New Delhi: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry on Saturday clarified that the provision in the new digital media guidelines to block internet content in a case of emergency nature has been around as a rule since 2009 and was not recently introduced.

DEL35 CONG-DISSENTERS MEET Congress is weakening, 'G-23' has come together to strengthen it: Dissenters at Jammu meet Jammu: In a public show of dissent, the ’G-23’ leaders, including Gulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and Kapil Sibal, who have been pressing for a leadership change and organisational overhaul in the Congress, gathered on one stage here on Saturday, saying the party is weakening and they have come together to strengthen it.

DEL34 2NDLD RAVIDAS Ravidas remembered on birth anniversary; Mayawati accuses BJP, Cong of 'neglecting' Dalit, Adivasi saints New Delhi: The contribution of saint-poet Ravidas to the society was recalled on his birth anniversary Friday with several leaders urging people to take inspiration from his teachings even as BSP president Mayawati accused the BJP and the Congress of ''always neglecting saints and great men born in Dalit, Adivasi and OBC'' families.

DEL16 JK-CEASEFIRE-ARMY Indo-Pak ceasefire along LoC will have no bearing on counter-terrorism operations in J&K: Army Udhampur: The Army's northern commander Lt Gen Y K Joshi on Saturday said the agreement between India and Pakistan to strictly adhere to the ceasefire pact along the Line of Control (LoC) would have no bearing on the counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

LEGAL LGD2 AG-FORMER CJI AG declines consent to initiate contempt proceedings against ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi New Delhi: Attorney General K K Venugopal has refused to grant sanction to initiate contempt proceedings against former Chief Justice of India (CJI) and Rajya Sabha lawmaker Ranjan Gogoi for his alleged statements against the apex judiciary. LGD3 SC-MINING PROJECT SC notice to Centre on appeal against UltraTech Cement's limestone mining project in Gujarat New Delhi: The Supreme Court has sought response from the Centre on an appeal challenging a National Green Tribunal order that dismissed a plea against grant of environmental clearance (EC) for a limestone mining project of UltraTech Cement in Bhavnagar district in Gujarat.

FOREIGN FGN24 PAK-INDIA-CEASEFIRE-2NDLD IMRAN Onus of creating 'enabling environment' for further progress rests with India: Pak PM Khan Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday welcomed the ceasefire agreement with India but said the onus of creating an ''enabling environment'' for further progress in bilateral relations rests with New Delhi.By Sajjad Hussain FGN10 UN-INDIA-MYANMAR Restoring democratic order should be the priority of all stakeholders in Myanmar: India at UNGA United Nations: Restoring democratic order in Myanmar should be the priority of all stakeholders and the detained leaders be released, India has told a UN General Assembly meeting, calling on the leadership in the Southeast Asian nation to work together to resolve their differences in a ''peaceful and constructive manner''. By Yoshita Singh FGN3 US-PM-AWARD PM Modi to receive global energy and environment leadership award Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will receive the CERAWeek global energy and environment leadership award during an annual international energy conference next week.