HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 9.30 pm: NATION DEL20 PM-LD US VISIT PM leaves for US, says visit occasion to strengthen strategic ties New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said his visit to the United States would be an occasion to strengthen the Indo-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and consolidate ties with Japan and Australia. DEL69 PB-LD AMARINDER Rahul, Priyanka inexperienced; will field candidate against Sidhu in Assembly polls: Amarinder Chandigarh: Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday called Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra ''inexperienced'', and said he will pit a strong candidate against state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu in the upcoming Assembly polls.

DEL73 INDIA-UK-VACCINE-LD-CERTIFICATION Issue with vaccine certification and not Covishield, suggest UK officials New Delhi: In the midst of a growing outcry in India over the UK's new travel rules, British officials on Wednesday suggested that the main issue is COVID-19 vaccine certification and not the Covishield vaccine and both sides are moving at ''great speed'' to resolve the matter.

DEL9 VIRUS-LD CASES Active COVID-19 cases in country lowest in 186 days New Delhi: India logged 26,964 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,35,31,498, while the active cases declined to 3,01,989, the lowest in 186 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

DEL74 GOVT-FOREIGN VACCINES With domestic manufacturing picking up pace, India unlikely to buy Pfizer, Moderna vaccines for now: Sources New Delhi: India is unlikely to buy Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for now as the domestic manufacturing of anti-coronavirus jabs has picked up pace, sources said with the total doses administered in the country crossing 83 crore on Wednesday. By Payal Banerjee DEL61 NAGA-INTERLOCUTOR-RESIGN R N Ravi resigns as Naga interlocutor New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi Wednesday resigned as the interlocutor for the Naga peace talks, the home ministry said, adding his resignation has been accepted with immediate effect.

DEL28 PERSONNEL-RESHUFFLE Air India Chairman Rajiv Bansal appointed aviation secy, K Rajaraman telecommunications secy New Delhi: Air India Chairman Rajiv Bansal has been appointed as the new aviation secretary as part of a major top-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre on Wednesday.

BUSINESS DEL21 BIZ-2NDLD ZEE-SONY MERGER Zee Entertainment to merge with Sony Pictures New Delhi: India's largest publicly-traded television network Zee Entertainment Enterprises will merge with Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI), capping days of high drama during which the firm's shareholders sought removal of key officials. DEL60 BIZ-LD RBI-DAS Big push to infra, education, healthcare needed for sustainable growth: Das New Delhi: Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das on Wednesday underlined the need for a big push to infrastructure investment, education and digital economy to achieve sustainable growth and generate jobs in smaller cities.

LEGAL LGD32 SC-LD EX-GRATIA NDMA for Rs 50,000 ex-gratia to kin of those who lost lives to COVID, Centre tells SC New Delhi: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has recommended that Rs 50,000 be given to the kin of those who died of COVID-19, the Centre informed the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

LGD20 SC-NDA-LD WOMEN SC allows women to participate in NDA exam in Nov, says their entry can't be postponed New Delhi: Observing that induction of women to the NDA cannot be postponed by one year, the Supreme Court Wednesday allowed female candidates to take the exam in November this year and not wait till May 2022 as requested by the government.

LGD35 SC-2ND LD TEMPLE SC rejects Shree Padmanabha Swamy Temple Trust's plea to exempt it from special audit of 25 yrs New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday rejected a plea filed by Shree Padmanabha Swamy Temple Trust (SPSTT), run by the Travancore royal family, seeking it be exempt from the special audit of 25 years as ordered by the top court last year.

FOREIGN FGN49 VIRUS-UK-TRAVEL-5THLD COVISHIELD Covishield added to UK travel advisory, but Indians to follow 'non-vaccinated' rules London: The UK government on Wednesday issued an updated international travel advisory to include AstraZeneca Covishield among the eligible COVID-19 vaccine formulations but kept India out of the 17 countries on an approved vaccinations list, requiring Indians to follow rules set out for non-vaccinated travellers. By Aditi Khanna FGN53 CHINA-RUSSIA-PAK-2NDLD TALIBAN Special envoys of China, Russia and Pak hold talks with top Taliban officials, Karzai in Kabul Beijing: Special envoys of China, Russia and Pakistan have met the top officials of the Taliban's interim government as well as Afghan leaders Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah in Kabul and discussed the formation of an inclusive government, combating terrorism and humanitarian situation, a top Chinese official said on Wednesday. By K J M Varma SPORTS SPO-CRI-IPL-3RDLD VIRUS COVID scare at IPL: SRH's Natarajan tests positive 11 days after arrival, Vijay Shankar also in isolation Dubai: Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer T Natarajan tested positive for COVID-19 but the team's IPL match against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday went ahead as scheduled after the remaining contingent was found to be negative. PTI HDA