HIGHLIGHTS AT 1700 HRS

Following are top stories at 1700 hours:

DEL7 JK BLASTS-2ND LD GOVT Pakistan cannot weaken India, forces will get free hand to deal with terrorists: Modi

New Delhi: Pakistan cannot weaken India by orchestrating attacks and those responsible will pay a "very heavy price", Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned on Friday as echoes from the Pulwama terror strike rang across the country with families awaiting the bodies of their loved ones in coffins wrapped in the tricolour.

DEL46 JK BLASTS-LD CONGRESS Entire opposition stands with security forces, govt: Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday described the Pulwama terror assault as an attack on India's soul and said his party as well as the entire opposition was fully supportive of the government and the security forces

DEL37 JK BLAST-LD CCS Pulwama attack: India withdraws Most Favoured Nation status to Pakistan

New Delhi: India Friday withdrew the 'Most-Favoured Nation' status to Pakistan following the deadly Pulwama terror attack and said it will take all steps to isolate the neighbouring country globally.

DEL53 JK-LD BLAST TOLL Death toll in Pulwama terror attack mounts to 40; CoI ordered

Srinagar/New Delhi: The toll in the terror attack on CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district has risen to 40 even as a full Court of Inquiry (CoI) has been ordered by the force headquarters in Delhi, a senior official said Friday.

DEL69 JK-BLAST-RAJNATH-COFFIN Rajnath Singh helps carry coffin of slain CRPF jawan

Srinagar: Home Minister Rajnath Singh Friday helped carry the coffin of a slain CRPF jawan after he laid a wreath on the mortal remains of the troops, who were killed in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

DEL54 RAIL-JK-BLAST-LD GOYAL Vande Bharat Express inauguration on time despite Pulwama attack, a message to terrorists: Goyal

New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) Railway Minister Piyush Goyal Friday said going ahead with the inauguration of the Vande Bharat Express according to schedule was a message to terrorists behind the Pulwama attacks that India will not bow down to terror. By Ajeet Tiwari

DEL51 JK-LD CURFEW Curfew in Jammu city after protests over Pulwama attack, Army asked to help

Jammu: Curfew was imposed in Jammu city Friday as a precautionary measure following massive protests and stray incidents of violence over the terror attack in Pulwama in the Kashmir Valley in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed, officials said.

Legal:

LGD13 DL-HC-DDCA-LD KEJRIWAL

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and cricketer-turned-MP Kirti Azad on Friday informed the Delhi High Court that the defamation case by cricketing body DDCA against them has been settled.

LGD8 SC-AYODHYA

SC to hear plea against 1993 central law on land acquisition near disputed site at Ayodhya New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday decided to hear a fresh plea challenging the constitutional validity of the 1993 central law by which 67.703 acre land, including the disputed premises of Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid at Ayodhya, was acquired.

LGM1 HC-CCTV-SEXUAL HARASSMENT

HC judge orders installation of CCTV in his chamber, recommends same measure at govt offices Chennai: Quoting Mahatma Gandhi's dictum that practice is better than preaching, a Madras High Court judge has ordered installation of CCTV camera in his chamber while recommending the same for offices of all highly-placed Tamil Nadu government officials to tackle sexual harassment at work places.

Foreign:

FGN17 BLAST-PAK-REAX

Pak rejects India's charge on Pulwama terrorist attack Islamabad: Pakistan has condemned the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district and said it is a matter of grave concern even as it rejected India pointing out Islamabad's link to the incident without investigations. By Sajjad Hussain

FGN29 BLAST-CHINA-3RDLD AZHAR China again says no to back India's bid to list JeM chief Azhar as global terrorist

Beijing: China on Friday expressed deep "shock" over the Pulwama terror attack carried out by a Jaish suicide bomber but did not give an assurance to India that it will back New Delhi's appeal to list the UN-proscribed Pakistan-based terror group's chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. By K J M Varma

FGN28 BLAST-US-3RDLD PAK US asks Pakistan to immediately end 'support' and 'safe haven' to all terror groups

Washington: In a stern message to Pakistan, the White House has asked Islamabad to "immediately end" its "support" to all terror groups and not to provide "safe haven" to them, as the US condemned the brutal Pulwama terror attack claimed the lives of at least 40 CRPF soldiers. By Lalit K Jha

FGN18 PAK-ICJ-JADHAV Pak committed to implementing ICJ's decision in Kulbhushan Jadhav case: Official

Islamabad: Pakistan is committed to implementing the decision of the International Court of Justice in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, a senior Pakistani official said as the country's delegation left for the Hague on Friday for the oral proceedings in the case that will commence at the world court from February 18.

FGN8 US-TRUMP 2NDLD WALL

Trump to declare national emergency to build border wall Washington: US President Donald Trump will sign an executive order declaring a national emergency, which will empower him to fund the construction of a massive wall along the US-Mexico border to prevent illegal immigrants from entering the country and curb drug smuggling. By Lalit K Jha.