HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 1700 hours:

TOP STORIES FGN42 PAK-INDIA-LD PILOT

Pak to release IAF pilot Abhinandan tomorrow as 'peace gesture': PM Khan Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minster Imran Khan Thursday announced that IAF's captured pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released on Friday as a "gesture of peace". By Sajjad Hussain

FGN35 PAK-INDIA-DOSSIER

Pak to evaluate India's dossier on Pulwama attack with 'open heart': Qureshi Islamabad: Pakistan Thursday said it will evaluate with an "open heart" the dossier handed over by India on "specific details" of the involvement of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in the Pulwama terror attack on CRPF and the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror outfit in the country.

FGN38 VIETNAM-TRUMP-LD INDOPAK

Prez Trump says US has some 'reasonably decent' news on reducing Indo-Pak tensions Hanoi/Washington: President Donald Trump Thursday voiced confidence that the hostilities between India and Pakistan would end soon, saying he has some "reasonably decent" news with the US involved in trying to help reduce tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

DEL17 INDOPAK-OPS

Pak's claim of not targeting Indian military installations false: Defence Ministry New Delhi: Pakistan's claims that its air force did not target the Indian military installations during Wednesday's air intrusion were false, Defence Ministry officials said on Thursday.

DEL32 RAIL-SAMJHAUTA

India yet to take call on Samjhauta Express, Pak suspends operations on its end New Delhi: The Indian Railways is yet to decide whether to run the Samjhauta Express train on its side on Thursday and beyond, even as Pakistan suspended its services on its end, officials said here, amidst strain in ties in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack and subsequent developments.

DEL39 BIZ-IT MIN-YOUTUBE

IT Ministry asks YouTube to remove video links of IAF pilot New Delhi: The IT Ministry has asked YouTube to remove 11 video links pertaining to Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan during an air combat on Wednesday, according to sources.

NATION

DEL30 POL-CONG-LD PM PM Modi has misplaced priorities, he is desperate only for re-election: Cong

New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "misplaced priorities" and that he was "desperate only for re-election".

DEL5 ITX-PAN Link your PAN with bank for refunds: I-T to taxpayers

New Delhi: The Income Tax Department will "only" issue refunds via the e-mode into bank accounts of taxpayers beginning next month and they should link PAN with their accounts, the taxman said in its latest public communication.

DEL34 JK-LDSHELLING Pak resorts to heaving shelling at forward posts in Poonch, Rajouri

Jammu: The Pakistani Army Thursday heavily shelled forward posts along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Rajauri districts, committing repeated ceasefire violations but drawing "strong" retaliation from the Indian Army, an official said.

MDS2 AIRSTRIKE-YEDDYURAPPA Under fire, Yeddyurappa says no question of seeking electoral gains from air strike

Bengaluru: Facing flak for linking India's air strike on terror camps in Pakistan with BJP's prospects in Lok Sabha polls, party Karnataka chief B S Yeddyurappa Thursday said there was no question of seeking electoral gains and the nation came first to him.

CAL1 WB-INDOPAK-CRPF-LD WIDOW Unfazed by trolls CRPF man's widow pitches for peace with Pak

Kolkata: Unfazed by trolls she faced for her advocacy of peace between India and Pakistan, the widow of a CRPF jawan killed in Pulwama attack Thursday asserted she stands by her view that dialogue should be "given a chance".

LEGAL LGD18 SC-AMRAPALI

SC allows Delhi Police to arrest Amrapali group CMD, 2 directors New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday allowed Delhi Police to arrest Amrapali group CMD Anil Sharma and two directors forthwith in a criminal complaint filed against them.

LGD9 SC-TRIBALS

SC stays its Feb 13 order directing eviction of 11.8 lakh forest dwellers New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday stayed its February 13 order directing 21 states to evict 11.8 lakh illegal forest dwellers whose claims over the land have been rejected by the authorities.

LGD8 DL-COURT-JNU

Delhi court to hear sedition case against Kanhaiya and others even without govt sanctions New Delhi: A Delhi court Thursday said it will go ahead with the hearing of the 2016 sedition case against former JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and others even if the Delhi government doesn't give its sanction to prosecute them.

FOREIGN

FGN20 PAK-AIRPORTS Pakistani airspace to remain closed till Thursday midnight

Islamabad: Pakistan's airspace for commercial flights will remain closed till Thursday midnight, the civil aviation authority announced as thousands of passengers have been stranded after flight operations were suspended across major airports in the country in the wake of the escalating tensions with India.

FGN30 VIETNAM-TRUMP-LDALL KIM Trump 'walks' as North Korea talks end abruptly without deal

Hanoi: The US-North Korea nuclear summit in Hanoi ended abruptly without a deal Thursday, with President Donald Trump saying he had decided to "walk" in the face of Kim Jong Un's demands to drop sanctions. (AFP) NSD NSD