HIGHLIGHTS

These are the top PTI stories at 9.30 pm:

Nation DEL80 INDOUS-TRADE

New Delhi downplays Trump's comments that US not treated well by India New Delhi: India on Thursday sought to downplay American President Donald Trump's remarks that New Delhi is not treating the US "very well" on the trade front, insisting that it was important to understand the context in which he made the comments.

DEL81 MEA-CORONAVIRUS

About 100 Indians to be brought back from Wuhan by military aircraft: MEA New Delhi: The aircraft India is sending to Wuhan with medical supplies will evacuate about 100 Indians from the coronavirus-hit Chinese city, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

DEL77 CONG-TRUMP

Diplomacy is not a series of photo-ops: Cong attacks govt on Trump visit New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday questioned the prime minister over the Gujarat government spending Rs 120 crore on a three-hour event for US President Donald Trump, saying diplomacy is serious government business and not a series of photo-ops and event management tactics.

DEL86 RAM MANDIR TRUST-3RDLD PM

Ram Mandir Trust members meet PM, invite him to visit Ayodhya for bhoomi pujan New Delhi: Members of the Ram Mandir Trust, including its president Nritya Gopal Das, on Thursday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence here and invited him to visit Ayodhya for bhoomi pujan.

DEL75 TN-3RDLDALL ACCIDENT

Container lorry collides with Kerala transport bus, 20 passengers dead Coimbatore(TN): A tile-laden container lorry crossed into a wrong lane and rammed into an oncoming Kerala-bound transport bus from Bengaluru in a high-speed head-on collision in a highway in Tamil Nadu in the wee hours of Thursday leaving 20 passengers dead and 28 injured.

DEL74 CONG-RAHUL LEADERSHIP

Rahul sole contender for party president's post: Cong on anxieties over leadership issue New Delhi: Amid concerns in the party over leadership issue and calls for elections to the top post, the Congress Thursday said Rahul Gandhi was a clear successor for party president's post to his mother and incumbent Sonia Gandhi.

DEL72 RJ-DALIT-2NDLD TORTURE

7 arrested in Dalit thrashing incident in Raj; protests in state assembly Jaipur: Seven people were arrested for beating and torturing two Dalit men in Rajasthan's Nagaur district, an incident that triggered protests in the state assembly and condemnation by political leaders on Thursday.

DEL82 ENV-COP13-MIGRATORY SPECIES

Great Indian Bustard, Asian Elephant, Bengal Florican classified as 'endangered migratory species', will get global protection Gandhinagar: Great Indian Bustard, Asian Elephant and Bengal Florican have been classified as "endangered migratory species" by a UN body, paving the way for trans-boundary conservation efforts. By Aditi Gupta

DEL55 DL-LD SHAHEEN BAGH

SC appointed interlocutors hold discussions with Shaheen Bagh for second consecutive day New Delhi: The Supreme Court-appointed interlocutors met Shaheen Bagh protestors on Thursday in their second visit to the site where people have been on a sit-in since the last two months against the amended citizenship act.

MDS11 TN-MOVIE-2NDLD HAASAN

3 dead, 9 injured as crane crashes on sets of Kamal Haasan's 'Indian 2', actor announces relief Chennai: Three people were killed and nine injured when a crane came crashing down on the sets of actor Kamal Haasan's upcoming film 'Indian 2', police said, as the veteran actor mourned the deaths.

LEGAL

LGD30 SC-LD DEATH PENALTY SC questions issuance of death warrants by trial courts before expiry of time period for appeal

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday questioned the issuance of black warrants by trial courts for execution of death penalty even before the expiry of 60-day time period for filing of appeals in the apex court by the convicts.

LGD18 DL-COURT-LD NIRBHAYA-CONVICT Nirbhaya: Court seeks Tihar jail authorities' reply on convict Vinay's plea for medical treatment

New Delhi: A Delhi court Thursday sought response from Tihar jail authorities on a plea by one of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, seeking better treatment for his claimed mental illness, schizophrenia and head and arm injuries.

LGD35 DL-COURT-UNNAO-MURDER Delhi court verdict on Feb 29 in murder case of Unnao rape survivor's father

New Delhi: A Delhi court will pronounce judgement on February 29 in a case of alleged murder of the father of a woman who was raped by expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in Unnao in 2017.

FOREIGN FGN48 INDOPAK-SCO

India attends SCO defence and security experts meeting in Pak Islamabad: Pakistan hosted a two-day meeting of defence and security experts of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Islamabad which was attended by India and other member states.

FGN44 CHINA-ARUNACHAL-LD SHAH

China objects to Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Arunachal Pradesh; India dismisses claims Beijing/New Delhi: China, which claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of south Tibet, on Thursday objected to Home Minister Amit Shah's visit there to attend the Statehood Day, saying it violated Beijing's "territorial sovereignty and sabotaged political mutual trust", prompting India to dismiss the claims. By K J M Varma AAR