Highlights

Following are the top stories at 9 PM: DEL9 VIRUS-LD CASES With 14,256 fresh cases, India's COVID-19 tally climbs to 1,06,39,684 New Delhi: With 14,256 fresh cases, India's COVID-19 tally climbed to 1,06,39,684 on Saturday, while 1,03,00,838 patients have recuperated so far, pushing the national recovery rate to 96.81 per cent, according to the health ministry.

DEL45 NETAJI-2NDLD TRIBUTES President, PM and leaders across country pay tributes to Netaji on 125th birth anniversary New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of political leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee paid rich tributes to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary on Saturday.

DEL42 2NDLD SOMNATH BHARTI AAP MLA Somnath Bharti sentenced to 2 years in jail by Delhi court in assault case; Party terms it 'injustice' New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party MLA and former Delhi minister Somnath Bharti was on Saturday sentenced to two years in jail by a court here in a 2016 case related to assaulting AIIMS security staff and causing damage to hospital property.

CAL19 AS-LD PM Modi reaches out to indigenous Assamese bestowing on them land rights amid anti-CAA clamour Sivasagar: Reaching out to the indigenous people of election-bound Assam amid frequent anti-CAA protests, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday distributed land ownership certificates to over one lakh such families, insisting the move will guarantee them ''pride, freedom and protection''.

DEL46 HEALTH MINISTRY-COVAXIN Seven more states to administer Covaxin from next week: Health Ministry New Delhi: Seven more states will be administering the indigenously-developed Covaxin from next week, the health ministry said on Saturday.

DEL19 VACCINE-BENEFICIARIES COVID-19 vaccination: Nearly 14 lakh beneficiaries inoculated New Delhi: Nearly 14 lakh beneficiaries have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country, including 3,47,058 in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said on Saturday.

DEL43 JK-BSF-2NDLD TUNNEL BSF detects underground tunnel along IB in J-K's Kathua, second within 10 days Jammu: Days ahead of Republic Day, the Border Security Force (BSF) achieved a major success when it detected a 150-meter-long underground tunnel constructed by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district to facilitate the infiltration of terrorists for subversive activities, a top official said.

DEL37 FARMERS-2NDLD CONSPIRACY Haryana Police questions man after protesting farmer leaders allege conspiracy to kill 4 of them, disrupt tractor parade Chandigarh: Haryana police was on Saturday questioning a man after agitating farmer leaders alleged that he was involved in a conspiracy to kill four of them and create disturbance during their proposed tractor parade in Delhi on January 26.

DEL38 DL-FARMERS-TRACTOR PARADE Delhi Police has given nod to farmers' tractor parade on Jan 26, claim protesting unions New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Saturday gave permission to protesting farmer unions to hold their tractor parades on January 26 in the national capital, farmer leaders claimed.

DEL33 PB-FARMERS-TRACTORS Cavalcades of tractors from Punjab, Haryana set out for R-Day tractor parade Chandigarh: Several batches of farmers from Punjab and Haryana set out on Saturday in their tractor-trolleys and other vehicles to take part in the proposed tractor parade on January 26 in Delhi.

CAL37 AS-SHAH-AYUSHMAN Shah launches Ayushman Bharat health scheme for Central Armed Police Forces Guwahati: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday rolled out the 'Ayushman CAPF' scheme, extending the benefit of the central health insurance programme to the personnel of all armed police forces in the country.

DEL35 MG-NEC-JITENDRA NEC to earmark 30 pc fund for focused development of priority areas: Jitendra Singh Shillong: Union minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said the North Eastern Council (NEC) will earmark 30 per cent of its fund for focus development of priority areas and deprived sections of the society in the region.

FOREIGN: FGN31 UN-INDIA-DAMS-REPORT Ageing dams in India, US, other nations pose growing threat: UN report New York: Over a thousand large dams in India will be roughly 50 years old in 2025 and such aging embankments across the world pose a growing threat, according to a UN report which notes that by 2050, most people on Earth will live downstream of tens of thousands of dams built in the 20th century. By Yoshita Singh FGN18 VIRUS-WHO-INDIA WHO chief Ghebreyesus thanks PM Modi for 'continued support' to global COVID-19 response Geneva: WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his continued support to the global COVID-19 response, saying acting together, including sharing of knowledge, will help in combating the novel coronavirus.