HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 2100 hours:

NATION

MDS4 KL-RSS LD LEADER

Veteran RSS ideologue P Parameswaran passes away; PM, others condole

Kochi: P Parameswaran, veteran Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue, thinker and a prolific writer, died early Sunday at Ottappalam in Kerala, Sangh Parivar sources said.

DEL24 PM-LD XI PM Modi offers India's help to China to deal with coronavirus outbreak

New Delhi: As China reels under deadly coronavirus outbreak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed to Chinese President Xi Jinping India's readiness to provide assistance to the country to deal with the situation.

DEL10 JK-MILITANCY 'Remarkable' reduction in no. of youths joining militancy since Aug 5 last year: Report

Srinagar: The number of youths joining the ranks of militancy in Kashmir has gone down "remarkably" since the nullification of provisions of Article 370 in August last year, officials have said. By Sumir Kaul

DEL20 JK-PSA-LD OMAR-MEHBOOBA Omar's PSA dossier cites his 'considerable influence' over people, Mehbooba's pro-separatist stand

Srinagar: Former chief minister Omar Abdullah's "considerable influence" over people, including the ability to attract voters to polling booths despite poll boycott calls and the potential for channeling energies of public for any cause, has been cited in support of his detention under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA). By Sumir Kaul

DEL33 UP-2NDLD-PRIYANKA Priyanka offers prayers at Ravidas temple in Varanasi, says his teachings are need of the hour

Lucknow: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday said 14th-century saint Ravidas dreamt of a society where there is no discrimination on the basis of caste and religion, and that everyone should work towards fulfilling it.

DEL35 DL-POLLS-LD TURNOUT 62.59 pc voter turnout in Delhi election: Poll officials

New Delhi, Feb 9 (PTI) The final voter turnout in the Delhi polls was 62.59 percent, senior officials said on Sunday.

DEL37 DL-EC-VOTING-DELAY

Observers were scrutinizing data to ensure its accuracy: Delhi's CEO on delay in voting figures New Delhi: Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh on Sunday said there was no unusual delay in announcing the final voter turnout figure as the returning officers were busy with scrutiny of data throughout the night to ensure its accuracy.

CAL14 OD-BUS-2ND LD FIRE

9 bus passengers electrocuted to death in Odisha Berhampur (Odisha): Nine persons were electrocuted and burnt to death, and 22 others injured, after a portion of a bus came in contact with a power transmission line in Golanthara area of Odisha's Ganjam district on Sunday, officials said.

CAL13 ECONOMY-SITHARAMAN

Laid foundation for USD 5 trillion economy in budget: FM Kolkata: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said the Union Budget has laid the foundation of increasing consumption while ensuring that the government's investment is deployed to build

infrastructure leading to a USD 5 trillion economy by 2024-25.

DEL38 INDIA-BANGLA-RAIL

India-Bangladesh rail link to be ready by 2021: Minister Singh New Delhi: The landmark railway line, connecting the northeastern region with Bangladesh, will be ready by the end of 2021, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Sunday.

MDS9 KHARGE-RESERVATION

SC order on reservation in appointments: Kharge demands that Centre file review petition

Bengaluru: Veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday demanded that the union government either

file a review petition in the Supreme Court or amend the constitution to make reservation a fundamental right in the

wake of the recent apex court order.

FOREIGN

FGN24 CHINA-LDALL VIRUS

China's coronavirus death toll climbs to 813 but new cases fall Beijing: The death toll in China's coronavirus outbreak jumped to 813 on Sunday, surpassing global fatalities in the 2002-03 SARS epidemic, even as Chinese officials said the cases of deadly infection have started declining for the first time after weeks of sharp rise.

By K J M Varma

LEGAL

LGD1 SC-RESERVATION State govt not bound to provide reservations in jobs and promotions: SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has held that states are not bound to provide reservation in appointments and there is no fundamental right to claim quota in promotions.

SPORTS

SPF 11 SPO-CRI-IND A

Gill hits unbeaten ton to guide India A to 234/1 in reply to NZ A's 386/9 Lincoln (New Zealand), Feb 9 (PTI) Shubman Gill struck an unbeaten 107 as India A made 234 for one in their first innings in reply to New Zealand A's 386 for nine declared on the third day of their four-day unofficial Test here on Sunday.