HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 1700 hours:

Top Stories: DEL23 LD PULWAMA-POLITICS

Rahul asks who benefitted from Pulwama strike, BJP calls him LeT and Jaish sympathiser New Delhi: The Pulwama terror attack was at the centre of a bitter war of words between the opposition and the BJP on Friday with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asking who benefitted from the strike and the ruling party accusing him of being a "known sympathiser" of terror groups LeT and JeM.

FGN8 CHINA-VIRUS-2NDLD TOLL

Death toll in China's coronavirus nears 1,500 with 5,090 new cases Beijing: The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak has spiked to nearly 1,500 with 121 new fatalities reported mostly from the worst-affected Hubei province while the confirmed cases of infection jumped to nearly 65,000, health officials said on Friday. By K J M Varma

LGD43 SC-LD NIRBHAYA

Nirbhaya: SC dismisses death row convict Vinay Sharma's plea challenging rejection of mercy petition New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday dismissed the plea of Vinay Sharma, one of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, challenging the rejection of his mercy petition by the President alleging that it was done in a "mala fide" manner

Nation:

DEL47 NIA-DYSP-ARREST

NIA arrests LoC trader in case related to harbouring terrorists in Kashmir New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Jammu and Kashmir's LoC trade organisation president Tanveer Ahmed Wani in connection with a case related to suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police Davinder Singh, who was caught "escorting" terrorists out of the Valley.

DEL42 PASWAN-RESERVATION-INTERVIEW

Govt should bring ordinance to 'rectify' SC order on reservation in jobs: Paswan (PTI EXCLUSIVE) New Delhi: The government should bring an ordinance to "rectify" the Supreme Court's recent decision on reservation in jobs for SC-ST communities and all such issues should be included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution to insulate them from judicial review, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Friday. By Asim Kamal

DEL25 UP-KAFEEL-2NDLD NSA

Kafeel Khan slapped with NSA for anti-CAA speech at AMU Lucknow: The stringent National Security Act (NSA) has been slapped on Dr Kafeel Khan, who is lodged in Mathura jail, in connection with his anti-CAA speech at the Aligarh Muslim University.

DEL49 EC-SC-CANDIDATES

SC order on decriminalising politics will help set new moral yardsticks: EC New Delhi: The Election Commission on Friday said it "wholeheartedly" welcomes the Supreme Court order on decriminalisation of politics, saying it will go a long way in setting new moral yardsticks for improving electoral democracy.

BOM6 MH-JAVADEKAR

Cong''s ''disappearance'' led to BJP''s defeat in Delhi: Javadekar Pune: Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday said the "sudden disappearance" of the Congress was responsible for the BJP's defeat in Delhi Assembly polls as it led to a direct fight between his party and the Aam Aadmi

Party (AAP).

Felt bad': Mamata on not being invited to E-W Metro launch Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday took umbrage at not being invited to the inauguration of the East-West Metro corridor, asserting that her team had to "shed tears" to sanction the project when

she was the railway minister.

MDS3 TN-AIADMK-BUDGET AIADMK govt bets again on flagship welfare schemes, presents populist budget

Chennai: The AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu on Friday presented a populist budget, the last full-fledged exercise in its present regime ahead of the Assembly elections next year with a Rs 59,346 crore fiscal deficit and is set to borrow Rs 59,209 crore.

Legal: LGD39 SC-LD ABDULLAH

SC notice to J&K on plea challenging Omar Abdullah's detention New Delhi: The Supreme Court issued a notice to the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday on a plea filed by Sara Abdullah Pilot challenging the detention of her brother and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah under the Public Safety Act.

LGD28 SC-LD TELECOM Is there no law left in country: SC on non-compliance of order asking telcos to pay Rs 1.47 lakh cr

New Delhi: Is there no law left in the country, an "anguished" Supreme Court asked on Friday while directing the top echelons of telecom firms to explain why contempt action should not be taken against them for non-compliance of its order to pay adjusted gross revenue of Rs 1.47 lakh crore to the telecom department.

Foreign: FGN17 PAK-TURKEY-KASHMIR

Erdogan raises Kashmir in Pak Parliament, says issue close to both countries Islamabad: Notwithstanding India's objection, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday once again raked up the Kashmir issue, vowing that Ankara will support Pakistan's stand as it is a matter of concern to both the countries. By Sajjad Hussain

FGN14 US-INDIA-LD ENERGY US ready to meet India's energy demand; trade talks continue: White House

Washington: The US is ready to supply oil and gas to energy-hungry India as much as it wants as there is a huge potential for bilateral cooperation in the key sector, a top White House official has said ahead of President Donald Trump's maiden visit to the country.