HIGHLIGHTS

HIGHLIGHTS

These are the top stories at 9.25 pm: NATION DEL45 AFGHAN-INDIA-2NDLD RUSSIA NSA Doval, top Russian security official hold talks on Afghan crisis New Delhi: NSA Ajit Doval on Wednesday held talks with his Russian counterpart Gen Nikolay Patrushev in mitigating any possible security threat from the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, a day after holding similar deliberations with CIA Chief William Burns.

DEL72 AFGHAN-INDORUSSIA-PM-LD OFFICIAL Russian security official calls on Modi New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the visit to India by Secretary of the Security Council of Russia Nikolai Patrushev allowed ''useful discussions'' between the two sides on important regional developments.

DEL65 HR-FARMERS-2NDLD PROTEST Another round of talks fails, farmers stay put outside Karnal secretariat Karnal (Haryana): Another round of talks between district officials and farmers protesting over a police lathi-charge last month failed Wednesday and the protesters said they will continue their sit-in ''indefinitely'' at the district headquarters here. DEL26 FARMLAWS-PANEL MEMBER Farm laws: SC-appointed panel member says report 100% in favour of farmers New Delhi/Pune: Hopeful of an early resolution to the long-running farmers' protests on the national capital borders, a key member of the Supreme Court-appointed panel on contentious agri-laws on Wednesday said the report submitted by the committee is ''cent per cent'' in favour of farmers and the apex court must take up the matter without any delay.

DEL8 VIRUS-LD CASES COVID-19: India records 37,875 new cases, 369 fatalities New Delhi: India logged 37,875 new cases of coronavirus infection taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,30,96,718, while the active cases declined to 3,91,256, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

CAL15 AS-LD BOAT Many casualties feared as boat sinks in Assam after colliding with ferry steamer Jorhat/Guwahati: A boat with over 120 people on board sank in the Brahmaputra river after colliding with a ferry steamer near Nimati Ghat in Jorhat district of Assam on Wednesday and there could be ''many casualties'', officials said.

DEL60 DEF-CAB-AIRCRAFT-IAF CCS clears procurement of 56 transport aircraft from Airbus for IAF New Delhi: In a major decision, the Cabinet Committee on Security on Wednesday approved procurement of 56 twin-turboprop C-295 aircraft for the Indian Air Force to replace its ageing Avro fleet.

DEL59 DEF-IAF-LD BHADAURIA Looking at procuring 350 aircraft over next two decades: IAF chief New Delhi: The Indian Air Force is looking at procuring around 350 aircraft from the domestic aerospace industry in the next two decades that include the 83 Light Combat aircraft Tejas, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said on Wednesday.

MDS18 KL-NIPAH-LD MINISTER 46 test negative for Nipah so far: Kerala Health Minister Kozhikode: Test results of 46 people who had come in close contact with the 12-year-old child who succumbed to Nipah have been negative, till now, for the virus infection, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on Wednesday.

CAL19 WB-MAMATA-LD CAMPAIGN TMC leaders targeted by Modi-Shah soon after bypoll dates are announced: Mamata Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of using central agencies to target Trinamool Congress leaders as part of the BJP's vendetta politics, as soon as the assembly by-poll dates were announced.

BUSINESS DEL38 CAB LD-TEXTILES Govt approves Rs 10,683 cr PLI scheme for textiles New Delhi: The Cabinet on Wednesday approved the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme worth Rs 10,683 crore for textiles sector with an aim to boost domestic manufacturing and exports.

DEL57 BIZ-CCEA-2NDLD WHEAT MSP Govt hikes wheat MSP by Rs 40 to Rs 2,015 per quintal; says support price system will continue New Delhi: The government on Wednesday hiked the minimum support price for wheat by Rs 40 to Rs 2,015 per quintal to boost production as well as farmers' income and asserted that the system of purchasing crops at support prices will continue.

DEL64 BIZ-TAX-PORTAL-UPDATES Income tax portal's tech issues being progressively addressed; 1.19 cr ITRs filed: CBDT New Delhi: The income tax department on Wednesday said a number of technical issues on the new ITR portal are being progressively addressed and 1.19 crore ITRs for 2020-21 fiscal year have been filed so far.

LEGAL LGD18 SC-NDA-LD WOMAN Armed forces have decided to induct women in NDA, Centre tells SC New Delhi: The Centre informed the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the armed forces have decided to induct women into the National Defence Academy (NDA).

LGD22 SC-2NDLD JOURNALISTS Can't create separate avenue for scribes to come directly to apex court for quashing of FIRs: SC New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday said it does not want freedom of press to be muzzled or stifled but it cannot create a separate avenue for journalists to approach it directly for quashing of FIRs lodged against them.

FOREIGN FGN39 AFGHAN-TALIBAN-GOVT-BLACKLIST At least 14 members of Taliban's govt on UNSC's terrorism blacklist Kabul/Peshawar: At least 14 members of the Taliban's hardline interim government in Kabul are on the UN Security Council's terrorism blacklist, including acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund and his both deputies, raising concern of the international community over the composition of the new Cabinet in Afghanistan.

FGN56 PAK-AFGHAN-2NDLD MEETING Afghanistan's 'new reality' requires world to discard 'old lenses': Pak FM Qureshi Islamabad: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday hosted the first ministerial meeting of Afghanistan's neighbours since the Taliban took over in Kabul, saying that even though the situation in the war-weary country is ''complex and fluid'', its ''new reality'' required the world to discard ''old lenses'' and proceed with a ''realistic approach''.

Source: Dev Discourse