HIGHLIGHTS AT 1230 HRS

    New Delhi, Feb 13 (PTI) Following are the top stories at 1230 hrs:
    
    Top stories
    
    LGD23 SC-LD POLL CANDIDATES
    SC directs parties to upload on website details of pending criminal cases against candidates
    New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed all political parties to upload on their website details of pending criminal cases against candidates contesting polls, noting that there has been an alarming increase in criminalisation of politics.

    FGN4 CHINA-VIRUS-LD TOLL
    China coronavirus: Record 242 new deaths, nearly 15,000 fresh cases report in Hubei in 1 day
    Beijing: China's Hubei province, the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus, has reported a record 242 new fatalities and nearly 15,000 fresh cases in a single day, local health officials announced on Thursday, the fastest rise in the daily count since the virus outbreak was first identified in December. By K J M Varma

    FGN10 US-TRUMP-INDIA-SENATORS
    Ahead of Trump's India visit, US Senators seek assessment of human rights, religious freedom situations in India
    Washington: Ahead of President Donald Trump's maiden visit to India, four influential US Senators, who described themselves as "longtime friends of India", have sought an assessment of the human rights situation in Kashmir and religious freedom in the country, saying hundreds of Kashmiris remain in "preventive detention". By Lalit K Jha

    NATION
    
    DEL4 HAFIZ-INDIA
    Efficacy of Pak's decision to send Hafiz to jail remains to be seen: Govt sources
    New Delhi: The efficacy of Pakistan's decision to send Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed to jail remains to be seen as it came just days ahead of a global watchdog's review on Islamabad's action against terror networks operating from the country, official sources said on Thursday.
    
    DEL10 DL-KEJRIWAL-OATH
    No CM, political leaders from other states will be invited for Kejriwal's oath ceremony: Gopal Rai
    New Delhi: No chief minister or political leaders from other states will be part of AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal's oath ceremony at Ramlila Maidan here on February 16, said a senior party leader on Thursday.
    
    DEL14 MHA-SHAH-DRUGS
    Zero tolerance policy towards narcotics: HM Amit Shah
    New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said India has adopted a zero tolerance policy towards narcotics and the country's narcotics control measures will be overhauled so that smuggling and trade of drugs is stopped completely.    

    DEL16 JK-ENVOYS
    Foreign envoys briefed by Army on security situation in J-K
    Srinagar: Army officials on Thursday briefed the delegation of foreign envoys visiting Jammu and Kashmir on the security situation here.

    DEL8 UP-LD ACCIDENT
    13 killed in bus-truck collision in UP's Firozabad
    Firozabad: At least 13 people were killed and 31 seriously injured as the private bus in which they were travelling collided with a truck on Agra-Lucknow Expressway in Firozabad district, a senior police official said on Thursday.

    DEL15 DL-BOOKIE-EXTRADITION
    Wanted bookie Sanjiv Chawla extradited from UK
    New Delhi: Sanjiv Chawla, a key accused in the match-fixing scandal involving former South African cricket team captain Hansie Cronje in 2000, was extradited from the UK on Thursday, Delhi Police said.

    
    BOM5 MH-NAVY-KOVIND
    Greater vigilance needed in Indo-Pacific region: Kovind
    Pune: The geopolitical situation across the world, specially in the Indo-Pacific region, demands greater vigilance, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Thursday.
    
    BOM6 MP-BRIDGE-LD COLLAPSE
    Part of ramp connecting FOB at Bhopal stn collapses; 8 injured
    Bhopal: A slab of a ramp connecting the foot over-bridge (FOB) between two platforms at Bhopal railway station collapsed on Thursday morning, injuring eight people, an official said.
    
    MDS1 KA-BANDH
    Karnataka Bandh: Buses, autos plie as usual
    Bengaluru: The bandh call given by some pro-Kannada organisations to demand implementation of a report which recommended job reservation to Kannadigas had little effect on normal life in Bengaluru and other parts of the state on Thursday.

    
    LEGAL
    
    LGD21 SC-NIRBHAYA-MERCY
    SC rejects Nirbhaya convict Vinay's request to peruse recommendation for rejection of mercy plea
    New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the request of Nirbhaya case death-row convict Vinay Sharma to peruse recommendation for rejection of his mercy plea.

    LGD19 SC-LD GARGI
    SC refuses PIL seeking CBI probe into 'molestation' of Gargi students, asks petitioner to move HC
    New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a plea seeking a CBI probe monitored by it into the alleged molestation of students during a cultural festival at the all-woman Gargi College here last week.
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)