PTI highlights at 8.15 pm

The following are PTI's top stories at 8.15 pm:

DEL12

PM-LD NETANYAHU

Modi receives Netanyahu at airport, says visit 'historic'

New Delhi: Setting aside protocol, Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, who arrived here on a six-day visit.

DEL13

BORDER BATTALIONS-PAK-CHINA

Govt to raise 15 new battalions for Pak, China borders

New Delhi: The government is planning to raise 15 new battalions in the country's two important border guarding forces -- the BSF and the ITBP -- to fortify defence along the strategic frontiers with Pakistan, Bangladesh and China.

DEL27

INTERVIEW-ARMYCHIEF-LD KASHMIR

Army chief advocates 'politico-military' approach to tackle terror in J-K
 

New Delhi: Advocating a "politico-military" approach in dealing with the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat calls for a political initiative to go hand- in-hand with military operations in the state. By Manash Pratim Bhuyan and Priyanka Tikoo

DEL28

BIZ-ONGC-CHOPPER CRASH

ONGC chopper crash: Six bodies recovered

New Delhi: Six bodies, including that of all the five ONGC officers and one of the two pilots of the ill-fated Pawan Hans chopper, which crashed in the Arabian Sea yesterday, have been recovered.

BOM8

MH-BOAT-LD SEARCH

Boat tragedy: Coast Guard calls off search ops as all students accounted for

Mumbai: A day after a ferry capsized in the Dahanu creek in Maharashtra's Palghar district, the Coast Guard, which had resumed the search operations this morning, subsequently calls them off after confirming that 32 of the 35 students on the boat were rescued while three drowned.

DEL21

PADMAAVAT-RELEASE

'Padmavati' to release as 'Padmaavat' on Jan 25

Mumbai: Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the makers of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmaavat", announces that the film will hit the screens on January 25. The movie, which was earlier titled "Padmavati", will now be released with the title change suggested by the censor board.

DEL26

POL-RAHUL-LD PASSPORTS

Orange passports: Rahul says it shows BJP's discriminatory mindset

New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi attacks the Narendra Modi government over its decision that passport holders requiring emigration check will be given an orange- coloured passport while others will continue to get a blue one, saying it shows the BJP's "discriminatory mindset".

DEL7

BIZ-JAITLEY-AGRI

GDP growth not justifiable unless benefits reach farmers: FM

New Delhi: Ahead of the Budget, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley says the agriculture sector is the top priority for the government because the country's economic growth is not "justifiable and equitable" unless the benefits are "clear and evident" in the farm sector.

DEL14

PM-ISRAEL-2NDLD-TEEN MURTI

Teen Murti Chowk renamed after Israeli city Haifa

New Delhi: Teen Murti Chowk in central Delhi is formally rechristened as Teen Murti-Haifa Chowk in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

MDS6

TN-LD PONGAL

Pongal celebrated in TN, Pondy;Jallikattu peps up festive zeal

Chennai/Puducherry: The harvest festival of 'Pongal' is being celebrated with traditional fervour across Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Puducherry with the bull-taming sport of Jallikattu and a host of other games pepping up the festive spirit.

CAL1

WB-GANGA SAGAR

Over 20 lakh devotees take holy dip on Makar Sankranti

Sagar Island (WB): Nearly 20 lakh devotees from across the country as well as from neighbouring Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh take the holy dip at the confluence of the River Ganga and the Bay of Bengal on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.

LEGAL

LGD8

SC-JUDGES-LD BCI

SC judges, lawyers' bodies hold hectic parleys over top court crisis

New Delhi: Hectic parleys are going on among Supreme Court judges over the crisis that has erupted after the virtual revolt by four seniormost judges of the apex court against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.

FOREIGN

FGN13

UK-INDIA-MOU

India, UK ink pacts on illegal migrants' return, sharing intel

London: India and the UK sign two agreements on the return of Indians, who are living in Britain as illegal migrants, and sharing criminal records and intelligence. By H S Rao

FGN15

UN-AKBARUDDIN-TWITTER

Twitter handle of India's top envoy to UN Akbaruddin hacked

United Nations: The Twitter account of Syed Akbaruddin gets hacked, with the unperturbed Indian envoy to the UN asserting that it will take more than a hack to keep him down.