A Selection Board of the Indian Army cleared the way for the promotion of five women officers to Colonel (Time Scale) rank, post completion of 26 years of reckonable service: Ministry of Defence

Taliban won’t extend Aug. 31 deadline for Western forces to leave -Taliban sources

The Taliban will not extend an Aug. 31 deadline for Western forces to leave Afghanistan, two sources in the Islamist group told Reuters on Monday. The sources, however, said no Western government or official had approached the Taliban to extend the deadline.

Portion of landfill collapses on slum in Delhi

A portion of Bhalswa landfill collapsed on the nearby slums earlier today. Some shanties were damaged. Delhi Police and Fire Department are present at the spot. No reports of people being trapped received yet, ANI reports.

Shops, businesses in TN district can operate till 10 p.m.

Coimbatore District Collector, G.S. Sameeran on Monday issued an order that the shops and other establishments in the Tamil Nadu district can operate till 10 p.m. For the past 20 days, the shops and establishments in Coimbatore district have remained closed after 5 p.m. The District Collector after a meeting with officials to assess the Covid-19 situation allowed the opening of bars and hotels in the district. Parks and botanical gardens too are allowed to operate from Monday. With the Tamil Nadu government allowing theatres to resume with 50 per cent capacity from Monday, the Coimbatore district administration has allowed permission for the same.

CM Arvind Kejriwal inaugurates country’s first smog tower at Connaught Place in Delhi

Smog tower set up as pilot project. If it is successful, it will be replicated in other parts of Delhi: Kejriwal

Jewellers in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu protest against the implementation of Hallmarking Unique ID (HUID)

Jewellers in Chennai observed a half-day shutdown today against the implementation of mandatory Hallmarking Unique ID (HUID). Jewellers in Ahmedabad, Gujarat observe one-day total shutdown today..

Sikhs being evacuated from Afghanistan

Two persons out of 146 people who have returned to India from Afghanistan today have tested positive for COVID19

– Rajinder Kumar, Nodal Officer (Delhi govt) for COVID19 testing of Afghanistan returnees

MEA on Afghan conflict

Australia PM says COVID ‘groundhog day’ to end when more vaccinated

Australia must start to learn to live with COVID-19 when higher vaccination targets are reached, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday, despite concerns in some states about the impact of a surge in cases in Sydney.

IAF’s flight likely to airlift 46 Afghan Hindus, Sikhs

An Indian Air Force (IAF) special flight, carrying stranded Indian nationals and 46 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs, is expected to take off from Kabul Airport on Monday. Indian World Forum President Puneet Singh Chandhok said international forces have escorted the evacuees to the Indian Air Force aircraft. According to him, three Sri Guru Granth Sahib is also on their way from Afghanistan.

German and US forces joined in a gun battle Monday at the North Gate of Kabul airport after Afghan guards and unknown assailants exchanged fire, with one guard killed, the German army says

AFP

Germany says firefight involving Western forces erupts at Kabul Airport

While the Taliban have deployed fighters outside the airport, where they have tried to help enforce some kind of order, there are Afghan guards helping U.S. forces inside the airport. CNN reported that a sniper outside the airport had fired at Afghan guards inside the facility and they had returned fire but U.S. forces had fired back at the Afghan guards.

Attackers kill Afghan soldier at Kabul airport

The German military says a firefight broke out at the Kabul airport’s north gate early on Monday between Afghan security forces and “unknown attackers.” The military said in a tweet that one Afghan security officer was killed and another three were wounded in the early morning incident. It said that U.S. and German forces then also got involved, and that there were no injuries to German soldiers.

‘Caste-based census need of hour,’ says CPI(M) MLA

Speaking to ANI, Ajay Kumar said, “We told the chief minister that we should meet Prime Minister because the caste-based census is the need of the hour. Caste-based exploitation takes place even today. A caste-based census will be like a mirror to help rectify this. So, we will meet Prime Minister Modi today, under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.”

To hold a caste-based census has been a long-standing demand of Bihar. In this regard, we are meeting the PM today

– HAM president & former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi

Twice resolutions have been passed in Bihar Assembly for caste census in the state. With such a census we can get data that can help in preparing relevant benefit schemes for people from different sections of society

– RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav in Delhi

Caste Census Meet

VIP’s Mukesh Sahani, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, HAM’s Jitan Ram Manjhi and other leaders of Bihar arrive at South Block for a meeting, under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar, with PM Narendra Modi over caste-based census.

Nitish Kumar meets PM

For Afghan refugees in India, hopes dim for returning home

Her memory of the assassination attempt is hazy. What she does know is that her father asked the Taliban to do it. A former Afghan policewoman, Khatera Hashmi was shot multiple times on her way home from work last October in the capital of Ghazni province, south of Kabul.

Twice resolutions have been passed in Bihar Assembly for caste census in the state. With such a census we can get data that can help in preparing relevant benefit schemes for people from different sections of society

– RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav in Delhi

India reports 25,072 new COVID19 cases

Last rites of Kalyan Singh to be performed with full state honours

The last rites of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh will be performed on Monday at Rajghat in Narora of Bulandshahr district with full state honours, officials here said. The mortal remains of the BJP leader, which were kept at Ahilya Bai Holkar stadium here, will be taken to his native village Madholi at 9.30 am, and from there they will be taken at Rajghat in Narora, they said.

National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), has warned of a third COVID-19 wave peak in October in its recent report to Prime Minister’s Office

Puducherry CM takes first dose of vaccine

Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy on Sunday received his first dose of COVD-19 vaccine here at his residence. The door-to-door vaccination facility has been launched for the elderly, physically challenged and others with special needs in the Union Territory.

Thunderstorm, light to moderate rain likely in Delhi today

The national capital is likely to receive light to moderate rains with thunderstorm on Monday, the India Meteorological Department said. The city recorded a minimum temperature of 26.2 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 35 degrees Celsius, the weather department said.

Bitcoin jumps above $50,000 for first time since May

The unit climbed around two percent to $50,249.15, its highest since mid-May, when it began tumbling on a range of issues including China’s crackdown on cryptocurrencies and Tesla boss Elon Musk’s decision to stop accepting it on concerns about the environmental impact of mining.

Pak intel agency played key role in Taliban takeover of Afghanistan: US Congressman

Pakistan and its intelligence service have played a key role in fostering the Taliban and allowing it to eventually take over Afghanistan, a top Republican lawmaker has alleged, stating that it is disgusting to watch Islamabad celebrate the group’s victory that will bring “untold brutality” to Afghans.

146 people evacuated from Afghanistan arrive in Delhi on various flights

Australia willing to support extension of evacuation

Australia is willing to assist with evacuations from Afghanistan after Aug. 31 if the United States decides to delay its withdrawal, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Monday. U.S. President Joe Biden last week said U.S. troops may stay in Afghanistan past an Aug. 31 deadline to evacuate Americans.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray to hold a key meeting with Dahi Handi Coordination Committee in Mumbai today via video conferencing. Various “Dahi Handi mandals” had requested the state govt to allow them to celebrate Dahi Handi while keeping it small scale.

ANI

Biden hopeful for ending Afghan airlift on time

President Joe Biden on Sunday said he still hopes to complete the “heartbreaking” evacuation from Afghanistan by the end of the month but warned of potential terrorist attacks against the crowded Kabul airport. As the numbers of evacuees steadily rose, despite a volatile situation on the ground and enormous logistical difficulties, Biden said he was aiming to complete the task by August 31, the date agreed with the Taliban.

N.Korea develops its own PCR equipment for COVID-19 tests

North Korea has developed its own Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) equipment to conduct coronavirus tests, state media said on Monday, as the country steps up efforts to head off more contagious new strains of the virus.

Delegation of 10 political parties to meet PM Modi today demanding caste census

A delegation of leaders from 10 political parties including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Leader of Opposition in Bihar Legislative Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to demand a caste-based census at 11:00 am on Monday. “Caste-based Census would be not just for Bihar, people in the whole country will benefit from this,” Janata Dal (United) supremo said, who arrived in the national capital on Sunday.

Taiwan’s president leads way in first domestic COVID-19 shot

The health ministry last month approved the emergency use of Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp’s COVID-19 vaccine, part of a broader plan for inoculation self-sufficiency as delays in vaccine deliveries from global drug companies have affected Taiwan and many other countries.

Allow safe evacuation of civilians from Afghanistan, says OIC

The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has expressed concern about the ongoing situation in Afghanistan and underscored the importance of cooperation in facilitating the safe evacuation of civilians wishing to leave the war-ravaged country.

Harris to meet with Singapore officials to begin Asia visit

The trip, which brings Harris to Singapore and then later to Vietnam this week, is aimed at broadening cooperation with both nations to offer a counterweight to China’s growing influence in the region. She is expected to address economic and security issues as well as efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

US has ‘surrendered’ to Taliban, says Nikki Haley

“They’re not negotiating with the Taliban. They’ve completely surrendered to the Taliban. They surrendered Bagram Air Force Base, which was a major NATO hub. They surrendered $85 billion worth of equipment and weapons that we should have gotten out of there,” Haley told CBS News in an interview.

‘Hundreds of fighters’ heading to Panjshir Valley: Taliban

The Taliban has said that hundreds of its fighters are heading for the Panjshir Valley, which is currently the center of the resistance in war-ravaged Afghanistan. Hundreds of “mujahideen” are heading towards the state of Panjshir to control the province, Sputnik reported citing a news agency.