Morning Digest | Footage shows Taliban militants in Afghan presidential palace, Air India flight brings 129 people from Kabul, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day.

Screenshot from footage aired by Al Jazeera shopws Taliban men at the Afghan Presidential Palace in Kabul on August 15, 2021.

Updates | Footage shows Taliban militants in Afghan presidential palace

The latest developments on Afghanistan, where a Taliban blitz has taken large swathes of territory just weeks before the final pullout of American and NATO troops.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says Taliban has won as militants enter Kabul

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Sunday after fleeing the country that the Taliban had won, as the militants entered Kabul -- nearly 20 years after they were ousted from power by a U.S.-led invasion.

Air India flight brings 129 people from Kabul

The situation in Kabul is “extremely fluid and unpredictable,” said officials on Sunday as Air India operated a commercial flight that evacuated 129 passengers. The aircraft, AI 243, faced difficulty while landing in Kabul and had to circle over the Afghan capital for some time as countries raced against time to evacuate their citizens as the Taliban fighters took over.

Analysis | No new grand scheme this year in PM’s address

In his speech from the ramparts of Red Fort on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a ₹100 lakh crore “Gati Shakti” infrastructure plan with great fanfare. He made no mention of the fact that the same scheme has turned up in his last two Independence Day speeches as well.

Federer to miss U.S. Open, to undergo knee operation

Roger Federer is going to miss the U.S. Open and be sidelined for months because he needs a third operation on his right knee, a procedure he said will leave him with “a glimmer of hope” that he can return to competition.

Rajya Sabha ruckus | Union Ministers seek action against Opposition

A delegation of seven ministers called on Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, who is the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, to demand action against some of the Opposition members for what the government described as “unprecedented, extreme and violent acts” in the House on August 11, the concluding day of the monsoon session of Parliament.

Eng vs Ind second Test | Pujara, Rahane resist before England hit back

The seasoned duo of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane found much-needed runs to rescue India from a perilous position and give their team a fighting chance in the second Test against England on Sunday.

With DDC polls, ‘Jungle Raj’ has come to an end in J&K: L-G Manoj Sinha

Amid tight security, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, in his Independence Day address in Srinagar, on Sunday said “Jungle Raj in the Union Territory (UT) has come to an end.” All I-Day functions passed off peacefully and the Internet and mobile services were not snapped, unlike in the past.

Afghans fear a return to brutal Taliban regime

As the Taliban mass at the gates of Kabul, they are promising a new era of peace in Afghanistan, with amnesty for those they have been battling for two decades and a return to normal life.

6,808 deaths due to hydro meteorological calamities in 3 years: Centre

Nearly 6,800 people lost their lives in the country over the past three years due to hydro meteorological calamities such as flash floods, landslides and cyclones and West Bengal has recorded the highest deaths among all States.