Morning Digest: Supreme Court overreacted in Prashant Bhushan case, says Soli Sorabjee; India’s COVID-19 tally crosses 3 million, and more

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

Former Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee gestures during a interview with “The Hindu” in New Delhi on August 22, 2020.

Prashant Bhushan contempt case | Supreme Court overreacted, says Soli Sorabjee

“The court may at the most give a lecture to Prashant now. Warn him, but not punish him... It is rather a delicate balance to keep,” Mr. Sorabjee told  The Hindu  during an interview. He said the court could have ignored the first tweet and the second tweet was merely an opinion.

Coronavirus | India’s COVID-19 tally crosses 3 million

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said India has the “best” COVID-19 recovery rate of about 75%, which is improving every day, and the “lowest” mortality rate of 1.87% in the world.

Home Ministry issues SOP for international passengers

Persons desirous to travel to India on Vande Bharat flights, will register themselves with the Indian missions in the country where they are stranded or residing, along with necessary details as prescribed by Ministry of External Affairs, the SOP said.

Congress Working Committee to meet on August 24

In the backdrop of a renewed debate over the issue of leadership and a full time president, the meeting assumes great significance in terms of direction and the future of the party.

Pakistan puts Dawood Ibrahim, Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi on terror list

If Pakistani Counter-Terror authorities do follow through on the order and add the names from the UNSC list to their own national terror listing, this would be the first time the Mumbai blasts mastermind would be acknowledged as a terrorist by Pakistan government, officials said.

India rejects reference to Jammu and Kashmir in China-Pakistan joint statement

Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Anurag Srivastava said the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is an “integral and inalienable” part of India and that it expects the parties concerned not to interfere in the country’s internal matters.

Bloomsbury says it won’t publish book on Delhi riots after social media backlash

The publishing house faced massive backlash online on Friday after an advertisement of the book launch on Saturday with BJP leader Kapil Mishra as a guest of honour did the rounds on social media.

Trump says could ‘decouple’ and not do business with China

In a video excerpt, Mr. Trump initially told interviewer Steve Hilton “we don’t have to” do business with China, and then later said about decoupling: “Well it’s something that if they don’t treat us right I would certainly, I would certainly do that.”

425 days later, Champions League ends with PSG-Bayern final

Either Paris Saint-Germain will pick up the European Cup for the first time or Bayern Munich will become six-time winners of the continent’s premier competition.

Andy Murray makes triumphant start to year at the Western and Southern Open

The 33-year-old Scotsman advanced in hot and humid conditions to a second-round date with German fifth seed Alexander Zverev at the COVID-19 quarantine bubble that will also be used for the US Open, which starts on August 31.