Morning Digest | India’s physio tests positive, but final Test set to go ahead; All public gatherings banned in Tamil Nadu till October 31, and more

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

England players look at the pitch during a practice session on the eve of the fifth Test against India in Manchester on September 9, 2021.

Coronavirus | All public gatherings banned in Tamil Nadu till October 31

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Thursday ordered the extension of the ban on political, social, cultural and religous gatherings in public places until October 31 to combat the spread of COVID-19. The other current restrictions in place would continue till 6 am of Spetember 15, he added in an official release.

Centre kicks off major public outreach in J&K

The Centre on Thursday kicked off a major public outreach in J&K that will see around 70 Union ministers listening to people and their representatives for the next nine weeks in the Union Territory.

BRICS seeks ‘inclusive’ intra-Afghan dialogue

The 13th BRICS summit held virtually on Thursday, called for an “inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue” for stability in Afghanistan. The virtual summit, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was dominated by the developments in Afghanistan, and adopted the BRICS Counter Terrorism Action Plan.

Nagaland Governor R.N. Ravi shifted to Tamil Nadu; Banwarilal Purohit moves to Punjab

Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh, who retired as the deputy chief of Army, was on Thursday appointed the Governor of Uttarakhand, a post which fell vacant after Baby Rani Maurya tendered her resignation.

India’s physio tests positive, but final Test set to go ahead

After a day of high drama, which saw India’s physiotherapist Yogesh Parmar returning a positive test for COVID-19 and the BCCI entering into negotiations with the ECB for calling off the fifth Test, the Indians will take the field for a mouth-watering series finale against England at Old Trafford in Manchester on Friday.

I-T returns filing deadline for individuals extended to December 31

The government on September 9 extended the deadline till December 31 for filing of Income Tax returns by individuals for the financial year 2021 due to the pandemic and technical glitches in the Income tax portal. Earlier, the deadline was extended to September 30, 2021. Usually, the last date is July 31.

No sign of joint action by Opposition

Three weeks after top Opposition leaders at a virtual meet , convened by Congress president Sonia Gandhi on August 20, talked about joint action against the Narendra Modi government, there seems to be little progress on the ground.

Australian ministers set to discuss Afghanistan at 2+2 meeting

Canberra is “deeply disappointed” by the Taliban government announcement this week and coordinating joint strategies to deal with the situation in Afghanistan will be discussed during the first “2+2” double ministerial between Australian and Indian Foreign and Defence ministers.

Amit Shah reviews J&K security, development schemes

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday chaired a meeting to review the security arrangements and progress in the implementation of various development programmes in Jammu and Kashmir.

Congress, TMC, DMK refuse to be part of special committee to discipline MPs

The Congress has refused to be part of the special committee that Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu wants to constitute to investigate the proceedings of the last two days of the recently concluded monsoon session of Parliament, which were marred by violent protests and scuffle between the members and the security staff.

‘Love jihad’ case | Gujarat High Court asks why government has problems when the woman wants to remain married?

The Gujarat High Court on September 9 asked the State government to file an affidavit explaining its objections in an interfaith marriage case in which the police have lodged an FIR booking husband, in-laws and priests for solemnising the marriage.

18% of India’s adult population has received both doses of COVID-19 vaccine: Government

The government on September 9 said 58% of India’s adult population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine while 18% got both the shots as the total number of jabs administered in the country crossed 72 crore.

Ford to stop manufacturing cars in India

U.S.-headquartered Ford on Thursday announced restructuring of the Indian operation under which the company will stop manufacturing vehicles at its two plants in the country, resulting in loss of jobs for about 4,000 employees.

Explained | Why is Avro aircraft replacement and C-295 aircraft induction critical for the IAF ?

The procurement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft from Airbus Defence and Space S.A., Spain approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security on Wednesday marks the culmination of a decade-long process by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to replace the ageing Avro aircraft in service, pending signing of the formal contract.

Rashid Khan resigns as Afghanistan captain after T20 World Cup squad announcement

Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan stepped down from his position with immediate effect on Thursday, shortly after the country’s cricket board (ACB) named him in their squad for the Twenty20 World Cup in October-November.