Morning Digest | Last troops exit Afghanistan, ending America's longest war; Farmers threaten to lay siege to mini-Secretariat at Karnal, and more

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

U.S. Marine Corps General Frank McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, arrives at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghanistan. File photo

Last troops exit Afghanistan, ending America's longest war

The United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan late Monday, ending America’s longest war and closing a chapter in military history likely to be remembered for colossal failures, unfulfilled promises and a frantic final exit that cost the lives of more than 180 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members, some barely older than the war.

UNSC adopts resolution on Afghanistan; demands territory not be used to attack other countries

The United Nations Security Council, under the current Presidency of India, on Monday, August 30, 2021, adopted a resolution on the  situation in Afghanistan , demanding that the war-torn country not be used to  threaten or attack any nation  or shelter terrorists.

Private hospitals lift less than 10% of vaccines

Private hospitals picked up only 9.4% of the COVID vaccines — Covishield and Covaxin — between May 1 and August 17, though 25% of the doses were allotted

Taliban didn’t take away passports: Afghan visa agency

A week after the Government of India cancelled all existing visas for Afghan nationals wanting to travel to India, and instituted the “e-visa only” system after reports that Taliban gunmen had stolen many passports, the sole Indian visa agency has denied any passports have been lost or misplaced.

25% fresh infection among fully vaccinated Delhi hospital healthcare workers: study

In an indicator of the diminishing role of vaccines in preventing transmission of the coronavirus, a little over 25% of the fully vaccinated healthcare workers of a Delhi hospital contracted a fresh or ‘breakthrough’ infection. None of the nearly 600 vaccine recipients, however, reportedly required hospitalisation.

India supports Palestine peace process: Shringla

India will support “all efforts” to restart the peace process between Israel and Palestine, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla conveyed to the UN Security Council meeting on Monday which also witnessed tabling of an important resolution on Afghanistan.

Pandits celebrate Janmashtami, take out rath yatras in Kashmir

Kashmiri Pandits celebrated ‘Janmashtami’, birthday of Lord Krishna, with religious fervour in Srinagar on Monday and took out ‘rath yatras’ for the first time in north Kashmir’s Handwara district.

Haryana farmer unions threaten indefinite siege to Karnal mini-Secretariat

Haryana farmer unions on Monday held a meeting in Karnal to demand registration of cases against the officials responsible for the lathicharge on the farmers this past weekend and ₹25 lakh compensation to the next of kin of the farmer who allegedly died due to the injuries sustained during the police action, among other things.

Schools, colleges in Tamil Nadu to reopen as planned; beaches closed on Sundays

Schools for classes 9 to 12, colleges and polytechnics will reopen in Tamil Nadu as planned from September 1, while beaches will be closed to the public on Sundays and no public display of religious festivities, including for Vinayagar Chathurthi, will be allowed, the State government announced on Monday.

102 Vande Bharat trains to be operational by March 2024

Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the operation of 75 Vande Bharat trains, the Ministry of Railways has floated tenders for manufacturing 58 rakes, each comprising 16 coaches. Tenders have already been floated for making 44 rakes.

Historians say the new-look Jallianwala Bagh is a distortion of history

The new-look Jallianwala Bagh memorial that Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation on August 28 was a distortion of history of the site where British troops massacred Indians on April 13, 1919, historians said on Monday.

New initiative in J&K to restore lost glory of Pashmina shawls

Over a period, the number of women associated with hand-spinning of yarns for Pashmina shawls has dwindled significantly in Kashmir, but a rare initiative to double the wages and ensure round-the-year orders is likely to see the re-engagement of women artisans in a critical production process of the world-famous hand-made shawls.

Externment orders must be used only in exceptional cases: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has held that the power of the State to pass an externment order or a direction barring certain people entry to specified areas should be exercised only in “exceptional cases”.

After a dip, Maharashtra’s COVID-19 patient discharges rise

After nearly a week of cases outweighing recoveries, Maharashtra rallied again to see a trend reversal as 4,696 patients were discharged on Monday against a comparatively surge of 3,741 new COVID-19 cases.