After Ashraf Ghani fled the war-torn country, Afghan first vice president Amrullah Saleh declared himself as the "legitimate caretaker President" in accordance with the constitution that states that in the absence of the President, the first vice president becomes the caretaker President.

Citing the Constitution of Afghanistan, Saleh said that "in absence, escape, resignation or death of the President, the First Vice President becomes the caretaker President. I am currently inside my country & am the legitimate caretaker President."

"Clarity: As per d constitution of Afg, in absence, escape, resignation or death of the President the FVP becomes the caretaker President. I am currently inside my country & am the legitimate care taker President. Am reaching out to all leaders to secure their support & consensus," Saleh tweeted.

In his first comments after he left Afghanistan, Ghani, in a Facebook post, said on Sunday that he left the country in order to avoid "bloodshed" as Kabul fell to the Taliban and terrorists entered the Afghanistan presidential palace.

Saleh also said that arguing with US President Joe Biden is futile. He called on Afghans to "join the resistance" after the Taliban took control of Kabul.

"It is futile to argue with @POTUS on Afghanistan now. Let him digest it. We Afghans must prove that Afghan isn't Vietnam and the Talibs aren't even remotely like Vietcong. Unlike US/NATO we hvn't lost spirit and see enormous oprtnities ahead. Useless caveats are finished. JOIN THE RESISTANCE," he wrote in another tweet.

Earlier on Sunday, Saleh said that never, ever and under no circumstances would he bow to the Taliban.

The Taliban entered Kabul on Sunday and took control of the presidential palace. The terrorist group is now everywhere in the capital, walking the streets of Kabul with ease (and with American weapons in hand).

The Congress on Tuesday appointed Netta D'Souza acting president of the party's women's wing, after Sushmita Dev quit the party to join the Trinamool Congress.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has appointed D'Souza acting president of the All India Mahila Congress with immediate effect till a full-time chief is appointed, a party statement said.

After her appointment, D'Souza, who was a general secretary of the party's women's wing, thanked Sonia Gandhi, former party chief Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and K C Venugopal for giving her the opportunity.

In a tweet, D'Souza said she would ensure that she meets the leadership's expectations and the vision of the Congress.

Dev, who was the national spokesperson of the Congress and chief of the All-India Mahila Congress, sent her resignation letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi on Sunday.

In her letter to Gandhi, Dev said she was beginning a "new chapter" in her "life of public service".

On Monday, Dev joined the TMC in the presence of senior party leader Abhishek Banerjee in Kolkata, and the Mamata Banerjee-led party welcomed her into its fold.

Facebook issued a notice to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, in a complaint regarding a video posted on Instagram where the identity of the parents of a minor victim had been disclosed.

The notice accessed by ANI reads, "According to National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)'s August 10, 2021 notice post you (Rahul Gandhi) uploaded through your Instagram account. It is unlawful under section 74 of Juvenile Justice Act 2015, section 23 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and section 288A of the Indian penal code (IPC) in accordance with NCPCR as notice you are requested to remove this post expeditiously."

Facebook has sought exemption from appearing in person which NCPCR has granted, but the apex child rights body will issue an order on this.

Priyank Kanoongo, chairperson of NCPCR said, "Facebook has given us a reply. It stated that they have issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi and have asked to remove the post immediately."

"After seeing every aspect such as the IT Act, POCSO, Juvenile Justice and CPCR, NCPCR will issue an order in a maximum time period of two days," said Kanoongo.

Before this, the apex child rights body wrote to Twitter asking it to take action against Rahul Gandhi for posting it on social media platforms.

Earlier, Twitter had temporarily locked Rahul Gandhi's account. Over this, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the microblogging site is a "biased platform" and follows the government's directions.

On August 1, a nine-year-old girl was allegedly raped and killed by a priest and three employees of a crematorium near the Delhi Cantonment in southwest Delhi.

Delhi Police registered a case against four accused on the basis of the statement of the minor's mother who alleged that her daughter was raped, murdered and cremated without their consent on Sunday.

The matter is under active consideration.

The UK government on Tuesday updated its official travel advisory for India to reflect the country's upgraded status under the COVID-19 based traffic light system, no longer advising against 'all but essential travel'.

India moved from the UK's red list travel ban to amber on August 8 and now the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advisory has been updated to coincide with the easing of rules.

"Following the peak of India's second COVID-19 wave in May, pressure on the Indian health care system has lifted, as the number of COVID-19 cases has fallen," reads the FCDO update.

"A limited number of flights between India and the UK continue to operate. To book tickets and to see important guidance prior to travel you should check airline websites," it notes.

"Before you travel, check the 'Entry Requirements' section for India's current entry restrictions and requirements. These may change with little warning. Monitor this advice for the latest updates and stay in contact with your travel provider," it adds.

The update means travellers are better placed on their travel insurance options.

Under the amber list rules, fully vaccinated British nationals returning from India no longer need to quarantine, but must arrange a pre-departure test while still in the country as well as a day two PCR test after returning home to the UK. To qualify as fully vaccinated, only UK, EU and US approved vaccines are recognised and require passengers to have had their second vaccine injection two full weeks before you travel.

Other nationals, vaccinated abroad or unvaccinated, are required to self-isolate at their declared address on the compulsory passenger locator form. They are also required to get a pre-departure PCR test and another test on day two and day eight of their entry to the UK.

Over the weekend, UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid had confirmed a cut in costs of these compulsory tests and also commissioned the country's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to address complaints of steep prices and discrepancies in the administration of these tests.

The 95-year-old monarch, who is fully vaccinated against coronavirus, has chosen to continue with her vacation at the Scottish castle after the employee in question was sent home on Saturday, The Sun newspaper reports. 

"We have procedures in place should a member of any team get Covid," Buckingham Palace said in a statement. 

A stay at Balmoral is an annual summer tradition for the royal family. 

However, this year is the Queen's first stay there since the death of her husband, Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh, in April. 

The monarch has been joined by family members including her younger son Prince Andrew the Duke of York and his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York. 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are expected to arrive later this month.

The rupee on Tuesday declined by 11 paise to close at 74.35 against the US currency due to a stronger dollar in the overseas markets.

At the interbank foreign exchange market, the domestic currency opened flat at 74.23 against the American currency but later slipped to close at 74.35.

"Rupee opened on a flat note but fell in the latter half of the session following weakness in domestic equities. Broader strength in the dollar against its major crosses also weighed on the currency," said Gaurang Somaiyaa, Forex & Bullion Analyst, Motilal Oswal Financial Services.

Somaiyaa said that market participants are awaiting for more cues from the Federal Reserve meeting minutes that would be released this week.

Investors will focus on the retail sales number that will be released from the US. Weaker-than-expected number could keep gains capped for the dollar, he said adding that "we expect the USDINR (Spot) to trade sideways with a positive bias and quote in the range of 74.05 and 74.50."

The Cabinet Committee on Security is the apex government body that deals with the issues of national security. 

Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended the meeting, besides senior officials. 

While official sources confirmed the meeting, there was no word on what transpired there. 

Sources said those present in the meeting also included National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, as also India's Ambassador to Afghanistan Rudrendra Tandon, who returned to India on Tuesday itself. 

Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday condemned the vandalism of the statue of Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Pakistan's city of Lahore, stating that this act attempts to erase the shared history of the subcontinent.

"Vandalism in Lahore of the statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji, the great unifier of India, has to be strongly condemned. This act, which attempts to erase the shared history of the subcontinent shows how extremist ideologies feel emboldened in our volatile neighbourhood," Union minister Puri tweeted. This incident has happened for the third time in recent years. Ranjit Singh's statue was also vandalized in December 2020. 

The Lahore police have arrested a man and a hammer has been seized from his possession, Samaa TV reported.

The nine-foot-tall structure in cold bronze was unveiled at the Lahore Fort on June 27, 2019, to mark the former ruler's 180th death anniversary.

Earlier today, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa also condemned the incident, stating Pakistan's radicals have once again hurt Sikh sentiments by vandalising Maharaja Ranjit Singh's statue.

"I have apprised Jt Secretary, minister of external affairs (PAI) JP Singh about this incident who has assured me that he would take up this matter with Pakistan embassy in India and ask them to take a strict action to curb such hateful vandalising events," Sirsa said in a video posted on his Twitter handle.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh, known as Lion of Punjab, Singh was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire who ruled over Punjab for close to four decades.

 A division bench of Justices K K Tated and P K Chavan said in addition to compliance of COVID-19 protocols, the procession, scheduled to be held for three hours on August 20, will have to be limited to seven trucks with 15 persons in each vehicle. The court further stated that only people who have taken both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and have completed 14 days since the last dose, will be permitted on the trucks.

 "Five Taziyas will be allowed to be taken. Of 105 persons, only 25 will be allowed to go inside the cemetery,' the court said. The order was passed on a petition filed by city-based NGO All India Idara Tahfaz-e-Hussainiyat that sought permission from the court to take out processions and perform rituals during Muharram, as the Maharashtra government has relaxed the conditions imposed in the city. The petitioner sought permission for 1,000 people to participate in the procession from August 18 to 20 for two hours each day.  -- PTI

Excerpts from the MEA briefing...

The area, spread on 2.5 sq km and home to over six lakh people, has not reported a new case for the sixth time this month, he said. 

The tally of infections recorded in Dharavi so far stands at 6,996, of which 6,596 patients have recovered. The BMC does not publish the death toll from the area. There are only 10 active COVID-19 patients in the area at present. During the second wave of the pandemic, Dharavi had reported the highest 99 new COVID-19 cases on April 8, 2021. --PTI

 "In this hour of crisis, IIT Delhi stands in solidarity with our students and alumni from Afghanistan. We are doing every thing possible to get the students to return to the campus. Let's give them hope," said IIT Delhi Director V Ramgopal Rao. 

 The institute has also announced helpline numbers for its Afghan students and alumni. Currently, 17 Afghan students are enrolled in various programmes at IIT Delhi and only one of them is in Delhi as the classes were being conducted online in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 "We are in touch with them and trying to provide all support. Unfortunately, till the visas are sorted we cannot get them here but we are providing them with all the documentation needed so as soon as the situation improves a bit and the embassy is functional, their visas can be expedited," Naveen Garg, Dean of International Affairs at IIT Delhi, told PTI.

 "We are also opening admission process for prospective candidates from Afghanistan who can come to India provided they meet our criteria," he added. Three Afghan students enrolled at IIT Madras are also stuck there.

 "Three of our students are currently stuck in Afghanistan and the Office of Global Engagement at IIT Madras has issued letters to help them apply for a visa. The students had informed us that the situation is difficult with long queues at the consulate. Once they obtain their visas there is a further hurdle of getting passage to India by air. Reports from the airport there and news on commercial air travel have not been encouraging," an IIT Madras spokesperson told PTI. 

 "In the event that students are unable to come to the campus, we will offer them opportunities to continue their programs online with added support as needed from faculty to ensure that they are able to keep up with the pace despite disruptions. However, it is our hope that the situation will stabilise and the students will be able to further their education at the best institutes in India in person," he added. 

 The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay has also allowed Afghan students to return to its campus. Several students enrolled at IIT Bombay were requesting the institute to approve their return. "We offered admission to quite a few students from Afghanistan in the master's program this year under scholarships from ICCR. Because of online instructions, they were participating in the class from home. However, due to rapidly deteriorating condition in their homeland, they wanted to come out of their country and join the hostels on campus," said IIT Bombay Director Subhasis Chaudhuri.

 Officials at IIT Guwahati said there are no Afghan students currently enrolled at the institute but they look forward to welcoming them in next batch. "While IIT Guwahati currently does not have any Afghan students, we are happy to welcome Afghan students who may qualify for courses in our institute in the upcoming batches," an institute spokesperson said. India on Tuesday brought back home the Indian ambassador and its staff at the embassy in Kabul in a heavy-lift military transport aircraft in view of the deteriorating security situation in the Afghan capital, two days after its take over by the Taliban. 

 The US military had taken control of the security at the airport on Monday after thousands of desperate people converged there in the hope of getting on an evacuation flight and leave the country. Hours after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan on Sunday, the Taliban took control of Kabul, capturing power nearly 20 years after a US-led military invasion ousted it in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. PTI

Dr Kang added, "In India (and elsewhere), we do not have any data showing that anyone who has received two doses of vaccine needs booster vaccines at this time."

Talking about Moderna and AstraZeneca she said, "Yes, the Moderna and AZ correlates of protection analysis shows that higher antibodies correlate with better protection, but there is no cut-off level of antibodies which reliably predict protection at the individual levels. Antibodies are good, but not all of the immune response."

According to Dr Kang, whether people will have more antibodies or be better protected with the booster dose is still not known."It sounds obvious that more antibodies (abs) are better but we really don't know whether people who push up abs with additional doses will be better protected than with the level they initially made. Or that when abs wane, we need to boost to maintain above some level," she said.Further, she explained how people with a poor immune response should get a third dose,"Who needs the booster dose and when? At the moment, we do not know. But about the FDA recommendation; it is not for boosters as much as a recognition that people with poor immune responses should get a third dose as part of their primary series of immunizations," she said.Talking of who should get an additional dose, Dr Kang said, "Remember that even though the 3rd dose may help, it will not guarantee protection, but the list is solid-organ transplant recipients, those getting active treatment for solid-tumours & haematologic malignancies, those with CAR T cell therapy or within 2 years of stem cell transplant, moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, tumour necrosis factor (TNF) blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory."Dr Kang also said that the third dose isn't currently recommended in many countries but should be considered, and added," Different vaccines need to be evaluated in sets of patients to see which vx (or combinations) offer the most benefit to these groups of vulnerable people. Again, not boosters at this time."According to the latest updates, Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech SE have submitted the initial data from an early-stage trial toward seeking authorization of a booster dose of their COVID-19 vaccine.

 Tech Mahindra was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising over 3 per cent, followed by TCS, Nestle India, Titan, Infosys and HUL. On the other hand, IndusInd Bank, NTPC, Bharti Airtel, Tata Steel and L&T were among the laggards. -- PTI

"The government should have planned the evacuation much earlier before the Taliban took over Afghanistan, as the air space was totally closed down after it," he told reporters.

Demanding that the government provide proper information about the steps taken to ensure the safety of Indians, he said many countries had evacuated their citizens earlier, anticipating what was going to happen in another 10 days. 

 India on Tuesday brought back home the Indian ambassador and its staff at the embassy in Kabul in a military transport aircraft in view of the deteriorating security situation in the Afghan capital, two days after its takeover by the Taliban. 

 Yechury alleged that India was seen as a 'subordinate ally' of the United States, "which should not have gone to that country."

 The BJP also demanded that Twitter should again lock Gandhi's account as the victim's family has denied his claim that he took their consent before posting the pictures. 

 "Rahul Gandhi has lost credibility and is a habitual liar. The public has locked his political account, now Twitter should also lock his account," party spokesperson Sambit Patra said. 

 Speaking at the virtual inauguration of the BJP office in Kozhikode in Kerala, Nadda said, "Rahul Gandhi's political tourism is also happening here in Kerala. He lost in Amethi, so he ran to Wayanad." Changing states doesn't change someone's behavioural patterns, intentions and the approach to serve people, the BJP chief said, referring to Gandhi.

The Politico reports that the body in the aircraft's landing gear has made it temporarily inoperable, the sources said.

 The lawsuit filed last week on behalf of JC, now a 68-year-old woman living in Greenwich, Connecticut, alleges that Dylan, then 23 or 24-year-old, exploited his status as a musician to provide (the plaintiff) "with alcohol and drugs and sexually abuse her multiple times". 

 A spokesperson for Dylan, now 80, said the "the 56-year-old claim is untrue and will be vigorously defended." According to Deadline, in the papers filed at the New York Supreme Court under the state's Child Victims Act, JC said the abuse took place at Dylan's apartment in New York's Chelsea Hotel for over a six-week period from April-May 1965. 

 As per the complaint, JC claims that Dylan established a connection with her to lower her inhibitions with the object of sexually abusing her, which he did, coupled with the provision of drugs, alcohol and threats of physical violence, leaving her emotionally scarred and psychologically damaged to this day. 

 The lawsuit cites causes including assault, battery false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and seeks compensatory, punitive and exemplary damages. -- PTI

Yasmin Nigar Khan, granddaughter of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and All India Pakhtoon Jirga-e-Hind president, in Kolkata, on the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

"Afghans who live here are worried about their families in Afghanistan. Situation in last 1-2 days has been a matter of concern. Taliban took over without a fight.

"The leaders left the country but the common people, the poor, the women, the children are making sacrifices. They should be looked after.

"Taliban can't be trusted. They might say something now and do something else the next day. We can just appeal to PM Modi and rest of the world that the manner in which they cared for Syria, Palestine and other war-torn countries, they should look at Afghanistan too."

 The company says it has a dedicated team of Afghan experts to monitor and remove content linked to the insurgent group. 

 For years, the Taliban has used social media to spread its messages. 

 "The Taliban is sanctioned as a terrorist organisation under US law and we have banned them from our services under our Dangerous Organisation policies. This means we remove accounts maintained by or on behalf of the Taliban and prohibit praise, support, and representation of them," a Facebook spokesperson told the BBC. 

 "We also have a dedicated team of Afghanistan experts, who are native Dari and Pashto speakers and have knowledge of local context, helping to identify and alert us to emerging issues on the platform," the spokesperson said. 

 The social media giant said it does not make decisions about the recognition of national governments but instead follows the "authority of the international community". Facebook highlighted that the policy applies to all of its platforms, including its flagship social media network, Instagram and WhatsApp. 

 However, there are reports that the Taliban is using WhatsApp to communicate. Facebook told the BBC that it would take action if it found accounts on the app to be linked to the group.

 The brutal war in Afghanistan reached a watershed moment on Sunday when the Taliban insurgents closed in on Kabul before entering the city and took over the presidential palace, forcing embattled President Ashraf Ghani to flee the country. PTI

"Your welcome has an impact on all of us. Thank you to the Indian Air Force who flew us out under conditions that are not normal," he said at a presser. 

"There are many others who continue to work in Kabul city, despite the changing situation and have changed their mind subsequently and will be brought back when the commercial services begin.

"Temporarily Air India had to suspend its commercial services because of the conditions in the airport. However, we continue to ensure that anyone who is stuck there is somehow brought here for which the MEA has opened a help desk that is operating already.

"It's not that we've abandoned people of Afghanistan, their welfare and our relationship with them is very much in our mind. We'll try and continue our interaction with them, I can't exactly say in what form as situation is changing."

"My joining the Trinamool Congress is unconditional," says Sushmita Dev. "I don't think I have compromised my ideology in joining TMC. It is wrong to compare Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee.

"In my 30 years in politics, I haven't demanded anything from Congress high command and here too I will take any responsibility given to me by Mamata Banerjee," she said. 

The former Assam MP from the Congress joined the Trinamool Congress in Kolkata on Monday, in the presence of the party's national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee.

 As directed by the CM, the NORKA Roots, the state-run welfare agency of non-resident Keralites, submitted a letter to the External Affairs Ministry in this regard, government sources here said. 

As many as 36 people, who got stranded in Kabul, have so far contacted NORKA seeking help, they said. Harikrishnan Namboothiri K, the CEO of the agency, contacted the Malayalis, among the stranded, the other day, they said adding that steps were on to trace whether more Keralites were trapped in the Afghanistan capital. -- PTI

Maharashtra is conducting genome sequencing tests of COVID-19 positive patients' samples on a regular basis to ascertain the extent of spread of mutants of the virus. 

According to a state health department, as many as 76 patients have been found to be positive with Delta Plus variant, out of which five have died so far and 71 have recovered. As of now, no patient infected with Delta Plus variant is under treatment.

To intensify its efforts to identify virus mutants, Maharashtra Health Department has selected five laboratories and five hospitals as sentinel centres. Every fortnight, each centre sends 15 samples to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for genome sequencing. -- ANI

On the pleas for court-monitored probe into Pegasus issue, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for Centre, says, "We have nothing to hide. These are the issues of national security." 

The SC said, "For the defence of the nation, we're not going to disclose anything. Some persons of eminence are alleging snooping of phones, now this can also be done but only with permission of the competent authority. What's the problem if authority files an affidavit before us? 

"We're all in our own right responsible citizens. Govt doesn't mind saying it before an expert group. Suppose a terror organisation uses technology to communicate with sleeper cells and we say we're not using Pegasus, they'll modulate apparatus in a way that it's not Pegasus compatible."

Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs informed that the Indian Ambassador in Kabul and his Indian staff will move to India immediately, in view of prevailing circumstances in the war-torn country.

 "In view of the prevailing circumstances, it has been decided that our Ambassador in Kabul and his Indian staff will move to India immediately," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a Tweet.

India is closely monitoring the fast-changing situation in Afghanistan and will be deciding on the evacuation of diplomatic personnel from Kabul, sources said. -- ANI

A female anchor interviewing a Taliban media team member in the Tolo News studio.

 The remarks by China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, Geng Shuang, came during an emergency meeting of the Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan on Monday after the sudden and rapid takeover of the Afghanistan government by the Taliban insurgents. 

 "Afghanistan must never again become a haven for terrorists. This is the bottom line that must be held firmly for any future political solution in Afghanistan," Geng told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan held under India's presidency. 

 "We hope that the Taliban in Afghanistan will earnestly deliver on their commitments and make a clean break with the terrorist organisations," the state-run Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying. 

 "All countries should fulfil their obligations in accordance with international law and Security Council resolutions, work with each other in combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and take resolute actions to prevent terrorist organisations such as the Islamic State, al-Qaida and the ETIM from taking advantage of this chaos (in Afghanistan)." 

 The East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which is stated to be an affiliate of al-Qaeda, is a militant group from China's volatile Xinjiang province. It is fighting for the independence of the province, which is home to 10-million Uygur Muslims. -- PTI

-- Taliban announces general amnesty for all state employees and urged them to return to work, two days after taking power following a lightning sweep through the country. 

"A general amnesty has been declared for all... so you should start your routine life with full confidence," said a statement from the Taliban.

-- Mullah Yaqoob, Deputy of Taliban Islamic Emirates has sent a direction to the Taliban in Kabul to not enter people's houses and not seize any vehicles or public property. This comes as he insists the Taliban should behave while in Kabul especially because they're new to the city.

"I judge by the first day of their control of Kabul. The impressions are good. Now the situation in Kabul is better than it was under Ashraf Ghani. That is, it is better under the Taliban terrorists than under Ghani," the Ambassador to Afghanistan said in a live broadcast of the Ekho Moskvy radio station on Monday. 

The Taliban entered Kabul on Sunday and took control of the presidential palace. Soon after the terror group claimed control over the Afghan capital, several countries evacuated their diplomatic personnel from the country. Hundreds of people flocked to the Kabul airport in an attempt to leave Afghanistan. -- ANI

However, the Indian vaccine makers are unlikely to get the premium pricing being enjoyed by US-based multinational companies which is anywhere between USD 15 and 25 per dose, their average realization could remain anywhere between USD 3.25 and USD 3.50 per dose, it said.

The US security forces are controlling the Kabul airport and after the conversation between the two NSAs, the Indian contingent was taken inside the American security zone at the airport from where they took off this morning, top sources told ANI. 

The Indian C-17 aircraft was also given clearance to land at the Kabul airstrip after coordinating the evacuation efforts with the American officials on ground.

Sources said that due to the situation on ground in Kabul, the Indian officials' exit had become a bit difficult but was arranged for ultimately.

Two C-17s have taken off from Kabul since yesterday. One reached India yesterday with around 46 personnel and the other with over 120 took off today morning.

India has been working with the US for a long time in Afghanistan.

The Taliban entered Kabul on Sunday and took control of the presidential palace. Soon after the terror group claimed control over the Afghan capital, several countries evacuated their diplomatic personnel from the country, and hundreds of people flocked to the Kabul airport in an attempt to leave Afghanistan. -- ANI

"We import pistachios, almonds, figs, dried apricots from Afghanistan. Imports are not happening from the last 15 days," Jyoti Gupta, president, Jammu Dry Fruit Retailers Association.

 The death toll has climbed to 4,32,079 with 437 daily fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am. The active cases have declined to 3,69,846, the lowest in 146 days. 

It comprises 1.15 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, the health ministry said. 

 A reduction of 12,101 cases has been recorded in the total number of active COVID-19 cases in a span of 24 hours. Also, 15,63,985 tests were conducted on Monday, taking the cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 49,66,29,524.

 The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.61 per cent. It has been less than three per cent for the last 22 days. 

 Weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.98 per cent. It has been below three per cent for the last 53 days, according to the health ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,14,48,754, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated. 

Cumulatively, 55.47 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered under the nationwide vaccination drive so far with more than 88.13 lakh doses being administered in the last 24 hours, which is the highest ever vaccination achieved in a single day, the ministry said. 

 India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. 

 India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23. The 437 new fatalities include 142 from Kerala and 100 from Maharashtra. A total of 4,32,079 deaths have been reported so far in the country, including 1,35,139 from Maharashtra, 37,007 from Karnataka, 34,547 from Tamil Nadu 25,069 from Delhi, 22,785 from Uttar Pradesh, 18,743 from Kerala and 18,312 from West Bengal.

An Indian Air Force aircraft on Tuesday left from Kabul to India carrying the Indian ambassador and other personnel as part of the emergency evacuation in view of the prevailing situation in the Afghan capital following its take over by the Taliban, people familiar with the development said.

 

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said it was decided that the ambassador in Kabul and his Indian staff will move to India immediately in view of the prevailing circumstances.

"In view of the prevailing circumstances, it has been decided that our Ambassador in Kabul and his Indian staff will move to India immediately," Bagchi tweeted.

An Indian Air Force C-17 heavy-lift transport aircraft brought back some personnel to India on Monday and Tuesday's flight is the second one. -- PTI 

The Union home ministry on Tuesday announced a new category of visa to fast-tack the applications of Afghans who want to come to India in view of the prevailing situation in Afghanistan.

 

The announcement came two days after the Taliban captured power in Afghanistan.

"The MHA reviews visa provisions in view of the current situation in Afghanistan. A new category of electronic visa called 'e-Emergency X-Misc Visa' introduced to fast-track visa applications for entry into India," a home ministry spokesperson said.

Thousands of Afghans rushed into Kabul's main airport on Monday, some so desperate to escape the Taliban that they held onto a military jet as it took off and plunged to their deaths.

At least seven people died in the chaos, US officials said, as America's longest war ended with its enemy the victor.

The crowds came while the Taliban enforced their rule over the capital of five million people after a lightning advance across the country that took just over a week to dethrone the country's Western-backed government.

There were no major reports of abuses or fighting, but many residents stayed home and remained fearful after the insurgents' advance saw prisons emptied and armories looted. -- PTI 

The United States eased its travel advisory for India on Monday, lowering it to Level 2: Moderate.

 

The new travel advisory of Level 2 -- which is considered as safe -- came in the wake of the significant improvement in Covid situation in India.

 

Early this year, the US had put India in Level 4, asking its citizens not to travel to India, which at that point of time was experiencing an unprecedented second wave of COVID-19.

 

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has now issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice for India due to COVID-19, indicating a moderate level of COVID-19 in the country.

 

"Your risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with an FDA authorised vaccine. Before planning any international travel, please review the CDC's specific recommendations for vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers," the State Department said.

 

At the same time, the State Department urged Americans not to travel to Jammu and Kashmir (except the eastern Ladakh region and its capital, Leh) due to terrorism and civil unrest.

 

They have also been advised not to travel within 10 km of the India-Pakistan border due to the potential for armed conflict. -- PTI

The Taliban leaders are discussing future government plans in Doha after gaining control of Kabul and seizing the presidential palace in Afghanistan's capital, a media report said.

Discussions are underway in Doha about a future government, including its structure and name, and they are expected to report on the process in the very near future, TOLO news said on Monday. 

The terror group is in touch with the international community and intra-Afghan parties to make government in Afghanistan.

"At this time we face a test because now we are responsible for the security of the people," TOLO news quoted Taliban deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar as saying.

On Sunday, the Taliban entered Kabul and took control of the presidential palace. 

The terrorist group is now everywhere in the capital, walking the streets of Kabul. 

The ministry of external affairs has set up an 'Afghanistan Cell' to coordinate repatriation and related matters in the backdrop of the Taliban seizing control of the country.

   

The announcement by MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on setting up of the Cell came on Monday night hours after he said that India will facilitate the repatriation of Sikhs and Hindus who wish to leave the war-torn country.

 

"#MEA has set up a Special Afghanistan Cell to coordinate repatriation and other requests from Afghanistan," Bagchi said on Twitter.

 

He also put out the contact details to reach out to the Cell -- Phone number: +919717785379, Email: MEAHelpdeskIndia@gmail.com.

 

"We are in constant touch with the representatives of Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities. We will facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan," the MEA spokesperson said earlier in the day.

 

"There are also a number of Afghans who have been our partners in the promotion of our mutual developmental, educational and people to people endeavours. We will stand by them," he said.

United States President Joe Biden on Monday warned the Taliban of swift and forceful response from the US if they attack American personnel or disrupt their operations in Afghanistan.

 

He said if the Taliban interfered with the US military's evacuation operations in Afghanistan, the US would respond with devastating force.

 

"As we carry out this departure, we have made it clear to the Taliban, if they attack our personnel or disrupt our operation, the US presence will be swift, and the response will be swift and forceful," Biden said in his address to the nation.

 

"We will defend our people with devastating force if necessary. Our current military mission was short in time, limited in scope, and focused on its objectives: get our people and our allies as safely and as quickly as possible," he said.

 

He vowed to complete the planned withdrawal of US military troops in Afghanistan.

 

"And once we have completed this mission, we will conclude our military withdrawal. We'll end America's longest war after 20 long years of bloodshed. The events we're seeing now are, sadly, proof that no amount of military force would ever deliver a stable, united, secure Afghanistan. As known in history, it's the graveyard of empires," he said.

 

Biden said what's happening now could just as easily happen five years ago or 15 years in the future.

 

"You have to be honest. Our mission in Afghanistan is taking many missteps, made many missteps over the past two decades. I'm now the fourth American president to preside over the war in Afghanistan, two Democrats and two Republicans," he said.

 

"I will not pass this responsibly down to a fifth president. I will not mislead the American people by claiming that just a little more time in Afghanistan will make all the difference, nor will I shrink from my share of responsibility for what we are today and how we must move forward from here," he said.

 

The US president said he is saddened by the current situation in Afghanistan, but does not regret his decision to withdraw American troops. -- PTI