DH Evening Brief: September 15, 2021

Here are the top headlines this evening.

Cabinet approves big bang telecom reforms

In a big reform forthe telecom sector, the Centre Wednesday allowed 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) through automatic route in place of 49% at present. The rule will, however, not apply to countries that share a land border with India. Read more

Centre approves Rs 26,058 cr PLI scheme for auto, drone sectors

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a Rs 26,058 crore production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for auto, auto-components and drone industries to enhance India’s manufacturing capabilities, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said on Wednesday. Read more

SC slams govt for 'cherry picking' names for tribunals

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it is 'very very unhappy'with the Centre over the 'cherry-picking of names'recommended for appointment to various tribunals by selection panels headed by the top court judges. Read more

Financial bids received for Air India disinvestment; Tatas among suitors

The government on Wednesday said it has received multiple financial bids for buying national carrierAirIndia.Meanwhile, a Tata Sons spokesperson told PTI that it has put in a bid for the airline. Read more

'PM Modi sent me money': Bihar man refuses to return wrongfully credited funds

A man in Bihar's Khagaria district received Rs 5.5 lakh in his account by a bank error, but refused to return the amount, claiming the money "was sent by Prime Minister Narendra Modi". Read more

Scenes from Afghanistan under Taliban rule; see pics

It has been a month since the Taliban swept to power inAfghanistan, seizing the capital Kabul with barely a fight. While much attention in the West has been on whether the new Taliban government will keep its promises to protect women's rights or offer shelter to militant groups like al Qaeda, for many Afghans the main priority is simple - survival. Here we take a look at the daily life scenario of Afghans after the Taliban took complete control of Afghanistan after nearly 20 years of war. See pics

Limited spectators allowed at IPL 2021 Phase 2 in UAE

Limited spectators will be allowed into the stadiums when the much-awaited Indian Premier League resumes in the UAE this weekend, the event's organisers announced on Wednesday. Read more

Income Tax officials search six places linked to actor Sonu Sood

Income Tax Department officials descended on the premises linked to actorSonuSoodin Mumbai and some other places on Wednesday in connection with an alleged tax evasion probe, official sources. Read more

Apple plans to scan your phone: Can you trust Big Tech?

Apple’s plan to scan customers’ phones and other devices for images depicting child sexual abuse generated a backlash over privacy concerns, which led the company to announce a delay. Apple, Facebook, Google and other companies have long scanned customers’ images that are stored on the companies’ servers for this material. Scanning data on users’ devices is a significant change. Read more

How will the Covid-19 pandemic end?

After over 18 months of this pandemic, with the social distancing, mask wearing and on-off lockdowns, what we all want to know more than anything else is when it will all be over and how it will end. While nothing is certain, we have a lot of evidence on which to build some realistic expectations about how the pandemic will progress over the next year or so. Read more

Swiggy, Zomato, cloud kitchens may be brought under GST ambit

Food delivery apps like Swiggy and Zomato may soon be brought under the ambit of restaurant services, which will make them liable to pay the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Read more

iPhone 13 launch effect: Apple reduces prices of older iPhone models

Apple on Tuesday unveiled the new-generation iPhone 13 series mobiles during the special virtual 'California streaming' event. Like previous years, the Cupertino-based company slashed prices of older iPhone models across several global regions, including India. Read more

India's Covid-19 vaccinations now highest in the world

The number of people who have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in India and the number who have completed the vaccination schedule in the country are the highest in the world, the Union Health Ministry said. Read more

US eyes India bases to launch drones against terrorists

The United States has subtly hinted that it has been in talks with New Delhi for using airfields in India as “staging areas” for carrying out aerial surveillance and launching attacks on terrorists in and around Afghanistan. Read more