The Evening Wrap: Metro rail services to resume from September 7

The Hindu Newsletter - Here are the latest updates and the big news stories to follow today [The Hindu Logo]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( Saturday 29, August 2020 [alt_text]( The Evening Wrap [Here are the biggest news stories of the day]( [alt_text]( Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. We hope you are staying safe. Coronavirus unlock 4.0: Metro rail services to resume from September 7 Announcing the [guidelines for Unlock 4.0]( on Saturday, Centre said that [Metro rail can resume its services from September 7](, while social, cultural, religious, academic, sports or political gatherings will be permitted with a ceiling of 100 persons from September 21. The guidelines further stipulated that state governments shall not impose any local lockdown outside the containment zones without prior consultation. The Ministry of Home Affairs said, “After extensive consultation with States and UTs, it has been decided that Schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutions will continue to remain closed for students and regular class activity up to September 30, 2020.” Cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres (excluding open air theatre) and similar places to remain shut. Congress reiterates demand for Parliamentary panel probe into Facebook issue The Congress on Saturday [reiterated its demand]( that the government constitute a joint parliamentary committee to investigate what it called an “unholy intimacy” between Facebook’s India operations and the BJP. The Congress flagged a Time magazine story which, it said, not only confirmed a piece by The Wall Street Journal but also pointed out that WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, also had similar connections with BJP. WhatsApp, which was used by 40 crore Indians, had been “compromised and controlled indirectly” by the BJP, the Congress alleged. [Facebook news service to launch in UK, India, Brazil]Facebook news service to launch in UK, India, Brazil The Time piece claimed that current Public Policy director of WhatsApp Shivnath Thukral, in 2013, used to operate websites and Facebook pages for the BJP. It alleged that WhatsApp was going slow on hate speeches on its platform because it wanted to soon launch its own payment platform. “There needs to be an exhaustive and unbiased investigation by a joint parliamentary committee between the unending links of Facebook employees and the ruling establishment. The investigation must include how Facebook manipulated voter opinion, allowed hate speech, and was oblivious to fake news, even when they were in clear violation of their regulations,” Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said. The party demanded that WhatsApp must not be granted approvals for its payment operations until an inquiry is complete. Kerala rejects options on GST compensation Kerala has [rejected the two options for Goods and Service Tax (GST) compensation]( mooted by the Centre and has asked the Centre to take a loan and provide GST compensation to the States. “We have decided to inform the Centre in writing that the State cannot agree to the two options put forward in the GST council on August 27. Kerala wants the Centre to take loan and provide GST compensation and this has the approval of the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other Ministers,” Finance Minister, T. M. Thomas told a press conference in Thiruvaanthapuram on Saturday. [ T.M. Thomas Isaac, Finance Minister of Kerala ] T.M. Thomas Isaac, Finance Minister of Kerala The first option was a special window to states, in consultation with RBI, for borrowing ₹97,000 crore at a reasonable interest rate. The second option was to borrow the entire ₹2.35 lakh crore shortfall under the special window. As per Constitution, the State needs permission of the Centre to take a loan and the interest will be 1-2% more if the State avails the loan. Only 3% of the State’s income can be availed as loan even if permission is granted. Even if fiscal limit ceiling is enhanced by 0.5% as suggested by the Centre, it will not be adequate for Kerala as it will not cover the required quantum of GST compensation. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments Health Ministry is developing [SOPs (standard operating procedures) for Parliament and the Legislative Assembly sessions]( comprising Covid protocols and preventive measures, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said while chairing the 20th meeting of the high-level Group of Ministers (GoM) on Covid-19, here on Saturday. The GOM also expressed concern about the forthcoming festival seasons and advised everyone to adopt safe and Covid-appropriate behaviour. Meanwhile, for every million population, India’s coronavirus cases and fatalities are one of the lowest compared to the global averages, the GoM was informed. The meeting was further informed that as of Saturday, eight states — Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha and Telangana — contribute around 73% of the active caseload. Seven states — Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal — account for 81% of total deaths due to coronavirus infection. The number of reported [coronavirus cases]( from India stood at 35,33,939 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 63,631. Democracy is getting overwhelmed by dictatorship: Sonia Gandhi Anti-national and anti-poor forces are spreading the venom of “hatred and violence” in our country, democratic institutions are being destroyed, and ‘lokshahi’ (democracy) is getting overwhelmed by ‘tanashahi’ (dictatorship), [Congress president Sonia Gandhi]( said on Saturday. She was addressing the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the new Chhattisgarh Assembly building to be built in Nava Raipur, the upcoming capital city of the state, through a recorded video message in Hindi. Without naming anyone, Gandhi further said, “they” want to suppress the voice of the people of the country. “What do they want? They want people of the country, our youth, our tribal people, our women, our farmers, shopkeepers and small traders, jawans to keep their mouths shut. They want to keep the nation’s mouth shut,” she said. Chess Olympiad: Humpy wins Armageddon, helps India reach final [India staged a magnificent comeback]( to defeat Poland and move into the final of the online Chess Olympiad on Saturday. After the teams were level at the end of the two matches — in which there were six games apiece — the winner had to be decided by Armageddon (tie-breaker). Koneru Humpy, the women’s world no. 2 from Vijayawada, had black pieces against Monika Socko. That meant she had four minutes to make her moves against her rival’s five. But the player with black pieces only needed to draw, while the rival needed to win. [India’s Koneru Humpy during her online Chess Olympiad match Poland’s Monika Socko on August 29, 2020. Photo: Twitter/@FIDE_chess ]India’s Koneru Humpy during her online Chess Olympiad match Poland’s Monika Socko on August 29, 2020. Photo: Twitter/@FIDE_chess Humpy did more than what was required, winning in 73 moves. After losing the opening match 2-4, the Indians had to win the second. They did that in some style, with a 4.5-1.5 victory. In Sunday's final, India will take on the winner of the second semi-final to be played between top seed Russia and the Unites States. In Brief: [Actor Chadwick Boseman](, who played Black icons Jackie Robinson and James Brown before finding fame as the regal Black Panther in the Marvel cinematic universe, died on Friday of cancer, his representative said. He was 43. Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer four years ago, his family said in a statement. The media and protocol division of AIIMS, New Delhi, in a press release today said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was admitted in AIIMS for post-Covid care, [“has recovered and is likely to be discharged in a short time”](. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. 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