1. India’s coronavirus tally on Friday rose to 33,87,500 as the country reported 77,266 new infections in the last 24 hours. The country’s toll went up by 1,057 to 61,529. More than 25 lakh people in India have recovered from the infection. The Union health ministry said India’s recovery rate was now 76.28% and death rate stood at 1.82%. 
  2. Andhra Pradesh’s coronavirus tally crossed 4 lakh as the state recorded 10,526 cases in the last 24 hours. The state now has 4,03,616 cases and 3,714 deaths. Maharashtra reported 14,361 cases, taking its tally to 7,47,995. The state’s toll rose by 331 to 23,775. Meanwhile, Delhi recorded 1,808 new coronavirus cases, pushing the city’s tally to 1,69,412. The toll stood at 4,389 after 22 people died. This is the second consecutive day when Delhi recorded over 1,800 new cases in August.
  3. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee Working President and MP from Kanyakumari H Vasanthakumar died of the coronavirus at a private hospital in Chennai on Friday evening. He was 70. The MP was the founder of Vasanth & Co, a successful chain of consumer electronics and home appliances stores.
  4. Congress MLA Nirmal Singh tested positive for the coronavirus after attending the monsoon session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. Singh contracted the infection three days after testing negative for the disease.
  5. Six states ruled by Opposition parties – West Bengal, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, Punjab and Maharashtra – moved the Supreme Court seeking postponement of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test and Joint Entrance Examination due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The states filed a review petition against the Supreme Court judgement earlier this month, which rejected a plea for such postponement. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, meanwhile, said that it was important to conduct the exams for the students’ future. 
  6. The Bombay High Court gave permission for a Muharram procession in Mumbai, a day after the Supreme Court  refused to pass a general order of this nature, saying it would lead to chaos and targeting of a particular community amid the coronavirus pandemic. As per the court’s order, members of the Shia Muslim community will be permitted to carry out the procession on August 30, between 4.30 pm and 5.30 pm on one pre-determined route only by trucks and not on foot.
  7. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said airlines could put a passenger on the no-fly list if he refused to wear a face mask – considered a vital safeguard against the coronavirus – on board. Meanwhile, the Centre allowed airlines to serve pre-packed snacks, meals and beverages on domestic flights and hot meals on international flights. This service remained suspended even after domestic flights resumed operations on May 25.
  8. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said MPs will be requested to get themselves tested for the coronavirus at least 72 hours before the monsoon session of Parliament and the seating arrangements would be based on the health ministry’s guidelines. The session is likely to start from September 14 and end on October 1.
  9. The Supreme Court rejected a petition seeking to defer the Bihar Assembly elections due to the prevailing coronavirus crisis. The Assembly polls are scheduled to be held in November though the Election Commission is yet to announce the dates. “Covid-19 cannot be a ground for stopping elections and interfering with the powers of the Election Commission,” said Justice Ashok Bhushan. “This court cannot tell the Chief Election Commissioner what to do. He [CEC] will consider everything.”
  10. Globally, the coronavirus has infected more than 2.44 crore people and killed over 8.32 lakh others, according to the Johns Hopkins University’s tracker. Over 1.60 crore people across the world have recovered from the infection.