We report on a visit by President Biden’s Defense Minister to Afghanistan and on India’s race for a second wave of the coronavirus.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin landed in Kabul on Sunday morning and was the first member of President Biden’s cabinet to enter the country that is home to America’s longest war.

The trip comes at a crucial time: The US is expected to withdraw its forces from the country on May 1st. Mr Biden said in an interview last week that meeting the deadline was “difficult”. He has not announced any specific plans for the withdrawal.

Mr. Austin’s arrival in Kabul came on Nowruz, the Persian New Year – a date on which the Islamic State committed to launch attacks in Afghanistan. The trip was supposed to remain confidential until two hours after he left, but local reporters reported his visit after meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

The stakes: A US withdrawal could increase the risk of the Taliban’s takeover of the country’s most important cities. When asked about Afghans’ concerns about withdrawal, Mr. Austin said: “We have done a lot to work with the Afghan security forces. And I don’t want to speculate about what might or might not happen in the future. “

The payment: Around 3,500 US soldiers are now stationed in Afghanistan. American troops have been permanently present in the country since 2001.

The coronavirus is once again spread across India. Confirmed infections have increased from a low of around 9,800 in February to around 31,600 daily. In the past two weeks, deaths from the virus have increased 82 percent.

The outbreak is concentrated in the state of Maharashtra, home of Mumbai. Entire districts are closed again. Scientists are investigating whether a new strain is more virulent in the state, like variants in the UK, South Africa and Brazil.

Officials are under pressure to aggressively promote tests and vaccinations, particularly in Mumbai. Increased vaccination in India could have an impact worldwide. India is a crucial link in the vaccine supply chain: it has dispensed or sold tens of millions of doses to other countries even though it has difficulty vaccinating its own people.

The Foreign Minister has said the availability of vaccines in India will determine how many doses go overseas. India’s slow vaccination campaign has also been plagued by public skepticism.

Here are the latest updates and maps of the pandemic.

In other developments:

The Chinese government has changed the political landscape in Hong Kong. His plan to drastically overhaul the local electoral system by demanding absolute loyalty from candidates running for office leaves political groups across the political spectrum wondering what participation, if any, is still possible.

Moderates aren’t sure they would pass Beijing’s litmus test, and opposition leaders aren’t sure they will try again to run candidates. The changes are also likely to reduce the number of directly elected seats in the local legislature, meaning the majority of lawmakers will be elected by allies of the government.

Quote: “If we keep playing this game, it’s like accepting what they are doing,” said a pro-democracy activist. “That would make me feel like an accomplice.”

Context: The changes to the voting system signal the exemption of a promise central to Hong Kong since its return to Chinese control in 1997: that its residents could one day choose their own leaders instead of being subject to the whims of London or Beijing.

Chandro Tomar may look like your typical Indian grandmother, but she is anything but: at 89, she is considered the oldest professional sniper in the world, and she has dozens of medals to show off. She is also a feminist icon in India.

In memory: Nawal el Saadawi, an Egyptian author, activist and doctor who became a symbol of the struggle for women’s rights in the patriarchal Arab world and who campaigned against female genital mutilation. She was 89 years old.

Caity Weaver, a member of the Times styles desk, ventured to Santa Fe, New Mexico to try Equus, a horse riding experience with a long list of famous clients including Bette Midler and Jeff Bezos. The program’s website encourages customers to imagine creating the life you truly deserve. In a recent conversation she reflected on her experience researching a story about whether we can learn from horses.

What did you know about Equus before you arrived in Santa Fe?

Little. They purposely don’t have a lot of photos on their website. The founders told me that they don’t want people to come up with a certain idea of ​​what their experience will be, because if it doesn’t work out, customers might be disappointed.

So what increased it to “I have to try”?

One thing that you keep asking yourself when you have an interesting experience is: is someone actually paying for it? And often the answer is no. But the customer list was so impressive – Margaret Atwood, Microsoft, many other names I recognized. So I was curious to probably get out whatever they wanted to get out. I would love if my life was as good as Bette Midler’s – I think.

What is something fun or unexpected that you learned?

Candace Croney, professor of animal behavior and wellbeing at Purdue University, told me to think of horses the way you think of cats – they are not like a dog that wants to be with you and want attention. A horse doesn’t really want to be the main thing – maybe it wants to be petted and petted, maybe not. I didn’t learn this before I left, but if I ever meet another horse I’ll just picture it like a big cat.

That’s it for today’s briefing. Until next time. – Carole

PS The New York Times Climate Hub, a 10-day event of live journalism, thought leaders and action on climate change, will be held in Scotland this November, alongside the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26).

The latest episode of “The Daily” is about the career of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

You can reach Carole and the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

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