Indian Sub-continent

Lucknow, Aug 23 (PTI) The Samajwadi Party on Friday dissolved its entire Uttar Pradesh state, district, youth wing and other executives, party sources said.

"Party president Akhilesh Yadav has dissolved all the state executive. All district executives, executives of youth and other wings have also been dissolved," a senior party leader told PTI.

The party, however, has retained state president Naresh Uttam, he added.

COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh (AP) — None of the thousands of Rohingya Muslims living in crowded refugee camps in Bangladesh turned up for a planned repatriation to Myanmar on Thursday, demanding they first be guaranteed safety and citizenship.

“Not a single Rohingya wants to go back without their demands being met,” Bangladesh refugee commissioner Abul Kalam told reporters.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A United States envoy and the Taliban resumed negotiations Thursday on ending America’s longest war after earlier signaling they were close to a deal.

A Taliban member familiar with, but not part of, the talks that resumed in Qatar said U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad also met one-on-one Wednesday with the Taliban’s lead negotiator, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. The Taliban member spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk with reporters.

New Delhi, Aug 22; GANASHAKTI: The Congress on Thursday lashed out at the government over the arrest of former finance minister P Chidambaram, accusing it of using the CBI and ED as a personal "revenge-seeking departments" and termed it as a broad daylight "murder" of democracy.

The senior Congress leader was arrested on Wednesday night by the CBI in the INX Media money laundering case and he spent the night in the agency's custody.

August 22, 2019; GANASHAKTI: Ahead of his visit to France, the UAE and Bahrain, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the engagements will strengthen India's relations with time-tested friends and help explore new areas of cooperation. Modi left for France at midday on Thursday.

Modi will visit the three countries from August 22 to 26. He will reach France on Thursday.

New Delhi, Aug 22; GANASHAKTI: Opposition parties, including the Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the DMK, staged a protest at Jantar Mantar here on Thursday, demanding the release of the political leaders under detention in Jammu and Kashmir.

Congress leader P Chidambaram's son Karti also joined the protest. Chidambaram, a former Union finance minister, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday night in connection with a money-laundering case related to INX Media.

New Delhi, Aug 22; GANASHAKTI: Congress leader P Chidambaram, arrested by the CBI, was produced before a Delhi Court Thursday in the INX Media corruption case.

The hearing would take place before Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar.

Soon after entering the courtroom, Chidambaram was seen having discussions with his party leaders and senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Vivek Tankha.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who will represent CBI in the case, is also present in the court.

Mumbai, Aug 22 (PTI) NCP leader Dhananjay Munde on Thursday alleged that an "undeclared Emergency" has become more apparent in the country now with the summoning of MNS chief Raj Thackeray by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering probe.

He further alleged that the ED summoned Thackeray, a bitter critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, to "silence him" ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, due in September-October.

Kottayam (Ker), Aug 22 (PTI) Ten people were on Thursday convicted by a court here in the sensational murder of 23-year-old Dalit Christian Kevin P Joseph in 2018.

The Principal Sessions Court observed that the murder of Kevin, involving his wife's relatives, was a case of honour killing.

Those convicted included the brother-in-law of Kevin.The court acquitted four persons, including Kevin's father-in-law, citing lack of evidence.

New Delhi, Aug 22 (PTI) Ajay Kumar Bhalla, currently serving as an officer on special duty in the home ministry, was appointed as the new Union home secretary on Thursday, an official order said.

The Appointments Committee of the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved Bhalla's appointment as the new home secretary. He replaces Rajiv Gauba, who was appointed as the new cabinet secretary on Wednesday.

Bhalla, a 1984-batch Assam-Meghalaya cadre IAS officer, served as the Union power secretary, before being appointed as an officer on special duty on July 24.