Indian Sub-continent

Chennai, Aug 21 (PTI) Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram's son Karti on Wednesday lashed out at the CBI for arresting his father in the INX media case, saying it was a "totally politically motivated witch-hunt".

Minutes after Chidambaram, a former union minister, was taken to the CBI headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday night amid high drama from his house, Karti said the case was apparently about events that happened in 2008.

Mumbai, Aug 22 (PTI) The rupee opened on a weak note and fell 17 paise to 71.71 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday amid foreign fund outflows and cautious opening in domestic equities.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened weak at 71.65 then fell to 71.72 against the US dollar, showing a decline of 17 paise over its previous closing.

The Indian rupee on Wednesday had closed at 71.55 against the US dollar.

New Delhi, Aug 22 (PTI) Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad has been arrested on charges of rioting and unlawful assembly and will be produced before a court on Thursday, a police official said.

The Dalit leader and around 96 others were detained on Wednesday night from Tughlaqabad area after protest by Dalits against the demolition of a Ravidas temple turned violent, prompting police to resort to "mild lathicharge" and use tear gas to disperse the crowd.

New Delhi, Aug 22 (PTI) Former Union finance minister P Chidambaram spent a quiet night in the CBI guest house on the ground floor of the agency headquarters after his dramatic arrest from his posh residence in the INX media corruption case, officials said on Thursday.

Chidambaram, 73, was kept in the suite 5 of the guest house, they said.

It is normal for the agency to keep high security arrested accused in the guest house to ensure proper security and monitoring, the officials said.

COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh (AP) — The repatriation of hundreds of Rohingya Muslims appeared unlikely to proceed as planned Thursday after those who were eligible told the U.N. refugee agency and the Bangladesh government they didn’t want to return to Myanmar unless their citizenship and safety were ensured.

“We have not found anybody yet who has agreed to go back, but all our preparations are in place,” said Khaled Hossain, a senior official with the Refugee, Relief and Rehabilitation commissioner’s office.

NEW DELHI (AP) — The music videos began appearing on social media within hours of the announcement by India’s Hindu-led nationalist government that it was stripping statehood from the disputed region of Kashmir that had been in place for decades.

The songs delivered a message to India’s 250 million YouTube users about moving to the Muslim-majority region, buying land there and marrying Kashmiri women.

KANPUR: Wife demanded a set of mobile from her husband. Being a labourer he was unable to buy that costly item. He remained satisfied with his scant income in daily vocation. But the wife was not able to understand this point and remainec adamant. She made it a daily routine to ask for bringing one smartphone for her use.

Such kind of a matter has come to light at Shahpur Jogidera under Mangalpur police station.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 21 (APP): Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari has sent a letter to UNICEF to take action against Indian actress Priyanka Chopra and remove her as its peace ambassador for her warmongering comment.

In a letter to the UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta H Fore, she drew the attention towards the issue of Priyanka Chopra’s UN Goodwill Ambassador for Peace.

The Minister said, “Chopra has publicly endorsed this Indian government position and also supported the nuclear threat issued to Pakistan by the Indian defence minister”. 

ISLAMABAD, Aug 21 (APP): Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said the government was evaluating the possibilities of raising the annexation of Kashmir by India at all possible international forums including United Nations Human Right Council, International Court of Justice and other such forums to expose India’s nefarious designs.

Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, he said Kashmir issue has become a grave threat to the peace of the entire world. Pakistan was fully alert. World was being sensitized over the situation.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 21 (APP): A day after his telephonic conversation with the leaders of Pakistan and India, U.S. President Donald Trump has once again offered mediation between the two neighbouring countries on the “explosive and complicated” issue of Kashmir.

“Kashmir’s a very complicated place. You have the Hindus, and you have the Muslims, and I wouldn’t say they get along so great,” Trump told reporters in the White House on Tuesday.