Indian Sub-continent

New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel on Tuesday disqualified rebel Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and former minister Sandeep Kumar under the anti-defection law, an official statement said.

Kumar, who faced the action for supporting the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the Lok Sabha elections, is the fourth legislator of Delhi's ruling party to be disqualified in less than a month.

Guwahati, Aug 20 (PTI) A family in Silchar in Assam has called off the wedding of their daughter when the groom failed to provide his citizenship credentials.

Dilwar Hussain Laskar, of Nayagram village near Silchar was in love with a local girl and the two families had agreed to their marriage.

But trouble arose when the girl's family wanted to know from his family on August 15 whether his name was in the citizens register.

New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) Ahead of the Delhi University students' union polls, the RSS-affiliated ABVP on Tuesday installed busts of V D Savarkar, Subhash Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh 'without due permission' outside the gate of Arts Faculty in north campus.

The move has been criticised by the Congress-affiliated NSUI and Left-backed AISA which said Savarkar cannot be kept on the same pedestal as Bose and Singh.

The two-feet long busts in white marble have been placed on a 6.5-ft-long pillar which is red in colour.

New Delhi, Aug 21 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Wednesday said senior Congress leader P Chidambaram's plea challenging the Delhi High Court order dismissing his petition for pre-arrest bail in the INX media case will be put before the CJI to consider for urgent listing.

Justice N V Ramana told senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Chidambaram, that the case will be put before CJI Ranjan Gogoi.

"I am sending it to the Chief Justice of India. He will pass orders," the bench told Sibal.

KANPUR: Despite the start of the weekly holiday in the department, the In-charge of Makanpur police post in Billhaur listened to the complainants in easy postures wearing not even the proper uniform on Monday. A video of his odd posture went viral on Twitter which led his suspension on recommendations of the senior officers.

According to a news report, the Chowki Incharge was unmindful of his dress and posture at the time the victims reached his room adjacent to the office.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The United States envoy negotiating with the Taliban for an end to nearly 18 years of fighting in Afghanistan was departing Tuesday for Qatar to resume talks, the State Department said, amid concerns about a growing threat by an Islamic State affiliate.

Zalmay Khalilzad also will visit with the Afghan government, which has been sidelined from the talks, to discuss the “peace process and encourage full preparation for intra-Afghan negotiations,” the U.S. said.

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — At least 2,300 people, mostly young men, have been detained in Indian-administered Kashmir during a security lockdown and communications blackout imposed to curb unrest after New Delhi stripped the disputed region of statehood, according to top Kashmir police and arrest statistics reviewed by The Associated Press.

Mumbai, Aug 19 (PTI) Veteran composer Khayyam, best known for his music in classic films such as 'Umrao Jaan' and 'Kabhi Kabhie', passed away after a prolonged illnesses at a hospital here on Monday.

He was 92.

Mohammed Zahur Hashmi, popularly known as Khayyam, was admitted to Sujay Hospital in suburban Juhu a few days ago owing to breathing issues and other age-related illnesses.

Jammu, Aug 20 (PTI) The Pakistan Army on Tuesday targeted forward posts and villages along the LoC in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir with mortars and firing from small arms, a defence spokesman said.

The firing from across the border in Krishna Ghati sector started around 1100 hours, drawing response from the Indian Army, the spokesman said.

He said the cross-border firing between the two sides was going on when last reports came in.

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Aug 20 (PTI) A pregnant woman was allegedly killed by her husband and in-laws at their house here over demand for dowry, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place in Khatauli town on Monday when Babli was strangled by her husband, Ashu (26), and the in-laws for not fulfilling their demands, Circle Officer Ashish Pratap Singh said.

Babli and Ashu got married five years ago, he said.