Indian Sub-continent

New Delhi, Mar 28 (PTI) Central trade unions on Monday began a two-day nationwide strike to protest against the government's alleged wrong policies that are affecting farmers, workers and people.

Talking to PTI Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), said, "The two-day nationwide strike by the joint forum of central trade unions has begun this morning".

New Delhi, Mar 28 (PTI) President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday will confer Padma awards on 74 distinguished personalities, including former BJP leader late Kalyan Singh and actor Victor Banerjee, at a civil investiture ceremony to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

This year, 128 Padma awards are being presented and the first civil investiture ceremony was held on March 21 during which 54 personalities were given the honour.

Jaipur, Mar 27 (PTI) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday dissolved its all units in Rajasthan to restructure the party organisation to prepare for the state assembly polls.

The party has started expanding its base in Congress-ruled Rajasthan after it formed the government in Punjab.

AAP's new election in-charge in Rajasthan Vinay Mishra announced the dissolution of all units, including the state executive, in a party workers' meeting at Birla Auditorium here.

Thiruvananthapuram/ Kochi, Mar 28 (PTI) The two-day nationwide strike called by a joint forum of central trade unions began in Kerala on Monday with almost all institutions downing their shutters.

The joint forum has given a call for a nationwide strike on March 28 and 29, to protest against government policies affecting workers, farmers, and people.

Kanpur:Two and a half days into what had seemed like a relatively calm strolling place for the man of genial nature now appeared like an unpleasant place.

There is indeed a fine place for sucking fresh air in Jajmau area, as he maintains.

It is certainly not like Emperor Jehangir's oft repeated lines, if there is paradise on the earth it is here, here and here. But this place is not lesser than the like of that snow covered hilly territory for the professional.

KABUL, Mar 27 (NNN-ANA) – Up to 500 people have been commissioned to the police forces, in Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province, after receiving police training, the Afghan caretaker government said, on Sunday.

The professional policemen graduated from the Kandahar Police Training Centre yesterday, after one month of professional training, the government said in a statement.

The newly trained personnel held a parade during the graduation ceremony, and demonstrated their ability to combat drug trafficking, kidnapping and other crimes, according to the statement.

KABUL, March 27 (Reuters) - The Taliban have told airlines in Afghanistan that women cannot board domestic or international flights without a male chaperone, two sources told Reuters on Sunday.

The move comes after the Taliban backtracked on their previous commitment to open high schools to girls, a u-turn that shocked many Afghans and drew condemnation from humanitarian agencies and foreign governments.

The United States on Friday cancelled planned meetings with Taliban officials on key economic issues due to its decision on Wednesday.

COLOMBO, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka will host the fifth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit from Monday to Wednesday.

The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that the event will be held in hybrid mode and foreign ministers and senior officials of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Thailand will arrive in Sri Lanka on Sunday.

The foreign minister of Myanmar will participate virtually, the foreign ministry said.

Ranchi, Mar 26 (PTI) Three Naxalites were shot dead by the security forces at a forest in Jharkhand's Latehar district on Saturday morning, police said.

The Naxalites belonged to Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC) -- a CPI (Maoist) breakaway faction, Inspector General of Police (Operations) Amol V Homkar said.

The Naxalites were killed in a gunfight with the forces at a forest in Manika police station area, he said.

Some Naxalites managed to escape taking advantage of the dense forest, he added.

Jammu, Mar 27 (PTI) Authorities on Sunday carried out an anti-encroachment drive in different parts of Jammu, triggering protests by people who blocked the Narwal Bypass for several hours, officials said.

Dozens of structures, including buildings and shops, were demolished partially or completely near Bathindi crossing on the Narwal Bypass in the early morning drive by the revenue department amid heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces, they said.