Jaishankar made new Foreign Secretary

In a sudden development, S Jaishankar, India's Ambassador to the US, was tonight appointed Foreign Secretary, replacing Sujatha Singh whose tenure has been abruptly 'curtailed" by nearly eight months.

The surprise announcement was made after a meeting of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Singh's two-year tenure was to end in August this year.