Indian Sub-continent

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan was sworn in as prime minister of Pakistan here on Saturday morning.

President Mamnoon Hussain administered the oath to Imran Khan as the 22nd prime minister of Pakistan. Caretaker Prime Minister Nasir ul Mulk was also present at the ceremony.

The ceremony was attended by diplomats, ministers, lawmakers, other political leaders, military and civil officials and dignitaries.

Bengaluru, Aug 16; PTI: The SIT probing the killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh today claimed that five suspects, arrested in connection with the case, were involved in rationalist M M Kalburgi's killing.

Twelve suspects have been arrested in connection with the Lankesh case.

Kalburgi was shot dead on August 30, 2015 at home and the case is being investigated by the criminal investigation department (CID).

Guwahati, Aug 16; PTI: One man was lynched and three others were critically injured by a mob in Biswanath district of Assam that suspected them to be cattle lifters, police said today.

Biswanath Superintendent of Police Diganta Kumar Choudhury told PTI the incident took place early yesterday at Line Number 15 of Diplonga Tea Estate under the Sootea police station.

The SP said as per preliminary inquiry, the four men had allegedly stolen two cows from a person named Sankat Tanti and were fleeing in an auto van which had no number plate.

New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI) Swami Agnivesh was allegedly heckled and assaulted near the BJP headquarters here today by some people, who the social activist said were BJP workers, when he was on his way to pay homage to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

A video of the alleged attack that circulated on social media showed some people heckling the 79-year-old social activist.

New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI) As many as 868 people have lost their lives, 247 of them in Kerala, due to rains, floods and landslides in seven states during the monsoon season so far, the Home Ministry said today.

According to the Home Ministry's National Emergency Response Centre (NERC), 247 people have died in Kerala, where 2.11 lakh people in 14 districts have been badly hit by the rains and floods and over 32,500 hectares of crops damaged.

Kolkata, Aug 16 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said the informal sector and small businesses will be worst hit by the depreciating rupee and lead to increase in the oil import bill.

"After demonetisation disaster and now Rupee slide, Rupee crashes to its lowest ever. We are very concerned," the chief minister tweeted.

New Delhi, Aug 16 (PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi today and requested him to increase the deployment of Army and Navy in flood-hit Kerala and give special financial assistance to the state.

Gandhi spoke to the prime minister over phone and announced it on Twitter. He noted that the tragedy is unparalleled in Kerala's history and the state is in "great pain".

KABUL, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least 45 Afghan security force members were killed after Taliban militants stormed a joint military camp in northern Baghlan province overnight, reported local media Tolo News TV on Wednesday.

Islamabad, Aug 13; PTI:  The maiden session of Pakistan's newly-elected Parliament began today with the outgoing speaker administering oath to 329 members as part of the process of transition and handing over powers to the new government.

Ayaz Sadiq, speaker of the previous National Assembly, presided over the 15th Parliament's session and administered oath to the new leaders in the 342-member lower house. The new members signed their presence in a register.

Pakur, Aug 13; PTI: Seven minor children belonging to the primitive Pahariya tribe have been rescued and a human trafficker arrested in Jharkhand's Pakur district, a senior police officer said today.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team conducted a raid at Amrapara bus stand and rescued the children and arrested the human trafficker while they were about to board a bus to Uttar Pradesh yesterday, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Ashok Kumar Singh said.