Indian Sub-continent

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A bombing at a mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul during evening prayers killed at least 21 people, including a prominent cleric, and wounded at least 33 others, eyewitnesses and police said Thursday.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack Wednesday night, the latest to strike the country in the year since the Taliban seized power. Several children were reported to be among the wounded.

Kanpur: There was panic when a crocodile came out of the water on the Ganga barrage here on Thursday morning.

On the information of the local people, the forest department team reached the spot and tied it with the help of a stick and rope and brought it to the Allen Forest zoo.

Regional Forest Officer Dilip Kumar Gupta said that at around 8:30 in the morning, local people had informed about the 40-Kg crocodile on the premises of Jal Sansthan.

Upon this, the staff was immediately sent to the spot and the crocodile was sooner caught.

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh’s leader told a visiting U.N. official on Wednesday that hundreds of thousands of ethnic minority Rohingya refugees living in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh must return home to Myanmar, where they had fled waves of violent persecution.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made the comment to U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka. Bachelet arrived on Sunday and visited Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar district near the border with Myanmar.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 16 (APP): Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday led the annual ceremonial washing of the Holy Kaaba, on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.

Accompanied by Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is also deputy premier and defense minister, was received by Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, head of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

COLOMBO, Aug 16 (Reuters) - A Chinese military survey ship docked at Sri Lanka's Chinese-built port of Hambantota on Tuesday after a delay of several days because of opposition to the visit from India, which vies with China for influence in crisis-hit Sri Lanka.

India had opposed the docking of the Yuan Wang 5, which analysts describe as a high-tech ship for tracking objects in space, as it fears China could use the port, near the main Asia-Europe shipping route, as a military base.

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Eight people were killed and 32 others were injured when a passenger coaster turned turtle in Pakistan's south Sindh province on Tuesday, local reports said.

The incident happened when the vehicle's driver lost control over it while negotiating a sharp turn shortly before reaching the toll plaza in the Sukkur district of the province, the reports said.

The van fell into a ditch after going out of the driver's control, which resulted in fatalities and serious injuries to the passengers.

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Assailants on Tuesday fatally shot a local Hindu man and injured his brother in a shooting that police blamed on militants fighting against Indian rule in disputed Kashmir.

Police said militants fired at two brothers belonging to minority community of Kashmiri Hindus inside an apple orchard in southern Shopian district.

The two were taken to a hospital with critical gunshot wounds where one died, police said in a statement.

Reinforcement of soldiers and police cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to nab the attackers.

Kanpur: The DBS College principal formed a committee to conduct the probe into the scuffle that broke out between the College NCC in charge and Steno, in Govind Nagar. The packets of laddoos were found to be insufficient.

Reacting to the matter the College principal Anil Kumar Mishra said that there took place some scuffle on the issue of sweets distribution between the NCC in charge and steno. The probe panel would submit a report on Wednesday.

It is alleged that the students who favour the NCC in charge beat up Steno and other teachers and employees.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban on Monday marked a year since they seized the Afghan capital of Kabul, a rapid takeover that triggered a hasty escape of the nation’s Western-backed leaders, sent the economy into a tailspin and fundamentally transformed the country.

Bearded Taliban fighters, some hoisting rifles or the white banners of their movement, staged small victory parades on foot, bicycles and motorcycles in the streets of the capital. One small group marched past the former U.S. Embassy, chanting “Long live Islam” and “Death to America.”

Kolkata, Aug 15 (PTI) Paying homage to the people who fought for India's Independence, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said Indians must uphold the dignity of the country's democratic values.

Banerjee said Indians should preserve the sacred legacy of their fore fathers who got the Independence.