Indian Sub-continent

Mumbai, Aug 26 (PTI) The rupee on Monday declined by 42 paise to 72.08 against the US currency in early trade, due to strong dollar demand from banks and importers amid unabated foreign fund outflows

Forex trader said the local unit came under pressure after the latest escalation of the US-China trade war

Meanwhile, on Monday, China's currency slid to its lowest point in over 11 years amid concerns over global recession and the US trade war

The onshore yuan fell to 7.1487 to the US dollar, its weakest point since early 2008, in Asian trading.

KABUL/PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - As U.S. and Taliban negotiators push to wrap up talks aimed at securing the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan, Taliban sources say a pact will not mean an end to fighting with the U.S.-backed Afghan government.

U.S. and Taliban officials have been negotiating in Qatar since last year on an agreement centered on the withdrawal of U.S. forces, and an end to their longest-ever war, in exchange for a Taliban guarantee that international militant groups will not plot from Afghan soil.

Kochi, Aug 26 (PTI) A man who was taken into police custody over his suspected terror links was let off after a probe by various security agencies could not establish any such connection, sources said.

The man, along with a female friend, was taken into custody on Saturday.

Etah, Aug 25 (PTI) A minor girl was allegedly raped while she was asleep at her home in a village here, police said Sunday.

According to Circle Officer Jalesar Gurmeet Singh, the 10-year-old was sleeping with her parents and siblings when some unidentified persons entered the house at around 3 am on Saturday, took her to a nearby forest and committed the crime.

New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI) Researchers at IIT-Guwahati have developed lab grown meat, which is nutritious and will be a step towards cruelty-free food.

Lab-grown meat will open new vistas towards cruelty-free food thereby saving the environment as well as the animals, said Dr Biman B Mandal of IIT-Guwahati.

In Biomaterial and Tissue Engineering laboratory, researchers have developed a novel technique formulated and patented for production of meat which is completely natural, he said.

Lucknow, Aug 26 (PTI) Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati on Monday lashed out at the Opposition parties' attempted visit to Srinagar after the scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir's special status.

In a series of tweets, Mayawati said: "It is well known that Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar was in favour of equality, unity and integrity of the country. Hence, he was not in favour of the separate provision of Article 370 for Jammu and Kashmir. Because of this, BSP had supported its scrapping in the Parliament."

Srinagar, Aug 26 (PTI) Normal life remained affected in Kashmir for the 22nd consecutive day on Monday as markets and schools were shut, but the movement of private vehicles in the city improved, officials said.

Restrictions were lifted in most areas of the valley, but the deployment of security forces continued to maintain law and order, they said.

Chennai, Aug 26 (PTI) A man died and one of the four injured men succumbed to his injuries on Monday taking the toll to two in the explosion at a temple premises in a village near suburban Tiruporur here.

While a 22-year old man died following an explosion on Sunday, another man, who was among the injured, died without responding to treatment at a government hospital near here, police said.

Other injured men were being treated for their injuries, they said.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Two yellow burqas are on display at a television station in Kabul, bright versions of the blue ghostlike garments some women in the capital still wear. For the young women at Zan TV they are relics, a reminder of a Taliban-ruled past that few of them can recall.