News brief: Big stories of the day

India mourned as former PM Vajpayee was cremated today with full state honours at Smriti Sthal in Delhi. The defence service chiefs, PM Modi and President Kovind along with other leaders paid their respects to the former prime minister for the last time after the funeral procession arrived at the site thronged by thousands of people.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan put the death toll at 324 and described the floods as worst in 100 years. Vijayan said 2,23139 people are in about 1500+ relief camps.

Pakistan's Prime Minister-elect Imran Khan was voted as the Prime Minister in the National Assembly on Friday. The newly-elected National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, met today to elect the prime minister, news agency PTI reported. 

Turkey on Friday threatened to respond if the United States levied further sanctions over the detention of an American pastor, which has sparked a diplomatic standoff and battered the Turkish currency. 

President Ashraf Ghani congratulated Afghanistan's armed forces in Ghazni on Friday for their victory over Taliban insurgents in the strategically important city after clashes that killed at least 150 soldiers and 95 civilians.