Asia
Final round of voting underway in India's marathon elections
New Delhi, May 19 (AP/UNB) — Indians are voting in the seventh and final phase of national elections, wrapping up a 6-week-long long, grueling campaign season with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party seeking reelection for another five years.
Dog rescues baby buried alive in field in Thailand
Dhaka, May 18 (UNB) -A dog in northern Thailand has rescued a newborn baby after it was buried alive, allegedly by its teenage mother, reports BBC.
Gay couples plan mass weddings after Taiwan legalizes unions
Taipei, May 18 (AP/UNB) — Gay couples in Taiwan plan a mass wedding registration after lawmakers voted to legalize same-sex marriage, a first in Asia and a boost for LGBT rights activists who had championed the cause for two decades.
India's ruling party takes election battle to West Bengal
India, May 17 (AP/UNB) — India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken his ruling party's fight to the state of West Bengal, where it hopes to retain a majority in staggered general elections concluding this week.
About 500 people test positive for HIV in Pakistani district
Ratodero, May 17 (AP/UNB) — Nothing seemed unusual to Rehmana Bibi, the mother of 10-year-old Ali Raza, when the boy came down with a fever at their home in the dusty, largely neglected district of Larkana in southern Pakistan.
Saudis blame Iran for drone attack amid calls for US strikes
Dubai, May 17 (AP/UNB) — Saudi Arabia accused Tehran of being behind a drone strike that shut down a key oil pipeline in the kingdom, and a newspaper close to the palace called for Washington to launch "surgical" strikes on Iran, raising the specter of escalating tensions as the U.S. boosts its military presence in the Persian Gulf.
Xinhua Commentary: The power of dialogue
Beijing, May 16 (Xinhua/UNB) - More than 1,300 years ago, Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang traveled thousands of miles to the revered Indian monastery of Nalanda, where he studied Buddhism for five years under the guidance of Abbot Silabhadra.
Police: 4 combatants, 1 civilian killed in Kashmir fighting
Srinagar, May 16 (AP/UNB) — Three rebels, an army soldier and a civilian were killed early Thursday during a gunbattle in disputed Kashmir that triggered anti-India protests and clashes, officials and residents said.
North Korea says it is suffering worst drought in decades
Seoul, May 16 (AP/UNB) — North Korea said Wednesday it is suffering its worst drought in nearly four decades amid reports of severe food shortages.
Lonely Planet's top destination suffers a blow after blasts
Hikkaduwa, May 16 (AP/.UNB) — Sipping fresh coconut water while sunbathing on deserted Hikkaduwa beach, Alexi Konchayenko, a sports trainer from Ukraine, struck a stoical note.