Modi favorite as giant election starts

Polls opened on Thursday in the first phase of India's general elections, seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party, as the scion of the Gandhi family told Indians that the country's "soul" was at stake.

Sudanese army removes president

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has been removed from power and detained by the army, Defense Minister Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf announced on Thursday, Reuters reported.

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NY mandates vaccinations to contain measles

New York City on Tuesday declared a public health emergency in ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn because of a measles outbreak and ordered mandatory measles vaccinations.

Britons waste hundreds of millions of eggs each year

Overcautious Britons threw away more than 720 million eggs last year, mainly because of stringency about "best-before" dates.

France to cut taxes to appease 'yellow vest' protesters

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has called for quick tax cuts to appease the anger of "yellow vest" protesters across the country.

'Listeners' seeking to reduce suicides

TOKYO - All the phones at a Japanese suicide hotline office started ringing at 8 pm on a Friday night, precisely at opening time. The narrow room off a Tokyo back street was filled with the voices of those trying to help.

Last WWII 'Doolittle' raider dies

The last surviving member of a morale-boosting secret United States air raid that stunned Japan during World War II has died, Agence France-Presse reported.

Netanyahu, main challenger both claim victory in election

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main challenger, Benny Gantz, were tied in the parliamentary elections on Wednesday morning with 97.4 percent of the votes counted, official figures from the Israeli Central Election Committee showed, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Chinese company makes Kenya greener

A new partnership between soft drink producers and a Chinese company is expected to accelerate plastic recycling and create more jobs in Kenya.

Wreckage of Japan's F-35 jet found

Wreckage from a Japanese F-35A stealth fighter jet has been found a day after it disappeared off the radar over the Pacific, the country's defense minister said on Wednesday, Agence France-Presse reported.

Chinatown restored to former glory

HAVANA - Havana's Chinatown is being restored to its former glory as work in the district in downtown Havana began several weeks ago.