India

This month, India and Pakistan celebrate 70 years of independence. But the scars of a violent partition linger. An oral history project is racing to collect stories from those who lived through it.

The neighbors have been in a weekslong dispute over Chinese road construction in the disputed region of Doklam. The plateau is claimed both by China and India's tiny ally, Bhutan.

They're doing it with memes from Game of Thrones and The Simpsons. And by quickly responding to queries from the public.

Ram Nath Kovind, 71, was elected Thursday as India's head of state, a largely ceremonial post. The son of a farmer, he is a member of the Dalit community, once known as "untouchables."

Also called khichri, the dish goes back centuries and is universally loved across South Asia. It is also considered the ancestor of the British kedgeree and Egyptian koshary.

A bus came under gunfire Monday evening in the disputed region. Indian politicians condemned the violence Tuesday, yet praised the actions of the driver who carried the rest of the pilgrims to safety.

The area in dispute is a plateau where three countries — Bhutan, India, and China — converge. India and China have a complicated history of boundary disputes and fought a 1962 war near this stretch.

The rules ban cattle sale for slaughter at livestock markets and come at a time of escalating tensions between Hindu extremists and beef-eating minorities. They could also hurt India's beef exports.