Tikamgarh / AFP As young boys plunge into a murky dam to escape the blistering afternoon sun, guards armed with guns stand vigil at one of the few remaining water bodies in a state hit hard by India’s crippling drought. Desperate farmers from a neighbouring state regularly attempt to steal water from the Barighat dam, forcing authorities in central …

  Kolkata / AFP Four people were killed when the crude bombs they were making exploded in India’s West Bengal, where bitterly fought state elections are underway, a senior police official said on Monday. Another six people were injured in the explosion on Sunday night in a village about 360 kilometres (220 miles) north of Kolkata, close to the eastern …

  BLOOMBERG With many markets across the world closed, investors pared back higher-risk holdings, keeping the Japanese yen near its strongest level in 18 months. Gold advanced with sovereign bonds, oil declined and European equities held onto their biggest loss in two months. Japan led a selloff in Asian equities, with the Topix index sliding for a fifth day as …