Exit polls in India’s month-long elections point to the ruling Congress party-led coalition winning the most seats but not enough to form a government, signaling difficulties for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s return to power.

Up to 700,000 civilians in Pakistan’s Swat Valley are caught in the intensifying fighting between Pakistan government forces and Taliban fighters, while Pakistani government officials say that 1.3 million have been displaced due to the operations.

In Bethlehem, Pope Benedict XVI calls for a sovereign Palestinian homeland while praying for an end to the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The United States is elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council for the first time ever in spite of concerns about the U.S. use of capital punishment and harsh interrogation practices.