The RSS, the ideological source of Hindu nationalism, practices dawn drills in a suburban Delhi park. Volunteers rehearse calisthenics, sing patriotic songs and salute their saffron flag as part of their pledge to protect India against potential dangers. Julie McCarthy/NPR hide caption
China's President Xi Jinping has launched a number of crackdowns since coming to power, like suppressing Internet speech. But his anti-corruption drive has made him widely popular among ordinary Chinese. Jorge Silva/Reuters/Landov hide caption
A Trident submarine makes its way out from Faslane naval base in 2009. Scotland votes on whether it wants independence next month, raising questions about the future of Britain's naval base, including its nuclear subs. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images hide caption
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on July 23. While the two countries are close allies, they have exchanged criticism during the recent Israel-Hamas fighting in Gaza. Pool/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
A smoker takes a puff at the annual Global Marijuana March in Copenhagen in May 2013. Gonzales Photo/Demotix/Corbis hide caption
A mother and child pass through Batey Bembe in the sugar-producing region near the town of Conseulo. Bateys are small, isolated communities made up of sugar cane workers and their families, often consisting of three or four generations. Sarah Tilotta for NPR hide caption
Members of the Pakistani navy march at the mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan, to celebrate Independence Day in Karachi. Security was heavy in the capital Islamabad as the government braced for protests in addition to the ceremonies and celebrations. Fareed Khan/AP hide caption
An African migrant infant is handed off by a member of the Red Cross to a member of the Spanish coast guard in the port of Tarifa on Tuesday. Marcos Moreno/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Iraqi lawmaker Haidar al-Abadi, shown here in 2010, was appointed Monday to become Iraq's prime minister. However, Nouri al-Maliki, the prime minister since 2006, has so far refused to step down. Karim Kadim/AP hide caption
Secretary of State John Kerry and Afghanistan's presidential candidates, Ashraf Ghani (center) and Abdullah Abdullah (right), announce a deal in Kabul on July 12 to audit all Afghan election votes. Kerry returned last week and both candidates reaffirmed their commitment to the audit. Jim Bourg/AP hide caption
"The two armies of corruption and anti-corruption are at a stalemate," China's president, Xi Jinping, reportedly told a closed-door Politburo meeting in late June. Jorge Silva/Reuters/Landov hide caption
Stefan Daniel is a 51-year-old German clinical psychologist with multiple sclerosis. He has decided that he will end his life, by taking a barbiturate while sitting in his own living room, when he can no longer see or speak. Esme Nicholson for NPR hide caption
Scores of African leaders gather in Washington this week at an unprecedented summit organized by President Obama. Paul J. Richards /AFP/Getty Images hide caption
A man looks at the painting Better To Have Only One Child at the China National Art Museum in Beijing. More than three decades after China's one-child policy took hold, some bereaved parents are suffering an unintended consequence of the policy: The loss of a child leaves them with no support in their old age. Wang Zhao/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Supporters of Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah rally Friday against alleged fraud in the presidential runoff election. Preliminary results were to be released Tuesday but have been delayed following Abdullah's accusations of widespread fraud. Jawad Jalali /EPA /Landov hide caption