Indian police tear gas protesters
after women enter Kerala temple
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Jan 02: Indian police fired tear gas, stun grenades and water cannon as protests and clashes erupted across the southern state of Kerala after two women entered a flashpoint temple for the first time since a landmark court ruling, local media reported. Violent clashes were reported between scores of people in front of the state parliament in Thiruvananthapuram. Protests with sporadic violence were also reported in several other towns across the state, media said. — AFP
Death toll hits 18 in Russian bldg collapse
MOSCOW, Jan 02: Eighteen dead bodies have been recovered from the debris of an apartment block in Russia that partially collapsed in an apparent explosion, while 23 people remained unaccounted for, the regional emergencies ministry told Reuters on Wednesday. The blast, initially thought to have been caused by a gas leak, damaged 48 apartments in a 10-storey building in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk in the early hours on Monday, 1,700 km (1,050 miles) east of Moscow. —Reuters
Brazil's new president urges unity
BRASÍLIA, Jan 02: Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has used his inaugural speech to promise to build a "society without discrimination or division". The former army captain told Congress he wanted a "national pact" to free Brazil of corruption, crime and economic mismanagement. In a swipe at the left, he vowed to free Brazil of "ideology". He is seen as a deeply divisive figure whose racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarks have angered many.—BBC
Israeli settlement activity appears to surge
JERUSALEM, Jan 02: With little resistance from a friendly White House, Israel has launched a new settlement push in the West Bank since President Donald Trump took office, laying the groundwork for what could be the largest construction binge in years, according to data obtained by The Associated Press. The figures, gathered from official government sources by the anti-settlement monitoring group Peace Now, show an increase in building in 2018. —AP
Netflix removes comedy after Saudi demand
NEW YORK, Jan 02: Netflix has removed from its streaming service in Saudi Arabia an episode of a comedy show critical of the kingdom. The second episode of Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj was removed following a legal demand, which reportedly said it violated a Saudi anti-cybercrime law. — BBC
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