News in Brief (21-10-2017)

Building collapse kills eight in India
NEW DELHI, Oct 20: A building collapse in southern India left eight people dead on Friday, an official said, the latest such disaster in the country known for its dilapidated properties and poor quality construction. The victims were among 11 employees of a state-run transport company, including bus drivers and cleaners, who were sleeping in the 60-year-old, two-storey office block near a bus depo when a portion of it caved in. "It was an old building that suddenly collapsed while the staff were asleep," said C Suresh Kumar, the top government official for Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu state, where the incident occurred. He said emergency workers had managed to rescue three of the workers from under tons of debris, who were being treated for their injuries at a government-run hospital. The state government has also offered $2,300 in compensation to the victims' families. — AFP

New Zealand to hold cannabis referendum
New Zealand will hold a referendum on legalising the recreational use of cannabis in the next three years, its prime minister-elect has pledged. Jacinda Ardern said she did not personally support imprisoning people for using cannabis but wanted to hear New Zealanders' views. Ms Ardern received a standing ovation at a meeting of her Labour Party. She will head a three-way coalition with the Greens and nationalist party New Zealand First (NZF). Ms Ardern, 37, emerged as the surprise new leader after weeks of negotiation following September's inconclusive election, which resulted in a hung parliament. — BBC

Bring back Colombian artifacts from Spain: Court
BOGOTA, Oct 20: Colombia's Constitutional Court Thursday ordered the government to recover more than 120 pieces of indigenous treasure given to the Spanish royal family by Colombia's president in the 19th century. According to the high court, the gift violated the constitution, which states an item of cultural importance cannot be given away. It ordered the foreign ministry to undertake all necessary negotiations to bring back the pre-Colombian artifacts from the South American Quimbaya civilization, known for their gold work. In 1893, President Carlos Holguin gifted the pieces -- part of a collection of over 400 including masks and human figures -- to Spain's queen regent Maria Cristina de Habsburgo-Lorena. — AFP

US spacewalkers begin third repair mission
MIAMI, Oct 20: Two American astronauts floated outside the International Space Station Friday for the third spacewalk this month aimed at repairing the orbiting outpost's robotic arm and replacing old video cameras. NASA's Joe Acaba and Randy Bresnik officially began the spacewalk at 7:47am (1147 GMT) when they switched their spacesuits to battery power, then ventured outside the airlock into the vacuum of space. The pair hope to replace a degraded camera at the end of the 57-foot robotic arm, finish lubricating its newly installed latching end and replace a blown fuse, among other tasks. —AFP