Palestine recalls US envoy for discussion
GAZA, Jan 01: The Palestinian leadership has said it is recalling its envoy to the United States following Washington's controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Palestinian officials have previously said they will "no longer accept" any peace plan put forward by the US following President Donald Trump's unilateral declaration on December 6. Trump's move sparked deadly protests in the occupied Palestinian territories and major rallies in support of the Palestinians across the Muslim world. A resounding majority of United Nations member states also defied unprecedented threats by the US to declare the US' recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital "null and void". —Al Jazeera
Eight perish, dozens go missing after Indonesia boat capsizes
JAKARTA, Jan 01: A speed boat carrying 45 people including six children capsized in the northern part of Borneo Island in central Indonesia on Monday, leaving eight people dead and dozens of others missing. The Anugrah Express, which departed from Pelabuhan Kayan 2 of Tanjung Selor in North Kalimantan province at 8:15 a.m. local time, hit a wood floating in the sea and sank, spokesman of the National Search and Rescue Office Marsudi said. The boat was heading to Tarakan of the province, he added. — Xinhua
Anti-Beijing protesters march in HK
HONG KONG, Jan 01: Angry protesters marched through Hong Kong Monday against what they described as suppression by Beijing, days after Chinese authorities ruled that part of a city rail station would come under mainland law. Semi-autonomous Hong Kong has been ruled under a "one country, two systems" deal since Britain returned it to China in 1997 and enjoys rights unseen on the mainland, including freedom of speech and an independent judiciary. — AFP
Woman gets death threats for anti-Islamic post in Maldives
MALE, Jan 01: A prominent human rights activist in the Maldives says she has received several death threats over an alleged anti-Islamic Twitter post, that has also prompted a criminal investigation. Shahindha Ismail, executive director of Maldives Democracy Network (MDN), told Al Jazeera that anonymous accounts on Twitter and Facebook have been calling for her death, after a newspaper article and religious scholars accused her of advocating for secularism in the Sunni Muslim state. — Al Jazeera
Ten Americans die in Costa Rica small plane crash
SAN JOS, Jan 01: Ten Americans flying from a vacation hotspot on Costa Rica's tropical Pacific coast died Sunday when the small plane they had just boarded crashed and burst into flames shortly after take-off, officials in the country said. A list of the passengers given by local media showed five shared the same last name, suggesting they were related. — AFP
