Indian Hindu temple board reverses opposition to entry of women
The board of an ancient Hindu hill temple in southern India said on Wednesday it now favoured allowing female worshippers of menstruating age to enter, reversing its previous support for a centuries-old ban.
China hacked Norway’s Visma to steal client secrets: investigators
Hackers working on behalf of Chinese intelligence breached the network of Norwegian software firm Visma to steal secrets from its clients, cyber security researchers said, in what a company executive described as a potentially catastrophic attack.
Pope hopes his Arabian trip will help Islam-Christian relations
Pope Francis said on Wednesday he hoped his historic trip to the Arabian peninsula will help dispel the notion of an inevitable clash of civilizations between Christianity and Islam.
Netanyahu election rival moots West Bank settlement removals
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s toughest election rival voiced openness on Wednesday to a future removal of settlements from the occupied West Bank, sparking debate over diplomacy with the Palestinians as a U.S. peace plan looms.
‘Get out of Syria,’ Iran tells U.S.
Senior Iranian figures said on Wednesday that Syria was a top foreign policy priority and American troops should withdraw, as planned by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Russia jails Jehovah’s Witness for six years in landmark case
A Russian court on Wednesday found a Danish adherent of the Jehovah’s Witnesses guilty of organizing the activities of a banned extremist organization and jailed him for six years in a case Western governments cast as a test of religious freedom.
Denmark calls on Russia to respect freedom of religion
Denmark on Wednesday called on Russia to respect freedom of religion after a Russian court sentenced a Danish adherent of the Jehovah’s Witnesses to six years in jail.
Indonesia court jails British woman for slapping immigration officer
An Indonesian court on Wednesday jailed a British woman for six months for slapping an immigration officer in the face on the island of Bali after an argument over a fine for staying in the country after her visa expired.
NATO announces December summit in London
Leaders of the NATO allies will hold a summit in December in London, Jens Stoltenberg, the Western military alliance’s secretary general, said in a statement on Wednesday.
Taliban: U.S. vowed to pull out half its Afghan troops by April – RIA
The Taliban, which has a delegation in Moscow for talks, said on Wednesday that the United States vowed during recent talks with it to pull out half of its troops from Afghanistan by April, the RIA news agency reported.
