The Hamas urged Palestinians to abandon peace efforts and launch a new uprising against Israel in response to US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as its capital. Palestinian factions called for a "Day of Rage" on Friday, and a wave of protest in the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli soldiers in Jerusalem, Ramallah and other places in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said an aircraft and a tank had targeted two posts belonging to militants in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip after three rockets were launched at Israel.
Bitcoin falls below $15,000
Bitcoin tumbled more than 12 per cent in volatile Asian trading on Friday, dropping below the $15,000 level after after setting a record high in the early session. The cryptocurrency which was selling below $1,000 in the beginning of the year had crossed $19,000 on Thursday on on the Coinbase exchange. The steep rise in its value has accelerated investor enthusiasm in the digital currency.
Big announcements at this year's Game Awards
2017 Game Awards were given away to game developers for the video games they released in 2017. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild won the game of the year. Winners include both existing games and trailers of games that won’t be out until 2018. The two hour-long event, hosted by Geoff Keighley, was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Rowling defends Johnny Depp casting in next 'Fantastic Beasts'
Author J K Rowling defended the decision to cast Johnny Depp in the next Fantastic Beasts movie after a backlash from fans who were unhappy about the circumstances of the actor's recent divorce. Rowling said on her personal website that the circumstances of Depp's 2016 divorce from actress Amber Heard were private and should be respected.
Bio-vacuum toilets for Indian Railways
Indian Railways is upgrading its bio-toilets to imported bio-vacuum toilets, similar to those in aircraft. The first 100 coaches with the new toilets will be attached to important trains like Rajdhani and Shatabdi and would be rolled out from January 2018. Over 900 trains currently have bio-toilets either in some or all of their coaches. Advanced bio-vacuum toilets are odour-free and use less water.
(With inputs from agencies)