India Roundup: Sexism apology, Qatar sailors case, Gaza vote row

Journalist apology

Actor and politician Suresh Gopi has apologised to a female journalist after he touched her shoulder twice as she asked him questions. However, he faced criticism for caveating his apology with “if she felt bad about my behaviour”. The incident happened at an event in Kozhikode, according to the Indian Express.

Qatar sentences

The Indian government has promised to explore all legal avenues after eight former navy personnel were sentenced to death in Qatar. The exact details of the charges were not revealed but the men were believed to have been working on a submarine project in the country at the time of their arrest, the Hindustan Times reported.

Mass suicide

Seven people, including three children have been found dead after an apparent mass suicide. The dead are all believed to have belonged to the same family in Surat, Gujarat, according to NDTV.

India abstains

India’s decision to abstain from a UN resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza has sparked controversy. The Measure, proposed by Jordan, was adopted with support of 120 nations but India, alongside Canada, the UK, Ukraine and Germany, was one of 45 abstentions. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said he was shocked by the decision but members of the ruling BJP party pointed out that the resolution failed to condemn Hamas’s attack on Israel, according to NDTV.

Pension rise

Many retired government officials will benefit from an increase to their pensions following a hike in Dearness Relief, the Economic Times reported. Dearness relief is designed to compensate pensioners for the impact of inflation.