BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets were mixed Wednesday in light trading while China and Japan were closed for holidays.

Hong Kong declined while Sydney and India advanced following Wall Street’s overnight fall. New Zealand and Southeast Asian markets retreated.

Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index lost 0.7%, dragged down by more declines for tech stocks including Apple and Microsoft.

The Hang Seng in Hong Kong lost 0.6% to 28,397.29 while the S&P-ASX 200 in Sydney rose 0.4% to 7,094.90.

(Reuters) --- Russia is seeking an additional 24 million roubles ($321,586) in fines from U.S. tech giant Twitter (TWTR.N) for failing to remove content banned in Russia, the TASS news agency cited a court as saying on Wednesday.

State communications regulator Roskomnadzor said last week that Twitter was complying with a demand to remove banned content, but taking too long to do so. A punitive slowdown on the service has been extended until May 15. 

CALI (Colombia), May 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The international community on Tuesday decried what the UN described as an “excessive use of force” by security officers in Colombia after numerous deaths during days of anti-government protests.

The United Nations, United States, European Union and rights bodies joined a chorus of criticism after official data showed 19 people were killed and 846 injured in running clashes with the security forces.

Colombia’s human rights ombudsman — a state agency independent from the government — said 89 people were listed as “disappeared.”

New Delhi, May 4 (PTI) Some hospitals in the national capital appealed to authorities on Tuesday to replenish their oxygen stocks, saying their patients' lives were at stake owing to erratic supplies.

For the past several days, hospitals across the national capital and its suburbs have been sending out SOS messages on social media about a shortage of oxygen.

Triton Hospital, where more than 10 babies are in the neonatal intensive care unit, had sent an SOS around 9:30 am.

05 May 2021; MEMO: Germany has expressed its rejection of a recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) describing Israeli practices toward Palestinians as amounting to "the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution."

German government spokesman Steffen Seibert that the international human rights watchdog's assumption that "Israel is committing the international law crime of apartheid is explicitly not endorsed by the federal government," Anadolu Agency reported.

Mangaluru, May 5 (PTI) India on Wednesday received 54 tonnes of oxygen from Bahrain as part of Operation Samudra Setu-II launched by Indian Navy to transport oxygen and associated medical supplies from friendly foreign nations.

The INS Talwar docked this afternoon at the New Mangaluru port with 54 tonnes of oxygen, a Defence official said in a statement.

Indore, May 5 (PTI) Veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath on Wednesday described West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as the leader of the country who defeated all her opponents, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Central agencies like the CBI and the ED, in the recently-held Assembly elections in West Bengal.

Bhopal, May 4 (PTI) A 45-year-old COVID-19 patient allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the fifth floor of a private hospital in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal on Tuesday, police said. The man, a resident of Awadhpuri area here, allegedly jumped off the fifth floor of the private Chirayu Hospital building at around 7:30am, said Sandhya Mishra, in charge of Khajuri Sadak police station.

Bhopal, May 5 (PTI) Senior BJP leader and a key man behind the party's mega events in Madhya Pradesh, Vijesh Lunawat died following cardiac arrest at a hospital here on Wednesday, family sources said.

Lunawat (55) had not been well for quite some time and had recently tested positive for COVID-19, they said.

The BJP leader is survived by his wife and two daughters.

New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) The Centre on Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that all Indian Premier League (IPL) matches have been suspended, and therefore, nothing remains in the plea to stop the fixtures to be held in the national capital.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh was informed about the suspension of the IPL matches by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

The court adjourned the matter to May 19 as no one appeared for the petitioner.

New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) Petrol and diesel prices were raised for the second day in a row on Wednesday as state-owned fuel retailers resumed daily rate revision after a more than two-week long hiatus during assembly elections in states like West Bengal.

Petrol price was increased by 19 paise per litre and diesel by 21 paise a litre, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers.

Petrol in the national capital now costs Rs 90.74 a litre and diesel comes for Rs 81.12 per litre.

Mumbai, May 4 (PTI) Actor Pia Bajpiee on Tuesday said her brother passed away after a frantic search for ventilator beds in Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh.

Bajpiee, who predominantly works in Tamil and Telugu cinema, took to Twitter and posted an SOS call, writing that she urgently required a ventilator bed as her brother was "dying". She didn't specify if he had COVID-19.