ISRAEL: Israel’s highest court said on Wednesday it will hear legal challenges to a divisive new law that weakens its power, putting the country’s top justices in the position of defending their own independence.

Civil society groups and others filed petitions asking the supreme court to strike down the law enacted on Monday, the first major piece of legislation in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s contentious plan to overhaul Israel’s judiciary.

RUSSIA: On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he supported plans to increase liquidity for the Brics New Development Bank, which is part of the economic co-operation bloc led by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

“We are aware that the bank’s liquidity is on the agenda. There are several ideas… and we will support them,” Mr Putin said during his meeting with Brics NDB President Dilma Rousseff at the Constantine Palace in St Petersburg.

KUWAIT: Five prisoners have been hanged by the Kuwaiti authorities.

Prosecutors said the five include the mosque attacker, three people convicted of murder, and a convicted drug dealer.

One of the convicted murderers was Egyptian, another was Kuwaiti, and the drug dealer was from Sri Lanka. The statement did not provide the nationality of the mosque attacker or the third convicted murderer.

PHILIPPINES: At least 21 people died and 40 others were rescued after a Philippine passenger boat overturned today when it was lashed by strong winds in Laguna Lake south-east of Manila, police said.

Police said rescue operations were continuing, but did not immediately provide figures for the total number of people on board the MBCA Princess Aya.