Padmaavat opens in cinemas across India on Thursday under security after months of fierce protests
Hello, this is Anna breaking down today's news into easily-digestible chunks.
Bollywood brutality - Controversial Bollywood film Padmaavat opens in cinemas across India on Thursday under security after months of fierce protests. The film crew has been attacked, sets have been vandalised, and mobs have rampaged through several Indian cities this week in an effort to stop the film, based on an old poem about a Hindu queen, Padmini, who kills herself rather than be captured by a conquering ruler. Controversy erupted when rumours spread that the film would include a love scene between the queen and a Muslim conqueror, Alauddin Khilji.
Disgraced doctor sees justice - Former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, from Michigan, has been sentenced to between 40 and 175 years in prison for sexually abusing athletes in his care. Judge Rosemarie Aquilina reached her decision after dozens of women and girls spoke of the horrors they suffered at the hands of Nassar, often citing being molested by him without gloves on.
Trump probe - Donald Trump has said that he is now willing to speak to the special counsel about Russian interference, adding that he was ‘looking forward’ to talking with Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election, including alleged contacts with the Trump campaign.
Italian train disaster - A commuter train has derailed in northern Italy, killing at least two people, seriously injuring 10 and trapping others heading into Milan, police said. The train derailed at Pioltello-Limito station on the outskirts of the city, halting rail traffic in Italy’s financial capital.
Grumpy Cat wins big - The owners of a viral cat with a permanent scowl have been awarded $710,000 (£500,000) in a California federal court case. Grumpy Cat Limited sued the owners of US coffee company Grenade for exceeding an agreement over the cat's image. The company only had rights to use the cat to sell its ‘Grumppuccino’ iced drink, but sold other Grumpy products.
Cloning - Two monkeys are the first ever primates to be cloned using the technique that created Dolly the sheep. The technique brings the prospect of cloned human beings even closer. But scientists caution that there may be no good reason to create such clones, and that ethical and legal questions need to be answered about such research.