WORLD
Israel to offer UAE security, intelligence support against Houthi attacks
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett wrote on Twitter that he "strongly condemn" the drone attack by the Iranian-backed Houthis near Abu Dhabi's airport, which killed at least three people and injured six, Xinhua news agency reported. "Israel stands with the UAE. I stand with (Crown Prince) Mohammed bin Zayed. The world should stand against terrorists," Bennett tweeted.
US takes North Korea's 'improving' missile programmes seriously: Pentagon
John Kirby, however, said the US is still assessing the nature North Korea's recent missile launches, apparently to learn their exact capabilities, Yonhap news agency reported. "We will continue to take this threat and this improving program of Pyongyang's very, very seriously," he told a press briefing when asked about North's recent missile launches. North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles on Monday (Seoul time), marking its fourth missile launch since the start of the new year.
France reports record of over 400,000 new Covid-19 cases
The agency said that 3,881 Covid-19 patients were being treated in intensive care, accounting for over 70 per cent of the French health system's current capacity, Xinhua news agency reported. Also on Tuesday, French Prime Minister Jean Castex has announced two new measures providing government aid to companies that have been struggling due to the pandemic. The first measure will help small companies (with less than 250 employees) that lost more than 30 per cent of their turnover in December 2021 and January 2022, by covering 20 per cent of their social contributions.
Row house explosion in New York City leaves 1 dead, 8 injured
Two of the injured were in critical condition while five police officers were taken to hospitals due to smoke inhalation, Xinhua news agency reported, citing earlier media reports. Part of the building collapsed and the local fire department has not said if the blast was triggered by gas leakage. The explosion took place at 869 Fox Street near Bill Rainey Park, which is close to the site of a recent major fire in Bronx which killed 17 people.
European Parliament elects Maltese Roberta Metsola as new president
The 43-year-old lawyer by profession won in a landslide vote. She received an absolute majority of 458 votes out of 690 cast in the remote secret vote, Xinhua news agency reported. She beat the Greens' candidate, Alice Bah Kuhnke, who got 101 votes and The Left's candidate, Sira Rego, who got 57 votes. Metsola, who studied European law, has been a member of the European Parliament since 2013 and has been first vice president since November 2020.
Faisal Akram had a criminal record dating back more than 25 years
The Blackburn-born father of six, a career criminal and reputedly a member of an ultra-conservative Islamist sect, was put under surveillance at the end of 2020 for four weeks, the report said. But a security source said MI5 closed the case having decided that he "didn't present a terrorist threat at that time". He was not kept on the terror 'watchlist' that would have prevented him from flying to America, which security experts have said was a big mistake given the surveillance he had been under.
Texas hostage-taker was granted entry into US despite criminal record
Malik Faisal Akram, 44, from Lancashire, UK, staged a 10-hour attack near Dallas on Saturday and held a Rabbi and three others hostage while demanding the release of a convicted terrorist known as 'Lady Al Qaeda' so they could die together. Akram is understood to have landed in New York on January 2, most likely on a flight from Manchester, and was granted legal entry into the US, despite having a criminal record.
Now UK cracks down on misleading cryptocurrency ads
The country has joined Spain, Singapore and India in an effort to reign in cryptocurrency advertisements that promise wild returns. The UK Treasury published a consultation response, saying that proposed legislation will also provide the UK financial watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), powers to regulate the crypto market more effectively. The UK authority plans to bring crypto-assets within the scope of financial promotions legislation.
New Covid cases in LA County spikes by nearly 10 times
The Department also reported 27 additional fatalities from Covid-19 on Monday, bringing the county's accumulative caseload and death toll to 2,289,045 and 28,086, respectively, reports Xinhua news agency. A total of 4,564 people with Covid-19 are currently hospitalised in the most populous US county, nearly six times the number from one month ago when 772 people were admitted, the Department added.
Winter storm hits US
Heavy rain and strong winds lashed other areas, with some coastal communities at risk of flooding as well as falling trees and power lines, it added. Snow fell at a rate of more than 4 inches an hour in Buffalo, New York. The impact on New York City was expected to be limited to severe thunderstorms, with gusts of up to 55 miles an hour.
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