Police fire water cannon at protesters hurling smoke bombs in Olympic host Milan
A group of around 100 protesters threw firecrackers, smoke bombs and bottles at police after breaking away from the main body of a demonstration in the Olympic host city of Milan on Saturday (Feb 7), Reuters reported.
Police in riot gear and with shields responded with water cannon to try to disperse the group, some of whom wore hoods and scarves to cover their faces. Order was restored after a few minutes.
Six people were detained during the skirmishes, police sources said, according to Reuters.
An estimated 10,000 people had taken to the streets of Milan in a protest over housing costs and environmental concerns on the first full day of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
Alleged mastermind among four arrested after Pakistan mosque blast
Four people have been arrested on suspicion of facilitating a suicide bombing that killed more than 30 people on Friday, Pakistan's interior minister has said, BBC reported.
Mohsin Naqvi said an Afghan national who is alleged to be the mastermind behind the attack was among those detained. One counter-terrorism officer was killed and three more were wounded in the raids to arrest the suspects, he added.
The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the bombing that targeted Friday prayers at the Shia mosque in the Tarlai area, when it was packed with worshippers, according to BBC.
US wants Russia and Ukraine to end war by June, says Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the US wants the war with Russia to end by June, adding both sides had been invited to the US for talks next week, BBC reported.
"America proposed for the first time that the two negotiating teams – Ukraine and Russia – meet in the United States of America, probably in Miami, in a week. We confirmed our participation," he said.
There was no immediate comment from Washington or Moscow, but US President Donald Trump has been pushing for an end for the conflict since he took office again more than a year ago, according to BBC.
France investigates ex-minister Jack Lang over Epstein links
Financial crime prosecutors in France say they have opened a preliminary inquiry into former Culture Minister Jack Lang over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, BBC reported.
Lang, a major figure in French socialist governments between the 1980s and 2000s, is being investigated for suspected "laundering of tax fraud proceeds".
It follows the US Department of Justice's release of the Epstein files, which have documented links between the Lang family and the late American sex offender, according to BBC.
