Top 10 world news: First reported death from Omicron, Jimmy Lai's new sentence, and more
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Here are the top 10 stories from across the world
The United Kingdoms has confirmed the first ever reported death from the Omicron variant. The variant which was first identified in South Africa is believed to be a milder strain of the original novel coronavirus. In other coronavirus-related news, China has reported hundred plus cases of 'AY.4' a sub-lineage of the highly contagious Delta variant.
Also in the newsletter, we bring you an explainer on the ongoing protests in Pakistan's Gwadar.
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At least one person has died from the Omicron variant in the UK, according to PM Boris Johnson. The UK government informed patients with the Omicron variant that they were being hospitalised on Sunday.
"Sadly yes, Omicron is producing hospitalisations and sadly at least one patient has been confirmed to have died with Omicron," Johnson said.
The Zhejiang Province in China reported 138 cases of locally transmitted COVID-19 of a new Delta strain, "sub-lineage AY.4". Authorities in the province banned millions of people from travelling to other parts of the country as a result.
Even as negotiations over a nuclear deal with world powers continue in Vienna, experts and satellite images indicate that Iran may be preparing for a launch into space.
Satellite images taken by Planet Labs Inc. and obtained by the Associated Press show activity at Iran's Imam Khomeini Spaceport, located in the desert plains of rural Semnan province.
Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy media tycoon from Hong Kong, has received a new prison sentence of 13 months for his participation in a banned vigil in Tiananmen Square.
Two terrorists were killed in a brief encounter in Srinagar's Rangreth area today. The bodies of terrorists along with arms and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site. However, the terrorists have not been identified yet.
According to reports, South Korea plans to use facial recognition in CCTV cameras to track people infected with Coronavirus. People who had come into contact with people infected with the virus, as well as people who wear masks, will be tracked by the technology.
Pakistan's port city of Gwadar, where China is building a port, has become the site of a massive protest against Chinese presence. Locals have long complained that jobs in these vital projects are offered to outside workers and locals are left unemployed. They claim that they are being marginalized.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a virtual summit with US President Joe Biden. Now, he will speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's action comes amid tensions between Russia and Ukraine, which have drawn the attention of world powers in the past month.
The US, China, South Korea and North Korea have agreed to declare a formal end to the Korean War in principle, according to South Korean President Moon Jae-in. However, South Korea and North Korea are still technically at war, at least on paper.
During his historic visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was welcomed by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan at his private palace in Abu Dhabi. Bennett's visit marked the first Israeli premier to visit the UAE since diplomatic relations were established last year as part of an agreement backed by the US called the Abraham Accords.