Reuters World News Summary

The report by senior civil servant Sue Gray into the lockdown gatherings, which occurred when Britons were all but banned from social mixing under coronavirus restrictions, pointed to "serious failures of leadership" at the heart of the British government. Peru's Castillo rattles Andean country with new Cabinet shake-up Peruvian President Pedro Castillo said on Monday that he would replace Prime Minister Mirtha Vasquez and shuffle his center-left Cabinet, while it was unclear whether his investor-friendly finance minister would continue in his post.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Blinken discusses Palestinian Authority reform with Mahmoud Abbas

In a further step to strengthen bilateral relations, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the need for reform in the Palestinian Authority in a phone call on Monday with President Mahmoud Abbas, the State Department said. President Joe Biden has sought to repair ties weakened when his predecessor, President Donald Trump, slashed aid to Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza and closed a U.S. consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem.

I'm sorry and I'll fix it, says UK's Johnson after lockdown party report

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologised and vowed to "fix it" after a report on Monday into lockdown parties held at his Downing Street residence criticised serious failures at the heart of government. A report by senior civil servant Sue Gray into lockdown-breaking gatherings at Downing Street under Johnson condemned some of the behaviour in government as being "difficult to justify".

UAE blocks missile strike as Israeli president visits

The United Arab Emirates said on Monday it intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement as the UAE hosted Israeli President Isaac Herzog on his first visit https://www.reuters.com/world/israel-president-hopes-more-regional-normalisation-first-uae-visit-2022-01-31 to the Gulf business and tourism hub. In the third such attack https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/uae-raid-raises-yemen-stakes-draws-closer-scrutiny-iran-allies-2022-01-18 on the U.S.-allied Gulf state in the last two weeks, the Houthis' military spokesman said they fired Zulfiqar missiles at Abu Dhabi and launched drones at Dubai.

U.S. returning some Venezuelans caught at border to Colombia under COVID order

The United States is returning some Venezuelans caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border to Colombia if they previously resided in that country, U.S. officials confirmed on Monday, citing the need to limit the spread of COVID-19. Two Venezuelan nationals were removed to Colombia on Thursday under a U.S. health order that allows authorities to rapidly expel migrants caught crossing the southern border, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement, adding that it plans to continue such returns on a regular basis.

U.S. and UK to punish Putin's elite friends if Russia invades Ukraine

The United States and the United Kingdom are prepared to punish Russian elites close to President Vladimir Putin with asset freezes and travel bans if Russia sends troops into Ukraine, the White House and British government said on Monday. Britain urged Putin to "step back from the brink" after the Russian buildup of troops near Ukraine stoked fears of war, and warned any incursion would trigger sanctions against companies and people close to the Kremlin.

Canada's Trudeau 'not intimidated' by truckers' COVID protest

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday said Canadians were disgusted by the behavior of some people protesting against COVID-19 vaccine mandates in Ottawa and said he would not be intimidated. Dozens of trucks and other vehicles have jammed up the city center since Friday. Thousands descended upon Parliament Hill to complain about Trudeau, COVID-19 vaccine mandates and masking requirements but by mid-Monday afternoon, many had left.

Johnson vows changes after lockdown parties report condemns UK leadership failures

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced renewed calls to resign on Monday after a report found that alcohol-fuelled events at his offices and residence when COVID-19 lockdown rules were in force should never have taken place. The report by senior civil servant Sue Gray into the lockdown gatherings, which occurred when Britons were all but banned from social mixing under coronavirus restrictions, pointed to "serious failures of leadership" at the heart of the British government.

Peru's Castillo rattles Andean country with new Cabinet shake-up

Peruvian President Pedro Castillo said on Monday that he would replace Prime Minister Mirtha Vasquez and shuffle his center-left Cabinet, while it was unclear whether his investor-friendly finance minister would continue in his post. Vasquez said on Twitter she had resigned "due to the impossibility of reaching consensus to benefit the country."

N.Korea tests biggest missile since 2017, U.S. calls for talks

North Korea confirmed on Monday it had launched a Hwasong-12 ballistic missile, the same weapon it had once threatened to target the U.S. territory of Guam with, sparking fears the nuclear-armed state could resume long-range testing. The launch of the intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) was first reported by South Korean and Japanese authorities on Sunday. It was the seventh test conducted by North Korea this month and the first time a nuclear-capable missile of that size has been launched since 2017.

Time for political decisions as Iran talks enter 'final stretch' -U.S. official

Indirect talks between the United States and Iran on returning to the 2015 nuclear agreement are entering the "final stretch," with all sides having to make tough political decisions, a senior U.S. State Department official said on Monday. The latest talks in Vienna were "among the most intensive that we had to date" on returning to the deal formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which former President Donald Trump pulled out of in 2018, the official said.