World News Roundup: Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan and wife jailed for 7 years for unlawful marriage; U.S. launches retaliatory strikes in Iraq, Syria; nearly 40 reported killed and more

Warsaw has been one of Kyiv's staunchest supporters since Russia's February 2022 invasion and has said Ukraine must regain control over all of its territory in order to deter Moscow from further aggression. U.S. launches retaliatory strikes in Iraq, Syria; nearly 40 reported killed The United States launched airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against more than 85 targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and the militias it backs, reportedly killing more than 30 people, in retaliation for a deadly attack on U.S. troops.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

US imposes new sanctions over Iranian arms, cyber activity

The United States on Friday imposed sanctions targeting Iran's ballistic missile and drone procurement programs as well as officials it said were involved in hacking U.S. infrastructure, as Washington looks to increase pressure on Tehran. The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement it had imposed sanctions on four Iran- and Hong Kong-based companies involved in providing materials and technology to Iran's ballistic missile and drone programs as well as a Hong Kong-based firm for selling Iranian commodities to Chinese entities.

Knife attack wounds three in Paris, police rules out terrorism

A knife attack early on Saturday in the Gare de Lyon rail station in Paris left three people wounded, police said, ruling out terrorism at this stage. Police arrested the suspected attacker, who showed signs of mental disorders, Paris police chief Laurent Nunes told reporters. "We found medicine on him which suggests he was undergoing treatment."

Israel keeps pressure on last two refugee cities, kills 18 -health officials

Israeli air strikes killed 18 Palestinians in Rafah and Deir Al-Balah, Gaza health officials said on Saturday, in the last two Gaza Strip cities where troops had not been deployed, adding to residents' fears Israel would expand its ground operation. Health officials said an Israeli air strike on a house in Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents are now homeless, killed 14 people including women and children.

India to replace troops in Maldives with civilians by May

India will remove its troops in the Maldives by May, the Maldivian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday, as the two countries seek agreement on a pullout that has strained ties. The roughly 80 soldiers stationed in the Indian Ocean archipelago will be replaced by civilians, officials from both countries said.

In South America, African-inspired religions gain more followers

Thousands of devotees of different African-based religions on Friday flocked to the waterfront of the Uruguayan capital, part of an annual Feb. 2 offering to the Yoruba goddess of fertility and prosperity, Yemanjá. "Water represents a return to freedom, to native Africa," said Mother Susana Andrade, known as "Mae Susana de Oxum", the president of the Afro-Umbandista Federation of Uruguay. "It was a way to escape the horrors of slavery and humanize the natural world."

Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan and wife jailed for 7 years for unlawful marriage

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Khan were sentenced to seven years in prison and fined on Saturday by a court that ruled their 2018 marriage broke the law, his party said. It was the third ruling against Khan this week and comes ahead of national elections on Thursday that he is barred from contesting.

China launches powerful Jielong-3 rocket, paves way for more commercial missions

A small but powerful Chinese rocket capable of sending payloads at competitive costs delivered nine satellites into orbit on Saturday, Chinese state media reported, in what is gearing up to be another busy year for Chinese commercial launches. The Jielong-3, or Smart Dragon-3, blasted off from a floating barge off the coast of Yangjiang in southern Guangdong province. It was the third launch of the rocket, developed by China Rocket Co, a commercial offshoot of a state-owned launch vehicle manufacturer, since December 2022.

Gazans fear Israeli attack on their last refuge; US launches retaliatory strikes

Israeli forces shelled the outskirts of Rafah on Friday, the last refuge on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip where hundreds of thousands displaced people, penned against the border fence, feared a new assault with nowhere left to flee. The United States also began retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria, the U.S. military said, after a drone attack in Jordan this week killed three U.S. troops, developments likely to increase concern about spiralling tensions in the Middle East.

Polish president criticised for doubting Ukraine can retake Crimea

Poland's president declared on Saturday he had always been unwavering in his support for Ukraine after coming under strong criticism for saying he was unsure whether Kyiv would be able to regain control over Russian-occupied Crimea. Warsaw has been one of Kyiv's staunchest supporters since Russia's February 2022 invasion and has said Ukraine must regain control over all of its territory in order to deter Moscow from further aggression.

U.S. launches retaliatory strikes in Iraq, Syria; nearly 40 reported killed

The United States launched airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against more than 85 targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and the militias it backs, reportedly killing more than 30 people, in retaliation for a deadly attack on U.S. troops. The strikes, which included the use of long-range B-1 bombers flown from the United States, were the first in a multi-tiered response by President Joe Biden's administration to the attack last weekend by Iran-backed militants.