UNITED STATES: A Harvard astronomer known for his widely criticised theories about alien visits has been named by the White House to lead a study of the national security risks posed by UFOs.

Avi Loeb, a cosmologist who studied black holes and served as head of Harvard’s astronomy department until 2020, was recently appointed to head a new scientific advisory council tasked with investigating the origins of mysterious orbs and other objects reported by military personnel in recent years.

His team will report to a new White House panel focused on UFOs.

BELGIUM: At least six people were killed and many others injured today in a fire at a block of flats on the outskirts of Antwerp.

The blaze was caused by a technical failure on the ground floor of the 10-storey building, where more than 200 people live in 80 flats, police said in a statement. The building was evacuated.

SYRIA: The first parliament of the post-Bashar al-Assad era took shape today with the announcement of 70 legislators selected by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa to join the 140 chosen in elections over the past eight months.

The 210-member parliament will hold its first meeting on Monday, when the members will be sworn in, electoral committee head Mohammed Taha al-Ahmad told reporters.

GREECE: Three pre-dawn firebomb attacks apparently targeting the residences of members of the ruling conservative New Democracy Party have left five people hospitalised, authorities said today.

The attacks in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki used crude explosive devices made with camping gas canisters.