Europe

ROME, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Italy's lawmakers began a second round of voting on Tuesday to elect a new head of state, but it looked certain to be inconclusive with the parties apparently no closer to finding a mutually acceptable candidate.

Although Prime Minister Mario Draghi remains the most likely choice, worries that his promotion to president might shatter his coalition government and trigger early national elections have complicated his prospects.

LONDON, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- British police said Tuesday they are investigating alleged parties held at Downing Street and Whitehall over the past two years during the country's lockdown, citing "deep public concern."

"I can confirm that the Met (Metropolitan Police) is now investigating a number of events that took place at Downing Street and Whitehall in the last two years in relation to potential breaches of COVID-19 regulations," London's Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said.

BRUSSELS. Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) is prepared to defend against any possible Russian cyber-attacks or hybrid threats if it invades Ukraine and is "very well advanced" in its preparation for a response to any aggression, the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said here on Monday.

He told journalists following a meeting of the EU member states' foreign ministers that the bloc was united in its approach.

MOSCOW, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Russia is deeply concerned about recent U.S. actions that are fueling tensions around Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

"We are watching the actions of the United States with great concern," TASS news agency said, citing the spokesman.

The U.S. Department of Defense announced Monday that some 8,500 U.S. troops have been put on heightened alert for a possible deployment due to escalating tensions on the Russia-Ukraine border, with no decision on formal deployments.

GENEVA (AP) — World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus laid out more plans Tuesday to fight the virus as he pitched his case for a new five-year term and faced criticism from his own country — Ethiopia — over his comments about the embattled Tigray region.

Tedros, who like many Ethiopians goes by his first name, is running unopposed for a second term as WHO director-general. That makes his presentation to the U.N. health agency’s executive board a bit of a formality, since he is all but certain to win re-election when the WHO Assembly takes place in May.

MILAN (AP) — The parent group of MSC Cruises is partnering with Lufthansa in a bid for a majority stake in Italy’s ITA Airways, the company created from the ashes of former Italian flagship airline Alitalia.

MSC Group, which includes container shipping and logistics businesses in addition to cruises, said in a statement late Monday that the deal would leverage synergies in both passenger and cargo, and that Lufthansa has already shown interest in the deal.

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s refusal to join other NATO members in providing weapons to Ukraine has annoyed some allies and raised questions about Berlin’s resolve in standing up to Russia.

The issue rose to the fore over the weekend following a report that Berlin had gone so far as to block Estonia from supplying old German howitzers to Kyiv to help defend itself against Russian troops massing near the Ukrainian the border.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Prime Minister Mark Rutte further eased the Netherlands’ coronavirus lockdown, allowing bars, restaurants, museums, theaters and other venues to reopen from Wednesday for the first time this year.

But Rutte warned that the move wasn’t without risks.

“We are taking a big step today to unlock the Netherlands while the infections numbers are really going through the roof,” Rutte said Tuesday.

BRUSSELS (AP) — A confidential European Union military report calls for continuing a controversial EU program to train and equip Libya’s coast guard and navy despite growing concerns about their treatment of migrants, a mounting death toll at sea, and the continued lack of any central authority in the North African nation.

LONDON (AP) — London police said Tuesday they were investigating Downing Street lockdown parties in 2020 to determine if U.K. government officials violated coronavirus restrictions, putting further pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The Metropolitan Police Service has launched an inquiry into “a number of events” at Downing Street because they met the force’s criteria for investigating the “most serious and flagrant” breaches of COVID-19 rules, Commissioner Cressida Dick told the London Assembly, the capital’s local government council.