News Headlines - 25 April 2021

▽Israel says Syrian missile was not aimed at nuclear reactor

The Israeli military said Thursday that a Syrian missile that reached deep into Israeli territory and set off air raid sirens near the country’s top-secret nuclear reactor was the result of a misfire and not a deliberate attack.
The missile landed in southern Israel early Thursday, prompting Israel to respond with airstrikes on the missile launcher and other targets in Syria.

▽Pakistanis express solidarity with India over its COVID crisis | Al Jazeera

The hashtag #PakistanstandswithIndia has been trending on social media in Pakistan over the last two days as Pakistanis expressed solidarity with their Indian neighbours currently in the midst of a devastating COVID-19 surge.
Celebrities, activists, government officials and citizens across Pakistan posted messages wishing Indians well and offering prayers.
The daily number of infections and death toll in the world’s second-most populous nation reached new highs in recent days as the Indian government faced oxygen and bed shortages across the country including in the capital New Delhi.

▽82 killed in Iraq as fire erupts at COVID-19 hospital | Al Jazeera

At least 82 people were killed and more than 100 injured in a fire that broke out in the coronavirus intensive care unit of a Baghdad hospital, sparking anger and prompting the suspension of top officials in a country with a long-dilapidated health infrastructure.
The blaze on Saturday night at the Ibn al-Khatib Hospital in the Iraqi capital was sparked by an accident that caused an oxygen tank to explode, according to medical sources.

▽Mexico restricts labor subcontracting with new law | Reuters

A Mexican bill that aims to bring more workers into the formal economy by sharply limiting companies' ability to subcontract labor cleared a final legislative hurdle on Tuesday, with a vote of approval in the Senate... The reform prohibits companies from relying solely on subcontracting... Now, subcontracting will only be allowed for specific tasks that are not part of the main economic activity of the contractor... More than half of its workers are employed in the informal economy, official data showed. Senators also said at least another five million people work under outsourcing contracts.

▽Honda sets 2040 target for zero gasoline vehicles : The Asahi Shimbun

Honda Motor Co.’s announcement April 23 that it would no longer sell even hybrid vehicles by 2040 was a clear sign it is taking a totally different approach from longtime rival Toyota Motor Corp... The announcement means Honda will no longer sell vehicles that run on gasoline and emit carbon dioxide by 2040, making it the first Japanese automaker to embark on this course.