Terrorist attack at Parliament
“A knife-wielding man went on a deadly rampage at the heart of Britain's seat of power Wednesday, plowing a car into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge before stabbing an armed police officer to death inside the gates of Parliament,” according to an Associated Press report.
Four people were killed in the incident, including the assailant, while 20 others were injured in what Prime Minister Theresa May condemned as a "sick and depraved terrorist attack," according to the report. The attack caused lawmakers, lords and staff to be locked inside buildings as the wounded were treated and police secured the area.
Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Chief Mark Rowley said police believed there was only one attacker, "but it would be foolish to be overconfident early on."
According to the AP, “A doctor who treated the wounded from the bridge said some had catastrophic injuries. Three police officers, French teenagers on a school trip and two Romanian tourists were among the casualties.”
Treating the incident as an act of terror, Metropolitan police said the attack came when the country was already under severe threat levels for international terrorism, according to the AP, and there were no immediate claim of responsibility.
Laptops, tablets and large phones banned on some U.S.-bound flights
According to the Washington Post, the U.S. and the U.K. have implemented new device bans on some airlines flying into the two countries.
The ban is the result of information alleging the Islamic State is developing a bomb hidden in portable electronics, according to the report. The ban, which applies to airports in 10 Muslim-majority countries, prohibits passengers from carrying laptop computers, iPads and other devices larger than a cellphone aboard direct inbound flights to the U.S. and the U.K.
The countries are especially concerned about the 10 airports in question because of alleged screening issues that would potentially allow terrorists to mask as high ranking airport officials, according to a CNN report.
The airports affected by the ban are: Cairo, Egypt; Dubai and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Istanbul, Turkey; Doha, Qatar; Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City; Casablanca, Morocco; and Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The airlines affected are: EgyptAir, Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Kuwait Airways, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Turkish Airlines.
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According to CNN, travellers will be asked to check in tablets, laptops and other banned devices with their luggage. If they refuse to comply will have their devices seized.
Some travellers worried their devices could be stolen, hacked or lost in checked luggage, and people travelling with children now have to find ways to entertain their kids on long flights, CNN reported.
Healthcare plan suffers significant setback
According to an article in the Washington Post, conservatives fail to be swayed by House Speaker Paul Ryan to back the Republican-proposed healthcare plan titled the American Health Care Act.
Vice President Mike Pence met with members of the House Freedom Caucus Wednesday in a last-ditch effort to persuade GOP opponents of the bill to “stand down,” the Washington Post reported.
Supporters of the bill say they can only afford 22 defections, and more than 25 members currently oppose the bill.
Pence is reportedly working with representatives in an effort to create alternative options within the bill, according to the Washington Post. Several caucus members, however, said they would not accept the proposed changes because the White House and leadership negotiators were offering to support future changes to the bill once it was considered in the Senate.
Proponents of the act are seeking to eliminate some of the insurance mandates, which require plans to include, among other things, mental health, prescription drug and preventive care coverage, the Washington Post Reports. That, they argue, is the only reliable way to force down premiums.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said there is no “Plan B” if the proposal fails.
Celia Raney is a news reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Celia_Raney.
