Spanish government asks court to block Puigdemont’s bid to lead Catalonia
MADRID (Reuters) – Spain’s government on Friday decided to ask the Constitutional Court to block former leader Carles Puigdemont’s bid to lead Catalonia again, the deputy prime minister said.
Algerian army kills seven armed men in Khenchela province: ministry
ALGIERS (Reuters) – Algeria’s army killed seven armed men on Friday in Khenchela province, 700 km east of the capital Algiers, the Defence Ministry said.
Turkey’s Erdogan says military operation to make big sweep east across Syria
ANKARA/BEIRUT (Reuters) – President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday Turkish forces would sweep Kurdish fighters from the Syrian border and could push all the way east to the frontier with Iraq — a move which risks a possible confrontation with U.S. forc…
Six Afghan children killed in fighting
GHAZNI, Afghanistan (Reuters) – As many as six children were killed in fighting near the central Afghan city of Ghazni on Friday but there were conflicting accounts of how they died, with officials blaming the Taliban and others saying they died in an …
EU condemns Venezuela’s expulsion of Spanish ambassador
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union on Friday condemned Venezuela for expelling the ambassador of Spain, calling for the decision to be reversed and diplomatic relations to remain in place.
British judge to decide next month on Assange’s bid to drop arrest warrant
LONDON (Reuters) – A British judge will rule on Feb. 6 whether to drop an arrest warrant against Julian Assange that stems from his breach of bail conditions, as the WikiLeaks founder steps up efforts to leave the Ecuadorean Embassy after more than fiv…
Sochi meeting hangs over last day of Syrian peace talks
VIENNA (Reuters) – The Syrian opposition may decide on Friday whether to attend peace negotiations next week hosted by Damascus’s close ally, Russia, an opposition spokesman said.
Britain sets out EU transition plans as Brexiteers cry foul
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain will on Friday demand the freedom to sign trade deals during its post-Brexit transition period, as Prime Minster Theresa May seeks to quell a mounting dispute in her party over future ties with Europe.
South Korean hospital blaze kills at least 37, fleeing patients brave flames
MIRYANG, South Korea (Reuters) – Once famous for an award-winning film of the same name, the South Korean city of Miryang became a scene of horror on Friday as flames and toxic smoke swept through a hospital, killing at least 37 people and injuring mor…
Putin has no plans so far to attend Syria peace congress: Kremlin
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin currently has no plans to attend a Syria peace congress in the Russian city of Sochi, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.
