Dig out under way after blizzard hits eastern Canada
The record-breaking storm dumped up to 76cm (30 inches) of snow on St John's, the capital of Newfoundland on Friday [Al Jazeera] Up to 200 Canadian troops have been sent to the Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador to help it dig out from a massive blizzard, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has said. The armed…
Iraq: Baghdad police use tear gas, live fire as protests rage
Security forces have fired tear gas and live fire in an attempt to clear roads in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, as hundreds of protesters again took to the streets to express their anger at the embattled government's slow pace of reforms. Demonstrators a week ago had given the government until Monday to act on their demands,…
German army translator on trial over spying for Iran
A German-Afghan translator for the German army goes on trial on Monday, along with his wife, on charges of spying for Iran. Abdul S is accused of "a particularly serious case of treason" and of "violating state secrets" in 18 instances, according to the higher regional court of Koblenz in western Germany. More: Al Jazeera…
Iran’s Zarif to skip Davos forum over programme changes
Iran has said Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will not attend this week's World Economic Forum in Switzerland after organisers changed his programme. The annual summit, which will kick off in the Swiss resort of Davos on Tuesday and last four days, has been overshadowed by escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. More: Is NATO about to…
SAG Awards: South Korean hit Parasite makes history
South Korean black comedy Parasite has landed the top prize at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, in a historic win that may strengthen its chances for Oscars glory next month. The critical smash hit on Sunday overcame the language barrier to win outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture, the SAG equivalent of the best picture Academy Award,…
Berlin summit on Libya conflict: What did world powers agree?
World powers held a high-stakes summit in Berlin on Sunday to discuss the way forward to end the conflict in Libya. Leaders and officials from Turkey, Russia, Egypt, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States attended the gathering in the German capital, while representatives from the UAE, Algeria, China, the Republic of the…
Venezuela dollarisation: Use of American dollars increasing
Venezuela's bolivar is now the world's most devalued currency. Although its embattled populist government is banned from using US dollars, Venezuelans themselves are increasingly turning to it. Al Jazeera's Lucia Newman reports from Caracas.
Lebanon releases protesters as rights groups slam security forces
Lebanon's security forces have released most of the more than 100 anti-government protesters arrested after two nights of violent encounters between police and demonstrators in the capital, Beirut. While the months-long protest movement has been largely peaceful, demonstrators clashed with security forces on Tuesday and Wednesday, with a committee of lawyers defending demonstrators saying 101…
Haftar holds meetings in Greece ahead of Libya peace summit
Libyan renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar was holding talks in Athens on Friday, days ahead of a peace conference in Berlin which he and the head of Tripoli's UN-recognised government, Fayez al-Sarraj, are expected to attend. He met Greek Minister for Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias and was due to meet Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis as…
Iran’s Khamenei defends Revolutionary Guard in Friday sermon
In his first Friday sermon delivery since 2012, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has defended the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) amid a growing backlash after it mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane, killing all 176 people on board. Khamenei's address comes as Iran and its rulers face intense pressure at home and abroad after…