While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Jan 20
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Global leaders pose for a group photo during the Libya summit in Berlin, on Jan 19, 2020.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Foreign powers back Libya ceasefire as commander's forces choke oil flows
Foreign powers agreed at a summit in Berlin on Sunday to strengthen an arms embargo on Libya and shore up a shaky ceasefire, but the meeting was overshadowed by blockades on major oilfields by forces loyal to commander Khalifa Haftar.
Haftar, whose self-styled Libyan National Army is bearing down on the capital Tripoli with the backing of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Russian mercenaries and African troops, attended the one-day summit in Germany despite having abandoned talks over a truce last week.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters that the summit, attended by the main backers of the rival Libyan factions, had agreed that a truce in Tripoli over the past week should be turned into a permanent ceasefire to allow a political process to take place.
A special committee made up of five military men from each side will monitor the truce, she said. Foreign powers active in Libya had committed themselves to uphold an existing UN arms embargo and stop shipping weapons there.
Meghan's father accuses daughter of 'cheapening' Britain's royal family
Meghan Markle's estranged father, Thomas Markle, accused his daughter of "cheapening" the British royal family in part of an interview released a day after Buckingham Palace said Prince Harry and his wife would no longer be working members of the monarchy.
Thomas Markle told Channel 5 news in a documentary that he believed Meghan was tossing away "every girl's dream". "It's disappointing because she actually got every girl's dream. Every young girl wants to become a princess and she got that and now she's tossing that away, for, it looks like she's tossing that away for money," he said.
Channel 5 released part of the interview on Sunday (Jan 19) and said the full documentary would air "in the coming weeks".
Malaysia mulls offering social security protection for citizens working in S'pore
Malaysia's government is studying offering a social security protection scheme for Malaysians working in Singapore to safeguard their welfare, the official Bernama news agency reported on Sunday.
Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran said the Social Security Organisation, or Socso, was currently conducting a study on protecting Malaysians working in Singapore that is expected to be completed in April or May.
He said his ministry would make a decision on introducing the scheme that would benefit some 300,000 Malaysians working in Singapore after reviewing the results of the study.
Storm Gloria batters Spain with high winds and snowfall
Powerful Storm Gloria lashed parts of Spain on Sunday with high winds, heavy rain and snow, forcing the closure of Alicante airport and killing one man in the northern region of Asturias.
Gloria was set to intensify overnight and persist at least until Tuesday, with Valencia and the Balearic Islands bearing the brunt, according to the Aemet national weather agency.
Aemet declared a red alert across 10 provinces in expectation of winds of up to 130kmh, seven-metre waves and heavy snowfall.
EPL: Liverpool go 16 points clear with 2-0 win over Man Utd
Liverpool stretched their commanding lead at the top of the Premier League to 16 points and advantage over Manchester United to 30 as goals from Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah earned a 2-0 win over their historic rivals at Anfield on Sunday.
A 13th straight league win since the sides last met at Old Trafford in October continues Liverpool's relentless run towards a first league title in 30 years, while United remain five points off the top four in fifth.
Liverpool also have a game in hand to come on closest challengers Manchester City and could have been more comfortable winners after seeing two first half goals ruled out and a host of clear chances go astray.
