World News Roundup: Iran starts election campaign; Sinn Fein seeks talks with Fianna Fail and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Sudan agrees to compensate families of USS Cole victims: state news agency

Sudan has agreed to compensate the families of sailors killed in an al Qaeda attack on the USS Cole warship 20 years ago, state news agency SUNA said on Thursday, part of government efforts to remove the country from a list of state sponsors of terrorism. The report said the settlement had been signed on Feb. 7. It did not mention the amount paid in compensation, but a source with knowledge of the deal, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Sudan had agreed to settle the case for $30 million.

Pressure mounts for Swiss parliamentary probe into spying operation

Senior members of the Swiss legislature are demanding a parliamentary investigation into a spying operation in which U.S. and German intelligence used a Swiss cryptography company as a front to eavesdrop on other countries. The government has appointed a former Supreme Court justice to look into "Operation Rubicon", which for decades involved the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and German BND spy service covertly using Crypto AG's encryption technology to crack other nations' top-secret messages.

Iran starts election campaign with thousands barred from standing

Iran's week-long parliamentary election campaign started on Thursday, state TV reported, a vote seen as a popularity test for the clerical establishment at a time when relations with Washington are at their worst since the 1979 Islamic revolution. The Guardian Council, which must approve candidates, has rejected around 6,850 moderate or conservative hopefuls in favor of hardliners from among the 14,000 applicants seeking to contest the Feb. 21 vote.

Turkey to hit 'radicals', others who violate Idlib ceasefire: Anadolu

Turkey will use force against those violating a ceasefire in Syria's northwestern Idlib region including "radical" groups, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Thursday, according to state media. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that his military would strike Syrian government forces by air or ground anywhere in Syria if another Turkish soldier was hurt after 13 troops were killed by Syrian forces in a week.

Cruise passengers shunned over coronavirus to head home after Cambodia reprieve

Passengers on a cruise ship that spent two weeks at sea after being turned away by five countries over fears that someone aboard might have the coronavirus cheered and clapped as the vessel finally arrived at a port in Cambodia on Thursday. The MS Westerdam, carrying 1,455 passengers and 802 crew, docked in Sihanoukville in the evening after anchoring offshore early in the morning to allow Cambodian officials to board the vessel and collect samples from passengers with any signs of ill health or flu-like symptoms.

Lebanon is studying its options on Eurobonds: finance minister

Lebanon is studying options for dealing with its forthcoming Eurobond maturities including whether or not to pay the debt, the finance minister said on Thursday after a meeting with the president and central bank governor. The heavily indebted state is facing a financial crisis and must quickly decide whether to repay its maturing foreign currency debt on time, including a $1.2 billion Eurobond due on March 9.

Greek islands should not be migrant warehouses, residents say

Residents of outlying Greek islands urged authorities on Thursday to shut overcrowded migrant camps that host thousands of asylum seekers. Hundreds protested peacefully outside Greece's interior ministry in central Athens, holding placards against the creation of new detention facilities on five islands.

Sinn Fein seeks talks with Fianna Fail on forming new Irish government

Left-wing nationalist party Sinn Fein said on Thursday it had formally requested talks with center-right rival Fianna Fail to discuss options for forming a new Irish government following an inconclusive election last weekend. The request puts pressure on Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, whose party won 38 seats in the 160-seat parliament, to clarify his position on a possible tie-up with Sinn Fein, which has 37 seats.

Amazon headquarters in Madrid briefly evacuated after false bomb threat: police

The Madrid headquarters of U.S. online retailer Amazon.com Inc were temporarily evacuated on Thursday after a bomb threat which proved to be false, Spanish police said. "It was a false alarm,", a police spokeswoman said, adding that Amazon's staff were re-entering the building. An Amazon spokesman confirmed staff was back to work.

Coronavirus deaths, cases leap in China; markets shiver

The Chinese province at the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak reported a record rise in deaths and thousands of more cases on Thursday under a new diagnostic method, raising fresh questions about the scale of the crisis. The sharp rise in the headline number of deaths and infections unnerved world markets, as traders halted a recent rally in stocks and retreated back to the safety of government bonds and gold.

(With inputs from agencies.)