World News Roundup: Decade after Haiti quake, life distorted; Haftar's forces say they have taken Sirte and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Ten years after Haiti quake, a man left disabled struggles to rebuild his life

Haiti's calamitous earthquake a decade ago leveled much of the capital, killed tens of thousands and left some 1.5 million people homeless. One of its longer-term consequences has been the estimated 4,000 to 6,000 people who were permanently disabled as a result of the quake - people like 32-year-old Isaac Joseph, who lost the use of his legs after his neighbor's house collapsed on him.

Libyan commander Haftar's forces say they have taken Sirte

Libyan forces loyal to eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar said on Monday they had taken control of the strategic coastal city of Sirte in a rapid advance preceded by air strikes. Holding Sirte would be an important gain for Haftar, who since April has been waging a military offensive on the capital, Tripoli, home to Libya's internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA).

Maduro-backed Venezuelan legislator calls elections council main priority

A Venezuelan lawmaker sworn in by the ruling socialist party as the new head of parliament said on Monday that naming a new electoral council to preside over free and fair elections was the body's main priority. President Nicolas Maduro's government announced Sunday that Luis Parra, who was expelled from the First Justice opposition party in late 2019 due to corruption allegations that he has denied, was now parliament chief.

U.S. implements plan to send Mexican asylum seekers to Guatemala

Mexicans seeking asylum in the United States could be sent to Guatemala under a bilateral agreement signed by the Central American nation last year, according to documents sent to U.S. asylum officers in recent days and seen by Reuters. In a Jan. 4 emails, field office staff at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) were told Mexican nationals will be included in the populations "amenable" to the agreement with Guatemala.

UK stands down on emergency preparations for no-deal Brexit: Sky News

Britain's emergency preparations for a no-deal Brexit have been halted "with immediate effect", as Prime Minister Boris Johnson's deal to leave the European Union is expected to be approved by members of parliament, Sky News reported https://news.sky.com/story/govt-stands-down-no-deal-brexit-planning-despite-pm-election-pledge-11902688 on Monday. Civil service chiefs working on the contingency plans, known as Operation Yellowhammer, have been asked to stand down, Sky News reported, citing a letter by a senior official at the Department for Exiting the EU.

Europeans set to toughen Iran response over nuclear violations: diplomats

European parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal could launch a dispute resolution process this week that might lead to renewed U.N. sanctions on Tehran, European diplomats said. Iran took a further step back from its commitments to the 2015 pact with six world powers by announcing on Sunday that it would scrap limits on enriching uranium, though it said it would continue to cooperate with the U.N. nuclear watchdog.

Pentagon chief denies U.S. leaving Iraq; Tehran crowds mourn commander

The United States has no plans to pull its troops out of Iraq, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Monday, following reports by Reuters and other media of an American military letter informing Iraq officials about the repositioning of troops in preparation to leave the country. The developments came in the aftermath of Friday's drone strike in Baghdad ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, widely seen as Iran's second most powerful figure behind Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Spain's lawmakers likely to back Sanchez coalition in tight vote

Spanish lawmakers are expected to vote by the narrowest of margins on Tuesday to confirm Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez as head of a left-wing coalition government. In a parliamentary session scheduled for 12 p.m. (1100 GMT) - the second vote in three days - Sanchez looks set to win the support of just enough legislators to form a cabinet and so break the country's current political gridlock.

Ghosn took bullet train to Osaka en route to Lebanon: Kyodo

Former Nissan and Renault boss Carlos Ghosn began his astonishing escape from Japan with a bullet train ride from Tokyo to Osaka, possibly accompanied by several people, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported Monday. Japanese authorities also said on Monday they may still press for Ghosn's extradition from Lebanon to face multiple charges of financial wrongdoing, even though the country does not normally extradite its nationals.

Thirty killed in northeast Nigeria bomb blast on crowded bridge

At least 30 people were killed in the northeastern Nigerian state of Borno after an improvised explosive device detonated on a bridge, sources told Reuters on Monday. The bomb detonated at roughly 5 p.m. local time (1600 GMT) on a crowded bridge in the market town of Gamboru that leads into neighboring Cameroon.