Reuters World News Summary

Palestinian officials said Israeli troops had shot the 23-year-old. The United Kingdom left the EU on Jan. 31 but the main terms of its membership remain in place during a transition period until the end of this year, during which time both sides hope to negotiate a new free trade deal.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Spain's ex-king Juan Carlos is in Abu Dhabi, says ABC newspaper

Former Spanish king Juan Carlos has been staying at Abu Dhabi's exclusive Emirates Palace Hotel since leaving Spain aboard a private jet on Monday under a cloud of financial scandal involving Saudi Arabia, newspaper ABC said on Friday. United Arab Emirates officials and the Emirates Palace Hotel did not immediately respond to requests for comment. India moves Kashmiri village leaders to safety after wave of attacks

India has shifted scores of village and municipality leaders, mostly from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party, to secure locations in Kashmir after a spate of militant attacks, police and two security officials said on Friday. Separatists fighting Indian rule in the disputed region have stepped up attacks on lower level politicians, many of whom do not have personal security guards, in recent weeks. Old, new U.S. envoys the same - 'they bite off more than they can chew', Iran says

A senior Iranian official said on Friday there was no difference between the outgoing and incoming U.S. special envoys for Iran because American officials "bite off more than they can chew". U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Thursday that the top U.S. envoy for Iran, Brian Hook, was leaving his post and the U.S. special representative for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, would add Iran to his role. Malaysia's Mahathir plans new party to woo majority Malay support

Veteran Malaysian politician Mahathir Mohamad said on Friday he planned to set up a new party to champion the interests of the country's ethnic majority Malays, six months after the coalition he headed lost power in a political upheaval. Mahathir, 95, quit in February in a political gamble to strengthen his hand but it backfired and Muhyiddin Yassin, who had been part of his government, unexpectedly emerged as prime minister after forging an alliance with the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) to gain a parliamentary majority. 'Possibility of external interference': Lebanon's president expands blast probe

Lebanon's president said on Friday an investigation into the biggest blast in Beirut's history would examine whether it was caused by a bomb or other external interference, as residents tried to rebuild their shattered lives after the explosion. The search for those missing has intensified, as rescuers sifted rubble in a race to find anyone still alive after Tuesday's blast that killed 154, smashed up a swathe of the city and sent seismic shockwaves around the region. Palestinian woman killed in West Bank as Israelis, Palestinians clash

A Palestinian women was shot dead in the West Bank where Israeli soldiers clashed with Palestinians on Friday, Palestinian medical officials said. Palestinian officials said Israeli troops had shot the 23-year-old. Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong files court challenge to 2019 poll disqualification

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong filed a court challenge on Friday against his disqualification from district polls, in a move which may have implications for this year's removals of opposition candidates for the city's legislature. Wong, 23, was the only candidate in district council elections last year to have been disqualified, with authorities saying his candidacy contravened electoral laws that bar "advocating or promoting self-determination." Erdogan says Turkey restarted energy exploration in east Mediterranean

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey had resumed energy exploration work in the eastern Mediterranean as Greece had not kept its promises regarding such activities in the region. NATO members Turkey and Greece have long been at loggerheads over overlapping claims for hydrocarbon resources and tensions flared up last month, prompting German Chancellor Angela Merkel to hold talks with the country's leaders to ease tensions. Ukrainian tycoon denies U.S. charge of misappropriated funds

Ukrainian tycoon Ihor Kolomoisky on Friday rejected allegations by U.S. prosecutors who have said he and another Ukrainian businessman used misappropriated funds to buy real estate in Texas and Kentucky, Ukrainian media reported. The U.S. Justice Department filed two lawsuits on Thursday seeking to seize $70 million worth of property. Federal prosecutors in a Miami court alleged that Kolomoisky and Gennadiy Boholiubov stole billions of dollars from Privatbank, the Ukrainian institution which they owned. UK says progress made on Brexit; EU trade deal can be done

Britain's top minister overseeing Brexit talks said on Friday that progress had been made with the European Union so he believed the two sides would clinch a free trade agreement. The United Kingdom left the EU on Jan. 31 but the main terms of its membership remain in place during a transition period until the end of this year, during which time both sides hope to negotiate a new free trade deal.

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