World News Roundup: Kremlin critic Navalny appears in public after leaving Berlin hospital; Eiffel Tower reopens after bomb hoax and more

Malaysia opposition leader Anwar claims 'formidable' majority to form new government Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said on Wednesday he has secured a 'formidable' majority from lawmakers to oust Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and form a new government, heralding a fresh bout of political drama in the Southeast Asian country.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Violence mounts against Iraqi doctors as COVID cases spike

Iraqi doctor Tariq Al-Sheibani remembers little else beyond cowering on the ground as a dozen relatives of a patient, who had just died of COVID-19, beat him unconscious. About two hours later the 47-year-old director of Al-Amal Hospital in the southern city of Najaf woke up in a different clinic with bruises all over his body.

Malaysia opposition leader Anwar claims 'formidable' majority to form new government

Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said on Wednesday he has secured a 'formidable' majority from lawmakers to oust Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and form a new government, heralding a fresh bout of political drama in the Southeast Asian country. The power struggle comes at a difficult time for the multi-ethnic nation, as its export driven economy has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic. The Malaysian ringgit and stocks fell after Anwar's comments.

Lukashenko abruptly sworn in, Belarus opposition calls for more protests

Ignoring calls for an end to his 26-year grip on power, President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus was sworn in for a sixth term on Wednesday after an election that the opposition and several foreign governments say was rigged. The ceremony would normally have been publicised as a major state occasion but was instead held without warning following Lukashenko's claim of a landslide victory in the Aug. 9 election.

Special Report: A killing at sea implicates the armed forces in lawless Venezuela

Around midnight on February 23, Eulalio Bravo, a marine electrician, was dozing in his rack aboard the San Ramon, an oil tanker anchored off the coast of Venezuela. Suddenly, he heard footsteps pounding along the passageway outside.

His captain, Jaime Herrera, cried for help. Mozambique asks EU for help in tackling insurgency

Mozambique has asked the European Union for support in tackling a wave of militant attacks in the country's north by rebels with links to Islamic State, a conflict that has raised fears for stability and security in southern Africa. The Islamist attacks in Cabo Delgado province date to 2017 but the violence has gathered pace this year, with insurgents seizing important towns for brief periods and hitting military and other key targets.

EU chief negotiator 'determined' to get Brexit deal but will be firm

The European Union is determined to get a Brexit trade deal with Britain but will be firm and realistic with London after Prime Minister Boris Johnson decided to break the divorce agreement, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said on Wednesday. The United Kingdom left the EU in January but remains a member in all but name until the end of the year, by which time it hopes to have clinched a free trade deal with the bloc.

Divided Europe challenged to overhaul defunct migration policies

The European Union's executive launched a contentious plan on Wednesday for overhauling broken migration rules to resolve years of bitterness and provide a better welcome for refugees fleeing the Middle East and Africa. The most sensitive element would de facto oblige each state to host some refugees - something eastern nations Poland and Hungary are dead against - under "mandatory solidarity".

Kremlin critic Navalny appears in public after leaving Berlin hospital

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny made his first public appearance on Wednesday after being discharged from a Berlin hospital where Germany said he was being treated for poisoning by a potentially deadly nerve agent. Navalny was flown from Russia to Berlin last month after falling ill on a domestic flight in Siberia. The West has demanded an explanation from the Kremlin, which has denied any involvement in the incident and said it has yet to see evidence of a crime.

Eiffel Tower reopens after bomb hoax

The Eiffel Tower was evacuated for several hours on Wednesday after police received a call suggesting a bomb had been placed there. The Paris monument had been searched and no explosives found, a police spokeswoman said. It reopened at about 2.25 p.m. (1225 GMT).

France supports idea by Lebanese politician to end cabinet logjam

France backed on Wednesday a proposal made by Lebanon's leading Sunni Muslim politician to end a deadlock preventing the formation of a cabinet to lead the nation out of its worst crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war. Paris has been pressing Lebanese politicians to form a government quickly but the process hit a logjam over a demand by Lebanon's two main Shi'ite parties that they name several ministers, including the finance minister.

(With inputs from agencies.)