Europe

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain is targeting gross debt issuance of 196.5 billion euros ($218.76 billion) in 2020, down 6.2 percent from the 2019 target, the head of the Spanish Treasury, Carlos San Basilio, said on Wednesday.

The Treasury plans net debt issuance of 32.5 billion euros compared with just under 20 billion euros issued last year.

($1 = 0.8982 euros)

LONDON, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- British lawmakers started a three-day Brexit debate Tuesday on their first House of Commons sitting of the new year.

MPs debated details of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit Withdrawal Bill which was passed last month with an overwhelming majority.

Opposition MPs tabled a long list of amendments to the bill, with a series of votes scheduled at Westminster over the coming days.

VIENNA, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Austria's new coalition government was sworn in by President Alexander Van der Bellen at the presidential residence of Hofburg Palace on Tuesday.

The new government is the first conservative-green coalition in Austria and the first majority-female cabinet. And its Chancellor Sebastian Kurz of the People's Party (OVP) is still by far the world's youngest head of government at the beginning of his second term at 33.

BRUSSELS, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Top European diplomats emerged from a Tuesday meeting saying continuing outside interference is fuelling the crisis in Libya and that there is no military solution to it.

Top diplomats from Britain, Italy, Germany, France as well as the European Union said in a joint statement after the meeting that "there is no military solution to the Libyan crisis... An immediate cessation of hostilities is therefore crucial."

07 Jan 2019; MEMO: Senior officials from Turkey, Russia and Iran discussed the latest developments in the Middle East and North Africa region yesterday.

The Russian Ministry of Defence said the country’s Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu discussed the developments in the Middle East and Libya during a telephone conversation with the head of the Turkish intelligence organisation, Hakan Fidan. The two officials also discussed joint actions to reduce tensions in the region.

LONDON, Jan 07 (APP): Pakistan High Commissioner to United Kingdom (UK), Mohammad Nafees Zakaria has called upon the United Nations Security Council to fulfill its responsibility and commitment of granting the right to self-determination to the Kashmiris according to its resolutions.

He also urged them of taking punitive action against India and its brutal occupation forces in occupied Kashmir for their atrocities and gross violation of human rights on defenceless people of Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK).

MOSCOW, January 7. /TASS/: The death toll from a fire in construction trailers in the Moscow region rose to eight people, emergency services told TASS.

"The bodies of two more people were discovered. Thus, there are eight people deceased in total. Presumably, all of them are citizens of Tajikistan," the source said.

ST. PETERSBURG, January 7. / TASS /: Russian President Vladimir Putin presented the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God to the Transfiguration Cathedral of St. Petersburg on Tuesday at the Christmas services.

For more than half an hour, the President, along with other worshipers, took part in a nightly Divine Liturgy, after which he briefly talked with the Archpriest of the cathedral, Nikolai Bryndin, and presented him with an icon as a gift.

In response, the President received an icon of the Kazan Mother of Godv from Bryndin.

MOSCOW, January 6. /TASS/: Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergey Shoigu held telephone talks on Monday with Chief of Staff of Iran Major General Mohammad Bagheri in connection with the killing of the Iran’s Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani.

"The military leaders discussed practical steps during the conversation for prevention of escalation of the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic and the Middle East in connection with the killing of commander of the Quds special unit General Qasem Soleimani near Baghdad," the Ministry said.

MOSCOW, January 7. / TASS /: Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova wrote on her Facebook page on Tuesday, that it is necessary to emphasize the word "mistake" in Pentagon's explanation of the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

"I propose that we attach the word 'error' to it, otherwise tomorrow everyone will start again with the "Russian hackers" did it, or nod in the direction of Russia Today," Zakharova said.