Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Lawmakers seek FAA employee survey records after Boeing 737 MAX crashes

A U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Monday asked the Federal Aviation Administration to disclose details of an employee survey about the agency’s safety culture after two fatal crashes of Boeing 737 MAX airplanes killed 346 people and raised questions about the agency’s actions. Representative Peter DeFazio, who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Representative Rick Larsen, who chairs a subcommittee on aviation, wrote FAA Administrator Steve Dickson about a survey that included an FAA program that delegates some new airplane certification tasks to Boeing employees. Saudi social media campaign targets former crown prince

Saudi Twitter users have sent thousands of tweets accusing the kingdom’s former crown prince and his long-time aide of corruption, in what two Saudi sources said was a campaign to discredit him ahead of a possible indictment, as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman moves to sideline rivals to the throne. The tweets against Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who was ousted and replaced as heir to the throne by the crown prince in a palace coup in 2017, began on Friday and also targeted his aide, ex-intelligence official Saad al-Jabri. UK intelligence report to disclose Russian meddling in Scottish independence vote: The Telegraph

The British Parliament’s intelligence and security committee’s report on Russian influence in politics will disclose that the Kremlin tried to influence the result of the Scottish independence referendum but not the Brexit vote of 2016, The Daily Telegraph reported. The report, which will be published on Tuesday, will describe that Russia tried to divide the UK in 2014 and that it was “the first post-Soviet interference in a Western democratic election,” the newspaper added, citing comments from the 50-page report. Pressure mounts on Spanish king to act on scandal allegations

Spain’s King Felipe was greeted by hundreds of chanting protesters during a visit to Catalonia on Monday as pressure mounted on him in Madrid to respond to corruption allegations swirling around his father, former king Juan Carlos. While the demonstrators squared off with police and shouted “We don’t have a king” as Felipe and Queen Letizia visited a monastery near Tarragona, ministers are demanding action amid calls for a parliamentary investigation. Data analysis on downed Ukraine jet starts Tuesday; Canada sceptical about Iran explanation

Investigators examining the black boxes from the Ukrainian jet accidentally shot down by Iran will begin analyzing recovered voice and flight data on Tuesday, France’s BEA accident investigation bureau said on Monday. Iranian forces say they downed the Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 jet on Jan. 8 after mistaking it for a missile amid heightened tensions with the United States. All 176 people on board – including 57 Canadians – were killed. Syria says Israel strikes southern Damascus, sources say Iranian bases hit

Syrian air defenses on Monday intercepted a new Israeli “aggression” above the capital Damascus, state media said, in the latest wave of attacks that Western intelligence sources have said were Israeli strikes on a major Iranian-backed ammunition depot on the edge of the capital. State television said Israeli missiles had flown over the Syrian Golan Heights where they conducted raids around the capital and live footage showed blasts across the skies of the capital. EU leaders in ‘home stretch’ to recovery deal after days of squabbling

European Union leaders appeared close to agreement on a massive stimulus plan for their coronavirus-blighted economies late on Monday after the chairman of their fractious four-day summit presented a new proposal to bridge gaps between them. EU Council President Charles Michel said he was confident the compromises he offered the 27 leaders would clinch a deal on the 750 billion euro recovery fund that many say is critical to dispel doubts about the bloc’s very future. Wave of promising study results raise hopes for coronavirus vaccines

Early data from trials of three potential COVID-19 vaccines released on Monday, including a closely-watched candidate from Oxford University, increased confidence that a vaccine can train the immune system to recognize and fight the novel coronavirus without serious side effects. Whether any of these efforts will result in a vaccine capable of protecting billions of people and ending the global pandemic that has claimed more than 600,000 lives is still far from clear. All will require much larger studies to prove they can safely prevent infection or serious disease. UK suspends Hong Kong extradition treaty, stoking China tensions

Britain announced on Monday it would suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in an escalation of a dispute with China over its introduction of a national security law for the former British colony. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told parliament the treaty would be suspended immediately and an arms embargo would be extended to Hong Kong. Pompeo arrives in UK to discuss China, 5G and Brexit

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in the United Kingdom on Monday to discuss China, 5G and a Brexit free trade deal with Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Pompeo, who did not speak to reporters on the plane, was due to be greeted by U.S. Ambassador Woody Johnson shortly after landing.