Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, Jan. 21

DAMASCUS -- The Syrian Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned the Turkish attack on Syria's Kurdish-held Afrin enclave, denying Turkish claims that Ankara informed Damascus about the attack beforehand, according to state news agency SANA.

The "aggression constitutes the latest step in the Turkish aggressions on the Syrian sovereignty," the ministry said after the Turkish army carried out airstrikes on the Kurdish positions in Afrin. (Syria-Turkey-Afrin)

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KABUL -- At least one attacker and several civilians were killed as a counter-attack was underway in Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel Saturday night following a terror attack there, a source said.

The initial information found that four terrorists were involved in the attack. One terrorist was killed and the Special Operations Forces were trying to clear the building, Najib Danish, spokesman of Interior Ministry told local media. (Afghanistan-Militants)

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ALGIERS -- Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said Saturday that Algeria and Nigeria have agreed to take common positions at the African Union and the United Nations.

Following his working meeting with his Algerian counterpart Abdelkader Messahel, the Nigerian foreign minister told reporters that the meeting focused on the political dialogue between the two countries at continental and international level, with a view to taking "common positions" both within the African Union and the United Nations. (Algeria-Nigeria)

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NEW YORK -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday warned against all forms of hate at a ceremony marking the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust.

In his remarks delivered at Park East Synagogue in New York, the UN chief said that "as I scan the global landscape today, I am sorry to say that the state of our world is messy. And the state of hate is high." (UN-Chief-Hate) Enditem