Mediterranean death toll is record 5,000 migrants this year: agencies
GENEVA (Reuters) – A record 5,000 migrants are believed to have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea this year, following two shipwrecks on Thursday in which some 100 people, mainly West Africans, were feared dead, aid agencies said on Friday.
Highlights: Russian President Putin’s end-of-year news conference
MOSCOW (Reuters) – The following are highlights from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annual end-of-year news conference.
Opponents, family feud take shine off French Le Pen’s hopes
PARIS (Reuters) – For two years, disaffection with mainstream politics and disarray among her opponents have played to Marine Le Pen’s agenda. But as the days tick down to election year in France, events may have started to dim her presidential prospec…
Putin: Plane crash that killed Polish president must not be used to political ends
MOSCOW (Reuters) – The plane crash which killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski on Russian soil in 2010 should not be used to whip up tensions between the two countries, President Vladimir Putin said at his end-of-year news conference on Friday.
Putin says killing of Russian Ankara envoy won’t hurt Turkey ties
MOSCOW (Reuters) – The assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey won’t hurt Russia’s relations with Ankara, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.
Congo forces killed 40, arrested 460 in Kabila protests: U.N.
GENEVA (Reuters) – The head of the U.N. human rights agency said on Friday that Congolese security forces had killed at least 40 people and arrested 460 in protests against President Joseph Kabila this week.
Singapore police investigate event HK activist addressed
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Singapore police are investigating a conference that Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong addressed via Skype without a permit, police and one of the event’s organizers said on Friday.
Israeli-Arab lawmaker held on suspicion of smuggling phones to Palestinian prisoners
RISHON LEZION, Israel (Reuters) – Israeli police have arrested an Arab-Israeli lawmaker on suspicion of smuggling mobile phones for Palestinian security convicts in an Israeli jail, a police spokesman said on Friday.
Australia makes arrests over ‘imminent threat’ of Christmas Day attacks
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian police said on Friday they had foiled a plot to attack prominent sites in the city of Melbourne with a series of bombs on Christmas Day that authorities described as “an imminent terrorist event” inspired by Islamic State….
West Africa regional bloc says forces ‘on alert’ for Gambia
BAMAKO (Reuters) – West Africa’s regional bloc has put standby forces “on alert” in case Gambian president Yahya Jammeh does not step down when his mandate ends on Jan. 19, president of the ECOWAS commission Marcel de Souza said late on Thursday.
