Fire engulfs 140 buildings in Japan, but no deaths reported
TOKYO (Reuters) – A fire engulfed about 140 houses, shops and other buildings in a Japanese coastal city on Thursday, injuring five people but causing no deaths, a fire official said.
Brussels welcomes progress in EU-Swiss relations after immigration law
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Commission on Thursday welcomed progress in relations between the EU and Switzerland after Bern avoided a clash with Brussels by passing an immigration law that does not impose outright quotas.
France to convene Middle East peace conference on Jan. 15
PARIS (Reuters) – France will convene some 70 countries on Jan. 15 for a Middle East peace conference in Paris, its foreign minister said on Thursday, and will invite the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to meet separately at its conclusion.
Islamic State claims suicide car bombs that killed at least 23 east of Mosul
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Islamic State claimed three suicide car bombs that killed at least 15 civilians and eight Iraqi policemen on Thursday in an eastern suburb of Mosul, according to a military statement.
Pope decries ‘malevolent resistance’ to needed Vatican reforms
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis decried “malevolent” internal resistance to his campaign to reform the Vatican bureaucracy on Thursday and said lay men and women should get top jobs if they are more qualified than clerics.
Russia says ties with U.S. frozen, Trump might be ‘more constructive’
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday dialogue with the United States was frozen at most levels but that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump might have a more constructive attitude towards Russia.
Trump calls for veto of U.N. resolution on halting Israeli settlements
(Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday echoed Israel’s call for a veto on a U.N. Security Council draft resolution to halt settlements, saying it “puts Israel in a very poor negotiating position and is extremely unfair to all Israeli…
Thousands of civilians, fighters waiting to leave Aleppo: rebels
AMMAN (Reuters) – Thousands of rebels and fighters were still waiting on Thursday to be evacuated from the last rebel bastion in Aleppo but harsh weather was complicating the final phase of the operation, a rebel spokesman said.
China dismisses Taiwan ‘dollar diplomacy’ claims over Sao Tome
BEIJING (Reuters) – China on Thursday dismissed accusations from Taiwan that it engaged in “dollar diplomacy” to get Sao Tome and Principe to ditch ties with the self-ruled island, saying a petty Taiwan was besmirching China’s good name.
Russia lays to rest murdered Turkey envoy with full honors
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia staged a somber memorial ceremony on Thursday for Andrei Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Turkey gunned down in Ankara on Monday by a man shouting “Allahu Akbar” and “Don’t forget Aleppo”.
