Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Surging pandemic has Ontario close to cancelling non-essential surgeries again

Ontario will likely have to suspend non-essential surgeries again starting in two weeks, as surging coronavirus cases fill hospital intensive care units (ICU), according to modeling released by Canada's most populous province on Thursday. The data shows Ontario on track to hit 6,500 new COVID-19 cases per day by the end of December with 5% growth rate per day. The province on Thursday reported a record 1,575 new COVID-19 cases. Caught off guard, France says ready to play role in Nagorno-Karabakh solution

France on Thursday said it was ready to help build a lasting and balanced solution for all sides in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict after a Russia-brokered ceasefire deal appeared to catch Paris by surprise. The arrival on Tuesday of the peacekeepers to oversee the ceasefire between Azeri troops and ethnic Armenian forces in the enclave extends Russia's military footprint among the former Soviet republics it views as its strategic back yard. Ethiopia claims big advance in Tigray, Amnesty reports mass killing

Ethiopia's military has defeated local forces in the west of Tigray state, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Thursday, accusing his foes of atrocities during a week of fighting that threatens to destabilise the Horn of Africa. Rights group Amnesty International said scores and possibly hundreds of civilians were stabbed and hacked to death in the region on Nov. 9, citing witnesses. It said it had not been able to independently confirm who was responsible, but said the witnesses had blamed fighters loyal to Tigray's local leaders. Pope Francis congratulates Biden, stepping into political fray

Pope Francis offered his "blessings and congratulations" to U.S. President-elect Joe Biden in a phone call on Thursday, seeking to rebuild rapport with Washington after four years of sometimes contentious relations with President Donald Trump. The conversation was announced by the transition team for Biden, who will become only the second Roman Catholic president in U.S. history when he enters the White House on Jan. 20. Trump has yet to concede and is pursuing legal challenges. France confirms death of soldier in Egypt peace-keeping mission

France confirmed on Thursday that one of its soldiers operating in the U.S.-led Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Egyptian Sinai had been killed in a helicopter crash, the presidency said in a statement. Six Americans and a Czech national were also killed during the accident. UK to consider sanctions against China for breaching Hong Kong treaty

Britain on Thursday said China had broken its main bilateral treaty on Hong Kong by imposing new rules to disqualify elected legislators in the former British colony, cautioning that it would consider sanctions as part of its response. The British flag was lowered over Hong Kong when the colony was handed back to China in 1997 after more than 150 years of British rule - imposed after Britain defeated China in the First Opium War. COVID-19 fatality rate down 30% since April, study finds

The likelihood that a coronavirus infection will prove fatal has dropped by nearly a third since April due to improved treatment, researchers at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) said on Thursday. In the United States, COVID-19 now kills about 0.6% of people infected with the virus, compared with around 0.9% early in the pandemic, IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray told Reuters. Swiss town of Biel calm after shooting incident: paper, citing police

Police in the Swiss town of Biel deployed on Thursday evening after reports of shots being fired, the Blick newspaper reported, but the local Berner Zeitung newspaper quoted police as saying the situation was now calm. The circumstances were not immediately clear. Police in the canton of Bern could not immediately confirm details of the incident. Seven peacekeepers, including five Americans, killed in Sinai helicopter crash

A helicopter with the U.S.-led Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Egyptian Sinai crashed on Thursday near the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, killing seven members of the peacekeeper force, the MFO said. Those killed were five Americans, a French national and a Czech national, all of them military service members, the MFO said in a statement. It added that one American MFO member survived and was medically evacuated. Macron hails chance to 'make our planet great again' after Biden win

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday welcomed the prospect of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden rejoining the Paris climate accord, saying countries now had a chance to "make our planet great again". His comments follow those of other leaders who have welcomed Biden's victory as a boost to global cooperation on tackling climate change, after four years of climate policy inaction under President Donald Trump.