IN BRIEF (Page 12)

The Philippines

20 dead as bus collides with van

A passenger bus collided with a van carrying pilgrims to Christmas Mass at a church in the northern Philippines on Monday, leaving 20 people dead and more than two dozen injured, police said. Police said all those killed in the pre-dawn collision in La Union province's Agoo town were in the smaller van, locally known as jeepneys. Another 10 van passengers, along with the driver and 17 other occupants of the bus were injured. The van's engine was ripped off due to the impact of the crash.

Criminal probe after deadly mall fire

Authorities ordered a criminal investigation on Monday into a shopping mall fire that killed dozens of people, most of them call center staff from a US firm. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre announced the inquiry before the government raised the death toll from Saturday's NCCC mall fire in Davao, Mindanao, to 37. "By punishing those responsible, we can set an example to others so that, hopefully, there will be no repetition of those tragedies," Aguirre said.

United Kingdom

Royal apologizes for 'racist' brooch

British Princess Michael of Kent has apologized for wearing a controversial brooch to a Christmas banquet held at Buckingham Palace on Thursday. The brooch, featuring a black man in a gold headdress, is considered by some critics as bearing demeaning images of Africans. Prince Harry's fiancee Meghan Markle, whose mother is an African-American, was also present at the dinner. A spokesman for Princess Michael said on Friday that the brooch "was a gift and has been worn many times before".

Egypt

12 million want Sisi to run again

A campaign backing President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said on Sunday that it collected more than 12 million signatures of Egyptians supporting him to run for a second term in the 2018 elections. A general-turned-president, Sisi is yet to formally announce his candidacy. He has said he will make his decision after gauging popular reaction to a "fact sheet" of his achievements due to be publicized next month.

Switzerland

Referendum called to clarify EU position

A referendum to clarify the country's relationship with the European Union would be helpful, President Doris Leuthard said on Sunday, after ties between the two sides cooled this week. Switzerland's frictions with the EU, of which it is not a member, arise as Britain negotiates its withdrawal from the bloc following a referendum in June last year and seeks a new trading relationship with its closest neighbors.

AP - AFP - Xinhua

(China Daily 12/26/2017 page12)