Briefly

UNITED STATES

Trump invites Johnson to White House

US President Donald Trump has invited British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to visit him at the White House in the new year, British media reported on Sunday. Trump's invitation was made after the British prime minister's election win this month, The Sunday Times newspaper reported. Britain wants to strike a new trade deal with the United States after it leaves the European Union at the end of January.

NEW ZEALAND

Death toll from volcano rises to 19

The death toll from a volcanic eruption in New Zealand earlier this month has risen to 19 after police said on Monday another person died at an Auckland hospital overnight. There were 47 people visiting the tourist destination of White Island when the volcano erupted on Dec 9, killing 13 people initially and leaving more than two dozen others hospitalized with severe burns.

MEXICO

Ambassador caught shoplifting resigns

Mexico's ambassador to Argentina has resigned citing health problems following new allegations of shoplifting after video from late October showed the diplomat attempting to steal a $10 book. Ricardo Valero was recalled earlier this month by Mexico's foreign ministry amid the fallout from the Oct 26 incident at a well-known Buenos Aires book store in which he can be seen on security camera footage taking the volume from a shelf and then hiding it inside the pages of a newspaper he tucked under his arm. The ministry accepted Valero's resignation on Sunday.

INDIA

Nine die in Delhi apartment block fire

At least nine people, including four women and three children, died in Delhi in a fire that broke out in a residential building early on Monday, confirmed an official in the city's Fire Department. The four-story building is situated in the Kirari area of northwest Delhi. Assistant Divisional Officer of the Delhi Fire Services Ajay Kumar said that three of the victims were burnt to death beyond recognition. The fire had been completely extinguished, and relief and rescue work still was going on, he added.

AFGHANISTAN

Taliban claim attack that killed US soldier

The Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack on Monday on US troops that killed one US soldier and, according to the insurgents, wounded several more. The killing is likely to have consequences for ongoing talks between the US and the Taliban. President Donald Trump in September declared negotiations "dead" after the Taliban killed a US soldier in a Kabul bombing. Negotiations have since restarted in Doha, but were earlier this month put on a "pause" following yet another bombing, this time at the Bagram air base.

ITALY

Venice faces new exceptional flooding

The Italian city of Venice faced more intense floods on Monday while still recovering from the exceptional high tide that hit it in November. The tide peaked at 1.44 meters on Monday morning, lower than forecasters' predictions of 1.5 meters. High tides are considered exceptional if they are above 1.4 meters.

Reuters - AP - Xinhua - AFP