World News Roundup: 'We are not afraid': Wuhan residents say they hope WHO team finds virus origins; EU chief says UK trade pact closer but success not certain and more

Turkey says will not reverse Russian S-400S purchase despite US sanctions Turkey will not reverse its purchase of Russian S-400 missile defence systems and will take reciprocal steps after evaluating U.S. sanctions imposed over the acquisition, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

'We are not afraid': Wuhan residents say they hope WHO team finds virus origins

With investigators from the World Health Organization (WHO) set to visit China next year, residents of Wuhan are saying they want the team to come to the central city, hoping they could prove the virus did not originate there. An international team of investigators is expected to travel to China in January, the WHO said on Thursday, more than a year after the first identified cluster of COVID-19 infections was linked to the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan.

Tokyo raises COVID-19 alert to highest as medical crunch looms

The Japanese capital Tokyo, faced with acute strains on its medical system from the COVID-19 pandemic, raised its alert level to the highest of four stages on Thursday as the number of new cases spiked to a record daily high of 822. A health official said it had become difficult to balance the care of COVID-19 patients with regular ones as hospital beds filled up, and a "red" alert for medical preparedness had been assigned for the first time.

Putin calls on U.S. to extend New START arms control treaty for one year

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called on Washington to extend the New START arms control treaty that expires in February for one year. The New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) accord, signed in 2010, limits the numbers of strategic nuclear warheads, missiles and bombers that Russia and the United States can deploy.

EU chief says UK trade pact closer but success not certain

Britain and the European Union have moved closer to sealing a new trade deal but it was still unclear if they would succeed, the bloc's chief executive said on Wednesday. Britain and the EU are in the final stretch of talks to keep an estimated one trillion dollars of annual trade free of tariffs and quotas beyond Dec. 31, when the United Kingdom finally transitions out of the world's largest trading bloc.

Biden will keep using U.S. sanctions weapon but with sharper aim - sources

Joe Biden will not shy away from using President Donald Trump's weapon of choice - sanctions - as he seeks to reshape America's foreign policy, according to people familiar with his thinking. But when Biden takes office on Jan. 20, he is expected to quickly begin recalibrating Trump's blunt-force approach while taking time to deliberate before making any major changes with top sanctions targets like Iran and China, the sources said.

Turkey says will not reverse Russian S-400S purchase despite US sanctions

Turkey will not reverse its purchase of Russian S-400 missile defence systems and will take reciprocal steps after evaluating U.S. sanctions imposed over the acquisition, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday. The United States on Monday imposed sanctions targeting fellow NATO member Turkey's Defence Industry Directorate (SSB), its chief, Ismail Demir, and three other staff for buying the S-400s.

Denmark strengthens rape laws, outlaws sex without explicit consent

Denmark strengthened its rape laws on Thursday by criminalising sex without explicit consent. The new law passed by parliament widened the circumstances that could constitute rape - under the old legislation, prosecutors had to show the rapist had used violence or attacked someone who was unable to resist.

Putin says yet to decide if he will run for president again in 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he had not yet decided whether or not he would run for president again when his current term in the Kremlin ends in 2024, and that it was too early to talk about it. Putin presided over sweeping constitutional reforms this year that, among other things, allow him to run for two more six-year terms as president, potentially extending his rule until 2036.

Divert arms money to fight COVID-19, ensure vaccine for all, pope says

Pope Francis urged world leaders on Thursday to divert funds used for armaments to confront problems such as the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure vaccines reach the poor and most vulnerable nations. In his message for the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Peace, which is celebrated on Jan. 1, Francis also repeated a call for the establishment of a global fund with money slated for weapons to be used instead to help eradicate poverty.

Fishermen detained in eastern Libya have been freed - Italy

A group of 18 sailors who were seized by Libyan patrol boats in September while fishing in the Mediterranean have been freed by authorities in eastern Libya, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Thursday. The sailors, who include Italian and Tunisian nationals, were accused by local authorities of operating in Libya's territorial waters. Italy disputed this.