Reuters World News Summary

Frenchman has tested positive for new coronavirus variant A Frenchman who recently arrived back in France from London has tested positive for the new variant of the coronavirus, the French Health Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Frenchman has tested positive for new coronavirus variant

A Frenchman who recently arrived back in France from London has tested positive for the new variant of the coronavirus, the French Health Ministry said in a statement on Friday. The ministry said that the case - the first in France - had been found in the city of Tours. The man in question arrived from London on Dec. 19, and he was currently self-isolating and felt alright, the ministry added. Many just want a hug for Christmas this year, Queen Elizabeth says

All many people want for Christmas this year is a simple hug, Britain's Queen Elizabeth said in her annual festive message, saying it would be hard for those who lost loved ones to COVID-19 pandemic or were separated by curbs on social mixing. In her traditional pre-recorded Christmas Day address to the nation, the 94-year-old monarch repeatedly spoke of hope for the future whilst acknowledging millions of Britons would be unable to have their usual family celebrations this year. Netanyahu speaks with Morocco's king, invites him to Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Friday with Morocco's King Mohammed VI and invited him to visit Israel, Netanyahu's office said. The two leaders spoke about moving forward with a U.S.-brokered agreement announced earlier this month to normalize bilateral ties, according to the Israeli statement. Britain says thousands of lorries cross Channel after virus testing stepped up

More than 4,500 lorries, among a huge backlog of trucks stranded for days in the British port of Dover, crossed the Channel on Friday after extra troops were deployed to step up coronavirus testing, a minister said. Ferry services between Dover and the French port of Calais resumed on Thursday, ending a blockade France had imposed for several days following the discovery of a new coronavirus variant in England. Saudi Arabia crown prince receives first dose of COVID-19 vaccine -SPA

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, as part of a national COVID-19 vaccination plan being implemented by the ministry of health, state news agency SPA reported on Friday. (This story corrects o say crown prince received his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, not the first dose of vaccine administered in the country) Japan official, calling Taiwan 'red line,' urges Biden to 'be strong'

A top Japanese defence official on Friday urged U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to "be strong" in supporting Taiwan in the face of an aggressive China, calling the island's safety a "red line." "We are concerned China will expand its aggressive stance into areas other than Hong Kong. I think one of the next targets, or what everyone is worried about, is Taiwan," State Minister of Defense Yasuhide Nakayama told Reuters. Mexico arrests 4 people over 2018 crash that killed Puebla governor

Mexican authorities said on Friday they detained four people in connection with a helicopter crash two years ago that killed the governor of the central state of Puebla, Martha Alonso, and her husband, Rafael Moreno Valle, a senator and former governor. On December 24, 2018, their helicopter came down shortly after taking off from Puebla, headed to Mexico City. Turkey requires negative PCR tests for all incoming passengers

Turkey's health minister said on Friday that as of next Monday all passengers coming into the country will have to provide proof of negative tests for coronavirus carried out within 72 hours of their arrival. Passengers who fail to provide a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result will not be allowed to board planes to Turkey, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. Ethiopia says national election to be held in June

Ethiopia will hold a parliamentary election on June 5, the electoral board said on Friday, as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed seeks to quell political and ethnic violence in several regions. Abiy's Prosperity Party, a pan-Ethiopian movement he founded a year ago, faces challenges from increasingly strident ethnically-based parties seeking more power for their regions.