Reuters World News Summary

Exclusive-U.S. set to sanction Turkey over Russian defense system -sources The United States is poised to impose sanctions on Turkey over its acquisition last year of Russian S-400 air defense systems, five sources including two U.S. officials told Reuters on Thursday, a move likely to worsen already problematic ties between the two NATO allies.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Nobel winners get prizes at home while the socially distanced band plays

Dressing down, the 2020 Nobel winners got their awards in a broadcast aired on Thursday as, thousands of kilometres away and sitting two metres apart, musicians played classical interludes in an almost empty auditorium. In a disconnected ceremony at the end of a disconcerting year, Swedish television streamed the handovers from Stockholm City Hall on the day when a packed audience traditionally honours the prizewinners. Analysis-World watches as first-mover Britain probes adverse reactions to Pfizer vaccine

Britain hailed "V-Day" when it became the first country to roll out the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Yet, as first mover, it has also become the first to report cases of adverse reactions, allowing other nations to watch and learn. Officials from around the world are keen for British authorities to give them as much information as possible about the two reported cases of anaphylaxis among thousands of people inoculated since mass-vaccination began on Tuesday. UK's Johnson says 'strong possibility' of no-deal split in EU trading ties

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday there was "a strong possibility" Britain and the EU would fail to strike a new trade deal, but vowed to do whatever he could to avoid a tumultuous split in three weeks. The European Union and Britain are at loggerheads over fishing rights, economic fair play and dispute settlement, despite months of talks to cover trade from Jan. 1 when the United Kingdom finally exits the bloc's orbit. Exclusive-U.S. set to sanction Turkey over Russian defense system -sources

The United States is poised to impose sanctions on Turkey over its acquisition last year of Russian S-400 air defense systems, five sources including two U.S. officials told Reuters on Thursday, a move likely to worsen already problematic ties between the two NATO allies. The long-anticipated step, which is likely to infuriate Ankara and severely complicate relations with the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden, could be announced any day, sources said. Central American authorities try to disperse Honduran migrant caravan

Central American authorities on Thursday began trying to break up a caravan of hundreds of Hondurans who set off for the United States to escape the impact of back-to-back hurricanes, testing efforts to stem immigration from the battered region. Honduran authorities set up checkpoints, stopping groups aiming to join the caravan and encouraging them to return home instead, including turning around a bus with about 50 people in the western department of Ocotepeque, local media said. Morocco joins other Arab nations agreeing to normalize Israel ties

Israel and Morocco agreed on Thursday to normalize relations in a deal brokered with U.S. help, making Morocco the fourth Arab country to set aside hostilities with Israel in the past four months. It joins the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan in beginning to forge deals with Israel, driven in part by U.S.-led efforts to present a united front against Iran and roll back Tehran's regional influence. U.S. senators seek possible sanctions over Ethiopia conflict abuses

Two U.S. senators have called on their government to consider imposing sanctions on any political or military officials found responsible for human rights violations during a month of conflict in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region. It was the first such call by U.S. lawmakers since war between Ethiopian federal forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) broke out on Nov. 4. Turkey's Erdogan, at Nagorno-Karabakh parade, says Armenia needs new leaders

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday renewed a call for a change of leadership in Armenia, while offering the country the chance of joining a regional cooperation group alongside Azerbaijan. Erdogan made the comments in Baku, where he reviewed a military parade marking Armenia's defeat by Azerbaijan in a war in the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Four finalists compete for Time's Person of the Year for 2020

Time Magazine names its Person of the Year for 2020 on Thursday, choosing the winner from nominees that include healthcare workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic, the racial justice movement and two U.S. presidential election winners. The news magazine will reveal at 10 p.m. Eastern its selection for the title that signifies "who affected the news or our lives the most, for better or worse," Time said on its website. Analysis-Washington's Western Sahara pledge the ultimate prize for Morocco

Morocco's decision to normalise ties with Israel has handed Rabat its biggest step yet towards the prize it values most - global recognition of its claim to Western Sahara. Washington's support for Moroccan sovereignty over the desert territory represents the biggest policy concession the United States has made so far in its quest to win Arab recognition of Israel.