In brief: Drive-by attackers hit Israeli embassy in Athens
ATHENS, Greece – Greek authorities are investigating a pre-dawn, drive-by gunfire attack on the Israeli embassy in Athens, which caused no injuries or damage.
Police closed off a major road outside the embassy early today and forensics experts in white protective clothing were searching the area.
Officials said at least 20 bullet casings were found near the scene of the attack, which occurred long before the building opened for business.
There was no claim of responsibility for the attack.
Fragile Ukraine truce looks to be holding
SYDNEY – Ukraine’s president said today that a fragile truce between his government’s troops and Russian-backed separatists in east Ukraine had resulted in the first day free of deaths or injuries for his soldiers since the conflict erupted months ago.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, wrapping up a three-day visit to Australia, said the lull in fighting – which began Tuesday after the president proposed a “day of silence” – appeared to be holding.
Poroshenko called the truce in a bid to revive a much-violated cease-fire agreement signed in September.
The war has left more than 4,300 people dead and displaced hundreds of thousands.
Three killed in fire aboard cruise ship
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A crew member and two contractors died Thursday when a fire broke out aboard a luxury cruise ship docked at the eastern Caribbean island of St. Lucia, officials said.
The 656 passengers aboard the Oceania Insignia were evacuated safely and the remainder of the cruise was canceled, according to Oceania Cruises.
A crew member was in the hospital, said Jason Lasecki, senior director of public relations for Prestige Cruise Holdings, the parent company of Oceania Cruises.
It is unclear what caused the fire, which began in the engine room and was contained. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending officials to help with the investigation.
Fire in Dallas tower leaves three dead
DALLAS – Three construction workers are dead and three other people received hospital treatment after a fire erupted in a downtown Dallas high-rise, prompting the evacuation of thousands of office workers from the building.
Dallas Fire Rescue spokesman Jason Evans said fire-rescue workers found the men in the basement of the 50-story Thanksgiving Tower.
Evans says the preliminary belief is that the 10 a.m. Thursday fire was electrical in nature because of the thick smoke it gave off, but the cause and ignition point remain undetermined.
Ebola outbreak far from under control
UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. Ebola chief said Thursday it will take several more months before the outbreak in West Africa is under control, an assessment that makes clear the U.N.’s goal of isolating 100 percent of Ebola cases by Jan. 1 won’t be met.
Dr. David Nabarro said greater efforts are needed to combat Ebola in western Sierra Leone and northern Mali, to reduce the number of new cases in Liberia and to limit transmission to Mali.
The World Health Organization conceded that it didn’t meet an interim Dec. 1 target of isolating 70 percent of Ebola patients and safely burying 70 percent of victims in hardest-hit Sierra Leone. But it hasn’t made clear what that means for the Jan. 1 goal of 100 percent of cases isolated and bodies buried safely.