Azerbaijani airliner crashes in Kazakhstan, killing 38 with 29 survivors, officials say

(AP) — An Azerbaijani airliner with 67 people onboard has crashed near the Kazakhstani city of Aktau and an official says 38 people were killed and 29 survived. The Embraer 190 was en route from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus when it was diverted and attempted an emergency landing near the city of Aktau. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that it was too soon to speculate on the reasons behind the crash, but said that the weather had forced the plane to change from its planned course. Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, said that preliminary information showed that the pilots diverted to Aktau after a bird strike led to an emergency on board.

Taliban say Pakistani airstrikes killed 46 people in eastern Afghanistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A Taliban government official says Pakistan’s airstrikes on eastern Afghanistan killed 46 people, mostly women and children. Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesman for the Afghan government, said those killed in the strikes that targeted four locations in Barmal, a district in the province of Paktika, were refugees. This comes a day after Pakistani security officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity in line with regulations, told The Associated Press that Tuesday’s operation was to dismantle a training facility and kill insurgents. Pakistan has not commented on the strikes. However, on Wednesday, the Pakistani military said security forces killed 13 insurgents in an overnight operation.

A baby froze to death in Gaza as Israel and Hamas trade accusations of ceasefire delays

JERUSALEM (AP) — A baby girl froze to death overnight in Gaza, while Israel and Hamas accused each other of complicating ceasefire efforts that could wind down the 14-month war. The 3-week old baby was the third to die from the cold in the enclave’s tent camps in recent days. The deaths underscore the squalid conditions in Gaza’s sprawling camps, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are crammed after fleeing Israel’s bombardment and offensives. Meanwhile hopes of a ceasefire looked complicated on Wednesday. Israel and Hamas traded accusations over delaying an agreement. The sides had appeared to be inching toward a deal in recent weeks. It would have brought home dozens of hostages held in Gaza but differences have emerged.

China and Japan agree to talks on security issues as they seek to mend ties

BEIJING (AP) — China and Japan have agreed to set up talks on often contentious security issues. The two countries are seeking to improve a relationship riven in recent years by a range of issues, from territorial disputes to the discharge of water from Japan’s tsunami-wrecked nuclear power plant. Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya sounded positive Wednesday after meetings in Beijing with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. He called the talks “very candid” and wide-ranging. Wang agreed to visit Japan next year for a high-level economic dialogue, while Japan announced an easing of visa requirements for Chinese visitors.