Firefighters rescue hundreds of people from blaze at Hong Kong building

At least 13 people were sent to the hospital with injuries and smoke inhalation. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Firefighters rescue hundreds of people from blaze at Hong Kong building [Two women are rescued by a firefighter in a bucket crane outside the World Trade Centre located in the city's popular Causeway Bay shopping district of Hong Kong, Dec. 15, 2021.] Credit: AP Photo Hong Kong Firefighters rescued around 800 people from a Hong Kong skyscraper after a massive fire broke out. It took hours to extinguish the flames. No deaths were reported, but [at least 13 people were sent to the hospital]( for injuries and smoke inhalation. Police say the fire [started in the machine room]( of the World Trade Center building and spread to the surrounding scaffolding, which has been under renovation. More than 150 firefighters were deployed to the scene. Some of them used a crane to rescue people trapped on the rooftop. Russia-China The leaders of Russia and China held a virtual meeting on Wednesday. The Kremlin said that Chinese President Xi Jinping offered his support in pushing for Western [security guarantees]( regarding NATO's eastward expansion. Meanwhile, with China facing a diplomatic boycott of its Beijing Olympics this winter from the US and other nations, Xi secured a [public pledge]( from Putin that he would attend, making him the first world leader to do so. The two nations have had friction over issues along their 2,600-mile-long shared land border, but have developed stronger ties over common grievances with countries like the United States. European Union European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced that omicron is expected to become the dominant variant of COVID-19 across the European Union [by mid-January](. She said the EU has more than 66% of its population [fully vaccinated]( and is well prepared to fight the variant. But the figure doesn’t specify that some nations like Portugal and Spain have high vaccination rates, while others like Bulgaria are lagging behind. A handful of European nations have also begun vaccinating children between the ages of 5-11. Cases are expected to rise as people gather for the holiday season. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is still time to support The World before Dec 31. Thank you to everyone who has already donated to our fundraiser! We still need 164 listeners to donate $130 or pledge $11 monthly before the tax year ends on Dec. 31 in order to reach our goal. Donate today to support our nonprofit newsroom and sustain the international coverage you rely on. Learn more and [make your gift]( today. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Undocumented people bring grassroots organizing skills to the labor movement]( [The office of the Culinary Workers Union is seen through a car window in Las Vegas, Nov. 9, 2020. The union represents 60,000 people, most of them immigrants, in the Las Vegas area who work in the hospitality industry.]( Credit: Wong Maye-E/AP The majority of undocumented immigrants can’t legally work in the US. But some — like those with DACA — have work permits. Despite the uncertainty around their futures as workers in the US, many of them are [leading the fight to unionize]( and get better working conditions for future workers. [Move over, telenovelas. The latest binge-watching craze? Turkish dizis.]( [Carlota Balbuena and her daughter, Alejandra Balbuena, of North Texas, are enthusiastic about Turkish shows called dizis.]( Credit: Stella M. Chávez/The World During the past few years, Spanish-language networks in the US have been airing high-production [Turkish shows dubbed into Spanish](. Dizis are written as weekly, not daily, shows, and episodes often last more than two hours without commercials. Global sales of Turkish TV have jumped from $10,000 about 15 years ago to more than $350 million more recently. --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot Imagine being a kid, looking out the window and seeing Spider-Man! Acrobats in Milan, Italy, dressed up as superheroes and rappelled down the walls of a hospital to greet children being vaccinated against COVID-19, waving through the building's windows. Greece, Italy and a handful of other European Union nations have begun vaccinating children aged 5-11 against the coronavirus ahead of holiday gatherings amid the fast-spreading omicron variant. In Greece, children were given stickers and a day off from school. [Acrobats dressed as Super heroes come down from the roofs to make a surprise greeting at the windows of the rooms of the little patients in Pediatrics and of all the patients, at the San Paolo hospital in Milan, Italy, Dec. 15, 2021.] Credit: Luca Bruno/AP --------------------------------------------------------------- [In case you missed it from The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- - [Yemenis united in celebration in soccer victory over Saudi]( - [Armenia and Turkey attempt to normalize relations]( - [‘Green’ hydrogen in Belgium and Germany]( - [US military increasingly reliant on drones]( - [Help wanted: US ambassadors]( - [New law in Iran limits access to contraceptives and abortion]( - [France approves controversial redesign plan for Notre Dame interior]( - [Libya elections]( - [How people around the world satisfy their holiday sweet tooth]( - [Record heat confirmed in Siberia]( - [Part of Thwaites Glacier could collapse within a few years]( - [Omicron variant continues to spread]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. 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