Hello, I'm Stewart Macintosh with the BBC news.

The migration crisis in Europe is expected to dominate the final EU summit of theyear beginning today in Brussels. Beforehand, the German Chancellor AngleMerkel and serval other EU leaders will hold talks with the Turkish primeminister to try to find ways to resettle tens of thousands ofSyrian migrants straight from camps in Turkey. Chris Morris reports.“As a tumultuous year draws to a close, European leaders are struggling tomaintain unity. There is nearly a million migrants and refugees who havearrived on European shores. Now Angle Merkel is once taking the lead trying towork out ways to admit Syrian refugees straight from camps in Turkey. Initiallyfigures in the hundreds of thousands were being discussed. Already that hasfallen to tens of thousands. And plans for resettlement will only move forwardif Turkey takes decisive steps to cut off the illegal flow of people crossingthe Aegean Sea.”

The Greek Prime Minister Alexi Tsipras has expressed his fears that his countrycould become a vast holding pan for migrants. More than 3000 migrants continueto arrive each day in Greece, but only those fleeing wars and violence inSyria, Iraq and Afghanistan are being allowed to continue their journey north.

A new study in the United States has concluded that life style choices, likesmoking and drinking too much alcohol, may help to cause the vast majority ofcancers. Researchers at Stony Brook University in New York based their findingson reanalysis of cancer data. The lead researcher Doctor Yusuf Hannunsays the study suggests that random self-mutations rarely lead to cancerwithout external factors like toxic chemicals or radiations. “We undertookserval approaches for different approaches to try and get a quantitativeestimate of what is the contribution of those extrinsic factors to theincidents of cancer. And those lines of investigation, for us, they all came toa very similar conclusion that the contribution of extrinsic factors can be aslarge as 70-90%.”

The United States and Cuba have reached an understanding to allow regularcommercial flights between them. Negotiators said an official announcement onthe issue was imminent. Scheduled flights will ease journeys for US citizenswanting to visit Cuba. From Havana, here is Will Grant. “The move to restorecommercial flights between the US and Cuba coincides with the first anniversaryof the announcement of an end to hostilities between the old enemies. In someregards, it is one of the most significant steps of the past 12 months in thatit will further facilitate the arrival of American visitors to Cuba. Withtourism increasingly becoming the main economic motive for the communist runisland, it comes as little surprise that the Cuban government was as keen onthis particular measure as their counterparts in Washington.” World news fromthe BBC.

World stock markets have responded positively to the first rise in Americaninterest rates since the worst financial crisis in decades. The US FederalReserve signaled its confidence in continued economic growth with 0.25% increasein its key short term rate. The rise was matched by the Central Bank in Hongkong.

Delegates from Libya's two rival parliaments are due to sign an agreement inthe Moroccan resort of Skhirat to form a government of national unity latertoday. The deal has been painstakingly brokered by the United Nations. RanaJawad reports. “Dozens of Libyan delegates have already arrived in the Moroccantown for the signing. The UN backed deal is expected to go ahead despite objectionsby the leaders of Libya's rival legislative bodies. They refused to hold a voteto formally adopt or reject the agreement. The international community believesthat sealing this deal is the first step in the long process that will soonneed to address plans on how to secure the country and the government. Thoseagainst the signing are divided over the ministers in the proposed unitygovernment as well as details in the agreement over military leadership.”

Scientists in Australia say they've identified the closest potentiallyhabitable planet outside our own solar system. Wolf 1061C is 14 light yearsaway. Researchers from University of New South Wales made the discovery byexamining information on distant galaxies collected by European telescope in Chili.The planet orbits its star at a distance where conditions would be ideal tosupport liquid water and life.

The Ethics Panel of football's world governing body is to hear the appeal bySepp Blatter against his temporary suspension from the sport. Mr. Blatter, thehead of FIFA, will appear in person at the hearing in Zurich. He was given atemporary ban over a two million dollar payment to Michel Platini who is headof European Football. BBC news.