Traces of explosives on victims:

CAIRO — Traces of explosives have been found on some of the victims of an EgyptAir flight from Paris that crashed in the Mediterranean Sea in May, Egypt’s government said Thursday, a finding that could deal another major blow to the country’s vital tourism sector. A Civil Aviation Ministry statement said a criminal investigation will be launched into the crash of Flight 804, which killed all 66 people on board and came just seven months after a Russian passenger plane was blown up over the Sinai Peninsula in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

Lawyer says IS directed attack:

PARIS — The main suspect in a high-speed train attack thwarted by three Americans last year in northern France acted on orders from the leading member of the Islamic State cell that attacked Paris three months later, his lawyer said Thursday. Lawyer Sarah Mauger-Poliak told The Associated Press that Ayoub El Khazzani testified that he received specific orders from Abdelhamid Abaaoud to attack a Paris-bound Thalys express train in August 2015.

U.N. warns of nuclear hack:

UNITED NATIONS — The “nightmare scenario” is rising for a hacking attack on a nuclear power plant’s computer system that causes the uncontrolled release of radiation, the United Nations’ deputy chief warned Thursday. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told a Security Council meeting that extremists and “vicious non-state groups” are actively seeking weapons of mass destruction “and these weapons are increasingly accessible.”

Can Greek leader resolve debt?

BRUSSELS — Boosted by French President Francois Hollande and other left-leaning European Union leaders, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Thursday he could win a dispute with European creditors who pulled a recently announced debt relief package for his country. Hollande said at the EU summit that “it is out of the question to ask for further additional efforts from Greece or prevent them from taking a number of sovereign measures that respect the commitments” previously undertaken by his country.

Trump to nominate Friedman:

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will nominate attorney David Friedman as U.S. ambassador to Israel, selecting an envoy who supports Israeli settlements and other changes to U.S. policies in the region. Friedman said he looked forward to carrying out his duties from “the U.S. embassy in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem,” even though the embassy is in Tel Aviv. Trump has vowed to move the American embassy to Jerusalem.

Arpaio ends Obama probe:

PHOENIX — Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona has fixated on the authenticity of President Barack Obama’s birth certificate for more than five years, going so far as to send a deputy and member of his volunteer posse to Hawaii to question officials. Arpaio closed his yearslong investigation Thursday, ending a chapter that critics denounced as a shameless ploy to raise money.

N.C. GOP tries to limit power:

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s Republican-dominated legislature took extraordinary steps Thursday to reduce the powers of a Democratic governor-elect. GOP lawmakers ignored protesters disrupting House and Senate floor debate and advanced legislation on the second day of their surprise session, which Democrats angrily called a power grab to weaken Roy Cooper once he becomes governor Jan. 1. GOP lawmakers sought to scale back the team Cooper can bring into office, require their approval for top administrators at state agencies and erase the governor’s ability to shape elections boards statewide, which under current law would become controlled by Democrats in 2017.

Why Texas trails in executions:

HOUSTON — The state of Texas, long the nation’s leader in executions, lost that distinction in 2016 and its two most populous counties didn’t send a single convicted killer to death row, according to a new report. The change is because of growing legal and public hesitance to impose the ultimate punishment, according to the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. “The death penalty landscape in Texas continues to change dramatically,” Kristin Houlé, the advocacy group’s executive director said.