BRUSSELS -- Talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May were constructive and robust, but the European Union (EU) will not reopen negotiations on the Brexit deal, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Thursday in a joint statement.

Juncker underlined that the Withdrawal Agreement represents a carefully balanced compromise between the EU and Britain, in which both sides have made significant concessions to arrive at a deal, said the statement read out by European Commission chief spokesperson Margaritis Schinas.

"President Juncker however expressed his openness to add wording to the Political Declaration agreed by the EU27 and the UK in order to be more ambitious in terms of content and speed when it comes to the future relationship between the European Union and the UK," said the statement.

(Brexit-EU-Talks)

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WASHINGTON -- The Chinese embassy in the United States on Wednesday launched a program titled "My China Album" to encourage people to share their stories and memories relating to ties between the two countries.

The program, co-organized by Chinese newspaper China Daily, was launched to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic relations.

"We invite you and all our friends all over the United States to come and share with us your most memorable stories with China," Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai said. (US-China-My China Album)

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ISTANBUL -- The death toll from the collapse of an eight-storey apartment building in Istanbul has risen to three, with 12 others injured, the Istanbul governor's office announced on Thursday.

"Three people were killed and 12 others were wounded," the governor's office said in a brief statement, noting that three of the injured were in "critical condition."

According to the statement, the rescue operation was continuing, though it did not specify how many people were still trapped under the debris.

(Turkey-Apartment Collapse)

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MANILA -- Nine people died when fire razed a house in Pasay City in the Philippine capital on Thursday morning, the Philippine Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said.

The bureau said the fire, which broke out at around 2:10 a.m., razed a house in Maricaban, Pasay City, killing the victims aged between three and 44. (Philippines-Fire-Toll) Enditem

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