Europe

MOSCOW, January 4. /TASS/: Russia reported 23,351 new COVID-19 cases in the past day, a record low since November 18, and the total caseload hit 3,260,138, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Monday.

The growth rate in new cases slowed to 0.7%. The lowest daily growth rates were registered in the Altai Republic (0.09%) and the Kostroma Region (0.1%).

PARIS, Jan 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Countries across the world tightened restrictions on their populations to fight a resurgence in the coronavirus, as the European Union offered to help drug companies expand vaccine production to improve distribution “bottlenecks”.

From local curfews, to alcohol bans and complete lockdowns, governments are trying to tackle a surge in cases.

The coronavirus has killed more than 1.8 million people globally since emerging in China in December 2019.

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is set to reshuffle his cabinet on Monday with the aim of increasing the effectiveness of the conservative government.

His press office said announcements on the new line-up would be made at 12 noon (1000 GMT).

Greece is currently in a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, and the government needs to tackle the fallout of the pandemic, speed up economic reforms and revive growth.

LONDON (Reuters) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will learn on Monday whether a British judge has approved his extradition to the United States to face charges including espionage over the release of secret U.S. military documents.

U.S. authorities accuse Australian-born Assange, 49, of 18 counts of conspiring to hack government computers and of breaching a secrecy law by releasing vast troves of confidential military records and diplomatic cables over a decade ago.

LONDON (Reuters) -Oil prices touched multi-month highs on Monday on expectations OPEC and allied producers may cap output at current levels in February and on hopes that coronavirus vaccines may help curb the spread of the virus and drive a strong economic rebound in the new year.

Prices rose in line with broader financial markets with Brent crude futures reaching $53.33 a barrel, the highest since March 2020. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude touched $49.83 a barrel, the highest since February 2020.

LONDON (AP) — Britain on Monday was taking another giant step in the fight against COVID-19, ramping up its immunization program by giving shots from the vaccine created by Oxford University and pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca.

ROME (AP) — A Spanish-flagged humanitarian ship on Sunday was seeking a port of safety for 265 migrants its crew rescued from the Mediterranean Sea in the last few days.

The Open Arms charity tweeted that its vessel on Saturday had safely brought aboard 96 migrants who had been adrift in a wooden boat with without life vests in international waters. It said the passengers, most of them from Eritrea, included two women and 17 minors and were suffering from hypothermia.

MADRID (AP) — Blame COVID-19 travel restrictions or Brexit but whatever the cause, some British citizens trying to return to their homes in several European countries this weekend have been barred from boarding flights.

Airlines refused documents that before Brexit had been valid proof of the Britons’ status as residents in Spain, Italy and Germany, although Spanish authorities claimed that the issue had been resolved by mid-Sunday.

03 Jan 2021; AA: More than 800,000 people in Russia were vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, the country’s health minister said on Saturday.

Giving details about the Sputnik V vaccine in Tver province, Mikhail Murashko said mass vaccination continues in the country.

Underlining that Russia started vaccinating people aged over 60, he said that more than 1.5 million vaccines have been delivered to various parts of the country.

MOSCOW, January 3. / TASS /: The Russian Strategic Missile Forces will conduct over 200 exercises of various levels in 2021, the Defense Ministry reported on Sunday.

"In 2021, the Strategic Missile Forces will have than 200 exercises of various levels, including tactical and special tactical exercises with missile regiments and missile divisions, as well as a number of command-and-staff exercises with missile formations," the ministry said.