Europe

(Reuters) - Britain is working on a plan to take control of one of Britain’s oldest steelmakers to secure the supply chain for the country’s nuclear submarine fleet, Sky News reported on Saturday.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had enlisted Deloitte to advise it on the talks with privately-owned Sheffield Forgemasters, Sky News said, citing steel industry sources.

The MoD could not immediately be reached for comment.

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the European Union’s top official are set to discuss the state of play of post-Brexit trade discussions later Saturday after negotiators paused talks in light of their inability to bridge an array of differences.

With the discussions stuck over the same issues for months, Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the EU’s executive European Commission, will see if there is a route to a deal.

MOSCOW (AP) — Thousands of doctors, teachers and others in high-risk groups have signed up for COVID-19 vaccinations in Moscow starting Saturday, a precursor to a sweeping Russia-wide immunization effort.

The vaccinations come three days after President Vladimir Putin ordered the launch of a “large-scale” COVID-19 immunization campaign even though a Russian-designed vaccine has yet to complete the advanced studies needed to ensure its effectiveness and safety in line with established scientific protocols.

05 Dec 2020; MEMO:  The Russian presidency has confirmed that Turkey's position on the legal status of Crimea is still one of the biggest discords between Moscow and Ankara.

04 Dec 2020; MEMO:  British advocacy groups have condemned France's decision to shut down anti-racism group Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF), Anadolu Agency reports.

While announcing the move on Wednesday, Gerald Darmanin, France's interior minister, accused the CCIF of carrying out "Islamist propaganda" for several years, allegations the group has vehemently refuted.

London, Dec 5 (AP-PTI) A week of intense trade talks between Britain and the European Union ended in stalemate Friday, with negotiators stepping back while politicians decide whether major differences can be bridged to avoid a messy, economically disruptive rupture in less than a month.

MOSCOW, December 4. /TASS/: Russia’s Defense Ministry will keep the intensity of combat training next year and over 4,800 drills are planned, Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu said at the ministry’s conference call on Friday.

"A new training year began in the troops on December 1. In 2021, we will keep the intensity of combat training. Over 4,800 drills and practical measures are planned," Shoigu said.

THE VATICAN, December 4. /TASS/: The Vatican fully supports the implementation of the agreements on settlement in eastern Ukraine, Vatican Secretary for Relations with States Paul Richard Gallagher said in an exclusive interview for TASS, adding that the Holy See does not consider this conflict a simple "civil clash."

MOSCOW, December 4. /TASS/: Electronic registration for inoculation against the coronavirus has been launched in the capital. In all, 70 vaccination stations were opened in the city, the Moscow Mayor’s official website said.

MOSCOW, December 4. /TASS/: The number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in Russia over the past 24 hours has increased by 27,403, bringing the total to 2,402,949, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told journalists on Friday.

According to the crisis center, the relative growth has not surpassed 1.2% for the past two days.