Europe

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced a wave of public and political outrage on Tuesday over allegations that he and his staff flouted coronavirus lockdown rules by holding a garden party in 2020 while Britons were barred by law from meeting up with more than one person outside their households.

BUCHAREST, ROMANIA Jan 10 (APP): Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi Monday urged the Romanian investors and businessmen to avail of the huge trade and investment opportunities in Pakistan.

Addressing a joint press conference along with his Romanian counterpart Bogdan Aurescu, the foreign minister said a huge potential existed for the Romanian investors in not only promoting the bilateral trade ties, but also from the prospects of Pakistan being a hub of exports to Central Asia as the new markets were now being opened up for the world.

ROME, January 10. /TASS/: The European Union should "exchange opinions closely" on the situation in Kazakhstan, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in Rome on Monday, quoted by Germany’s Phoenix TV channel.

"Definitely, it is not in the interests of Europe to see the countries of Central Asia getting unilaterally dependent either on Russia or on China," the diplomat said. According to the top diplomat, the rapid escalation of tension in Kazakhstan had "shocked everybody".

MOSCOW, January 10. /TASS/: Russia has registered 15,830 new confirmed COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, with the total number of infections reaching 10,666,679 cases, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Monday.

According to the crisis center, the relative increase of new infections is at the level of 0.15%.

BERLIN, January 10./TASS/: The conflict in Donbass cannot be solved militarily, the German Federal Cabinet said in comments on requests from Ukrainian Ambassador to Berlin Andrei Melnik to supply defensive weapons to Kiev.

STOCKHOLM, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Sweden will introduce more measures to stem a rising number of COVID cases that have placed a greater burden on the healthcare system, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Monday.

Sweden has seen the fastest spread of COVID cases in recent weeks as the Omicron variant has surged through the country. A record 60,000 cases were detected last week, despite limited testing capabilities. 

"The situation has deteriorated, without doubt. The level of infections in Sweden is at a historically high level," Andersson told a news conference.

GENEVA, Jan 10 (Reuters) - After days of pessimistic statements on both sides, the United States and Russia began tough negotiations in Geneva on Monday that Washington hopes can avert the danger of a new Russian invasion of Ukraine without conceding to the Kremlin's far-reaching security demands.

The talks between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and Deputy U.S. Secretary of State Wendy Sherman began at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Geneva with U.S.-Russia relations at their most tense since the Cold War ended three decades ago.

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia is easing coronavirus restrictions after a decline in new infections while the fast-spreading omicron variant is yet to fully hit the country.

The changes include the cancellation Monday of the overnight curfew between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. The move allows bars and restaurants, stores and others to stay open without restrictions. Only fully vaccinated people and those who have recovered from COVID-19 are eligible to enter bars, restaurants, hotels, ski resorts, religious services and stores selling nonessential goods.

ROME (AP) — Italy targeted the unvaccinated with a host of new coronavirus restrictions Monday, with proof of vaccination or recovery from a recent infection required to enter public transport, coffee shops, hotels, gyms and other everyday activities.

The new “super” health pass requirement, which eliminates the ability to show just a negative test to gain access to services, comes as many Italians return to work and school after the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. It came as COVID-19 infections are soaring past 100,000 per day in Italy.

GENEVA (AP) — A top Russian diplomat predicted “difficult” talks with the United States this week after attending a working dinner with U.S. officials in Geneva on Sunday as part of the kickoff to a string of meetings in three European cities this week, with ties at a low over Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine.