Europe

BERLIN, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Fighting the coronavirus pandemic is the biggest challenge for Germany's new government and Berlin must create fiscal reserves now to be prepared for the next crisis, Chancellor Olaf Scholz from the centre-left Social Democrats said on Thursday.

LONDON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Britain's governing Conservative Party was fined 17,800 pounds ($23,500) by the electoral watchdog on Thursday for failing to accurately report a donation which helped fund the refurbishment of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's official residence.

Johnson has faced intense scrutiny over how the financing of the refurbishment, estimated by some media to have run into hundreds of thousands of pounds on what the Sun newspaper has described as garish furniture and embossed wallpaper.

MOSCOW, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Russia accused Ukraine on Thursday of moving heavy artillery towards the front line of fighting with pro-Russian separatists and failing to engage in a peace process, in a new escalation of hostile rhetoric towards Kyiv.

The remarks by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova gave no sign that Moscow is willing to tone down its bitter criticism of Ukraine despite a two-hour call this week between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden.

MOSCOW, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Armenia's Defence Ministry said on Thursday that Azerbaijan had begun intensively shelling its military positions in Armenia's Gegharkunik province, the TASS news agency reported.

Azerbaijan said earlier on Thursday that one of its soldiers had been killed on the border with Armenia in what it described as an Armenian "provocation".

Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to a ceasefire at their border on Nov. 16 after Russia urged them to step back from confrontation following the deadliest clash since a war last year.

BRUSSELS, Dec 9 (Reuters) - A European Union summit with the bloc's eastern neighbours will confirm support for Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in their bid to move closer to the bloc but make no promise of future EU membership, according to a draft final statement.

In part overshadowed by the Belarus crisis, the EU summit on Dec. 15 will bring together Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, with Minsk likely to be represented with a Belarusian flag and an empty chair, diplomats said.

VIENNA, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Iran's top negotiator said on Thursday he was sticking to positions Tehran set out when nuclear talks broke off last week, while European Union and Russian envoys called for more urgency as world powers resumed negotiations in Vienna.

The indirect U.S.-Iranian talks in Vienna, in which other diplomats from the remaining parties to a now tattered 2015 deal - France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China - shuttle between them because Tehran refuses direct contact with Washington, aim to get both sides to resume full compliance with the accord.

PARIS, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- French Minister of the Sea Annick Girardin warned on Thursday that France would demand a European-level meeting and a litigation procedure if the United Kingdom does not grand fishing licenses to 94 French fishing boats by Friday evening.

"If all the licenses were not granted by tomorrow evening, France will request the meeting of the partnership council," she told BFMTV.

The purpose of the meeting would be to guarantee the application of the post-Brexit agreement, to note the non-respect of its signature by the UK," the minister said.

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization expressed concerns Thursday that rich countries spooked by the emergence of the omicron variant could step up the hoarding of COVID-19 vaccines and strain global supplies again, complicating efforts to stamp out the pandemic.

The U.N. health agency, after a meeting of its expert panel on vaccination, reiterated its advice to governments against the widespread use of boosters in their populations so that well-stocked countries instead can send doses to low-income countries that have largely lacked access to them.

VIENNA (AP) — Negotiations between Iran and world powers aimed at salvaging a tattered 2015 nuclear deal resumed in Vienna on Thursday, with tensions high after Tehran made demands last week that European countries strongly criticized. The talks’ chairman said he detected “a renewed sense of purpose.”

LONDON (AP) — The British government confirmed Thursday that an inquiry into an alleged lockdown-breaching Christmas party at the offices of Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson nearly a year ago will also look at two prior gatherings involving government officials.

In a statement to lawmakers, Cabinet Office minister Michael Ellis laid out the terms of reference for the inquiry Johnson ordered Wednesday following a week of allegations that officials flouted coronavirus rules that they imposed on everyone else.