Here's a round-up of the COVID situation across Europe, where countries are tightening restrictions and trying to boost vaccinations amid a spike in cases.

There was no word on what caused the fire.

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Worldwide, there are more than 81,600 missing US military personnel, including 72,350 from World War II.

Park was arrested and sent to prison in 2017, after being removed from office following a corruption scandal that prompted months of massive street protests.

Kim Potter, 49, killed Daunte Wright, 20, during the traffic stop in Minneapolis in April.

The study from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) found people infected with Omicron were 50 to 70 percent less likely to be admitted to hospital than those infected with the Delta variant.

The organisers also "regret" the decision by the National Hockey League (NHL) not to send players to the Beijing Winter games.

The bar is the only place in Bulgaria where people do not need a health certificate to get in, but leave with one after getting the jab.

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The Ocean Viking, part of the NGO SOS Méditerranée, has been looking for a safe port to land 114 migrants it rescued off the coast of Libya a week ago.

When asked about Bosnia’s bid to join the EU, Orban's spokesman Zoltan Kovacs tweeted the PM’s response: “The challenge with Bosnia is how to integrate a country with 2 million Muslims.”

Mikhail Gorbachev is remembered for dismantling the USSR and bringing about the end of Communism in the Soviet Union, but when he took power in 1985 his ambitions were far less radical.

Progressively phasing out nuclear power has been enshrined in Belgian law since 2003.

Such a move could start a spat between the new coalition government and President Milos Zeman, one of the loudest pro-China advocates in Czech politics.

"It's an international symbol, an international symbol of democracy, and [...] it was the only bell allowed to ring during the Second World War. So that was the sound of liberty and hope."

Spain’s boisterous take on the holiday could almost be mistaken for irreverence. It's summed up by the caganer or defecating shepherd, which can be found in nativity scenes across the country.

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Officials blamed "vaccine nationalism" in developed countries for hoarding vaccines until they "were about to expire" before donating them.

Putin stressed that Moscow "made it clear that any further NATO movement to the east is unacceptable".

Xi’an on Thursday reported another 63 locally transmitted cases, pushing the city’s total to at least 211 over the past week.

This is not the first time that the Macron couple has been targeted by rumours mixing gender and sexual orientation.

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Locals in Athens tell Euronews they are staying away from large crowds during the Christmas period.

Over 100 pro-democracy activists have been arrested since Beijing implemented the national security law in Hong Kong.

Early studies suggest that Omicron COVID cases have a reduced risk of hospitalisation, compared with the Delta variant.

Russia in January will start talks with the US and NATO to discuss a number of demands including that NATO deny membership to Ukraine and other former Soviet countries, Russia's top diplomat said.

Belgium will close cinemas, theatres and ban most indoor activities to curb COVID-19 infections.

“The government has blocked all the classical ways of getting money into the country, so we had to find an alternative."

North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev formally resigned, in a move he had announced after his governing party's defeat in October's local elections.

Leaders from Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia met in Tirana to discuss and agree on furthering their Open Balkan initiative to promote political and economic ties.

People in Moscow are being treated to a spectacular display of Christmas trees themed on cities from around the world, an attempt to cheer up Russians as the COVID pandemic continues to restrict travel this holiday season.

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The UK registered a record-breaking 106,122 new COVID-19 infections in 24 hours ahead of the holidays.

The World Health Organization gave a briefing on COVID-19 as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spreads ahead of the festive holidays.

It comes with Europe in the midst of another wave of COVID, driven in some countries by the more transmissible Omicron variant.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 people on board.

Rio Tinto's plans to mine one of Europe's largest lithium deposits might be on hold for now. But the stage is set for future conflicts. We must find greener alternatives to lithium batteries to meet our future needs, argues RSK's Jordi Bruno.

"The world will follow in our footsteps," said Israeli PM Naftali Bennett

Washington rebutted allegations from Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu that US companies delivered “tanks with unidentified chemical components” to war-torn Eastern Ukraine to “commit provocations".

Brussels begins legal action against Poland over primacy of EU law row

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The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, and experts say the trends in Europe are troubling.

Rather than an Anglo-Saxon turkey, some Czechs prefer carp, traditionally fried in bread crumbs and served with potato salad.

"We will not stop until Saakashvili is free, until Georgia is back to its European path," said one demonstrator.

The chips are down for some fast food fans in Japan.

With Omicron taking hold in France, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said Wednesday "the situation is critical."

Spain's €2.4 billion Christmas lottery offers a distraction from pandemic

Truss was appointed to lead the UK's post-Brexit negotiations after the surprise resignation of Lord David Frost.

Dozens of miners in Myanmar die each year working in dangerous conditions in jade quarries, an opaque and poorly regulated industry.