World News Roundup: Russia adds firepower to Kaliningrad exclave citing NATO threat; Ethiopia scorns guerrilla war fears, U.N. team shot at in Tigray and more

Moscow captured the region from Germany towards the end of World War Two. Ethiopia scorns guerrilla war fears, U.N. team shot at in Tigray Ethiopia's government denied on Monday that northern forces whom its troops have fought for a month would be able to mount a guerrilla insurgency, while diplomats said a United Nations team was shot at while trying to visit a refugee camp.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

European powers rebuke Iran after uranium enrichment announcement

France, Germany and Britain said on Monday they were alarmed by an Iranian announcement that it intended to install additional, advanced uranium-enriching centrifuges and by legislation that could expand its nuclear programme. "If Iran is serious about preserving a space for diplomacy, it must not implement these steps," the three powers, who along with China and Russia are party to a 2015 nuclear containment deal with Tehran, known as the JCPoA, said in a joint statement.

Russia adds firepower to Kaliningrad exclave citing NATO threat

Russia is beefing up its forces in its Kaliningrad exclave and has already formed a full motorised rifle division that includes a regiment of tanks, a naval admiral said on Monday, citing the need to respond to what he said was a NATO build-up nearby. Kaliningrad, already heavily militarised, is a Russian region that lies on the Baltic Sea between EU members Lithuania and Poland. Moscow captured the region from Germany towards the end of World War Two.

Ethiopia scorns guerrilla war fears, U.N. team shot at in Tigray

Ethiopia's government denied on Monday that northern forces whom its troops have fought for a month would be able to mount a guerrilla insurgency, while diplomats said a United Nations team was shot at while trying to visit a refugee camp. Federal troops have seized the regional capital Mekelle from the former local ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and declared an end to their month-long offensive.

Iranian official denies rumours of decline in supreme leader's health

An official close to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denied rumours on social media on Monday that the 81-year-old's health was deteriorating. "By the grace of God and with the good prayers of devotees, the gentleman (Ayatollah Khamenei) is in good health and is busy vigorously carrying out his plan according to his routine," the official, Mehdi Fazaeli, said on Twitter.

Eritrea frees 28 Jehovah's Witnesses prisoners, group says

Eritrea has released 28 members of the Jehovah's Witnesses group after they served prison terms of up to 26 years, the Christian denomination said in a statement seen by Reuters on Monday. In 1994 Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki signed a decree revoking citizenship for members of the group for reasons including their conscientous objection to military service. Eritrea has maintained conscription for more than 20 years.

Brexit crunch time: stand-off puts EU-UK trade deal on a knife edge

Post-Brexit trade talks hung in the balance on Monday as Britain and the European Union made a last-ditch attempt to bridge significant differences and reach a deal that would avoid a disorderly exit in just 24 days. With growing fears of "no-deal" chaos after the United Kingdom finally leaves the EU's orbit on Dec. 31, talks will resume in Brussels before British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen review the situation on Monday evening.

Bolsonaro turns to military allies to set Brazil's coronavirus vaccine policy

Brazil's leader Jair Bolsonaro is moving to assert control of the nation's independent health regulator, Anvisa, a move some health experts fear will politicize the agency and give the president, one of the world's most prominent coronavirus skeptics, free rein over vaccine approvals. Bolsonaro on Nov. 12 nominated a retired soldier, Jorge Luiz Kormann, to take one of Anvisa's five director posts. Kormann, a former lieutenant-colonel with no background in medicine or vaccine development, would lead the unit charged with greenlighting vaccines. If he is confirmed by Brazil's Senate, as is expected, Bolsonaro allies would occupy three of Anvisa's five directorships, giving them a majority in all decisions taken by the agency.

EU weighs up sanctions against Turkey in east Med gas dispute

European Union foreign ministers evaluated grounds on Monday for sanctions against Turkey over a Mediterranean gas dispute before the bloc's leaders decide at a summit on Dec. 10-11 whether to make good on their threat to impose punitive measures. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said his country would not "bow down to threats and blackmail" but repeated his call for negotiations over the conflicting claims to continental shelves and rights to potential energy resources.

Iran says 'smart satellite-controlled machine gun' killed top nuclear scientist

The killing of Iran's top nuclear scientist last month was carried out remotely with artificial intelligence and a machine gun equipped with a "satellite-controlled smart system", Tasnim news agency quoted a senior commander as saying. Iran has blamed Israel for the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was seen by Western intelligence services as the mastermind of a covert Iranian programme to develop nuclear weapons capability. Tehran has long denied any such ambition.

Maduro allies win majority in disputed Venezuela congress election

Allies of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro won a majority of votes in a parliamentary election that saw scant participation due to a boycott by the opposition, which said Sunday's event was a farce meant to consolidate a dictatorship. The elections council said that 67.6% of the 5.2 million votes cast in Sunday's election went to an alliance of parties called the Great Patriotic Pole that backs Maduro - but that only 31% of eligible voters participated.