Germany Merkel bids for powers to impose a nationwide COVID lockdown If MPs pass the legislation, restrictions will be automatically introduced in regions with a spike in COVID-19 infections. 13/04/2021
World Europe's Muslims prepare for second Ramadan under shadow of pandemic From London to Madrid, Islam's holiest month will be marked under pandemic restrictions for the second consecutive year. 13/04/2021
Europe Europe's COVID deaths top 1 million as pandemic hits 'critical point' Europe is the world's worst-hit region with a coronavirus death toll of at least 1,000,288 on Monday. 13/04/2021
Germany Germany's COVID-19 cases top 3 million amid calls for tighter rules The number of confirmed cases in Germany passed the three-million mark as federal and state politicians struggled to agree on tougher coronavirus rules. 12/04/2021
China COVID-19: Chinese official says homegrown vaccines not very powerful Chinese vaccines "don’t have very high protection rates," said the director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control, Gao Fu, at a conference Saturday. 11/04/2021
Finland Arrests across Europe as people flout or protest COVID-19 restrictions Police in Paris, France, have arrested nine people and issued more than 150 fines since the beginning of the weekend to people who clandestinely met in restaurants and bars. 11/04/2021
Germany Germany: Far-right AfD attempts to bridge rifts ahead of key election The AfD is holding a two-day congress this weekend ahead of Germany's September federal election, which will mark the end of Chancellor Angela Merkel's era. 10/04/2021
Japan COVID patient in Japan gets world's first living donor lung transplant After the woman was free of the virus, her lungs were no longer functional or treatable, and the only option for her to live was to receive a lung transplant. 10/04/2021
Europe EU received only half of AstraZeneca doses it was meant to this week AstraZeneca's deliveries to the European Union have been beset by delays. 09/04/2021
Europe EMA launches blood clots probe related to Johnson & Johnson vaccine It comes after the regulator said there was a possible link between very rare cases of blood clots and the AstraZeneca vaccine. 09/04/2021
state of the union Europe's week: AstraZeneca jab troubles and Turkey's diplomacy mistake The European Medicines Agency said the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine could potentially cause rare blood clots and Commission President von der Leyen got sidelined in Ankara. Here's a look at two key stories making the news in Brussels this week. 09/04/2021
France AstraZeneca: France says under 55s to receive different second dose France's health authority has recommended that adults under 55 who received a first dose of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine should receive a different vaccine for their second dose. 09/04/2021
world news Vaccination success sees Gibraltar enjoy life post-pandemic The British Overseas Territory has become one of the first places in the world to ease restrictions including outdoor mask wearing 08/04/2021
brussels bureau Turkey and Russia have highest incarceration rate, says report A new report by the Council of Europe shows that the median age of inmates is 36 years, with 95% being men and only 5% women. 08/04/2021
