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Mobility

Revealed: The cities with the best and worst traffic congestion

New data from navigation company TomTom suggests that traffic congestion in many cities is still lower than it was before the COVID pandemic.

France

Is a Canada-style 'Freedom Convoy' protest set to descend on Paris?

Though 300,000 Facebook users have joined a group planning the demonstration, it's unclear how many people are planning to show up.

United Kingdom

COVID-infected people in England may soon not have to isolate

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told parliament the last domestic restrictions could be lifted by late February if the latest encouraging trends continued.

Switzerland

Rich countries should pay €14 billion urgently to end pandemic — WHO

"Science gave us the tools to fight COVID-19; if they are shared globally in solidarity, we can end COVID-19 as a global health emergency this year," said the World Health Organization's chief.

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Culture news

Neil Young tells Spotify workers to 'get out of that place'

It's not over. It might never be over.

Europe News

Antivax protests are on the rise in Europe, but can they last?

Movements against restrictions and vaccinations are growing as the pandemic continues.

Germany

Germany argues over vaccine mandates for health workers

The opposition bloc says the mandate should be suspended nationwide “until central legal and practical questions are answered”.

Turkey

Former Olympic swimmer wanted for Erdogan's COVID infection 'insult'

The Turkish President announced on Saturday that he and his wife were suffering from "mild" COVID-19 symptoms.

Home

How used COVID face masks could be helping to keep you connected

The COVID pandemic is believed to be generating 7,200 tonnes of medical waste every day but this company is finding new ways to reuse it.

Tech News

Spotify says Joe Rogan isn't going anywhere

Spotify acknowledged that podcast episodes featuring racist language were taken down at their urging - but insisted that the company wasn’t Rogan's publisher.

World News

Protest against COVID restrictions and vaccines in Madrid

Nevertheless, mandatory outdoor mask-wearing is expected to be lifted by 10 February in Spain.

World News

COVID in Europe: Germany mulls easing restrictions after peak subsides

Meanwhile, Russia registered new record numbers of cases and total deaths, while anti-measures protests in Helsinki spilt into the weekend.

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Protesters stage demo against COVID-19 restrictions and high fuel taxes

Protesters stage demo against COVID-19 restrictions and high fuel taxes

Turkey

Turkey's Erdogan tests positive for COVID, has 'mild symptoms'

Erdogan said on Saturday that he and his spouse tested positive for COVID-19, but that both have mild symptoms "due to the Omicron variant".

China

COVID-positive Olympians criticise conditions in quarantine hotels

The unlucky competitors who tested positive for COVID-19 are demanding that the organisers improve quarantine conditions, including the quality of meals served and access to equipment.

Finland

Protests highlight Finnish frustrations at ongoing COVID restrictions

There are rising levels of frustration across Finland over what protesters see as a government slow to allow society to open up again.

China

Beijing Winter Olympics under way amid strict COVID restrictions

The ceremony at the Chinese capital's National Stadium, known as the Bird's Nest, took place at 13:00 CET.

Austria

Austria moves a step closer to making COVID vaccines mandatory

It is set to become the first country in Europe to make COVID jabs compulsory for all adults.

World News

Europe could be heading for 'a long period of COVID tranquillity'

That's the view of WHO Europe director Dr Hans Kluge.

Russia

Putin mulls loosening COVID-19 restrictions even as Russia cases soar

Russia had only one, six-week lockdown in 2020, and in October 2021 many people were also ordered to stay off work for about a week. But besides that, life in most of the country remained largely normal.