The Netherlands has become the first European country to enact a strict lockdown over Christmas. Omicron infections are spreading rapidly across the country. All nonessential businesses have been closed until at least mid-January.

French Finance Minister, Bruno Le Maire has announced plans to widen financial aid for firms hit by the pandemic, as surging Covid-19 cases put increasing pressure on the wider economy.

Boosters, lockdown, laissez faire — here's a look at how countries around the world are reacting to the omicron variant.

More evidence is emerging that the Omicron coronavirus variant is affecting the upper respiratory tract, causing milder symptoms than previous variants, a World Health Organization official said on Tuesday.

Germany's health minister has said that the country would need 15 million more booster doses to curb the spread of omicron. Meanwhile. Australia's health system is under strain amid a rising caseload. DW has the latest.

This year's Grammy Awards ceremony honoring top performances in music has been postponed indefinitely because of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, organizers said on Wednesday. The Grammy Awards have been postponed for a second year in a row, with organisers on Wednesday citing a surge in cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

As South Africa exits its fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, many of its citizens think the travel restrictions imposed on them by some foreign countries were unfair. But first, more protesters are fatally shot in Sudan's capital Khartoum and other Sudanese cities. The internet and mobile networks are cut off, but that doesn't stop rallies against the military from springing up once again. And we see how Senegal is hoping for success at the African Cup of Nations. The team is full of top-flight athletes but has yet to win a major competition.

Israel's Health Ministry has recommended removing all the countries currently on an omicron no-fly list. The ministry also said Israelis should not travel to places with higher infection rates "without a good reason."

There's concern among European authorities about the impact the omicron variant could have on public life in the coming weeks. New measures are being discussed and put in place. But there's also some cautious hope.

Across Europe, there are fears the omicron variant will cause case numbers to climb to record highs, increasing pressure on hospitals and other workplaces. In Germany, health officials are warning that the true scale of the crisis is not yet known.

The number of people who have died after being infected by the coronavirus in Britain has topped 150,000. It's the highest death toll in any European nation. As the total of omicron cases in the UK surges ever higher, the health care system is at its limits.

Prosecutors have added terrorism to the five charges a man who allegedly set fire to South Africa's parliament was already facing. The 49-year-old was also diagnosed with "paranoid schizophrenia."